McCain uses "Tar Baby"

[romantico]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 9:35pm

For the record, I DO NOT think McCain meant anything by it but it just goes to show that this guy needs to watch what he says especially the day after calling Obama "that one".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNGXB_qx0xk

[madbrian]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 9:51pm

That's an incredibly racist phrase to drop. I think it's a sign of ignorance rather than racism.

[killertofu333]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 9:59pm

I'm not necessarily offended by this comment (within its context). I'm more in shock that he would say TAR BABY while running in a presidential election against...a BLACK MAN!!! What an idiot. If he were running against Clinton it might not have hit the fan, but dammit all he's running against Obama, any way you slice it it sounds racist. Why couldn't he have just said "making a sticky situation stickier"?

Like I always say senility and bottled up racism DO NOT mix!!! Eventually something's gonna burst, in this case the phrase tar baby.

Updated On: 10/8/08 at 09:59 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 10:37pm

Look, whichever pundit said it last night on whichever channel I had on got it right. We watched a 20th century politician buckle onstage with a 21st century politician.

Of course, 19th century is more like it for McCain.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 12:25am

it is a term from a long ago era though it does have racist connotations, in the context he was using it was in the context over Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox story. I think McCain is an outdated fool. I also think that people who knee jerk to look for racist meanings to his arcane references have to be careful of crying "The Race Card". You run the risk of sounding like the Palin devotees who are screaming sexism at every turn!

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 7:18am

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 8:10am

McCain chose those words very carefully. There isn't a chance in hell he would have used that against a white opponent.

Next he'll be calling Obama "that boy".

Posted: 10/9/08 at 8:55am

You'd think McCain would remember the huge brouhaha after Press Secretary Tony Snow used the phrase. Of Course, Snow completely acquitted himself of any racist charges when he defended himelf so well with this non-apology:

"Well, apparently, what’s happened is, apparently some people are unfamiliar with the pathways of American culture, and don’t realize the old Uncle Remus story where somebody hugs a tar baby. …

I’ve decided, though, because it’s a classic case of, I think, somebody trying to sort of pick a fight. I’ll probably take that out of my toolchest of rhetorical devices, rather than having to explain a hundred and fifty years of American culture."
It's not me, it's you

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 9:17am

From Wikipedia
Tar Baby

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 9:41am

I don't think McCain meant anything by it. McCain isn't racist. Sarah Palin's a race baiter but he isn't. Too bad he's letting his campaign do it, so it makes him look racist.

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 9:49am

I had a dog named Tar Baby as a child. I didn't name her. She WAS black. didn't know her name was a racial term. But she mostly went by Tar, which was a fairly common name for a black dog.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 9:51am

He's just the worlds biggest Toni Morrison fan.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 9:56am

Uh didn't this happen back in the Spring?


John McCain has definitely shifted his campaign into race-bait mode. If you're following with your Clinton Primary Playbook, look for more after next week's final debate. Also stay tuned for more "begging" of McCain for more debates (ala Clinton).

"McCain isn't racist."

This is certainly debatable. He certainly has done NOTHING for equal rights in this country his entire tenure senate.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 9:56am

Maybe Sarah Palin's grandchild should be named "Tar Baby" ... I mean, poor Levi sure got stuck with it.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 9:57am

Ba-DUMP-ching!!!

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 10:23am

While John McCain has certainly been no leader on civil rights issues, as far as his party goes he's better than some. This is a backhanded compliment. I think, like many Republican politicians, he just doesn't care about the practical problems of non-white rich males because theoretically those people have the same opportunities.

I see the McCain campaign trying to lure the Obama campaign into crying "Race!" because that's a place they want to go, clearly. This is a push to see just how racist America really is still. Obama will play it cool though... it's not like he hasn't been facing this his entire life.

What REALLY scares me is the sheer hatred Sarah Palin seems perfectly happy to try to incite. Now that... that's scary.

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 10:36am

If you're following with your Clinton Primary Playbook...

Justmehavingfun, if you bring up the "Clintons Primary Playbook", then it's fair to wonder when McCain/Palin will take a leaf from the Obama Primary Playbook and hire Donnie McClurkin. I'm sure they're sorry not to have a like minded "Christian" like Douglas Kmiec on board.

Updated On: 10/9/08 at 10:36 AM

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 10:58am

Tulita, I don't see your point. I don't understand what you are trying to say or bring attention to.

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 11:43am

Justmehavingfun, if you are going to (correctly) bring up McCain/Palin's race-baiting only to turn it into a oppertunity to bash the Clintons for prior ugly behavior, then you should expect Obamas prior, equally ugly behavior to be recalled.

And I wish Obama would tell Kmeic "Thanks a lot, but no thanks."

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 12:02pm

That's all fine and well but your point doesn't make any sense. You're trying to connect two different things. I'm pointing out McCain's use the Clinton play book.

" then you should expect Obamas prior, equally ugly behavior to be recalled. "

Equally? I can bring up Clinton all I want because her campaign's actions ARE relevant here. I don't understand how Obama's involvement with those two guys means anything. His support from the black commnunity is certainly not because of that guy. The second guy I've heard little about other than he is a Catholic and well most faiths are anti-gay, so whatever.

Whatever your point is John McCain is moronically using the Clinton campaign play book. With the exception of the Palin selction John McCain is using every single failed tactic Clinton used.

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 12:12pm

I don't understand how Obama's involvement with those two guys means anything. His support from the black commnunity is certainly not because of that guy. The second guy I've heard little about other than he is a Catholic and well most faiths are anti-gay, so whatever.

McCain, and yes, Hillary stoked racism. Obama (who, as you say, didn't need to get support from the black community by using 'that guy') stoked homophobia.

Both actions are equally contemptible.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 12:21pm

He didn't stoke "homophobia." Hillary Clinton and that corny Philadelphia "newspaper" ran with that nonsense.


Even if he did what purpose did it serve? Nothing. Nothing at all.

I'm still trying to get your correlation here... What exactly are you saying? Clinton/McCain's race baiting - by that I mean they put out vailed racial statements anticipating a back lash that would benefit them because white people are scared of organized angry blacks.

So Obama hired a closeted self-hating homo so he could get people to call him homophobic so it would make him look better because people (maybe blacks) are afraid of organized angry homosexuals?

I'm so lost. Obama made a mistake hiring this guy and ADMITTED it. Meanwhile he has spoken at RALLY AFTER RALLY in front of thousands of black people that homophobia is NOT Christian and he is for gay rights.

I don't understand it's not the same thing Obama has not benefitted from veiled homophobia. Most black people don't even know who that guy is and that he ever worked for Obama.

[lildogs]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 3:54pm

Tulita, let it go...

[DBillyP]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 4:10pm

I am not defending McCain or his use of the phrase, but this video is from March of 2007, not while he was running against Barack Obama.

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 5:22pm

I don't understand myself, mejusthavingfun. I think you're saying that while that racism should be condemned (as well it should) homophobia is just no big deal and should be brushed aside. I'm glad that Obama admitted his mistake, but I'm equally glad that both Clintons have moved on to be strongly pro-Obama and both have hammered the GOP in recent speeches.

Tell you what, lildogs. I'll let 'it' go when the thinly-veiled Clinton bashing goes. Deal?