How does one “expand” the death penalty for murders?

Draw and quarter em?

Include punches in the nose too?

sooooooo-weeeeeee

Thanks, David. People like Brown should not be able to breathe the same air as decent people.

After all, rapid and frequent application of the death penalty has made Texas the crime-free paradise it is today. There’s no greater issue facing us today than making sure the next President loves death as much as the current one.

The Boston Globe seems to recognize the dog whistle aspect (although it may be just because of the location). Here’s their headline for the story:

‘Willie Horton’ ad creator takes on Obama

Well said, Dave. And let me add that old standard racist dog whistle, “taxes”. Whenever middle class folks start whining about taxes they always mean that they are going to get taxed to pay for welfare and medical care for people who “don’t want to work”. And by people who “don’t want to work” they always mean brown people.

I think the time has come that the majority of us are tired of being bullied by a handful of loudmouth hatemongering racists. I see this campaign as a way past that, and if we the sensible people have to help lift Obama up and over the pigdogs, then let’s do it.

thank you David.

The Repubs are all about death. Death Penalty. War. Bombing civilians. Torturing people to death. Death by Rapture. Death by Katrina.

Death, death, death.

They are the Party of Death.

Tone deaf they are.
I know it’s coming, they can’t stop themselves.
Watch for the over the top messages though.
Catch them with a blatantly racist comment and attack, Attack, ATTACK!

Time to throw down and meet this head on.
Drive them back to their knees and draw as much attention to the race baiting as you can. It will be a target rich environment and we can do some long overdue culling of this crap out of our national discourse by using ridicule as a club.

They will continue to accelerate their reporting of murders and robberies and rapes, etc., only they will almost entirely report on crimes by black people. They are already doing it.

The Republicans have been running on race for 40 years. With an African-American the Democratic nominee it is a dead cert that race is going to be the focus of the McCain campaign.

When was the last time you saw a report on the so-called “news” of white criminals robbing a convenience store? They just don’t report it.

that would be the same Illinois where 13(?) cases of innocent people were found to be on death row?

Yeah, dumb move, Barack. Kill ‘em first, then send a nice letter of apology to the family – that’s the way it should be done.

They are the Supreme White Racist Sexist Death Party.

It will bring out the racists for sure but I also think that there are a lot of decent people who will feel guilty over the feelings they have had for years and this could backfire badly on the Repubs.

To us it is blatant…to the masses…it is insidious.

And now is the time to beat that down once and for all. When my 30 year old (white) niece was younger, her guy friends wanted to be black. I still believe the tide has turned on race, in spite of the reich wing invective and immigration/race baiting they spew now.

I honestly believe a critical mass has been reached here, and we shall overcome -not someday- but now.

They are the Party of Death.

No, no no. They’re The Party of Life. Just ask ‘em.

‘Course, if ya piss ‘em off – you’re toast (more or less literally).

I’m with you Twain.

Well, then there is a whole segment of anti-communitarian anti-authoritarian anti-taxers who simply can’t fathom why they should be asked to pay for anything except maybe firefighters. Here in Minnesota we have the Taxpayer’s League and David Strom, people who howl with fury whenever they hear the word ‘tax’ at all, regardless of who they think them money will go to.

True. The young people are for the most part tolerant. Of course, it depends on many things.

that would be the same Illinois where 13(?) cases of innocent people were found to be on death row?

Illinois is the key case. First, because so many errors were found in those sentenced to death. Second, because the death penalty moratorium not only didn’t cause the state to collapse but hasn’t had any negative consequences. So why keep something so deeply flawed that has no effect?

because the death penalty moratorium not only didn’t cause the state to collapse but hasn’t had any negative consequences.

Kinda reminds one that Massachusetts is still functioning, despite all of those evil married gay people, huh?

Being a Republican means never having to acknowledge the evidence.

Dukakis got blind-sided. That’s not going to happen to Obama. His people have this gamed out. Our job is to make sure the press hears the dog whistle. This isn’t 1988 or 2004 any more.

