How Can CNN Call the Political Ad 'Racist'?

[Joe Guy]

I'm starting a separate thread based on this article posted in the Time For A Democratic Majority In The House thread by Lord Jim because nobody answered my question, which is:

How is Trump's anti-migration ad racist?

Too much even for FOX:

NBC, Fox News, Facebook pull controversial Trump anti-immigration ad

NBC, Fox News and Facebook have pulled a controversial anti-immigration ad paid for by President Trump's campaign. CNN, meanwhile, refused to air the ad at all, calling it "racist."

The backdrop: The 30-second ad, a shorter version of a clip Trump tweeted last week, depicts undocumented Mexican immigrant Luis Bracamontes, who received the death penalty for murdering two police officers in 2014.

Unlike Trump's tweet, the ad does not falsely blame Democrats for letting Bracamontes into the country, but it does attempt to connect Bracamontes and his crimes to the migrant caravan traveling through Mexico to the U.S. border.

The ad aired on four networks before being pulled, according to iSpot data obtained by Axios.

Fox Business: 8 airings
Fox News: 6 airings
MSNBC: 3 airings
NBC: 1 airing

What they're saying:

CNN: "CNN has made it abundantly clear in its editorial coverage that this ad is racist. When presented with an opportunity to be paid to take a version of this ad, we declined. Those are the facts."

NBC: "After further review we recognize the insensitive nature of the ad and have decided to cease airing it across our properties as soon as possible.”

Fox News: "Upon further review, Fox News pulled the ad yesterday and it will not appear on either Fox News Channel or Fox Business Network," head of ad sales Marianne Gambelli said through an FNC spokesperson.

Facebook: "This ad violates Facebook's advertising policy against sensational content so we are rejecting it. While the video is allowed to be posted on Facebook, it cannot receive paid distribution,” a spokesman told The Daily Beast.

Donald Trump Jr. mocked CNN as fake news on Twitter for refusing to air the ad, telling his followers to "Remember this on Tuesday."

President Trump, when asked about the controversy, told reporters, "We have a lot of ads. They certainly are effective, based on the numbers that we're seeing. ... A lot of things are offensive. Your questions are offensive."

https://www.axios.com/nbc-fox-news-pull ... 82d69.html

[Scooter]

Gee, I don't know, what could possibly be racist about a "Brown immigrants are dangerous criminals" narrative?

[Joe Guy]

Which race are those "Brown Immigrants"?

[Scooter]

The intended audience of those ads unquestionably sees them as not white. If you're intending on arguing otherwise, sorry, not interested in doing ten rounds of Mickey the Dunce with you.

[Joe Guy]

I didn't ask how others see brown people. I asked how CNN can determine the ad to be racist. Has the term 'racist' been redefined?

You don't have to answer, Scooter. My opinion is that either an official at CNN or everyone at CNN is twisting the ad into something it isn't - or they don't know what the word 'racist' means. Yes it is tasteless and should have been pulled but it's not racist.

[BoSoxGal]

This from a guy who argued endlessly that the term ‘monkeying up’ was not meant to be a racist dog whistle when used by Ron DeSantis in referencing Andrew Gillum.






I’m not saying you’re a racist, I’m saying the racists think you are.

[Scooter]

You don't see it as trying to create a negative perception about a group of people who are not white? What is that, if not racist?

I guess "Mexico is sending us all their murderers and rapists" and "black were too stupid to vote for me" aren't racist either.

[Joe Guy]

You don't see it as trying to create a negative perception about a group of people who are not white? What is that, if not racist?

I call it "anti-ethnic" or more specifically "anti-hispanic". Is CNN and other individuals afraid that people are too stupid to understand what that means. Racism is prejudice against a race, not an ethnicity.

[BoSoxGal]

You’re just an asshole splitting hairs; if you look up racism you’ll find the synonyms include BIGOTRY, XENOPHOBIA, and PREJUDICE.

The way racism works in real life is the oppression of those OTHER than the majority ruling race, which in this country is still Caucasians.

In about 20 more years that will no longer be the case numerically, and another generation or so after that we will begin to dismantle systemic racism.

And by then also most of today’s old white racists who deny their racism will be fucking dust - and good riddance!

[Econoline]

Is being Hispanic a matter of race, ethnicity or both?

[Scooter]

I call it "anti-ethnic" or more specifically "anti-hispanic". Is CNN and other individuals afraid that people are too stupid to understand what that means. Racism is prejudice against a race, not an ethnicity.

If you're the U.S. Census Bureau you may insist on calling Hispanic an ethnicity, rather than a race, but in the real world, the folks in that caravan are not exactly the pure blood descendants of Spanish or Portuguese conquistadors, and the producers of that ad know it, and know that their audience knows it.

And your disingenuousness is already long past boring me.

[Joe Guy]

You’re just an asshole splitting hairs; if you look up racism you’ll find the synonyms include BIGOTRY, XENOPHOBIA, and PREJUDICE.

Why do you think that everyone who disagrees with you is an asshole? I posed a question and gave my opinion. Does that make me racist in your mind?

You don't need to answer. You've already told me.

The way racism works in real life is the oppression of those OTHER than the majority ruling race, which in this country is still Caucasians.

Therefore, in your opinion, the word racism has a different meaning than the actual definition...?

I think some people automatically are inclined to disagree with me. I wonder.... does that make them racist?

[BoSoxGal]

I’ve disagreed with a number of people on this board without calling them or thinking them assholes. But yes, I think you are an asshole. And yes, I think you are a bigot.

[Joe Guy]

If you're the U.S. Census Bureau you may insist on calling Hispanic an ethnicity, rather than a race, but in the real world, the folks in that caravan are not exactly the pure blood descendants of Spanish or Portuguese conquistadors, and the producers of that ad know it, and know that their audience knows it.

I'm not basing my opinion on the U.S. Census Bureau's interpretation. I'm basing it on the definition of racism.

And your disingenuousness is already long past boring me.

I am sincere but I can see you've made up your mind that I'm not. Isn't that called prejudice?

[Scooter]

It would be called having a low tolerance for bullshit from someone who has the brain cells to know better.

[Joe Guy]

I’ve disagreed with a number of people on this board without calling them or thinking them assholes. But yes, I think you are an asshole. And yes, I think you are a bigot.

Okay, thank you for pointing that out. I'm sure you have much more education on the subject of asshole/bigotry than I do - and you probably have a degree in that field.

[Joe Guy]

It would be called having a low tolerance for bullshit from someone who has the brain cells to know better.

I'm not sure but I think I should thank you for that. However, I posed the question based on my sincere belief that CNN made an error in judgement. Maybe I'm not as smart as I'd like to be. Or maybe I'm right. Or both...

[BoSoxGal]

Bwahahaha! Someone who is not a bigot doesn’t spend hours online picking apart and/or defending obvious instances of bigotry. It doesn’t take any special education to know that, just a decent heart.

[Joe Guy]

Bwahahaha! Someone who is not a bigot doesn’t spend hours online picking apart and/or defending obvious instances of bigotry. It doesn’t take any special education to know that, just a decent heart.

Wait! You got it!! Thanks. The ad was bigoted - not racist.

I should call CNN.

[Burning Petard]

"Race" when used in discussions in the USofA is a term defined socially and idiosyncratically. It has no objective meaning that is generally accepted for an extended period of time. Joe, do you want me to cite for you the sober, 'civil' discussions in mass media in America in the previous century that specifically defined people from Ireland, Sicily, Poland as 'non-White"?

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