George H.W. Bush’s 1988 “Willie Horton” campaign ad is infamous for racializing fears of crime, encouraging stereotypes of African American men as violent and threatening. The ad is widely believed to have destroyed Michael Dukakis’s chances for winning the presidency, presenting him as soft on crime. It’s a classic example of race-baiting in political campaigns — ads that present racial/ethnic minorities as threatening. Jesse Helms took a different approach with his affirmative action ad, which draws on some Whites’ fears that they are losing out on jobs because of affirmative action.
This election cycle, a number of candidates have produced ads that clearly attempt to stoke and benefit from anti-Hispanic immigrant sentiment. Talking Points Memo posted a mailer sent out by the Yuma County, Arizona, Republican Party as part of its campaign against Democratic state Representative Rae Waters. One side shows a stop sign full of bullet holes and makes a link between immigrants and neighborhood crime:
SB 1070 is the controversial Arizona law that allows law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of people they have stopped for other violations if there is a “reasonable suspicion” they might be undocumented or not carrying the appropriate papers.
To drive the message home, the other side of the mailer contains an image of a blond child, looking a little disturbed, and again links opposition to SB 1070 to “drugs and violence”:
Here in Nevada, Senate candidate Sharon Angle is currently running this commercial that calls Harry Reid the best friend of “illegals,” who are “putting Americans’ safety and jobs at risk.”
The commercial ends with this image:
She has a second commercial that plays on the same themes:
In West Virginia, this ad against Nick Rahall, a Christian Lebanese-American, prominently displays the phrase “Arab Americans” (he chaired Arab Americans for Obama) while scary music plays in the background:
If you have other examples of racialized or anti-immigrant imagery in current campaign ads, let us know.
UPDATE: S. Elle let us know about this ad by Senator David Vitter, of Louisiana, which is very similar to the Angle commercials:
And kantmakm provided a link to this billboard outside Grand Junction, Colorado:
Comments 39
kantmakm — October 13, 2010
How about this:
http://www.nationalreview.com/battle10/249559/grand-junction-co-billboard-attacks-obama-michael-sandoval
YIKES!
Grey — October 13, 2010
This is absolutely sickening. Because all immigrants are clearly violent criminals who put our children at risk. :/
ow — October 13, 2010
Colbert did a fun piece on this. In his story, two candidates used the same ridiculous piece of stock photography to scare voters.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/08/colbert-mocks-agnle-vitte_n_756093.html?ref=twitter
Syd — October 13, 2010
These are so, so disturbing. And yet so many conservatives claim we live in a post-racial society, while their entire platform seems to focus less and less on conservative beliefs, in exchange for blatant, proud racism.
S. Elle — October 13, 2010
I live in New Orleans, and just recently Senator David Vitter released an ad saying his opponent, Rep Melancon, is "soft on illegal immigration." Louisiana has one of the lowest percentages nationally of undocumented immigrants, so this ad is ridiculous. Plus, if you know much about rebuilding NOLA post-Katrina, then you know that immigrant labor raised this city back to her feet. Ugh.
The ad is really one of the most racist, disturbing ads I've seen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uvp0Jljh6U
Dylan Stafne — October 13, 2010
argh it's like saying
"Harry Reid is a good friend to those with difficult lives and uncertain futures. Vote him out."
Stacey Bee — October 13, 2010
This racialized imagery is horrible. I seriously can't believe the "Vote DemocRAT" billboard ... it's mind-boggling that anyone could put that up with good conscience.
The immigration issue is a tough one. There is no denying the statistical reality that Arab and Hispanic men beat women at far higher rates than Whites do. There's also no denying the deeply entrenched roots of misogynist patriarchy in those people's cultures. We shouldn't import hate, we should work to make the world safer for women. In my opinion both parties are wrong. We need to open up the borders to Hispanic, Arab, African, E. European women so they can come here through political asylum and escape the horrendous abuse. At the same time we should limit male immigration from these nations, there are also economic concerns to take into account.
T — October 13, 2010
Wow... so a stop sign shot up by drunk rednecks is an image depicting the violence caused by dirty immigrants? Jeesh. More and more each day, I think we should go through a process of "devolution" and break up the union. I don't want to be lumped in with these folks.
POCKETFA — October 14, 2010
You are not alone 2
Mildrid Odeth Delgadillo Vrgara — December 13, 2010
Soy Mexicana y esta es mi opinión, si te interesa traducelo en google porque no es justo que encima de todo esto que vi, me tome la molestia de escribirles en ingles.
Vecinos estadounidenses, esta publicidad es de lo más, racista que puede haber, y de verdad nosotros cosumimos muchisimo de lo que ustedes hacen, desde productos hasta películas, y además de todo cuando viene a vacacionar a nuestras playas los tratamos de la manera más hospitalaria y somos amigables con ustedes. Aun así nos discriminan y nos hacen parecer delicuentes, amigos!! no se sientan perfectos ustedes también tienen sus barrios peligrosos y criminales, por desgracia la situación en nuestro país no esta bien, pero aun así hay cosas muy buenas que tenemos que estoy segura que a todos ustedes les encanta. Que me dicen de la deliciosa comida que preparamos, nuestra rica y extensa cultura, nuestro humor, nuestra alegría, nuestra hospitalidad. Pero aun así muchas personas que nos esforzamos en prepararnos y salir adelante en nuestras carreras. Piensenlo es necesario de verdad ser tan egoistas. Esta es solo mi opinión, soy una mujer profesionista como muchisismas que habemos en este país y estamos indignadas con su forma de vernos. Aun así ¡¡son bienvenidos a nuestro país México!!!!