Obama, Limbaugh and the Magic Negro paradody

[illinoisprogressive]

I saw this on Moderate voice. I was surprised by Obama's reaction to a question about this. But, after reading Limbaugh's remarks, I realized that Obama got the last laugh.

“You know, I have not heard it but I’ve heard of it,” Obama said. “I confess that I don’t listen to Rush on a daily basis. On the other hand, I’m not one of these people who, who takes myself so seriously that I get offended by — by every — every comment made about me. You know, the — you know, what Rush does is entertainment, and although it’s probably not something that I listen to much, I don’t — ”

“But you said not every day, so you do listen a little then, and why wouldn’t you?” Smith interrupted.

“I don’t mind, I don’t mind, I don’t mind folks poking fun at me,” Obama said. “That’s part of the job.”

Note: This sounds like “ready for prime time” politics. And Limbaugh?

Quoth the Limbaugh: “This is a classy way to deal with it. This is the way he should have dealt with it if anyone asked. It’s the first time he’s, probably, been asked about it, but this is the way for these guys to deal with it. Blow it off. Laugh it off. ‘No big deal.’”

You see, because Obama did not make much about the paradody, all rush could do was say something nice and it took all the meant venom and nastiness out of it. Limbaugh was left having to be charitable and probably took all the fun out of it. Bet he won't be playing this much now.
Quite clever of the Senator. Took all Rush's fun away in a few 'so what' sentences. hahahaha.

[Montauk6]

1. What it illustrates also is just how irrelevant Limbaugh is these days.

He's BARELY fringe level; these are nothing more than cheap attempts to get some kind of media coverage.

Now Hannity's another story, ever notice (and please feel free to set me straight if I'm off) how he may chant the right-wing party line but tends to steers clear of the offensive stuff? He seems to have far more to lose and much farther to fall as he's the conservative top-dog/goldenboy/"Baby Jesus" in broadcasting these days.

[Truthiness Inspector]

3. Obama definitely handled this well

However, to suggest that Limbaugh is desperate for coverage isn't accurate at all. He's got the biggest audience of anyone in talk radio, and as such cannot be written off as "irrelevant" just because we might not like what he says.

[physioex]

4. True Evil Never Goes Away.......

But his heyday has long since passed. Remember when he use to get gigs on TV shows for commentary, and the millions of books sold......

[Montauk6]

12. At one time, sure; you mean he STILL DOES?????

Truthiness, I swear, totally devoid of sarcasm, that shocks me. If that is the case, then disregard my post as I stand corrected.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Excellent Points

I posted earlier a major reason Rushbo is on so many stations (many with the power less than your blowdryer) is that he's cheap programming. Instead of hiring a real person, stations hook up to his crap and save the salary...then it doesn't matter if you're not making much money.

Also, Clear Channel sells his show not based on ratings, but the number of markets and "ears" he can reach. That's why you hear him all over the place...just hogging up bandwidth in the hopes the number of stations as opposed to listeners will impress an advertiser.

You have a very interesting take on Hannity. I tend to agree...thinking he prefers to play agent provacateur than to make the noise himself. Many times we'll hear about the outlandish thing Coultergeist or another one of his guests say, and it's rarely what comes out of Hannity's obscene piehole. He's smart in the fact that he knows its the guests and names that draw people to the show and through this has avoided many of the hypocrisies and faux pas the others have.

Cheers...

[Peregrine Took]

2. Obama doesn' t have the cojones to take Limbaugh on.

Neither did the other DLC'r, Bill Clinton.

[LastDemocratInSC]

9. Obama doesn't need to take on the white rapper

Obama doesn't need to take on the white rapper Notorious R.U.S.H. because in 2 years Obama will be President of the United States and the rapper will still be an obnoxious blowhard who is addicted to synthetic heroin and has failed in 3 marriages.

Obama will be the spectacular winner and Notorious R.U.S.H. will continue being a pathetic, lonely loser entertainer of the gullible.

[Telly Savalas]

13. Why waste his time?

Rush is completely irrelevant outside of the demographic of dull-witted, far-right paunch-ridden, balding, middle age white men -- not exactly fertile ground for potential Obama voters.

Brushing it off with a big fat "whatever" makes a lot more sense than getting sucked into Rush's puerile bullshit.

[UTUSN]

5. Neh, it's the OTHER way. It's the Sister Soljah in reverse. BO needs to CALL it!!1 n/t

[BlooInBloo]

6. Of course. A black person calling white folks on being racist is a career kiss of death...

"Can't work with people"
"Not a team player"
"Oversensitive"
"Can't take a joke"

etc.

White folks have done well in insulating themselves from criticism about their racism.

[stevedeshazer]

8. K & R on the strength of 'paradody'

I love paradody.

[mykpart]

10. I don't know of any conservatives these days who will admit

to listening to Rush Limbaugh. Yet they all parrot what he says. I think they listen, but are ashamed of doing so.

[kskiska]

11. Article on this in Houston Chronicle

Parody stirs racial concerns

By CHRISTI PARSONS
Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON — Weeks after radio personality Rush Limbaugh began airing a parody titled Barack the Magic Negro, the song about Sen. Barack Obama's popularity with many white voters is drawing fire from critics who say it is racist.

The audio clip features a comedian imitating the Rev. Al Sharpton, bemoaning Obama's popularity with whites who will, the lyrics predict, "vote for him and not for me 'cause he's not from da hood."

Obama's presidential campaign called the song "dumb," although a spokesman said the campaign doesn't think anyone is taking the song seriously.

But Limbaugh's critics say the song goes too far — particularly because the piece is spreading on the Internet at a time when Obama faces heightened security concerns fueled in part by hateful remarks and threats directed at him.

"We take these things seriously because there's a consistent pattern of them making their way into the mainstream media and then the mainstream consciousness," said Karl Frisch, a spokesman for Media Matters, a nonprofit media-watchdog group.

more…
Critics say song on Limbaugh's show comes as Obama receives increased security