The only way that it will work, however, is if the press continues to pretend that it can’t hear the whistle — and that the people doing it are legitimate political operatives, when in fact they’re fringe nutcases who the GOP is letting do their dirty work, as always.

Whether it’s a “dog whistle” or not is a pretty subjective thing. What’s the press supposed to do about these ads? Talk about them and opine that they’re dog whistles? That would kind of do the Republicans’ work for them. I’m even a little skeptical that these ads are uniquely effective against Obama — any white, urban liberal would face the same thing.

It’s a free country and hard working Americans, white Americans, are free to vote their prejudices. Likewise, Republicans are, within the bounds of legal campaign ads, free to appeal to those prejudices, as they always have.

What I want to know is whether, subjective or subliminal messages aside, the ads make false accusations — my guess is, no, precisely because this stuff if so subjective. John Kerry, on the other hand, faced a conspiracy to libel him with the complicity of the press, and his appropriate recourse should have been to sue for defamation. Obama has no such recourse.

The only way these ads will work will be if Obama fails to beat the shit out of McCain on every other issue.

Absolutely right. Which is why we need to be calling them out when they gloss over it.

I don’t get it. What is “the press” supposed to do?

The press can note the linkage of Floyd Brown with the Willie Horton ad, and point out the controversy that ensued over that ad as well as the regret that Lee Atwater showed for authorizing it. The press is not a bunch of helpless stenographers-I mean, most of them got thinks like, you know, college degrees. They are happy to report on controversy over things like Global warming when there is none, as they would learn if they actually, you know, reported.

Separately, this confirms that they have done focus groups with women and find that the fear of crime issue is resonating with them.

Ummm… stop pandering to racists in an effort to seem “balanced”? That would be a good start. If they are going to talk about shit like what this Brown guy does, then point out that there is some degree of “dog whistle politics” (if they are intelligent enough to understand that) and move on at the very least. ‘

I don’t think the Obama campaign will let any of this stand the way John Kerry did in 2004 with the Swiftboaters. He’s already proved himself saavy enough to fend off HRC attacks, and I don’t think racism is a new issue for him to deal with.

If the GOP continues to play this, there could be only one response:

“We’ve suffered eight years of white, connected, bidness guys running the show. They’ve proven to be hapless f**kups. Vote for Obama? Why not?”

Instead of Willie Horton, the Republics can use Michael H. Kenyon, also known as “The Illinois Enema Bandit”. There’s even a song about him (by Zappa, of course). The combination of odd sex and crime should really excite Republics.

Fortunately, the D.C. press is already all over this kind of thing:

Seattle: I was disturbed by the Post columnist Kathleen Parker, who writes about Obama not being a full-blooded American, how people who trace their ancestry back further in the U.S. are more worthy, and how Obama and Edwards are “girly” — and insults Clinton as well for being steelily unfeminine. Opinion is one thing, but this is racist and sexist — not worthy of The Post — and contributes (particularly given the source, a reputable paper) to the unnecessary nastiness that goes on in the campaign (and American life in general). Why is The Post doing this?

washingtonpost.com: The Democrats Hug It Out (Post, May 17)

Ruth Marcus: I need to go back and reread the column. It didn’t jump out at me that way, but I know it has created some controversy. Kathleen Parker is not a regular Post columnist, by the way, though she is syndicated by the Washington Post Writer’s Group.

I wonder if this nasty woman has written about how “girly” some of the Repubs are? Hmmmmm

Seattle: I was disturbed by the Post columnist Kathleen Parker, who writes about Obama not being a full-blooded American, how people who trace their ancestry back further in the U.S. are more worthy […]

Ruth Marcus: I need to go back and reread the column. It didn’t jump out at me that way,

Ruth,
HELLO!!

Republics are quite manly, don’t you know. Remember Jeff Gannon/James Guckert?

Forgot about that manly man – shame on me.

It’s simple, really. Targeting hate crimes is bad because the victims are black. Targeting gang crimes is good because the perpetrators are black.

And Mark Foley and Wide-Stance Larry and that guy in some midwestern state arrested for blowing a houseguest while said guest was sleeping? Jeebus, they’re manly.

