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• Thursday, July 31, 2008 05:37 AM

  Code Language

  Glenn,

  This was another excellent and insightful column.

  I'm wondering if you think it is time, though, to start discussing the rather obvious "code word" subtext in these personality driven attacks.

  As you are clearly aware, the attacks on Kerry and Edwards as "french" or"effete" are more than anything code words for homosexual, and more generally different, not one of us.

  "Obama is arrogant and presumptuous" is something very different, and in some ways even darker. You surely know that this must be code words for what the nastiest racists among us 40 years ago simply would have called "uppity nigger."

  Arrogant and presumptuous has NEVER, EVER been a bad thing among politicians. We like our politicians arrogant and presumptuous. Nothing could describe George W any better. Ronald Reagan was an ACTOR: talk about presumptuous. We like our politicians arrogant, confident,

  charming and presumptuous.

  Some people HATE African Americans who are that way.

  This personality" driven stuff is more than that. It is an artful and calculated attempt to bring pure, un-adulterated racism into the campaign (exactly the way "effete" is intended to bring pure, adulterated homophobia into the campaign).

  Do you think it is useful to start calling this stuff by its most proper name, racism?

  Cheers,

  dave

  —dcutler Read dcutler's other letters
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