Academic

Is McCain His Supporters? Keeper?

By Angela Onwuachi-Willig

A few days ago, Senator John Lewis remarked that the rhetoric of Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin reminded him of words spoken by segregationist and later Presidential candidate George Wallace.  Senator Lewis later explained this statement, asserting:

?I do not regret what I said.  Maybe it could have been said in a different way, because it was not suggesting that [Republican running mates] John McCain or Sarah Palin was closely related [in] any way to the actions of Governor Wallace. . . .  It was all about what I call toxic speech ?- statements [and] an audience that can unleash bitterness and hatred. And I don?t need anyone to lecture me about my feelings, or what I have observed for more than 50 years.?

In response to questions about his and running mate Governor Sarah Plain?s failure to chastise their supporters who have called Senator Obama a ?terrorist? and a ?traitor? and have yelled ?kill him [Senator Obama],? Senator John McCain has chosen instead to identify himself as a victim by referring to Senator Lewis?s words (Click on this link to watch Keith Olbermann?s statements about this proclaimed victim status.). 

Do not get me wrong.  Senator McCain is not responsible for the chants of his supporters (though his running mate Governor Palin has helped to incite them with statements such as her claim that Senator Obama is ?palling around with terrorists?).   But, Senator McCain is responsible for his and Governor Palin?s failure to utterly reject these crazy chants by hateful supporters and to call them for what they are: racist and revolting.  During the final debate, even, Senator McCain barely repudiated the words of these hateful supporters.   Instead, he declared that he was proud of his supporters who are hard-working Americans.  The most that Senator McCain could dig up was his response to one woman, who had proclaimed that she did not trust Senator Obama because he was an Arab.  In response, Senator McCain never chastised the woman for her racism?her implication that Arabs were untrustworthy.  Instead, he merely responded that Obama was a good family man and was not an Arab, which was meant to a defense of Senator Obama (See Professor Kathy Bergin?s post at the Faculty Lounge.).  But, without any rejection of the statement about Arabs, this ?defense? insinuates that being Arab and a good family man are mutually exclusive.

What Senator McCain fails to understand is that those hateful chants are more than just words to many people of color.  For Senator Lewis, a man who had nearly died as a result of violence in response to his fights for civil rights, and many others like him, those chants are real.  For those of us who have worried about Senator Obama?s safety from the beginning until now, the refusal to acknowledge the danger of these chants is just insensitive.

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Full post as published by BlackProf on October 18, 2008 (boomark / email).