Reporting from Washington — The chairman of the Republican National Committee said Saturday he was “shocked and appalled” that one of his potential successors had sent a CD this Christmas featuring a 2007 parody song called “Barack the Magic Negro,” sung to the tune of “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Despite RNC Chairman Mike Duncan’s sharply negative reaction, former Tennessee GOP leader Chip Saltsman defended his mailing and said party leaders should too. He earlier had defended the tune as one of several “lighthearted political parodies” that have aired on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show.
Saltsman, who managed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s presidential campaign, is seeking the RNC chairmanship. During the campaign, GOP officials denounced those in the party who criticized or mocked Democratic nominee Barack Obama along racial lines. A spokesman for Obama, now the president-elect, declined to comment.
A sense of humor doesn’t necessarily require common sense.
people should get some common sense. You want a GOP makeover? then don’t feature quasi-racist songs! Yeah sure the song was based on the words of a black man, but who the fuck knows that? Yet another case of stupid white people.
Let’s step back and let all of the Palin haters that lurk on this site explain to us how crude, demeaning humor just isn’t right.
Hey BillM… Mocking an inarticulate, incurious, not-so-bright right-wing wacko for her dimness and her wacky beliefs is different from mocking an intelligent, curious, thoughtful man for the color of his skin.
FYI.
Specifically, BillM… all those complaints against Palin would have been just as valid no matter what her gender or race was. You can call it cruel to mock someone for their dimness but it has nothing to do with her gender or race.
Crude, demeaning humor just isn’t right.
Yeah, until those Repugs can reliably fake compassion, they don’t have a chance in hell of winning major office again.
BTW–what is the humor of this song other than making fun of “negro’s?” The test would be would Repugs find it as funny if the song was “Barack the Magic Democrat?” If just as funny, then yes, nothing but PC going on here. If it turns a bit flat, then the humor is racist.
Hopper===here’s another “artsy fartsy” question for you. Should the artistic value of this ditty outweigh any political concerns? I mean, art should be COURAGEOUS????
Do a little research there is some history to the term “Magic Negro”.
Hate to deflate this little hate-fest for the GOP you guys have going here, but Limbaugh’s song isn’t mocking Obama, it’s mocking a March 19, 2007 LA TIMES OP-ED by David Ehrenstein (no conservative, he), an article titled – wait for it – “Obama the ‘Magic Negro'”. The song (if you’d bothered even to LISTEN to it, or even do 5th-grade-level research) mocks how the LEFT evaluates Obama strictly by the color of his skin and his identification with a particular group – i.e., so-called “identity politics.”
Might want to get that nervous spasm in your left knees checked out… and quit posting self-righteous comments based in ignorance. It really makes you look stupid to the rest of us that have bothered to look into history of these issues.
The Rush parody reaction is a perfect example of the distorted media agenda and the politically correct crowd.
Long before Rush created the parody, the original piece was written.
Dave Ehrenstein, a black male, wrote an opinion piece for the LA Times back on March 19, 2007. It was called: Obama the ‘Magic Negro’.
Sorry kjackman, but a political party with practically no black members or supporters and a perceived animosity to black people in general, doesn’t get any slack cut for it in something like this.
Black people call each other “nigger” too, but that doesn’t mean white people who are perceived as racists can get away with it.
So do the dittoheads expect the general public to know about an op-ed no one has fucking heard about? Talk about stupid.
The RNC stick to working the Second Amendment its clear they are not using First Amendment to their advantage. Oh RNC get over it. There worst fear now is that Obama will do a good job.
Chip Saltsman–rearranging the deck chairs.
Mike Duncan—was in the band but has seen its time to steer away form the iceberg
Wasn’t sent to the general public. Rush gave the context.
Apparently it has something to do with various movies like the Legend of Bagger Vance and anything with Morgan Freeman.
Pretty funny how no one talks about the recent origin of this term from the LA Times.
I find this rather amusing. All the partisan crap, as if there’s a difference between the parties and the RNC and DNC aren’t bought off and owned by the same Oligarchy.
Here’s something that will appeal the (openly) gay Democrats.
But to the average middle-aged Republican male they might be a too old for their tastes.
http://www.blackinchesmag.com/
This is funny. Liberals just go crazy for this. Let’s not mention the fact that this was originated by a black columnist and not from any republican: La Times Liberal Columnist Ehrenstein, a homosexual, also takes issue with Obama on gay rights. In October 2007, Ehrenstein “attacked Obama for his handling of gay rights issues,” according to the Washington Post, and he had even harsher words for his selection of Pastor Rick Warren to lead his inauguration prayer.
At the end of Ehrenstein’s blog post, he even says about Obama, “as he’s made clear through Warrengate, he’s certainly not MY President.”
This will become very important in the not too distant future:
http://tinyurl.com/59jptb
The guy is from Arkansas so it figures.
Where’s the song, “Bush, the Demented Monkey” for equal-time’s sake?
>> BillM said, on December 30th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
>> Let’s step back and let all of the Palin haters that lurk on this site explain to us how crude, demeaning humor just isn’t right.
Good conservative tactic: avoid, deny, counter-charge, change the topic and generally create noise.
But NEVER EVER own up to ANYTHING.
#8 kjackman — Wow. Do you actually believe that your “historical” knowledge of the song somehow negates the fact that its humor obviously, clearly and inarguably capitalizes on the “humor” of the very phrase “magic negro”?
As another commenter pointed out, the purported humor of that line would be non-existent if it had been “Barack the magic democrat.”
Just try to think for a few seconds before you type.
Ah, the “origin” of the term “magic negro”! The GOP didn’t invent it, so there’s no problem!
I love that conservatives think this makes a coherent argument.
Next you’ll be hearing Rush Limbaugh or another GOP nut defending himself using the term “nigger” in a song — because he’s merely repeating what Eddie Murphy said!
So a liberal democrat can call Obama a magic negro (although I think the magic for liberals has long left the negro since he threw the queers under the Rick Warren Church Bus, kept the Bush defense department, appointed a moderate democrat as chief of staff, Playing golf without a word as Israel kills “innocent” palestinians, etc, etc) but it’s an outrage if a conservative repeats the same statement? Liberalism is truly a mental disorder!!!
#24: Go back and read the post. The liberal democrat that came up with the Barack the Magic Negro line is a LA Times journalist. But on second thought, that is the same as being a comedian so you are probably right….
My natural inclination is to mistrust all politicians. According to my experience nobody that’s ambitious enough to reach a position of power is worthy of trust. That being said I feel inclined to give Obama a chance. I’ve been following what’s going on over at change.gov and I have to say I’m impressed. At least it appears this president is trully interested in what the people have to say… Time will tell.
Excellent post Amodedoma, what did you see or read that is so encouraging that you have not heard in one form or another from any other politician, past or current? Im fascinated by all the adulation given to Obama. Other than being really cool and good speaker when given a script I haven’t seen anything new. Anyone would be better than the retard Bush. So far Obama seems just like any other run of the mill politician except for being the first black president. Lets take a look, campaigned on being a huge supporter of gays and then brings in probably the leading opponent against gay marriage in the US to do the invocation, kept the Bush defense department, very hawkish security team, says he will now reconsider killing the Bush tax cuts before they expire, wants to raise taxes for social problems, says he will listen to Generals in Iraq before removing troops, etc, etc… What’s so new and refreshing that has not been done, said, talked about, or promised by a politician in this country before?
Yahoo!!!! It’s business as usual!!!
At least we know what to expect!!! NOTHING!
Racism is never funny. It shows the world in huge neon letters that you are an ignorant son of a bitch, and the same is true for those who tolerate racist jokes.
#28 fedup
What impressed me wasn’t what the Obama/Biden transit team have to say. What impressed me is how they’re eliciting a huge participation. The latest is an online solicitation of questions, and voting on those same questions. I’m sure it’s all BS but it’s still a first. A public opinion poll is a very lame tool by comparison. Finally the presidency ‘seems’ to realize the power the internet can provide.