Limbaugh claimed "there's a basis" for RNC ad critics have deemed racist: "Harold Ford has dated a white woman"
On the October 30 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh claimed that "there's a basis" for a controversial Republican National Committee (RNC) ad against Tennessee Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Harold Ford Jr. that critics -- including Republicans -- have deemed racist; according to Limbaugh, that "basis" is that "Harold Ford has dated a white woman."
As Media Matters for America has noted, the ad, which was released October 20, features a scantily clad white woman posing as someone who "met" Ford "at the Playboy party," who looks into the camera, purporting to address Ford, an African-American, and asks him to "call" her. As the Los Angeles Times noted, "Critics said the ad ... plays on fears of interracial relationships to scare some white voters in rural Tennessee." Former Republican senator and Secretary of Defense William Cohen, on the October 23 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, said the ad made "a very serious appeal to a racist sentiment," and NAACP Washington Bureau director Hilary O. Shelton also has denounced the advertisement.
Limbaugh cited Cosmopolitan magazine as evidence that Ford "dated a white woman," but appeared to be echoing a National Republican Senatorial Committee press release about the relationship. As National Journal's Hotline weblog wrote of the press release: "The National Republican Senatorial Committee blasts TN SEN candidate Harold Ford junior [sic] for ... well, we're not entirely sure. It has something to do with his dating life." Julia Allison wrote in the July 2006 issue of Cosmopolitan that she had a relationship with Ford without mentioning him by name; she identified him subsequently in a post on her personal blog, portions of which Limbaugh read aloud.
As Media Matters noted, MSNBC political analyst Pat Buchanan argued that "I don't take" the RNC ad "as racist at all," because "Harold Ford is a guy that likes Playboy bunnies. Almost all of them are white."
From the October 30 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:
LIMBAUGH: Do you know that Harold Ford used to date a white woman? Did you -- oh, I'm sorry, it's not -- no, hold it a second, it's not racist, Mr. Snerdley. It's not. He did, and she has a blog.
Hence, I'm -- me bringing up what Harold Ford did is racist? I'm just telling you that there's an ad that was pulled because the Republicans got cold feet, and it turns out there's a basis for it. I'm not criticizing. I -- I -- I am not -- let the NAALCP [sic] have a cow. Do you think -- do you think I'm going to back down? He did! He did date a white woman. I can't help it! It's what happened. We're into truth on this program.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: And now, back to programming here on the EIB Network. Here's the -- here's the excerpt from the blog. It's by Julia Allison. Actually, it's -- it's not a blog. She wrote this in Cosmopolitan in July of 2006. And here's -- here's the pull quote from it: "Harold Ford actually didn't do much of anything scandalous by dating me. Sure, I was younger and a dating columnist, and white, but he was single, so it's sort of a moot point. I did think it was hilarious, though, when Lloyd Grove's assistant rang my" -- he's a gossip columnist -- "rang my dorm room asking, 'Is it true that you're 18 and dating Congressman Ford?' I was pretty sure I wasn't 18, and I told her as much. Then I called Harold, who brilliantly responded, 'Wait, you're 18? You're not 18, are you?' I remember thinking, 'You idiot! If he didn't notice that I legally drank adult beverages with you on multiple occasions, you deserve to be caught dating an 18-year-old.' "
Well, a lot of screaming over the ad. It turns out that Harold Ford has dated a white woman. Once again, no problem here. Go for it. I'm just pointing out the ad was not a stretch.
The fact (if it is a fact) that Harold Ford dated a white woman is a legitimate campaign issue that somehow affects his suitability to serve as Senator? Apparently in Tennessee it is...
The Republicans are masters... they know exactly what buttons to push to appeal to the fears and prejudices of their people.
Now Harold Ford can no longer count on the white robe vote. Darn it! Now Republics will vote for the Republic candidate.
On election day the goobers may have said: "Vernel, less go huntin'." Instead, with enough encouragement now they might say: "Shoot, Vernel, less go vote against that uppity (n-word)." The Republic Party is trying everything to get their base out to VOTE... apparently the base isn't sufficiently pissed off and worked up yet.
the ad is a "stretch". it's clearly meant to pander to certain elements. it's actually sort of racist for rush to suggest ford dating a white woman is the same as what is being suggested in this ad.
In order to balance the scorecard, so to speak, I submit that I should be allowed to dated Halle Berry.
The Fairness Doctrine was done away with by Reagan. You're request is therefore denied.
Racists are inherently cowards, they can't come out to the majority of people and say how they feel.
I'm not a crook. What's the first thing you think?
When Rush says, "Did you -- oh, I'm sorry, it's not -- no, hold it a second, it's not racist, Mr. Snerdley." Rush knows the power of deep seated frames, he knows that negating a frame only reinforces that frame. Were he concerned about not being viewed as a racist he would argue his point much more carefully. He would say everything except for, I'm not a racist.
Just saw Olbermann yet again name Rushbo the Worst Person in the World for some more of the Michael Fox fallout. Now this. Just when youmthink he can't go any lower he surpasses himself.
that someone who talks for a living can be clueless enough to present this defense, or that he has an audience that thinks it makes sense .
Maybe funny's not the word.
Slowly now, Rush; The Republican ad wasn't dirty because it insinuated interracial dating (except in the minds of your core audience), it was dirty because it implied that Ford was immoral because he went to a party connected with Playboy, and that he was picking up women there, none of which has any basis in fact.
