Kathleen Parker: It's Not the Economy; It's the Ugliness (Quisling Alert)

Townhall ^ | October 22, 2008 | Kathleen Parker

[2ndDivisionVet]

At this juncture, I wouldn't want to bet even a subprime mortgage on this presidential election. As perhaps never before, multiple hidden factors could alter the outcome.

Judging by polls, it would seem that Barack Obama will be our next president. Monday's Washington Post-ABC tracking poll, for example, showed Obama even winning 22 percent of conservatives and getting 12 percent support among Republicans.

But polls only reflect what people say they think, not what they really think.

Which is to say, we have both an election and a shadow election in progress. The latter, in which unconscious motivations come into play and buried prejudices surface in the privacy of one's voting space, is the one that counts -- and that can't be quantified in advance.

The 2008 election may prove to be history's highest stakes game of Liar's Dice.

Among the hidden factors is the so-called Bradley Effect, meaning that whites lie to pollsters about their support for a black candidate. It is cited as the reason Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley lost to George Deukmejian in the 1982 California governor's race, despite polls showing him up to seven points ahead.

But equally significant this time may become known as the Reverse-Bradley Effect: whites who would never admit to voting for a black man, but do. And, expanding the definition somewhat, Republicans and conservatives who would never admit to voting for a Democrat, especially one so liberal. Whether these dynamics are in balance won't be known for a while -- or perhaps ever. That's because the crux of the reverse syndrome is a code of omerta.

No one talks.

While some have minimized the impact of a Bradley effect in this election, we'd be wrong to discount it. Anti-black has morphed to some degree into anti-foreigner and anti-Muslim.

"Palling around with terrorists," as Sarah Palin said of Obama, gets to an underlying xenophobic, anti-Muslim sentiment. Using surrogates who strategically use Obama's middle name, Hussein, feeds the same dark heart.

This tactic, denied but undeniable, has been effective with target audiences, some of whom can be viewed on YouTube entering a Palin rally in Pennsylvania. One cherubic older fellow totes a stuffed Curious George monkey wearing an Obama sticker as a hat.

"This is little Hussein," he says, holding the monkey up to the camera and cackling as he walks away.

To McCain's credit, he has tried to correct his audience -- when, for example, a woman said she couldn't trust Obama because he's an Arab. Gosh, wonder where she ever got that idea? But the McCain-Palin bad cop-good cop routine is what it is. The hot babe lathers the crowd; the noble soldier hoses them down. This isn't a campaign; it's a sideshow.

Nevertheless, it is fair to concede that a few fruitcakes -- those who yell epithets or make racial slurs -- are not representative of Republicans, any more than those now Photoshopping ugly (and violent) depictions of Palin should be considered typical of Democrats.

One can hope that the uglies will cancel each other out. That leaves an X Factor of possibly exponential proportions that includes not just the Bradleys, but the Reverse-Bradleys.

I've received too many e-mails and had too many conversations that began, "Just between you and me," and ended with, "I wouldn't want anyone at work to know," to believe that this is an insignificant trend.

Sitting quietly at their desks are an unknown number of discreet conservatives who surprise themselves as they mull their options. Appalled by McCain's erratic behavior, both in dealing with the financial crisis and his selection of an unsuitable running mate, they will quietly (and with considerable trepidation) vote for Obama.

Are they are worried about higher taxes, a premature withdrawal from Iraq, and Obama's inexperience in matters executive? You betcha. But they do not want to vote for a divisive, anti-intellectual ticket headed by a man who, though they admire him, lately has made them embarrassed to be Republicans.

Should Obama win, it will be in part because some number of quiet, mostly white-collar men and women who speak Republican in public voted Democratic in private.

Whatever the final tally, Obama should not interpret his victory as a mandate. Many of the Reverse-Bradley ballots won't have been votes cast for Obama, but against a campaign turned ugly. They also will have been delivered with solemn prayers that Obama will govern as the centrist, pragmatic leader he is capable of being.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Jealousy is an ugly thing.

[counterpunch]

This woman grows more stupid by the day.
Now she’s fallen for the Democrats’ meta-campaign of accusing their opposition of racism.

[ABQHispConservative]

What is she smoking? 0bama as a centrist? 22% conservatives for 0bama?

She needs to stay in the coast, because back here on earth things are very different.

[nyc1]

“Whatever the final tally, Obama should not interpret his victory as a mandate. Many of the Reverse-Bradley ballots won’t have been votes cast for Obama, but against a campaign turned ugly. They also will have been delivered with solemn prayers that Obama will govern as the centrist, pragmatic leader he is capable of being.”

