The Humor in the 2008 Presidential Election Year

This topic has been highly overlooked by all media sources, both liberal and conservative, by why, humor is fun and enjoyable, or is this election revealing elements that we as Americans do not want to discuss.

The humor that was poking fun at Sen. Barack Obama has taken many forms. This article is not concerned with speaking gaffs that all individuals have committed. It is, however about this election year and the humor in it. In addition, the media outlets on both sides of the political spectrum are glossing over the humor aspect for more mundane news. During the early portion of 2008, when the Pennsylvania Democrat primaries were occurring, independent sources made t-shirts depicting a monkey and the name Obama on it. The Republican Party supporters quickly countered with 'it is a joke.' Therefore, it is harmless - during the 1970s and even before that many white Americans had referred to African Americans as monkeys and were giving them bananas. For example, the movie Remember the Titans and Glory have the monkey references and shows the delighted glee upon everyone's faces. Then there was the remark that Sen. Barack Obama is a drug dealer, because he once used drugs, again the retort from the opposition is 'it is a joke' President George Bush once used drugs and he was never called a drug dealer, not by anyone. Well jokes do change meanings over time, for example, 'blackface' is not funny anymore. Nevertheless, are they just political satire or twisted humor?

There were the comparisons that Sen. Barack Obama is like Hitler both gave great speeches, "It is a joke" the response echoes quickly behind as to diffuse the situation. Nevertheless, this is now on bumper stickers that are for sale from Republican websites and blog sites. This article is not against free speech, but free speech has limits and then there is hate speech. Are these jokes of hate? According to many people, racism does not exist any longer in the United States of America. That is very true there is not anymore lynching, well there isn't any more because big business cut down many trees and liberals made the rest to be on protected federal lands - it is only a joke. Although, the Justice Department has stated they are concerned, there will be voter intimidation tactics use on Election Day, they have added that they cannot stop it. Returning on the topic of bumper stickers for a moment, many of them are very funny and even cute; yet, what if you, see something along the lines as 'pro-god, pro-life, pro-gun, anti-Obama.' This nice statement tells us, God is for life and for guns and against Sen. Barack Obama (though many have referred to Sen. Obama to Cain, with the similar retort, as 'it is a joke'. The name Cain, for those who may not know, found in the Book of Genesis, from the bible and 'the curse of Cain was used as a justification for racism and slavery'¹). However, is this statement going further, than just the usage of free speech, and is it borderline hate speech or a sickly viewpoint? Dissecting the bumper sticker might be of importance, the last word in pro line is gun and the last word at the end of the bumper is Obama? Is someone trying to convey a political point, or comical stance? This attractive sticker found on a bumper would remind some us of the incident when some citizens, in 1998, decided to drag an African American male, (James Byrd, Jr.²) from the bumper of their vehicle until he was brutally murdered.

Then there was former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who was in the presidential primaries for the Republican Party, at the National Rifle Association meeting, on May 16, 2008, when he heard a loud bang back stage, he quickly retorted with, "That was Barack Obama. He just tripped off a chair. He was getting ready to speak. Somebody aimed a gun at him and he... he dove for the floor."³ The crowd gave rye laughter, though it was later on many pro-McCain and Pro Republican blogs and sites followed by the common statement used for defense 'it is a joke'. If one reversed the intense situation, would it still be a joke, highly unlikely.

In New York, shirts, designed by, Apollo Braun had the messages of "Obama is my slave" and "Who killed Obama"⁴ many stated again that 'it is a joke'. Are these phrases, statements and actions just harmless jokes? If they are just jokes, then the late night television hosts should be stating them repeatedly. However, they are not stating them, does that mean they are not funny, or are they worried about offending their core audiences or perhaps the stations advertisers.

Most recently was the three-dollar bill⁵ incident, depicting Sen. Barack Obama wearing a Muslim headdress, and Muslim writing on it, and the use of the three-dollar stating he and it are worthless. The response from the leadership of Republican Party it is awful and tasteless; in spite of this, they are not seriously seeking who created it, because they do not want to be negative to capitalism and turn off volunteers. Nevertheless, to many their followers it is again: 'it is a joke'. The network CNN reported the three-dollar bill story, on the day of Sen. Barack Obama's historic acceptance speech.

This was one of the rare moments that a news organization had broached the subject, of the unsavory humor in the political landscape. Perhaps the reason media avoids the issue is that it involves race, racism, and undertones that are present in this election year. Normally controversy sells, and it is motivates ratings, monies and viewership, but this year, race is absent. For example last year, on April 4, 2007, radio host Don Imus was involved in racial statement concerning the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team and even made the cover the Time magazine, concerning the statement "nappy-headed hos".⁶

However, he was not the only one on the airwaves to comment on that statement, but he was the most publicly individual singled out for the uttering it. This then must also adhere to the defense of 'it is a joke', yet it did, it fact result in a lawsuit and Don Imus' firing. It must be noted, that he has not played off with these previous jokes about Sen. Obama, for if he had, wouldn't the media sources been hounding this issue. Therefore, the answer is no one famous has made the jokes.

As the election grows nearer, the jokes have increased, for example, it is now Obama Waffles, and two writers from Tennessee, Mark Whitlock and Bob DeMoss created the box depicting many racial stereotypes. This box has images and words that include Muslim headdress and the thick lips, and overly silly smile, though not directly considered a joke the makers have used the colorful term political satire, though; no one seems to buying that label. Perhaps soon the food products may turn to fried chicken, and the attitude would be he is a coward, while the more obvious stereotype would shine through about the old statement that African Americans only eat fried chicken and watermelon. Therefore, with this latest exploit, is the opposition close to screaming out highly offensive slurs, especially the infamous 'n-word', as they have made the comparison of Obama's pledge for change to equal a homeless person, a bum, depicted as a black man beginning for your change - again this is considered to be a joke. And why not, Mayor Rudy" Giuliani made outrageous laughter about the senator being a community organizer, inferring that if you care about a community and the citizens in it, in this case, Chicago's inner city it is all a big joke.

Where are the Sen. McCain jokes that are similar to these types? The Democrats cannot be above this level, can they be? Yet there has not been any reported from any news media that equal, these examples from above, it is time for something to be done. Yet, there are age jokes, but nothing reported on this level of slug - until now. Every morning regardless of what home McCain is in, he puts on his white hooded robe - it is a joke. He also an avid person who enjoys working out, does a goose-step walk that would make Hitler proud - it is a joke. When McCain dreams he thinks and smiles about the bombs he drops and if they splattered women and children on the ground - it is a joke. Sen. McCain eager to drill off the coast, to help bring gas prices lower to allow for more cross burnings - it is a joke.

So Americans what are your thoughts?

The viewpoints expressed in this article are sarcasm.

¹ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, subject Curse and Mark of Cain

² From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, subject, James Byrd, Jr

³ NY Daily News, May 16, 2008, "Mike Huckabee's joke about Barack Obama misfires with NRA crowd"

⁴ Metro NY, July 17, 2008, "Obama 'slave' shirt sparks lawsuit threat"

⁵ The Seattle Times, August 28, 2008, "Snohomish County GOP pulls "$3 bills" smearing Obama from fair booth"

⁶ Media Matters Org, Wed, Apr 4, 2007 6:00pm ET, "Imus called women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos"