It’s the last “long” day for a while, as the time changes tonight and darkness will arrive before suppertime.\n<\/p>\n
Alpha is home for the weekend, and reports that her English teacher has been all over the racism in the notorious “call me” ad<\/a>. Alpha had to ask if I thought it racist (I don’t), and why some people think it is.\n<\/p>\n This morning, I ran across a quote by AC Kleinheider at Volunteer Voters<\/a> that sums it up perfectly:<\/p>\n I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Racial appeals do not work on white voters anymore. Whites will respond racially to oversensitivity, however.<\/p>\n Whether there is racism in this ad is almost besides the point politically. White voters by and large will not see racism in this ad and they will view all the talk as such as an overreaction. They will ascribe this oversensitivity to the Ford campaign whether it is Ford or his direct acolytes who say it or not. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n The ad was, of course, juvenile and perhaps in poor taste, but it garnered national exposure and hit several issues that resonate with Tennessee voters (death tax, marriage tax, gun control) in a way that got the point across. The only thing the bunny achieved was to make the ad famous, and pick up numerous free airings on national news media.\n<\/p>\n * * *\n<\/p>\n The Vols take on South Carolina tonight at 7:45 in Columbia; one can’t help but wonder whether the matchup is more about the teams, or their coaches. In any case, if Tennessee can best the Gamecocks and if Florida loses to anyone<\/i> (playing Georgia tonight, Vandy next week, and South Carolina on the 11th), Tennessee can still go to the SEC championship.\n<\/p>\n That’s always fun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s the last “long” day for a while, as the time changes tonight and darkness will arrive before suppertime. Alpha is home for the weekend, and reports that her English teacher has been all over the racism in the notorious … Continue reading