Bob Herbert Took Over Mourning Joe this Morning. And it Took it Over so Well.
New York Times columnist Bob Herbert backed up his claims that the celebrity ad from John McCain’s campaign was indeed racist.
On Mourning Joe this morning, Herbert conspicuously examined and highlighted the problems he had with the controversial ad, in particular the image of two other scenes besides the ones of public figures Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.
"Why are the Victory Column, or the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Washington Monument in this Ad," said Herbert to the round table, which featured Washington Post writer Jonathan Capeheart on the show. "Why are those two phallic symbols in this ad?"
Herbert continued with his critical diagnosis, including questioning the integrity of the Republican party.
"I have not seen broad political ads with scantily clad women in political ads with a white politician. Why does this happen with a black candidate, the same issue with Harold Ford. Again, why are those two phallic symbols in the ad?"
Scarborough of course was taken back by Herbert’s penetrating analysis, labeling the scribe’s views as "very fascinating." Herbert countered with this assessment.
"They are not targeting this ad at you (to Scarborough). The McCain ad is targeting those who are so uncomfortable with the thought of inter racial couples."
Alarmed by Herbert’s claims of the Republican Party being known for their potentially race drive ads and campaigning, Buchanan defended himself and the Richard Nixon’s team by listing the support of black run programs and saying that Nixon had a better civil rights record than Lyndon Johnson and John Kennedy.
Herbert subtlety shot back, saying that he never called Richard Nixon a racist and stated that the late Lee Atwater stated that he later regretted the campaign tactics he facilitated in before his passing.
Herbert’s tone and explanation was brilliant and shows why there is a reason for some to watch Mourning Joe. When someone articulates a perspective so well, that it stuns Scarborough, makes Mika Brzezinski reiterate happiness in her tone, and has Willie Hoyer utterly silenced.
(Video to come later)
Refreshed 1
Two things: Herbert intelligently stated also that talking about race, even with his perspective, is not helpful to Obama.
Also, until the video of this is put up, enjoy this parody of the Celeb Ad.
Refreshed 2: At the request of dansec, let's have a positive ad for Obama. From Obama !
Thanks to Muzikial203
Refreshed 3: While we wait for MSNBC to not be chicken and put the video up, Obama is hitting McCain, and Bush, and the Republicans HARD right now in Lansing, the state captial of, of course, Michigan.
This, to me, is his best speech ever, and I'll explain why later.
Refreshed 4: And now, the moment you have been waiting for (well some of you), thanks to the one and only icebergslim (it's on his HER blog too), here's the vid link
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
Note: The video starts off with Bill Clinton's video on GMA, but it is the Herbert video, so just wait a few seconds or fast forward past it.
Refreshed 5: Final refreshing for this diary
Obama's speech today was in my opinion, his best speech ever. Without a shadow of a doubt. It was a flawless adjoining of optimistic realism and a placid urgency for the American people do the right choice. He hammered McCain, lumped him with Bush, mentioned Boone Pickens and how he said "We can't drill our way out of this," and hammered the oil companies brilliantly.
He has always delivers substance in his speeches to me (unlike the fools on TV try to dismiss), and he certainly did that here today.
Refreshed 6 Youtube Embed. Don't want the Link to MSNBC? Here's the straight embedding
Part 1
Part 2