The Klan Was in the Audience

/in /by

Reading Pat Lang’s discussion of the possibility that McCain’s studied contempt for Obama the other night was crypto-racist reminded me of something I read before the debate. The Klan was in the audience for the debate–or at least they announced publicly beforehand they planned to be there:

The Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan plan to be on campus for the face-off between Republican nominee John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, the first African-American nominee of a major party, according to a Friday report in the university’s student newspaper.

University officials haven’t commented. But, since winning the bid as host a year ago, they have used the attention to promote the university’s efforts toward racial reconciliation.

The university newspaper, the Daily Mississippian, first reported earlier this month that the white supremacist group planned to appear among the throngs expected on the Oxford, Miss., campus. The emperor of the White Knights group, whose identity was withheld as a condition of the interview, said his members would be “invisible … Our people won’t be in regalia or demonstrating. So, I guess you’ll just have to guess which of the people present are Klansmen.”

Frankly, I don’t think McCain’s refusal to look at Obama was racism. McCain treats everyone who does not treat him as America’s savior with performed contempt. And I agree with the primate scientists weighing in to note that McCain’s behavior had the mark of fear and subordination, not dominance.

Nevertheless, I thought it worthy to recall this detail, as we continue to discuss the dynamics of the debate last Friday. 

The conventional wisdom about the debate seems to have solidified around the conclusion that McCain came off as angry while Obama seemed sane and presidential, particularly by contrast. Given how unbalanced McCain is right now, that doesn’t so much surprise me–the contrast between the two was bound to elevate Obama by comparison.

But I do think it remarkable that Obama achieved precisely that effect–upending years of racial stereotypes about angry black men–in the presence of those trying to use intimidation to sustain those stereotypes.

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  1. CCinNC says:

    I suspect McCain was livid that Obama had called his bluff by refusing to cancel the debate. That’s why he couldn’t/wouldn’t look at him. Obama had won already.

  2. Hmmm says:

    All true. Also, according to TPM, Mc was still livid from BO humiliating him (by asking him what he thought of the proposal on the table… and Mc was unable to muster any response at all) in the WH bailout meeting earlier that same day.

    • Leen says:

      would that be because McCain had not read the proposals?

      The MSM has attempted to spin Obama’s efforts to show where he agreed with McCain as weak. I thought Obama’s effort to find common ground with an opponent as an example of a masterful negotiator. Being able to demonstrate that there is common ground on some issues is a strength in my book.

      Obama did express some views about Iran on Face the Nation this Sunday that has my radar up. Still trying to find the exact wording

  3. Alison says:

    I wonder whether McCain’s left eye problem was part of the phenomenon.

    I think he can’t see much out of his left eye and can’t disclose the extent to which the left hand side of his face is paralysed. To look at Obama, he might have had to completely turn to face him, revealing that his facial expressions and sight are impaired on the left hand side of his face.

    • MrWhy says:

      If McCain has such an impediment, surely the McCain campaign would ask for the consideration of always being to the left of Obama? Did this impediment manifest itself in the earlier primary debates?

  4. BoxTurtle says:

    If there were Klan in the audience, they certainly didn’t make their presence known. I can’t imagine that it made any difference to either of them.

    I wonder if Obama opened their minds, even a little. If I were Obama, I’d have a standing invite to the Klan to any of my speeches. If you’re going to hate me, hate me for what I am. Not what you THINK I am. From a crass political standpoint, if he can show he can deal with the klan, it should make more folks in the vital middle feel he can handle Iran.

    I must admit to some disappointment with Obamas performance. Perhaps I set my expectations too high, but I really expected him to take McBush apart. Didn’t happen, even though McBush gave him openings.

    And now they’ve got Palin’s entire family prisoner during debate prep. Think Bristol can talk to her boyfriend or do they have him too?

    Boxturtle (Thinks McBush should secretly swap Fey for Palin)

  7. brendanx says:

    David Broder gibbered the exact opposition interpretation. He called McCain “the alpha male”. Then again, as a subhuman primate, Broder should know.

    • FrankProbst says:

      David Broder gibbered the exact opposition interpretation. He called McCain “the alpha male”. Then again, as a subhuman primate, Broder should know.

      Broder doesn’t understand that there’s a world of difference between an “alpha male” and an “asshole”.

        • FrankProbst says:

          I quit after the first paragraph. McCain could have pissed his pants during that debate, and Broder would have described it as “boldly marking his territory”.

  8. FrankProbst says:

    More thoughts on the debate:

    I think Obama played it much better than I initially thought he did. I remember during the debate that I kept wishing Obama would hit McCain harder, and now I realize that Obama played it MUCH better than I would have. He didn’t even spike the ball when McCain set him up for it (”Ack-mah-din-uh-john”–it isn’t hard if you practice for 30 seconds.). McCain came off looking like Bush. Obama came off looking like Not-Bush. Beautiful.

  9. lllphd says:

    no time to read everyone’s comments, so this may already have been noted, but…

    i can find no reference in all this buzz about mccain’s contempt to the earlier incident between mccain and obama that just as boldly shows mccain’s contempt.

    go here and here for stories about that sandlot nonsense, and then here for the actual letters in question. mccain’s letter literally drips contempt. i mean, oozes.

    and then, on top of this is the moment this spring, after obama clinched the nomination, when lieberman was talking trash about him, and obama essentially took him to the woodshed and called him out, in ‘private’ but in a public place.

    i don’t think any of these incidents explain why mccain has such contempt for obama any more than any other story, but it sure helps to fill out the picture more fully. bottom line: mccain holds obama in contempt for any number of mysterious reasons, but that contempt has been around for years now.