MyDD :: Scott Howell & Jim Davis: Racist Republicans at work in Tennessee

Scott Howell & Jim Davis: Racist Republicans at work in Tennessee

by Jerome Armstrong, Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 02:19:52 PM EST

A racist pattern is emerging from the Republican consultants driving the anti-Ford campaign in Tennessee. To date, Bob Corker has been able to say he's not been apart of the quasi-racist "Hey Harold, Call Me" ad run by the RNC. The ad, created by Scott Howell, is not blatently racist, but the symbolism of a blond woman (whom should be publically shamed and discredited) saying "I met Harold at the Playboy Party" and then "Hey Harold, call me" is historically substantive of the racist attitude that the black man desires the white woman and stirs up inter-racial marriage resentment.

The next pro-Corker move though, is without doubt racist in tone. Jim Davis, an LA-based consultant working for Bob Corker, is the maker of Corker's radio ad with the tom-toms in the background that play while speaking about Harold Ford.

...Bill Lockhart, the program director for WGOW [Chatanooga], confirmed the authenticity of the ad and that it's running on the station. "They're freaking jungle-drums," Lockhart tells us. "It's racist -- it tries to conjure up deep, dark African moods. Yeah, it's overtly racial."

Nothing covert about it. Here's the radio clip, now getting coverage by local press in Tennessee:

When the ad mentions Corker, the music soars and no tom-toms are audible. Throughout the entire minute-long ad, you hear the rumble of tom-toms every time Ford is mentioned. This ad, keep in mind, quotes Bob Corker himself as having "approved" the message -- meaning it wasn't the work of the Republican National Committee, as in the case of the recent "bimbo" TV ad which drew charges of racism.

Tags: Bob Corker, Scott Howell, Jim Davis (all tags)

Permalink :: 19 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: Racist Republicans (none / 0)

There's also an ad by the "Tennesseeans for Truth" that says that Harold Ford Jr. is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Basically reminding voters that he's black (duh.) If that's not blatant appeal to racism...

by Tom on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 02:24:37 PM EST

Hopefully it's just politics (none / 0)

Here's the truly scary thought: What if this sort of thing is what Tennessee Republicans have been waiting for? That goes way beyond winning a Senate seat.

by Lucas O'Connor on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 02:30:19 PM EST

Here's a photo of a bunny from that party... (none / 0)

...if the GOP had used HER, or a woman who looks liike her, insead of that bimbo actress, Ford would actually have PICKED UP support among men!

http://web.mac.com/artpayne/iWeb/1BF3F03 F-CF31-4401-A7C9-A23AD5904137/Playboy%20 Superbowl%20Party_files/100_1962.jpg

More photos (worksafe) here:

http://web.mac.com/artpayne/iWeb/1BF3F03 F-CF31-4401-A7C9-A23AD5904137/Playboy%20 Superbowl%20Party.html

by Hesiod Theogeny on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 03:03:33 PM EST

Racist Tennessee Republicans (none / 0)

Unbelievable. If enough Tennesseans are that stupid and racist to go for Corker after this, there is no hope for them.

by Spiffarino on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 03:32:53 PM EST

Ahh Racism & The South (none / 0)

i love the idea that this isn't a racial issue. no way, not in the south. i mean its not like they backed slavery and started a war over it. and of course segregation and civil rights...smooth sailing there. i mean c'mon, everyone knows white people and macaca's get along great now. i love the idea that this isn't a racial issue. no way, not in the south. i mean its not like they backed slavery and started a war over it. and of course segregation and civil rights...smooth sailing there. i mean c'mon, everyone knows white people and macaca's get along great now.

no really, things are going great in Tennessee... at least on the music video front... check out these Tennesseans who have just self-deployed in Iraq: http://miniredsatan.com/video_rtw.html RIGHT WING RECORDS VIDEO - in association with HALIBURTON ENTERTAINMENT presents Hank Burton & Jim Stanton's Treestand In Baghdad - a #1 International hit album!!!

Generalissimo X

by GeneralissimoX on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 03:37:18 PM EST

Re: Ahh Racism & The South (none / 0)

MyDD Readers: Regional Bigots

by Southern Blue Dog on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 04:29:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

ummm (none / 0)

Blogist bigot much?

I mean, I'm a southerner, and I'm not racist, so yeah, I have a problem with people thinking it's "PC" to call southerner's racist. And they really oughta stop. Judging individuals by the group they belong to is very unDemocratic, unProgressive.

But you're a blog-based bigot in exactly the same way. Congratulations, you can now teach Hypocrisy 101.

Progress is Personal | Connie Brennan | My opinions are mine alone

by msnook on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 04:48:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ummm (none / 0)

I'm trying to untangle this, and I am getting lost. Clearly, there are racists in Tennessee ... well, at least in East Tennessee, I've never lived in central or west Tennessee. Clearly, being racists, Corker wants to get them out to the polls when he is running against a black Democratic candidate. Clearly, running while representing the party of Mark Foley makes that harder than it was before.

On the other hand, I don't believe that a majority of Tennesseans are rabid racists, and I don't think noticing the effort to get racists to the polls in the ad is a claim that they are ... if they were then a dog whistle in a television ad would not be needed.

I think Ford's reply to the controversy is perfect: "I like football and I like girls. I don't have a ... no apologies for that."

