Republican Women's Club Makes Racist Obama Buck, Food Stamp

In a stunningly naive and/or racist move, a California women's republican club sent out a newsletter depicting a satirical food stamp with Obama's face on it. All well and good to question his position on welfare, but not if you add watermelon, fried chicken and kool-aid to the fake food stamp. The club president, Diane Fedele, defended the food stamp, saying it was poor judgment on her part but that it was not meant to be racist.

Fedele said the mailer merely parodied the statements Obama made during a debate last summer and wasn't racist. "If I was racist, I would have looked at it through racist eyes," she said. "I am not racist, which is why it probably didn't register." Club member Kristina Sandoval agreed. "None of us are racists," she said. The use of watermelon, ribs and fried chicken was innocent, she said. "Everyone eats those foods, it's not a racial thing."

Funny how, totally coincidentally, those foods have been used to stereotype African-Americans. See for yourself: Real classy. Race has been an extremely touchy issue during this campaign, and the newsletter drew wide public condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans. All agreed it was in severely poor taste, but some thought it was innocently meant.

State Sen. Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) represents the area, and his wife, a Latina, is a member of the club. "I thought it was unacceptable and a failed attempt at humor," Dutton said. "My wife isn't taking it personally because she knows the people involved. I called Diane [Fedele] and talked to her and told her it was inappropriate. She is a sweet lady without a mean bone in her body. But we all have to be more sensitive."

We're not sure how that defense works. Sure she might be a sweet lady, but how oblivious do you have to be to try and say that there was no racial jab behind the choice of food surrounding Obama? I mean, do we need collard greens and maybe a flaming cross before we can really call it racism? Come the fuck on. But yes, more sensitivity please. That's a good place to start. Other members of the party weren't as forgiving as Senator Dutton and his charmingly-nameless Latina wife;

Sheila Raines, a black member of the group, told the newspaper that she had told Fedele that the mailing was offensive. "This is what keeps African-Americans from joining the Republican Party," Raines said. "I'm really hurt. I cried for 45 minutes."

The Obama campaign has not commented on the food-stamp spoof, perhaps deciding that the less both sides bring up race in the election, the more attention important factors in the election will get. What do you think? Could the food stamp be pardoned as an innocent, unintentional mistake? Altered Obama photo in GOP club newsletter sparks outrage [LA Times]