The floodgates have opened. Obama has already raised more than Shrub did in all of 2004, and Obama’s money is overwhelmingly from middle and poor working class people. We are now in a new era of politics. The tricks of the past do not work anymore. Sure, there’s a certain percentage that are swayed by the old stuff, but they are outnumbered now. Just ask Hillary.

The Repubes only hear dog whistles, and are tone deaf to the wonderful harmonies sweeping across America. Yes, let’s keep calling out the spinmeisters, but it should be a fun and humorous process for us, and not filled with worry and dread as it has been in the past. Onward and Upward!

yep!
onward and upward

LindsayWhat? Graham is the ultimate manly man. A “Linbo” Slice if you will.

And then there’s that Arnuld type Mitch McConnell.

The article says this:

Critics say the issue of crime is used primarily to exploit voter fears and stir up prejudices. Richard Nixon’s pledge during the 1968 campaign to restore “law and order” was viewed as a subtle appeal to white racial prejudice. The Willie Horton ad that made GOP consultant Brown famous focused on a black Massachusetts felon who raped a woman while on weekend furlough from prison. Dukakis was governor at the time and supported the program.

So, to be fair, they do recognize it as a dog whistle, then allow a Republican rebuttal, which they simultaneously undermine (italicized):

Conservative strategists say such ads can provide a window into a candidate’s personal morality. The issue of violent crime also is germane, they say, because of Bush administration efforts to steer more federal money to states for anti-terrorism programs rather than traditional crime-fighting ones, a policy that has riled many cash-strapped state and local governments

It goes on to debunk the ads’ case against Obama:

Obama’s campaign, and some independent observers, say Brown’s work is misleading at best. FactCheck.org, a political watchdog, has called the death penalty ad — which suggests that Obama’s vote made him responsible for the gang-related deaths of three youths — “reprehensible misrepresentation.”

The legislation was largely symbolic, because many gang killers were already eligible for death under state law. It also was running up against concern over the administration of the state death penalty law. That concern ultimately led to a statewide moratorium on executions. The Republican governor at the time, George Ryan, eventually vetoed the legislation.

There are two problems with the article: the headline and a failure to dig more into Floyd. Other than those two things, I honestly don’t see the problem here with the article’s specifics. The problem is general: mainstream press articles about campaign ads and tactics amount to bullshit metacommentary.

Good afternoon David.

Gee. My blood is already at a slow simmer most of the time. You surely know how to make it boil.

rwc: How indeed. Pertinent clues AND the zed. Impressive!

Can anyone spell tor#ure?

And which administration just happens to have made that the questioning method du jour?

And which McSame trots right along with the other pugs yadda yadda yadda.

News you can use. I say throw it back in their faces.

I always want to just grab these people by the throat [sorry mods; figuratively only] and ask: “do you drive on a highway? how do you think it got paid for?;” “do you take any medicines? Do you care about whether anyone even attempts to assure that they’re safe?;” Do you fly on airplanes? Do you care about whether there are runways without potholes, or air traffic controllers to attempt to keep things in order?”

One thing that has pissed me off about the Dems for so long is that they have allowed this “All Taxes Are Evil” meme, started in earnest by Reagan, to take over.

They should focus on “making taxes fair” and “spending tax revenue wisely.” Get off this libertarian “I’ve got mine, now to go hell” attitude.

Oh, added bonus – even SLIMY Roger Stone says the Willie Horton ad went over the line. Read that and get a mind blowing pic of Stone with a Richad Nixon tatoo on his back (he says the chicks dig it!) in the excellent piece by Jeff Toobin in last weeks New Yorker

I’d like to see a new segment on Countdown with KO called The Daily Dogwhistle where he spotlights these ads. He could jetison one of his fluffier segments and have a real dialogue about race.

I was speaking in general terms. It sounds like in this case the authors did their job.

