Most Racist Ad EVER ... No, THIS Is ... Wait, THIS One ...

Last week, Joshua Micah Ezekiel Boutros-Boutros Marshall declared McCain's "Education" the most racist political ad EVAH:

And today McCain comes out with this rancid, race-baiting ad based on another lie. Willie Horton looks mild by comparison. (And remember, President George H.W. Bush never ran the Willie Horton ad himself. It was an outside group. He wasn't willing to degrade himself that far.) ... at least Horton actually was released on a furlough. This is ugly stuff. And this is an ugly person. There's clearly no level of sleaze this guy won't stoop to to win this election.

...

It's easy to get twisted up in your head about strategy and message and optics. But what is already apparent is that John McCain is running the sleaziest, most dishonest and race-baiting campaign of our lifetimes.

Put aside for a moment that McCain's ad is accurate in describing the cutting-edge sex ed courses Obama wanted to teach kindykids. We need to review the notorious Benchmark of All Modern Racist Ads --- Willie Horton.

As H. Ross Joshua Micah Tecumseh Marshall helpfully points out, a PAC (not Bush) ran this ad:

And George H.W. Bush ran this obliquely related ad:

So there's your baseline. Pick one, I don't care. Just so long as you realize that you just witnessed the ugliest, most racist political ad in our lifetimes.

Or did you?

Joshua Micah Fitzgerald Harvey Marshall sure doesn't think so. And now, Time Magazine's Karen Tumulty --- in a post titled "McCain Plays the Race Card" --- doesn't think so either:

This is hardly subtle: Sinister images of two black men, followed by one of a vulnerable-looking elderly white woman.

Clearly Barack Obama and Franklin Raines are about to go wilding on your lily white granny. Clearly.

But Tumulty is a marginally better blogger/reporter/whatever than Joshua Micah Delano Millhouse Marshall, because she "stipulates":

Let me stipulate: Obama's Fannie Mae connections are completely fair game. But this ad doesn't even mention a far more significant tie--that of Jim Johnson, the former Fannie Mae chairman who had to resign as head of Obama's vice presidential search team after it was revealed he got a sweetheart deal on a mortgage from Countrywide Financial. Instead, it relies on a fleeting and tenuous reference in a Washington Post Style section story to suggest that Obama's principal economic adviser is former Fannie Mae Chairman Frank Raines. Why? One reason might be that Johnson is white; Raines is black.

Karen? Didja ever think that McCain's ad strategy against Obama's undeniable ties to a rotten, corrupt Fannie Mae was, um, strategic? Because here's McCain's very next Fannie Mae ad, with the ugly, racist title "I Am Bull Connor" "Jim Johnson":

According to Marshall's and Tumulty's racial calibrations, the black male shown at the beginning and end of this ad is about to STEAL YOUR TELEVISION SET.

(h/t: on the Tumulty stuff, Patterico)

UPDATE: Thanks for linking, Ed Driscoll, Jawa Report, National Review (thanks, Mark), HotAir, Ace and Protein Wisdom.

Now that McCain is airing the "Let's Go Lynchin'!" "Jim Johnson" ad, Time's big dummy responds But...but...why didn't they air the Johnson ad first?! (h/t: JWF on this weak Tumulty response).

In the comments of her second post, Tumulty touts her bona fides as Master Racial Decoder --- she's not backing down:

I have been a political reporter long enough to have lived through Willie Horton, the Jesse Helms infamous "hands" ad and to have covered races in the South where people have used the slogan "one of us." I know what this stuff looks like.

See? She, too, makes the standard Willie Horton comparison. Circle complete.

Pathetic.

UPDATE: While we're traipsing down memory lane, here's the Jesse Helms "Hands" ad:

Now go watch those McCain ads again.

Exit Question: Why does Karen Tumulty think Barack Obama and Franklin Raines look sinister? Is she a racist?

Comments

[Baraka]

Rule nuber one in obama's handbook:never disagree with obama on anything lest you be deemed racist

[Mike D]

Rule number one in the racist handbook: cry about being a victim of racism at every chance you get.

