August 17, 2007
ICYMI: Frank Luntz Gets Down
The dearth of journalists of color in the media might be bothersome to some, but Larry Wilmore from "The Daily Show" almost makes up for it. In a segment on journalists' fascination with Barack Obama's blackness and whether America is "ready" for it, Wilmore says, "It's a good question that's for some reason mainly asked by white newscasters."
Burn.
The underlying premise being, of course, that the "black enough" question is about as insulting as Joseph Biden's ham-handed attempt to praise his Democratic rival as "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."
But GOP strategist Frank Luntz says the "black enough" question belies some advice for Obama: Blacken it up.
Asked how the "Halfrican-American" can win over black voters, Luntz tells Wilmore, "He needs to blacken up his vote. If he can't bring that black vote up it becomes very hard to win."
And to provide a visual example, Luntz gamely chows on some chicken wings for the cameras. Got that, Obama? Ditch the arugula and get yourself a big piece of chicken.
Luntz, of course, is the Republican whiz who turned "estate tax" into "death tax" and "privatizing Social Security" into "personalizing Social Security." Obama shouldn't dismiss the free advice out of hand; polls show he's losing to Hillary Rodham Clinton in the crucial primary state of South Carolina, where elections can turn on the black vote.
At the same time, it's difficult to say if Luntz's "solution" is really part of the problem. Underlying the "black enough" question is the presumption that an authentic blackness exists. Obama's wife, Michelle, conceded this point in a recent interview, when she said, "We are still struggling as a people with what is black."
But more important to voters than blackness, arguably, is authenticity. The A-word damaged John Edwards' campaign when it was revealed that the anti-poverty crusader paid $400 for his hairdo. So maybe Obama should keep the mesclun after all. If only others would get the message as well.
See Luntz get his fingers messy here. "Fresh Air" has an entertaining interview with Wilmore here.
Photo Illustration: Reuben Dalke
Posted at 4:25 PM
Posted to:
Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, WH 2008
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