http://www.tmz.com/2010/01/06/kfc-australia-racist-commercial-kentucky-fried-chicken/?mediaKey=125808e2-b15b-45b3-8a4d-e9b9e1c3e6d2&isShareURL=true

WASHINGTON—A majority of African-Americans surveyed in a nationwide poll this week reported feeling “deeply disturbed” and “more than a little weirded out” by all the white people now smiling at them.

First witnessed shortly after President Obama’s historic victory, the open and cheerful smiling has only continued in recent months, leaving members of the black community completely unnerved.

“On behalf of black people across this nation, I would like to say to our white brethren, ‘Please stop looking at us like that,’” said Brown University psychology professor Dr. Stanley Carsons. “We’re excited Barack is president, too, and we’re glad you’re happy for us. But giving us the thumbs up for no reason, or saying hello whenever we walk by, is really starting to freak us out.”

For the full article:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nations_blacks_creeped_out_by_all?utm_source=a-section

• What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

• What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
• What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

• What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?
• What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident?
• What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

• What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

• What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

• What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five?(The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

• What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?
• What if Obama couldn’t read from a teleprompter?

• What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

• What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?

• What if Michelle Obama’s family had made their money from beer distribution?

• What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?

Educational Background:
Barack Obama:

• Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
• Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:

• University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
• Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

John McCain:

• United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:

• Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
• North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
• University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
• Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
• University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

I’m particularly anxious to hear from anybody who thinks that Obama would still be a viable candidate if he had the same record as McCain.

The woman points out that she didn’t realize it might be viewed as racist. She also points out that she even knows some black people strengthening her case as a warrior for social justice.

a “top McCain strategist” said, “It’s a dangerous road, but we have no choice. If we keep talking about the economic crisis, we’re going to lose.”(1)

Few topics have the power to be able to convince people to ignore the destruction of their financial future.  Fear, hate and xenophobia carry the power to trump the economic news of the day for some of us.  With their options limited, the McCain campaign has turned to these tactics to try to breathe life into their Presidential bid, with Sarah Palin leading the way. 

Here is an example of a recent Palin speech (If you want to be totally assaulted by unfounded lies, misrepresentations, fear mongering click the associated links).

Let me try to interpret the take a ways from Sarah’s speech:

• “We see America as a force of good, Barak Obama does not”
• “We see an America of exceptionalism [sic], Barak Obama does not”
• “Barak Obama sees America as imperfect enough to associate with terrorist(S) who want destroy it.  Barak Obama wants to destroy America”

The implicit endorsement by our countries Republican political leadership has helped to bring out some of the ugliest things this county has to offer.  Examples include people yelling “Terrorist”, “Kill him” and “treason” in reference to Obama at McCain and Palin rallies and often having the comments met with cheers.

Here are a few additional examples:
(3)

• “I can find nothing wrong with this sign/cartoon, which is truthful by Obama’s own statements,” wrote James E. (Jay) Gentry Jr. of Mountain Grove. (3)
• “If they can burn a flag, then they can put a sign up like that,” Fine told the News-Leader. (3)

 (7)

(9)

More proof the unfounded claims are working:

It is also fun to be a racist at McCain/ Palin rallies:

To his credit McCain trying is trying to put the genie back in the bottle.  Below is an example of McCain trying to set the record straight at a rally, interestingly the crowd actually booed his appeal to their better selves. 

While McCain has taken it upon himself to address some of these claims his vice presidential candidate and campaign manager have not.  In fact, the campaign released a statement defending the line of attacks.  All of this frustrates and saddens me on several levels.  Not the least of which is the feeling that John McCain I have respected for many years has been hijacked by extreme of his party.

Sources and additional reading:

1. Insults fly as Barack Obama & John McCain prepare for second debate - http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/10/05/2008-10-05_insults_fly_as_barack_obama__john_mccain.html
2. Nervous GOP urges McCain to attack - http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/14146.html
3. About those lynch mobs on the campaign trail -  http://www.boingboing.net/2008/10/13/about-those-lynch-mo.html
4. Anger Is Crowd’s Overarching Emotion at McCain Rally - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/09/AR2008100903169_pf.html
5. McCain Faces Backlash Over Rabid Crowds - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/10/mccain-defends-his-rabid_n_133710.html
6. McCain’s attacks fuel dangerous hatred - http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.mccain10oct10,0,7557571.story
7. Obama Bin Lyin’” Sign At McCain Rally - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/13/obama-bin-lyin-sign-at-mc_n_134201.html
8. Barack Obama ‘pseudo controversies’ hide racism, news anchor says - http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ssf/2008/10/barack_obama_pseudo_controvers.html
9. McCain’s Chilling Dance With the Dark Side- http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2008/10/mccains_chilling_dance_with_th.html

Similar discrepancies between poll numbers and voting results have occurred multiple times where a non-white candidate was matched up against a white competitor.  Most notably in the 1983 race for the Mayor of Chicago, the 1988 Democratic Primary in Wisconsin and the 1989 race for Mayor of New York City.
The theory is that white people aren’t forthcoming about not wanting to support a black candidate, which leads to these discrepancies.  For further reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradley_effect

Polls:

• http://www.electoral-vote.com/
• http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/calculator/

Thank you Later Skater for the link.
Portrayal Of Obama As Elitist Hailed As Step Forward For African Americans