A racist ad by a Tea Party PAC is using last month’s “Obama phone” video as an attack against President Obama, suggesting he has “enslaved” Americans. The ad, made into a black and white video from the original which was highly viewed thanks to its prominent placement by the Drudge Report (image from September, below,) asks, “Have Barack Obama’s policies empowered or enslaved Americans?” The ad was paid for by a new Republican PAC, the Tea Party Victory Fund, which, as noted below, is reportedly run by a prominent African American Republican whose had many issues when it comes to voter disenfranchisement.
Records from the Sunlight foundation show the Tea Party Victory Fund was formed this summer, does not even appear to have its own website, and has spent its entire income, $75,899.08, on pro-Romney advertising.
“It’s difficult to view this ad as anything other that an appeal to the visceral reaction its very enthusiastic star is likely to inspire in a certain kind of voter,” Ian Millhiser at Think Progress notes. “The ad will run in three Ohio counties — Lucas, Summit, and Mahoning — all of which are predominantly white.”
Last month, as The New Civil Rights Movement reported, “thanks to the Drudge Report, conservatives have been going (even more) crazy (than usual) over the “Obama phone,†even claiming Obama is buying votes.”
A racial, if not racist, video — viewed over 1.1 million times since it was uploaded two days ago —  featuring an African American woman who speaks probably the way many Tea Party racists think many, if not most, African Americans speak, says she’s going to vote for President Obama because he gave her a phone.
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The Atlantic explains that President Obama didn’t give her a phone — actually, you and Ronald Reagan did. Even Fox News notes, “even though some beneficiaries may credit President Obama for providing the phones, Lifeline is an extension of a program that has existed since 1985.â€
Expect much more of this to come.
Dave Weigel at Slate has done his homework, and reports that the infamous and notorious Ken Blackwell — who has had more than his share of voter disenfranchisement issues — is behind this nonsense:
The pitch is written by the Fund’s titular chairman Ken Blackwell, Ohio’s former secretary of state — and, important for the messaging here, a black man.
This is it– this is the October surprise. We just need to get this ad on television today. Will you help us?
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 dreams. 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.