[AsBee]

I guess those that get money to make such assesments call it PROJECTION :)

[soccer dad]

Thank you for running the two Willie Horton ads. I remember wondering what was racist about the issue when I heard Jesse Jackson talking about it. I didn't even realize at first that Horton was black (until Jesse Jackson.)

Most people forget - or don't want to know - that the Bush campaign's ad was just a bunch of faceless "convicts" going throug revolving doors.

[exDemocrat]

Raines and Johnson are scum. Who cares what color they are? I hope McCain outs Penny Pritzker next. I guess that will be sexist?

[Baraka]

I wonder if obama will make it illegal to criticize him once he gets elected

[Cuffy Meigs]

I apologize in advance if this post (and its linked traffic) prompts some unhinged comments ... moby or otherwise.

I'll delete/ban when I'm back. Thanks to everyone for dropping by.

[Baraka]

I'am unhinged?

[Baraka]

Cuffy i'am on your side i apologize if my comments are unhinged

[Cuffy Meigs]

You're comment in "CAIR targets Abercrombie" was getting close to the line, Baraka. I appreciate you stopping by, but I don't want people to fill my comments with garbage while I'm away.

I haven't deleted any of your comments or banned you, but watching the trend of your comments had me concerned as I was about to step out the door. Keep it clean, please.

[Baraka]

Alirhgt i will

[Mike]

So to be sure I'm understanding this - When you have no game use the race card? Yeah sure why not - Works on kids and Dumb people too like Karen Tumulty or what sounds like To-MUTT-LY Well, you know what they say If the shoe fits...Nice try Karen, your though process is as horrible looking as you are get off the air

[Typical old white person]

When I saw Obama's face in that ad, then Raine's face, I immediately clutched my purse tight to my side and inconspicuously got my pepper spray ready to fire.
Those two black guys are soooooooo sinister looking!!!!!!!! Us old white ladies are scared out of our minds when we see two ssiinnnisterrrrrrrr looking black guys.

[Empire of Jeff]

"Clearly Barack Obama and Franklin Raines are about to go wilding on your lily white granny. Clearly."

"According to Marshall's and Tumulty's racial calibrations, the black male shown at the beginning and end of this ad is about to STEAL YOUR TELEVISION SET."

Cuffy, that is fucking comedy GOLD.
Nicely done!

[Lea]

"Exit Question: Why does Karen Tumulty think Barack Obama and Franklin Raines look sinister? Is she a racist?"

My exact thoughts. How truly bizarre! I mean, Obama is Obama. And that other dude looks like he might be packing a pocket protector, with those big glasses and all. And the first time I watched the ad I didn't even realize there was a white lady in their. I had to go back and rewatch to figure out what the hell they were talking about.

[S. Weasel]

Don't you guys see? Every ad about Obama has a picture of a black man in it. Every single one. Coincidence? I think not!

[RA]

Willie Horton ad was 100% accurate and true. Just like Bill Clinton quoting the accurate historical record saying even Jesse Jackson won the SC primary.

Democrats believe it is racist to quote accurate history.

Well.... the Mau Mau is over. I hope the Democrats continue to accuse innocent white people of being racist for telling the truth. They are driving the white majority into the Republican camp.

Affirmative racism is being dismantled as we speak. America is sick and tired of these scum bag Democrats slandering innocent people.

Thank you messiah for showing America where the real racists are camped. In black churches and leading the Democratic party.

No room for whitey if you don't bash whitey.

[Jim B]

Let's not forget that it wasn't even Bush or the third party who first used Willie Horton against Dukakis: it was Al Gore in the Democratic primaries.

This just shows how fundamentally dishonest all these race-baiters are. Josh is certainly well-versed enough in politial history to know that it was Gore who brought up. He's a hack, and not even a good one. Tell me why people read him again?

[Gary Hench]

The biggest race baiter in this campaign is Barack Hussein Osama Obama. Lower than whale excrement (and that's at the bottom of the ocean), this lieing, calculating, misguided misfit, a muslim in christ's clothing, has yet to make one honest campaign ad. He needs to win this election for the propogation of his muslim faith throughout the world, and the shredding of the US Constitution.

[Sandra]

I guess the drag Byrd behind a car ad was not racists...remember that little one?