The bonus for the Repubs is that the ad angers racist white guys who can't get a date and blame black men,and it angers non-white men who can't get a date and blame guys who go to Playboy functions and take all the women.
The Republican base votes for Bush and Cheney, guys you could have a beer with AND have a shot at their women.
The ad was designed to get people resentful and pissed off at Harold Ford over something that has nothing to do with his suitability for serving the office for which he seeks election.
In related news, Condoleezza Rice, who is black, was selected to represent American whites abroad as secretary of state. Yes, you, hard-working white Americans, who can barely make ends meet - your tax money goes to a black rich woman. It's not racist, just a fact - a black woman thinks she can speak for American white males. Again, I'm just sayin' - it's the truth.
she has never been married either, so you know what that means? And she ain't the kind to let you boys watch either.
It was just a date, Rush. Is that so wrong? I guess it is in your eyes micro d*ck.
Uuuuh, what...? We're goofy tofu-eating liberals. So what if she's black... or rich? The only problem I have with Rice is that she's become the designated liar for Bush on Iraq... and I would take issue with her for that regardless what color she was.
fawltylogic was being sarcastic. As if, if it is a big deal that Ford dates white, that Condi should be a threat some how as well.
Oh... sorry. I was fixing a tofu and stem cell omelet and got distracted.
the target audience of this ad. They will be jealous that a black man would date "their women". To you racists in Tennessee, do you really think that a Playboy would even get in your 15 year old truck? And rUSH, you couldn't even pay these women. You go to the Islands with 10 viagra pills and retun with 9. You manly man you. rUSH, weren't you married to a woman of a different nationality? I bet if your Tennessee listeners hear that, you would lose your audience...but it is true.
Well... I don't like to spread rumors, but I heard that Rush couldn't get laid in a monkey whore house with a bag full of bananas. ;>)
Holy cow!! Is this a nation pandering to idiots!!
sho nuff.
Barak Obama's black father not only dated, but impregnated a white woman. Hey, that's just the facts. We're all about the truth here at Redneck Radio....
You gotta admire Ford's cojones for running for the Senate from Tennessee. I don't mean to imply that everyone from Tennessee is a toothless, racist bigot, but if you live in the South you easily see that racism (extreme in some instances) is still very much alive and well. And all these stereotypes we've been joking and talking about, they're true. There's still a segment of the South that looks upon bi-racial dating and marriage as taboo. Some would rather elect a criminal than vote for a more qualified black person. Again, not everyone here in the South is like that, but there are some people are still living in the 1950s.
I just want to know, if a white family from Tennessee gets divorced, are they still legally brother and sister?
and comes back from his honeymoon alone. His paw asks, "whars th' missus?". Hillbilly replies, "I had ta shoot'er". Paw asks, "Whut fer?". Hillbilly replies, "She wuz a virgun". Paw sez, "that's awright, she weren't good nuff fer her own family, she aint good nuff fer ours".
Of course it isn't a stretch. Harold Ford is a relatively young, charismatic, attractive black guy with some semblance of power. The way I heard it, the "Amen Corner" (older black church ladies) have to run interference to keep the white women from running him over at events ... which is Rush's point. Harold has white women chasing him down while the Rush's of the world have to fly off to impoverished nations, with Viagra in hand, to buy affection from desperate colored women who are only trying to survive.
He should be in jail. He is a convicted drug addict. He's just jealous because he would like to date a white woman, or any woman for that matter. Since that CNN chickie boo left him he's had to squirrel away his psychiatrist's VIAGRA prescription for his trips to the Carribbean, hoping to get lucky there. He is and will always be the foulest sort of human matter.
As a black man, he will energize the inherent racism in the Tennessee Republicans. And, to make sure, the troglodytes have placed an Anti Gay Marriage amendment on the ballot. The knuckledragging evangelicals will swarm the polls to protect their precious marriages from the Gay Agenders. It will be a bonafide miracle if Ford wins.
RUSH: I can't help it! It's what happened. We're into truth on this program.
Rush Limbaugh ducked Vietnam because of a cyst on his butt, has failed at several marriages and numerous career paths, is a recovering(?) drug addict who has purchased drugs illegally, and has flown to the Dominican Republic, in the company of men, armed with a drug to help him achieve and maintain an erection. And this drug was also obtained quasi-legally at best.
I can't help it! It's what happened. We're into truth here.
Why was he fired from ESPN again?
Oh, that's right!
He opened his mouth and inserted his entire leg, like he does every day on his radio program.
It doesn't make a difference. The ad was subtly racist and clearly designed to stir up white rural voters in Tennessee. Limbaugh is simply carrying Olympic-sized swimming pools of water for the Republican National Committee, something that he would win a Gold Medal for if it were an Olympic event.
THANK YOU. njguy93@yahoo.com
Harold Ford doesn't have to fly to the Dominican Republic and get Viagra in someone else's name. Rush Limbaugh has to do that in order to get some lovin' down in the D.R. I remember listening to his radio show a couple of days before he went on that trip to the Dominican Republic in June of 2006. He said he was going there for a "guys weekend" or something like that. And then he gets busted with Viagra in someone else's name on the way back from that "guys weekend" in the Dominican Republic. Put 2 and 2 together.
THANK YOU. njguy93@yahoo.com
would speculate that the average sane White woman who isn't blind would much prefer the company of Harold Ford to Rush. If it wasn't for the millions of dollars in his bank account Rush wouldn't see any action from any woman Black, White, or purple.