What an idiot. Where is the evidence that Obama is a centrist and a pragmatic leader? He comes out of the slime of Chicago politics and he’s one of the most liberal members of the Senate. He votes with his party 96% of the time.

It’s too bad idiots like Kathleen Parker just may inflict President Obama on us. But if they do, every atrocious left wing decision Obama makes should be laid directly at their door.

[RobbyS]

Anti-intellectual? She actually thinks that Obama is an intellectual? She needs to read someo of Wilson’s 1912 speeches if she wants to know what a a public intellectual running for president sounds like.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I missed the article where Parker badmouthed her Chicago “messiah” for his vicious attacks against Trig and Bristol Palin and the rest of the Palin family. I missed that one KATHLEEN! HYPOCRITE!!!!

[Chaguito]

This is such a load of speculation, innuendo, and anecdotal silliness. Why Townhall would allow drivel like this to be published in their name is a mystery.

[DoughtyOne]

The problem as I see it, at this point, is that expectations have been set for those who really want Obama to win.  Whether it's just race or to distance themselves from this administration, some folks are dying to see Obama coronated.

What I fear is the backlash, when the polls are proven to be fraudulent again.  You're going to have people out there furious because they'll think the election was stolen.  The left has developed slick propagand a films to advance this premise.

One has been playing on the cable channels for months.  It's pretty slick.  You have to hand it to them, nobody does propaganda like the left in the United States in 2008.

So where do we go after November 4th if McCain/Palin win?  Civil unrest?  Riots?  Assassinations?  The left has raised the hype to this level, so now I want to see what they do with it when they lose anyway.


92% FReepers!  Makes you wanna chip in and put us over the top doesn't it...

[DoughtyOne]

Yes, isn’t it...

[SMCC1]

The left has the public schools, the media, the entertainment industry, and the universities. I’m beginning to think they’ve infiltrated the few Conservative outlets.

[cherry]

this woman is insane....

sites collecting money so Sarah's dtr can get an abortion?...Sarah being called a pig?...Sarah being told she will be gang raped by 4 big black guys if she comes to Manhattan....shots being fired at her bus?....incest being alleged on national tv?

hussein....that is his name....telling people to "get in the faces" of those that don't believe in the messiah...hussein sending the truth squads out....

John and Sarah....when you get nestled into the White house , don't forget to forget these people...forget them and let them further drift down into obscurity...

[Maelstorm]

Talking in generalities. Kathleen has become warped. I feel sorry for her.

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

Anti-black has morphed to some degree into anti-foreigner and anti-Muslim. "Palling around with terrorists," as Sarah Palin said of Obama, gets to an underlying xenophobic, anti-Muslim sentiment. Using surrogates who strategically use Obama's middle name, Hussein, feeds the same dark heart.

The rantings of Kathleen "God damn America! It's in the Bible!" Parker. Will she be peddling her videos in the narthex?

[tioga]

Kathleen dear, YOU turned this campaign ugly with your spiteful columns about Sarah. “showed Obama even winning 22 percent of conservatives and getting 12 percent support among Republicans.”........girl, what you smokin’???

[hinckley buzzard]

Kathleen Parker has the double secret probationary reverse Bradley effect. She's getting laid by an Obamanoid Black guy. And likes it. But "just between you and me" she can't admit it openly. Coworkers, you know.

[antceecee]

There are so many statements in this diatribe that are wrong, I don't know where to begin....

Terrorist=Muslim?

Shadow election due to Bradley effect=Racism

McCain Palin campaign = sideshow?

McCain=erratic

And then this line belies her self ascribed elitist world view:

"Are they are worried about higher taxes, a premature withdrawal from Iraq, and Obama's inexperience in matters executive? You betcha. But they do not want to vote for a divisive, anti-intellectual ticket headed by a man who, though they admire him, lately has made them embarrassed to be Republicans."

Nasty, nasty, nasty, puny, hateful, spiteful, poor excuse for a journalist or editor.

[pissant]

Boy, and I thought Powell was acting like a lying ditzy broad. But this gal is as about as honest as Joe Biden.

[2ndDivisionVet]

"Will she be peddling her videos in the narthex?"

I don't know, but I imagine that narcotics will be sold in the fellowship hall.

[kcvl]

divisive, anti-intellectual ticket

What she really means is ignorant 'rednecks'. May those so-called Republicans rot in hell for the bigotry and sexism they have shown in this election including the jealous Kathleen Parker.

[hinckley buzzard]

It’s too bad idiots like Kathleen Parker just may inflict President Obama on us.

Relax. The bad news is, she's obviously "thinking" with her pudenda. The good news is, nobody cares what she "thinks." Her effect on the election will be nil.