Republican Tatics

Is Kansas, and the rest of the Midwest, racist? Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius seems to think so. At a recent Obama campaign in Iowa City, Sebelius accused the GOP of using "code language". Here's the actual report from the Associated Press (AP):

"Sebelius says GOP using racial 'code language'

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius accused Republicans on Tuesday of injecting race into the presidential campaign, arguing that they are using "code language" to convince Midwesterners that Democrat Barack Obama is different from them.

"Have any of you noticed that Barack Obama is part African-American?" Sebelius asked with sarcasm. "(Republicans) are not going to go lightly into the darkness." "

Later the AP changed the wording of the story so that it isn't so accusatory, but the truth can be found out there if you look for it (try here, it's where I found it).

So, as a native son of Kansas, are we racist. Not anymore then anyone else. Sure I've heard my fair share of racial epithets in my 31 years, but as the older brother to an [adopted] Hispanic brother and [adopted] African-American sister, I know that I've heard very few actually directed at them.

And as for the suggestion that Republicans are using a secret code word to bring race into this election without having to bring up race, well that has to be one of the most ridiculous things I've heard since Ross Perot accused the GOP of planting tracking and listening devices in his head and disrupting his daughter's wedding in 1992.

If one thing can be said about this election cycle is how civil it has actually been. In a Oct. 29, 2008 USA TODAY article, Sandy Grady makes the same point saying,

"Sure there is a queasy excess- too much campaign money sloshing around, too many TV ads, too many polls constantly taking temperatures in every state. But by the standards of other years - the Willie Horton ad in 1988, Swift-Boating in 2004 - it wasn't an excessively dirty campaign. For that we could partially thank McCain, whose sense of honor forbade employing racial overtones against Obama"

As the race draws to a close, and the polls show the numbers drawing tighter as well, is the Obama campaign beginning to get worried that a Truman like win over Dewey is possibly going to happen? Are Obama supporters concerned that McCain may end up winning this that they feel the need to offer false statements and accusations. It appears that way to me.

I’m more then willing to vote for an African-American, a woman, an Asian, a Hispanic, anyone, as long as they agree with me on key issues that are important to me. That’s why I support Sarah Palin’s nomination and would support any number of conservative African-Americans.

Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, are able to look past race, only to a small, bigoted number does race matter, such as the two skinheads from Arkansas who recently wanted to attack several African-Americans including Senator Obama. Most American’s don’t agree with these statements or beliefs. Accusing us of doing so only mucks up the issue more.