Reply #59: It isn't only or mainly making BO's camp act in ANY way -- let me explain provokatsiia: [View All]

[cloudythescribbler]

(a Russian slang word that apparently describes this kind of tactic to a 't')

Step (1) Bill Clinton on Nelson Mandela, Hillary Clinton on Dr King & LBJ (a remark a NY TIMES Jan 9 editorial dubbed "peculiar"), Andrew Cuomo on 'shuck and jive', etc

(2) These comments are carefully formulated so as not to be unambiguously racist (a la macaca), but rather to provoke a reaction from some (in the media, in the black community, among progressives) to at the very least comment about their "peculiarity". Thus a discussion of race & racism in connexion with Obama and the election ensues

(3) Most whites are FAR less attuned to these kinds of race-baiting antics than most blacks (in the same way that the average black American knows and understands more about whites than most whites do about blacks -- I know, a massive generalization, but true)
By putting out comments WITH SELF-CONSCIOUS PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY but which are at the same time calculatingly provocative (or "peculiar"), the reaction that ensues is likely to alienate MANY whites, and make them think of Obama as 'another Jesse Jackson', and either vote Hillary or not at all (or perhaps someone else). Note that the reaction of the Obama campaign is NOT even necessary to this dynamic, and is in any case a very small part of it.

(4) As with Willie Horton in 88 (which was much complained of) and the 2000 GOP convention (described in the media as a 'minstrel show'), race is thus successfully injected into the campaign.

(5) As icing on the cake, it helps to have swarms of Obama-bashers, the sort who come out of the woodwork for weeks and months about the McClurkin canard (and I say that as someone bi myself), swarm around the general meme that OBAMA is the one playing the race card, with some (honestly or otherwise, depending on the instance) portraying it as 'equal fault' of both parties. Some are even more clever (and surely more plausible, and here with at least a grain of truth) and portray Obama supporters as 'dupes' who have been successfully manipulated by the Clinton campaign.

But note that these statements would INEVITABLY provoke significant reaction in the black community (as they are calculated to do, AND NOTICE THAT THEY ARE A PATTERN AND NOT A SINGLE "UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT") and in the media, who also will pick up on the pattern.

CONCLUSION -- this whole process needs to be exposed by Obama supporters, including in places like DU, and then brought in the most cogent way to the attention of non-black voters who are at least somewhat open-minded though not committed to Barack Obama.
It is important for Obama supporters("Obamanation" "Obamistas") to get to a point of at least some loose co-ordination in being self conscious as to just WHO the swarm of Obama-bashing trolls are, and even having the courage to put up posts with lists of them. There are said to be pro-Obama trolls, but so far I (who have been following the board closely over the last week while this has been happening) have noticed VERY few. Trolls generally make hit-and-run remarks, insist repeatedly without serious polemic that they are right, and/or gather in support of the MOST offensive and absurd allegations, often giving them 5 or more recommendations.

(I think one change should be that it should NOT be anonymous who made the recommendations)

I also note, given the treatment of the perfectly legitimate issue of the divergence of the exit polls with the reported results in NH, that in dealing with the management of DU, those of us who get together not so much as merely Obama supporters, but over a longer term, anti-swarmists, have our work cut out for us at DU).

And now, for the longer version of these comments (LOL)

:grouphug: