One of the winger's favorite talking points is that Obama's support is all about identity politics.
They'll tell you that black people voted for him because he is black.
After all, they always stick together.
They'll tell you that white people voted for him because he was black.
After all, no white person with his thin record would have had a prayer.
As they seek to peel away support for this administration, they routinely and relentlessly sound that dog whistle and deal the race card from the bottom of the deck. So far, it has worked like a charm.
Well, here's a peeling away that you can't pin on the wingers. Limbaugh and the fine folks at FOX had nothing to do with it.
In today's Washington Post, the National Coalition of African American Owned Media (NCAAOM) took out a full-page color advertisement opposing the Comcast-NBC Universal merger. However, the notable point is they didn't stop there.
Dear Mr. President:
As a promising young Senator from Illinois, you were a longtime advocate for consumers, and a champion for diversity in the face of increasing media consolidation. Above, we site(sic) an excerpt from a letter you wrote to then Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin Martin that specifically noted the Commission's gross negligence in delivering diversity among media ownership -- specifically African American owned media.[for full text of letter visit NCAAOM's web site.]
Today, we want to explain why the National Coalition of African American Owned Media (NCAAOM) is preparing a lawsuit against the FCC, led by your appointed Chairman Julius Genachowski, for not protecting African Americans in media, and specifically communicate our opposition against the Comcast-NBC Universal (Comcast-NBCU) merger that is currently under review at the Commission.
The bill of particulars points out that no other cable franchise has the market penetration into the black community that Comcast currently has. The letter asserts that over 40% of Comcast subscribers are African American. In return, Brian Roberts (Comcast Chairman and CEO)and Steve Burke (COO) collected $61 million -- more money than Comcast paid to all African American owned media companies combined.
Although the demand that Comcast change its practice and allocate 10% of its budget and channels to African American owned networks is certain to fall on deaf ears (dust off the "reparations" talking points, fellas), their complaint against the merger itself has the potential for broad support. After decrying the tens of millions of dollars Comcast has "poured out its piggy bank" to buy influence in Washington, the letter makes a pointed criticism that will warm the cockles of the GOP Grinch's this Christmas
You had incredible support behind your agenda of change and hope during the election. However, Mr. President, if you continue to follow the path of the Beltway Elite, and turn your back on the African American community, and the critical goals you set for yourself and your administration (jobs, transparency in government, opportunity for all, etc.), it will forster widespread disappointment moving forward... Mr. President, you promised us change, and the time to deliver is now. We do not have a true democracy unless all voices are heard and widelly distributed. Please tell Comcast, "no inclusion, no merger."
Drudge, et al. won't embrace this because they are champions of inclusion. They will point to it as more evidence of this president's "failure" to lead. They will claim it as proof that his base is "abandoning" him. Both of those are overstating things, but I think the charge is going to leave a nasty mark. Perception is reality when it comes to intangibles like popularity. Unfortunately, I think a lot of this damage is self-inflicted.
I don't believe for a second that Stanley E. Washington, President of NCAAOM is speaking as a recognized leader of any community. However, it is surprising that he would spend the money and time to take out a full-page ad to make this point. This is surprising for several reasons. First, the appeal will fall on deaf ears. Second, it will provide fodder to Breitbart and his ilk. Third, it's not going to generate a groundswell of support in the black community where unemployment is conservatively estimated to be running at 16%. Finally, anyone who has ever been in business knows that threats of litigation are a dime a dozen. Filing papers is what you do when you want people to sit up and take notice.
Regardless of what the FCC decides (spoiler alert: the merger will be approved), I think this contretemps is notable. After the "shellacking" in November, you would think a man as bright as the president would have got the message without someone having to take out a full-page ad in the Washington Post. Now that the "professional activists" have left the ship, followed by independents, followed by liberals, followed by hispanics, followed by labor, followed by blacks, it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify who Obama's base is these days.
Update: Saying these groups have "abandoned" the president would be too strong. Of course, that won't stop the wingers from painting it that way. However, when you erode your support in that many disparate demographics, you are screwing up Big Time. Candidate Obama had a crazy strong brand. Today it is seriously tarnished. I warned this could happen a year ago:
Here's the problem in a nutshell: Poor customer satisfaction. Ignore that problem and you will turn a successful product launch into a wholesale disaster.