HAT TIP TO KAREN RUSSELL

From Eddie Griffin

Friday, May 11, 2007

Bio
A graduate of Harvard Law School, Karen is an on-air legal analyst and frequently appears on CNN, MSNBC and CourtTV -- as a legal and political analyst dissecting high-profile trials and debating national political issues. Karen also works as an attorney and political strategist. She co-produced the film "Good Luck Chuck" starring Dane Cook and Jessica Alba which opens on August 24, 2007.

Eddie Griffin Comments on:
Barack Gets It Right On Limbaugh’s ‘Barack The Magic Negro’ Parody by Karen Russell.

While many people have been contemplating what to think about Rush Limbaugh’s characterization of Barack Obama as the “Magic Negro”, here is how the potential controversy finally played out, thanks to a great follow up report by Karen Russell.

Obama sidestepped Limbaugh’s parody with such smoothness that Limbaugh himself could only say, “This is a classy way to deal it… Blow it off. Laugh it off. No big deal.”

It all began after when Limbaugh played a parody to the tune of “Puff, the Magic Dragon”, but instead of Puff, it was Obama, the Magic Negro. The airing of the song over the airways created a stir in the African-American community around the nation, which was still reeling from the Imus insult upon the black basketball girls of Rutgers.

How could Limbaugh do this at this time? There was something suspiciously odd about the incident. It appeared to be a purposeful provocation on the part of Limbaugh.

In “Imus Virus Spreads to Limbaugh” (posted May 4, 2007), Eddie Griffin wrote:

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”… The reason for teaching this lesson was because I learned, while living in prison, men will try to provoke you with “words”… I had hoped my students would learn not let racial slurs deter them from their main objective.

How did Obama react when asked about Limbaugh’s race-baiting tour de force? When asked about it by Paul W. Smith of WJR Radio (Detroit), Obama responded:

"You know, I have not heard it but I've heard of it. I confess that I don't listen to Rush on a daily basis. On the other hand, I'm not one of these people who, who takes myself so seriously that I get offended by -- by every -- every comment made about me. You know… what Rush does is entertainment, and although it's probably not something that I listen to much… I don't mind, I don't mind, I don't mind folks poking fun at me," Obama said. "That's part of the job."

For this finesse, Karen Russell writes, “Obama didn't take Limbaugh's bait. Good for him.” And, we concur.

Other members of the Afrospear Network who were instrumental in turning Limbaugh’s tactics on its head include Francis L. Holland Blog, Afro-Netizen, and Exodus Mentality, and the host of others watching the networks and keeping the debate honest. Since posting the UTube video parody of Obama and Sharpton has been disenabled.

The Afrospear hits the target again.