Talk about an idiotic assertion, but the Associated Press just claimed that Governor Sarah Palin is a racist for saying that Obama used to "pal around with terrorists." According to the AP's Douglass K. Daniel, Palin is a racist because the word "terrorist" is construed now-a-days to mean a "dark-skinned radical Muslim" so that makes her a "racist" in his blinkered view.
See, it isn't overt, according to Daniel, but there is a "subtext," don't you know? And, yes, he's serious with this absurd claim, sadly. This Olympics award winning back stretch has to be seen to be believed.
Palin's words avoid repulsing voters with overt racism. But is there another subtext for creating the false image of a black presidential nominee "palling around" with terrorists while assuring a predominantly white audience that he doesn't see their America?
In a post-Sept. 11 America, terrorists are envisioned as dark-skinned radical Muslims, not the homegrown anarchists of Ayers' day 40 years ago. With Obama a relative unknown when he began his campaign, the Internet hummed with false e-mails about ties to radical Islam of a foreign-born candidate.
Whether intended or not by the McCain campaign, portraying Obama as "not like us" is another potential appeal to racism. It suggests that the Hawaiian-born Christian is, at heart, un-American.
The FACT that Obama has close ties to an AVOWED American domestic terrorist has absolutely nothing whatever to do with race. It has everything to do with Obama's terrible judgment. Obama isn't being at all attacked for being "black" with this exposure of his ties to Weather Underground terrorist William Ayers.
There is also nestled in this story another bit of spin that has become the media's excuse making for Obama's ties to Ayers. (My bold for emphasis)
Obama, who was a child when the Weathermen were planting bombs, has denounced Ayers' radical views and actions.
What does Obama's age during the 1960s have to do with anything at all? Is it impossible for a person to accept and adopt the views of anyone that perpetrated crimes when that person was a child? Can 30-somethings of today not like music of the 1960's because they were but children when that music was fresh, for instance? And what does that say about adopting the views of people from before one's birth? Does that mean that anyone that claims to be a Nazi can't be one because they weren't alive during Hitler's reign? For that matter, it might make being a follower of Jesus or Muhammad quite impossible. After all, who is still alive when those men were around?
Obama's age during the time that Ayers was trying to murder people is immaterial when discussing Obama's bad judgment in choosing that person, even though much more aged, as a close associate. Or are these Old Media types trying to say that Ayres' murderous intent is OK after all this time? Does time excuse murder?
No, this is but a bit of Obama spin that the media is regurgitating to give Obama cover for his terrorist ties and it is quite disgusting.