Those people are quite fine with the “Volunteer Fire Department” set-up where the fire fighters will only extinguish a blaze at your place if you have made your annual “contribution” to their fund. They may eventually show up if you haven’t but I can promise the efficacy of their response is dictated by whether or not you are a financial supporter. The only public services I can tell that they support are roads for their gas guzzlers, law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary-the more draconian, the better. Prisons, of course should be privatized. All of the othewr services should be provided at minimum wage or less, so they don’t have to pay any taxes, of course. Don’t want any damned “Left Liberals” stealing their money!

Like the Cato guy stated on the Washington Journal today, you have to get the people in Congress to get up off their brains to do anything. He really thought he was quite clever. I thought he was totally full of grade A shit.

New Jane upstairs asking about Obama’s replacement in the Senate come November.

How to handle the “pugilists” of the BigMedia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_2IZT4VgDY

Bill Moyers is going viral.

Meaning no disrespect for those folks who take the time to be members of a Volunteer Fire Dept; the small towns I’ve lived where there was a volunteer fire dept usually have done an excellent job of saving the foundations of homes.

It’s both a thankless job as well as one where the odds are stacked against the fire fighters just because of how things are organized and where they’re located (small, rural communities, etc)

excellent idea, wdd

Maybe….just maybe the ‘Game On!…Fired Up!…Ready to Go!…’ Obama campaign can come out jabbin’ and uppercuttin and just plain hammerin’ the Republicans with a series of well-thought out, doable plans to solve some of our most pressing problems.

How would that be. Run on policy instead of race, gender, and all the rest of the lies and slime the ReThugs are so good at?

Jes sayin’ is all.

Gas prices high you say?

How about a bring the frikin’ troops home and spend the money saved on:

The Solar Grand Plan…

Or:

Tidal Island Power

Or a whoppin’ mess of:

TexxAss Windpower

Instead of getting down in the mud with ReThugs and spending endless hours on useless bullshit while our economy, our society slowly circles the Bowl.

If the Obamacans did this I’d be there very first in line to say I’ve been wrong about his group’s assertion that they want to ‘change things…’; that is, that that assertion is so much bullshit and hot air.

Yep, I’d be the first in line.

Waiting…..

And hoping!

Is this really useful news? Reminding readers of Dukakis and Willie Horton is a valuable use of column space?

And what is the problem with this?

Separately, this confirms that they have done focus groups with women and find that the fear of crime issue is resonating with them.

Face it, the issue of crime is a loser for Democrats and, taken in isolation, always will be because we believe in the rule of law under the Constitution, not Giuliani Time. You either change the subject or counterrattack about the vaster Republican lawlessness. It’s just a measure of Republican desperation (and the article actually hints at this) that they have to trot it out again.

Similarly, Obama, or any Democrat, even a white one, will never get the votes of tens of millions of non-urban Americans who just don’t like any of the Democratic coalition, much less blacks; we should be all the more keenly aware after that after Obama’s experiences in Appalachia and elsewhere. I have a feeling no article in the MSM about race-baiting ads would really satisfy anyone; whose mind could such an article possibly change? I agree the headline, the lead in are bad, and that Floyd is the story, but it’s not that much of a story, really.

Yes it is valuable BrendanX. Why? Because lazy reporting by the MSMedia is pernicious and needs to be called out whenever it hits. I do it as often as I can (eg, a lazy piece a few weeks back by an SF Chronicle reporter). You are right that the article you took quotes from did alright. But yes, when crap like this comes out not only should Obama fire back, we should, and we should let the media know we are watching.

On the focus group question, I don’t have a problem, but was merely observing that this is probably what happened. They are free to do whatever the hell they want, of course.

Finally, your knickers are really in a twist over this, dude. Are you a reporter or what?

Maybe he don’t want McSame to win?

Maybe?

How does our calling out the press on this help McSame win? Can you help me out here?

Just a general suggestion, but you might want to stop using the term “mainstream media” and its variants. There is nothing “mainstream” about Conglomerate-owned Media. Associating BigMedia with mainstream thinking helps promote BigMedia’s deceptions.

The real evil resides in mega-media outlets owned by multi-national conglomerates. The Nation and Democracy Now are examples of media that report from a truly “mainstream” perspective.

Thanks, Ellie. I Spotlighted it to him with the suggestion.