Forget the Magic Negro, it’s the Star Spanglish Banner

Much has been made of the fact that RNC Chairman candidate Chip Saltsman sending off a CD that included the song “Barack the Magic Negro”. As happens with anything with even a whiff of race politics (and this has more of a stink) an unbelievable firestorm unfolded after the distribution, causing many in the Republican Party to denounce Saltsman. As Michael notes below, the backlash to the backlash is benefiting Saltsman.

In a process almost as common as crying racism is, the “common man” of the base of the Republican Party is declaring Saltsman a PC martyr. They may sincerely believe that Saltsman is innocent of any foul play. They may be disgusted with their party elites for throwing him under the bus, but they also ought to listen to their party elites, because they understand something that Saltmans defenders might not; demographics.


First to the issue itself, such as it is. Though I’ll readily agree that political correctness has gotten entirely out of hand and that hyper-sensitivity to racial issues is excessive, one should not underestimate just how offensive this is to African Americans (and a large number of non-black people who are not included in the Republican base). It’s like if German conservatives had distributed a song mocking a Jewish politician as a “magic Kike”. The media has focused on the “Magic Negro” song because it targets the president and it uses a no-no racial term, but quite possibly worse is the “Star Spanglish Banner”, which Saltsman also sent. Though offensive, the “Magic Negro” at least only targets one individual. The “Star Spanglish Banner” mocks Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans as a group.

Jose can you see
By the dawn’s early light
Cross the border we sailed
As the Gringos were sleeping

Now it’s one thing for Limbaugh to broadcast these songs. I may not like them but he’s an entertainment guy and his crowd finds this stuff funny. Fair enough. I’ve seen some left-wing stand-up that made me laugh but would undoubtedly not at all amuse some of the targets of the digs. Comedy is sometimes the last refuge for unpopular opinions, and I think that offense is a very small price to pay for our essential freedom of speech.

Saltman is also entitled to his freedom of speech, but I cannot help but be boggled by the sheer political stupidity of what he did, and stand in awe of those who are willing to make him the face of the Republican party. Again, not because of the “Magic Negro”, but because of the “Star Spanglish Banner”. African Americans will not be voting Republican in 2012, save for a very few exceptions. This is hardly a revelation to anyone and unless Obama eats a child on live TV he can count on near-universal African American support. However the Republican Party is fooling itself if it believes it can continue to ignore racial minorities and be relevant as a national party. This is especially true of Latinos. George Bush, for all his multiple faults, understood this. He made a concerted effort to appeal to Latinos and tried to force his party to take a more moderate stance on immigration issues (and I say this while being to the right of even Bush on that issue). He also appointed the most racially diverse cabinet in history. Both of these things are to his credit. Latinos are not nearly as monolithic in their voting habits as African Americans. But the Republican Party continues to fail miserably at appealing to them and has allowed itself to be identified more by the stop-the-Mexican-menace of Tom Tancredo than the moderate approach of George Bush or John McCain. The latest consequence of this was that Obama won two thirds of the Latino vote on November 4th, including important contributions to wins in such essential states as Florida, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada. Their influence will only get stronger in the next election.

I suspect that the Republican Party leaders understand these numbers, and realize that racially-charged humor is not the kind of official face they can afford to put on their party any longer. The “base” may not realize that Latino Americans must not be treated as punch-lines but as potential allies, but the leadership must. “Jose can you see” is not the way to welcome in new allies. If the GOP as a party does not figure this out in time, they will be in for a rude reminder in coming elections.