*John Edwards* ... and the JE08 Supporters Blog

by BruceMcF on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 06:22:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

i'm not replying to a specific individual here... (none / 0)

but i do want to direct your attention to this diary from dkos a couple days ago:

a friend of my mother owns a small shop on the main street of her town in middle tennessee. her car has a harold ford, jr., bumper sticker on it. the other day, a young man came into the shop and asked her if the bumper sicker was hers. she said yes.

the young man said, "you better watch out that you don't get your store burned down, because we don't vote for n***s around here."

i did ask her permission before retelling this story, and she requested that i not give any more specifics than "middle tennessee" because she takes the threat very seriously.

i find this story heartbreaking.

anecdotal? yes? but i'm afraid it's typical, and nobody is bigoted for thinking there are overt bigots in the south.

the key there is the bolding format (obtuse much, skippy? why yes, thank you, i will!).

there are racists every frickin' where. i remember eating at a posh posh restaurant at the posh posh ojai inn in california, the creme of the de la creme (i treated mrs. skippy to an anniversary weekend).

as we ate, i overheard a very well dressed distinguished gentleman (who looked like a banker or stock broker or other incredibly well bred successful business man) at the table next to us begin to tell his party a golfing joke.

being a comedian and a humor sociologist (and plagiarizer) i told my wife to not speak for a while so i could listen in and get the punchline.

i was amazed when the punchline came, it was an incredibly racist joke, which had no inidication of being such right up to the punchline. i was appalled, and, much to my delight, the businessman's dinner companions also seemed pretty embarrassed.

also, once after doing a comedy show in the toity newport beach area, some well dressed white folks came up to me and shared their favorite jokes (as often happens after a stand up set). well, these were the most anti-semitic jokes i ever heard, and the guy was telling them as unabashedly as if he was simply reciting his grocery list (tho he laughed more than he probably does at the von's supermarket).

my point, and i do have one, if i can steal a line from ellen degeneres (plagiarize much, skippy? why yes, weren't you paying attention to the parantheticals above?) is that what people are probably reacting to, and is going unsaid, is the overtness of the racism found in the south (tho i'm not saying that there is no overt racism elsewhere).

so i don't think you can jump on people for saying there is racism in the south. i know there are plenty of good hearted people in the south (both my sisters married southerners, nice guys w/nice families) and i know such good-hearted people are working like hell to make the south a less bigoted place.

but i think we get involved in circular firing squads when we unleash political correctness on each other.

there is evil everywhere. we must work diligently to eradicate it.

oh, yes, and here's my usual skippy blogwhoring: bush buying land in paraguay.

"blogtopia - yes, i coined that phrase!"

by skippy on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 07:04:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: i'm not replying to a specific individual here (none / 0)

Our experience was that the bigots in Tennessee tend to be more overt than the bigots further north.

The thing is, though, that those people were coming to the polls to vote for Corker as soon as Ford won the nominations. They are in the "Corker" column of every single poll ever taken in this general election.

That's not who the Corker needs to swing over to win the election.

*John Edwards* ... and the JE08 Supporters Blog

by BruceMcF on Sun Oct 29, 2006 at 12:26:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ahh Racism &amp; The South (none / 0)

You should re-read the blog post to see whom I referred to as being racist here.

by Jerome Armstrong on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 01:52:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ford (none / 0)

Diarist Rimjob at DailyKos stated:

Democrats like Playboy models. Rebublicans like 16 year old pages. Why don't they put that in an ad?

by magster on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 03:47:53 PM EST

Re: Ford (none / 0)

They put that out in the free media. What do you think Ford was saying when he said, "I like football, and I like girls".

*John Edwards* ... and the JE08 Supporters Blog

by BruceMcF on Sun Oct 29, 2006 at 12:27:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I think we're missing the race-baiting point (none / 0)

Of course there are plenty of racists here, both overt and latent, and they never were going to vote for Ford anyway. The problem with these ads is they invite Ford (and Ford supporters) to cry "racist"! There are lots of folks here who could vote for Ford but don't want a Senator who reminds them of Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton - people who, in their minds (not that I agree!!) see racist overtones in everything. I agree that these ads are horribly racist and shameful. But I think the worst thing the Ford campaign could do is to complain that the ads are racist and shameful. That's just what they want him to do - it will turn off just the people we might be able to get on our side. That's the baiting that's going on here.

by DonBinTN on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 04:39:59 PM EST

The actress (none / 0)

I'm a little shocked that we haven't heard from the actress. I wonder how she feels about all this. Your average performer ain't a Republican.

by bonnieg on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 06:25:57 PM EST

not THAT Jim Davis (none / 0)

you might want to specify that that's not Jim Davis, the Democratic candidate for Governor in Florida, but another Jim Davis. (can you call him James?)

by johnny longtorso on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 06:53:29 PM EST

Re: (none / 0)

Hmmm....why is this racist? the ad shows a woman who LOOKS LIKE THE AVERAGE PLAYMATE...the ad is trying to connect with the average Tennessean who doesn't approve of Playboy and the pornography it contains...and what's the best way to do it? SHOW AN AVERAGE LOOKING PLAYMATE

by heyhey on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 12:25:31 PM EST

Re:Schooling (none / 0)

Harold Ford went to the University of Pennsylvania Bob Corker went to the University of Tennessee.

So the fact that Harold Ford went to an Ivy League school i supposed to be a minus in Tennesse. A friend of mine came from east Tennessee. He was very clear that given his family's income he had a choice of going to the University of Tennessee or a service academy. Mike chose West Point because he got a quality education even though it meant serving a combat tour in Vietnam.

Are the Republicans confusing the University of Pennsylvania with Penn State or is the writer/producer of the piece just a lot dumber than most of the people who actually live in Tennessee?

by David Kowalski on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 04:49:57 PM EST

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