Weasel Zippers: What The Hell Is Dog Whistle Racism? Any Phrase The Left Doesn't Like

April 09, 2010

What The Hell Is Dog Whistle Racism? Any Phrase The Left Doesn't Like

LGF used the term 'Dog Whistle' to refer to Gingrich's comment that we needed a 'President, not an athlete'. I had never heard of the term so I Googled it. Turns out it is just another pathetic way to throw the race card.

Here's what WIKI says:

One group of alleged code words in the United States is claimed to appeal to racism of the intended audience. The phrase "states' rights", although literally referring to powers of individual state governments in the United States, has been described as a code word for institutionalized segregation and racism.^[6] Other terms that some people say are used to indicate alleged veiled racism are "crime in the streets" and "welfare queens".^[7]

Former president George W. Bush is alleged to have used coded language in his speeches to send messages to his supporters among the religious right that will be ignored by other parts of the U.S. population. Examples include his frequent use of biblical phrases and the veiled mention of the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision in the 2004 Presidential debates. The latter refers to overturning Roe v. Wade, which is likened to the Dred Scott case by some of its critics.^[8]

David Gergen claimed that John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign against Barack Obama used dog whistle tactics targeting racists, while retaining plausible deniability though only cited one example in which a McCain ad featured Obama as "The One". David Gergen said that it was implying Obama was "uppity" and that was code for "he should stay in his place". The McCain campaign made it clear it was in reference to Obama's popularity as a god-like figure.^[9]

Here's what a site (Stop Dog Whistle Racism) set up during the election defined it as:

Dog-Whistle Racism is political campaigning or policy-making that uses coded words and themes to appeal to conscious or subconscious racist concepts and frames. For example, the concepts ‘welfare queen,’ ’states’ rights,’ ‘Islamic terrorist,’ ‘uppity,’ 'thug,' 'tough on crime,' and ‘illegal alien’ all activate racist concepts that that have already been planted in the public consciousness and now are being activated by purposeful or accidental campaign activities, media coverage, public policy and cultural traditions. So, what’s dog whistle racism? It’s pure political theater to push buttons to win elections and policies. StopDogWhistleRacism.com, a project of the Center for Social Inclusion, is here to identify, expose and help you to track it.

momma

Apr 9, 2010 7:39:21 PM