Shameful! Black Man Behind Racist ‘Obama Phone’ Ad

For a band of folks constantly denying members of their fold aren’t consumed with racism, various factions of the Tea Party sure enjoy dolling out racially coded language and actively toying with racial stereotypes when peddling their political agenda. With the options for Mitt Romney to net the 270 electoral votes he needs to become one of the worst American presidents of all time shrinking, conservatives are pulling every stunt they can think of to sway the electorate in Romney’s failure. Enter the newly created Super Pac, the Tea Party Victory Fund and the launch of their new campaign ad starring a Black women blessed with a fair share of volume.

SEE ALSO: Romney’s Son Said He Wanted To ‘Take A Swing’ At Obama During Debate [AUDIO]^[1]

The ad is running in the lily-white counties of Lucas, Summit, and Mahoning in Ohio and features an elated Black woman discussing a free phone she received from President Barack Obama.

In the video, someone asks if the Black woman has an Obama phone. She responds, “Yes everybody in Cleveland, you know minorities got [sic] Obama phone.” Keep Obama in president [sic]. You know! He gave us a phone! He gonna do more!”

Immediately, one notices that she’s clearly not the most-eloquent person in the world, which only adds even more sensationalism to the ad. And we all know it doesn’t take much to set off the biased among us; a Black woman discussing anything given to her from the government for free is sure to do the trick.

Watch the video here:

Case in point,  Rush Limbaugh had this to say about the woman after the video of her first surfaced online:

So these are the people that don’t like Romney because of what he said about 47 percent? No, these are the 47 percent!… She knows. She knows how to get this free Obama phone. She knows everything about it. She may not know who George Washington is or Abraham Lincoln, but she knows how to get an Obama phone.

Per usual^[2], Rush hasn’t a clue as to what he’s talking about. Neither do the people who have turned this into an ad and used the following caption on YouTube:

During Barack Obama’s first term, more people have gone on food stamps than have gotten jobs. Can America really afford four more years of this?

Conservatives love pulling that line about food stamps without mentioning that former President George W. Bush has a lot to do with the requirements for SNAP loosening^[3] or the reality that more have entered the program under him than the current commander-in-chief^[4].

As for the real story about this “free cell phone from Obama” propaganda, Think Progress explained^[5]:

Although there is indeed a federal program, which provides low-income people with free or reduced-cost cell phones, it began in 2008 under President George W. Bush^[6]. The idea of providing subsidized phone service to low-income individuals originated with a program started under President Ronald Reagan^[7].

So there is no free Obama phone program.

As shameful as this ad is, the worst aspect about all that’s perpetuated in it comes from the brainchild of a Black man. Ken Blackwell (pictured right), Ohio’s former secretary of state, reportedly ^[8]wrote the campaign ad that asks, “Have Barack Obama’s policies empowered or enslaved Americans?“

Blackwell’s pitch goes as follows:

This is it– this is the October surprise. We just need to get this ad on television today.Will you help us?^[9]

This commercial is a microcosm of the difference between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans want to create an environment where free people make their own choices and pursue their drea
ms. President Obama and the Democrats want to create a dependency on Government that ensures that Americans will continue to rely on Washington from cradle to grave.

What this lady said is so offensive because it’s so blatant–she finally comes out and says what we all know that the Democrats really think. That’s why this ad is so damaging to the President here in Ohio.

Let me tell you something, I’m from Ohio — I was elected statewide as the Secretary of State, and Ohio State Treasurer–this ad is effective. If swing voters in this state see this ad, they simply will not support President Obama, and he will lose Ohio.

Albeit disappointing, Blackwell’s role is not at all surprising. This is the same person who is a staunch supporter of voter ID laws, and in an op-ed in the Washington Times, said of the Voting Rights Act^[10], ”Does America still need draconian laws that were passed to combat endemic racism and overt hostility?” He’s even been accused of voter suppression efforts in the Buckeye state^[11].

So Blackwell’s role in this racist ad is expected.

Zora Neal Hurston had it right with “All my skinfolk ain’t kinfolk,” though some warrant much greater distance than others. For obvious reasons.

Michael Arceneaux is a Houston-bred, Howard-educated writer and blogger. You can read more of his work on his site,The Cynical Ones. Follow him on Twitter:@youngsinick^[12][13]

References

1. ^{^}Permalink to: Romney’s Son Said He Wanted To ‘Take A Swing’ At Obama During Debate [AUDIO] (newsone.com)
2. ^{^}Per usual (newsone.com)
3. ^{^}requirements for SNAP loosening (www.marketplace.org)
4. ^{^}more have entered the program under him than the current commander-in-chief (www.factcheck.org)
5. ^{^}Think Progress explained (thinkprogress.org)
6. ^{^}began in 2008 under President George W. Bush (thinkprogress.org)
7. ^{^}started under President Ronald Reagan (thinkprogress.org)
8. ^{^}reportedly (www.slate.com)
9. ^{^}Will you help us? (email.geniusmailer.com)
10. ^{^}and in an op-ed in the Washington Times, said of the Voting Rights Act (www.washingtontimes.com)
11. ^{^}accused of voter suppression efforts in the Buckeye state (www.huffingtonpost.com)
12. ^{^}The Cynical Ones (thecynicalones.com)
13. ^{^}@youngsinick (twitter.com)