Earlier today, I told you about the Denver Post’s response to something John McCain said about water rights in a newspaper interview. Since writing that column, something has been tugging at the back of my mind and I only now realized what it was. Let’s take another look at a portion of the paper’s editorial which I previously quoted.
Forget about winning our nine electoral votes next November. We don’t vote for water rustlers in this state; we tar and feather them!
If you clicked through to the entire piece and read down toward the bottom you would also find this little gem:
Here’s some free advice, wrinkly guy: When campaigning in Colorado, you might survive advocating atheism, taking our guns away or outlawing apple pie. But never, ever, mess with our water.
For the second quote, unless you just emerged from an extended coma you already know the reference without my rehashing the political fortunes of the Hilton heiress. “Wrinkly old white haired dude” might have been more complete. You may find yourself wondering what this has to do with the price of tea in Chinatown. Imagine for a moment if it had been Barack Obama who made an ill-advised remark about Colorado’s water rights. Had the Denver Post dared use the phrase “tar and feather” when talking about a black candidate, we would now be in the midst of a circus of palpitations and righteous indignation, calling for the careers (if not the heads) of the Denver Post editorial staff to be served up to us upon platters.
How about if they had dared to write, “skinny, young black dude” in their piece? I suppose that’s what set me to wondering today. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions, but it seems that we can raise all sorts of hell over the mere suggestion that a campaign or reporter might mention race or some racially charged metaphor, even in a joking fashion. However, making fun of an “old white guy” is just not a big thing. (Full disclosure: I found myself laughing at the Post’s comments myself at first.)
In the last Jib-Jab video, the producers made fun of Obama’s lilting, wistful diatribes on change and Hillary’s sneaky, underhanded box of “dirty tricks” to derail Obama. (Never anything about him being black or her being a woman, of course.) McCain, though, is shown as a doddering patient in a hospital gown who collapses clutching his chest. (Oh, you Jib Jab guys are so funny.)
Anyway… next time you find yourself bubbling over with righteous indignation over some perceived slur, think back on this article. We don’t seem to apply the same protections to everyone, do we?