Ignorance and racism, alive and well in the GOP

By Michael J.W. Stickings

You would think -- would you not? -- that a contender for the top spot of a major American political party who sent out a CD to party members with the song "Barack the Magic Negro" on it would no longer be a contender.

Oh, how wrong you would be.

Because this is the GOP we're talking about, and many Republicans, it seems, are unabashedly racist -- and in a complete state of denial about it, mainly because they're just too damn ignorant to know any better.

As the Politico is reporting, Chip Saltsman's fortunes haven't quite dimmed as expected. The former head of the Tennessee GOP is even benefitting from the controversy, with party members actually rallying to his side.

Consider these representative comments:

-- Mark Ellis (chairman, Maine GOP): "When I heard about the story, I had to figure out what was going on for myself. When I found out what this was about I had to ask, 'Boy, what’s the big deal here? because there wasn't any."

-- Carolyn McClarty (committee member, Oklahoma GOP): "I don't think he intended it as any kind of racial slur. I think he intended it as a humor gift. I think it was innocently done by Chip."

-- Paul Reynolds (committee member, Alabama GOP): "Chip probably could have thought it through a bit more, but he was doing everyone a favor by giving us a gift. This is just people looking for something to make an issue of."

Really? People are just making "an issue" of this? It's no "big deal? "Magic Negro" isn't a racial slur? It was just a "gift," and all in good fun?

Surely these three idiots aren't alone. The song was first played on Rush Limbaugh's radio show, and I'm sure that many Republicans laughed heartily at its racist depiction of Obama.

As Carol noted, not all Republicans are amused, but it's a pretty damning indictment of what really makes the GOP tick.

(Make sure to read Capt. Fogg's post on the controversy from last Saturday.)