TailOverTeaKettle.com

The other day I mentioned about the ridiculous campaign ad which was created by John Eaves, candidate for Fulton County (Georgia) Commission Chairman. He won the election on Tuesday.

He also publicized several commercials on his website (which have since been removed after the election), but luckily Political Vine captured the most offensive one.

Here’s a my attempt at a transcript of the commercial (any error are mine, but the grammar is not corrected):
JL: This is Congressman John Lewis.
SF: And I’m Mayor Shirley Franklin.
AY: And I’m Andy Young.
JL: On November 7th we face the most dangerous situation we ever have. You think fighting off dogs and water in the Sixties was bad, [now we?] we sit idly by and let the right-wing Republicans take control of the Fulton County Commission.
SF: The efforts of Martin and Coretta King, Hosea Williams, Maynard Jackson, and many others will be lost. That’s why we must stand up. And we must turn out the vote for the Democrats on Election Day.
AY: And especially for John Eaves for Fulton County Commission Chairman. Unless you want them to turn back the clock on equal rights, and human rights, and economic opportunity for all of us, vote for John Eaves as Fulton County Chairman.
JL: Your very life may depend on it.
This message paid for my the Committee to Elect John Eaves.

Now tell me, what person can hear this and seriously say that this ad isn’t accusing Republicans?

In an understatement of the year, today’s Atlanta Journal Constitution noted “Bloggers, conservative radio and letters to the editor have labeled the ads as racially inflammatory.” No kidding! I guess that the AJC is unable to make such a determination on it’s own. But what’s worse, when Atlanta Mayor Franklin was asked about her role in the ad, she gave a non-apology (”If you were offended by something I said, I apologize.”) and then became indignant:

But I’m actually infuriated by some of the partisan and divisive politics I’ve seen in the past five years. What I said in that ad, I said right-wing Republicans, I didn’t give them any gender or race. I happen to believe that right-wing Republicans have made some big mistakes in America, and I said exactly what I thought.

John Lewis spoke of his experiences. Andy Young spoke of his. I know I wouldn’t be standing here if it hadn’t been for Andy Young and John Lewis. The bottom line is that I don’t know of anybody in my position who wouldn’t stand with Andy Young and John Lewis.

Eh? But then there’s John Lewis, who throws out the race card, then lies:

Lewis said the ad was not racist.

“I don’t think there was anything racially inflammatory at all,” Lewis said this week. “The ad was straightforward. Anyone who saw it as race-baiting failed to see the ad.”

Failed to see the ad? No, the ad did not say that all white males are racists who will put down blacks. Just all Republicans (regardless of gender or race) who will do this.

So why is this accepted? Newsbusters reported how professional race-baiter Al Sharpton failed to see anything wrong with the ad when asked on Hannity & Colmes.

SHARPTON: I think what they tried to do with those suppressive measures of voter I.D. in Georgia came right out of an era that John Lewis and others fought.

Seriously? Requiring a photo ID instead of one of the other 17 forms of ID is deemed equivalent to bringing out police dogs and water hoses in the 1960’s? This is how far we have come.

Political Vine and Peach Pundit also covered more of the mess.

I don’t expect much from a hack like Sharpton. But I’m most surprised about Shirley Franklin. I wonder if she is really proud of this moment…

And John Eaves is no where to be found on this. His campaign website has removed references to this (must not have been too proud after all). There is one recording still there. This contains far less controversial statements. Why these were not sufficient, I can not understand.

Again, my (possibly faulty) transcriptions:
Hello this is John Eaves, and I want you to hear a very special message from a very special friend.

This is Congressman John Lewis, and I want to tell you why I’m supporting John Eaves for Fulton County Chairman. Atlanta and Fulton County are at a crossroads. With new growth and development we need a leader like John Eaves who can work hand-in-hand with all the people of Fulton County to maintain our growth and development. John is as comfortable in a board roam suite as he is talking with the people in the street. John has the know-how to get the job done. He graduated from Morehouse, earned his Masters Degree from Yale, and have a Ph.D degree. Not only is John a loving husband, and a proud father of two children, but he also spent years helping thousands of our young people. That’s why smart people like Shirley Franklin, Andy Young, and Hank Aaron, and I are voting for John Eaves for Fulton County Chairman. And you should too.