Time For a Little Campaign Jujitsu, I Say

An Internet huckster anonymously offers a plush doll of Barack Obama depicted as a monkey. Liberal outrage ensues.

It took me about two minutes searching the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office site to find the name and home address of the guy who's behind The Sock Obama, so you can pretty much count on the fact that he's going to need to move and get a new phone number.

That said, and fully cognizant of how offensive it is to depict black people as monkeys, I think this would be an excellent moment for Barack Obama to make campaign points by reacting with humor. A smiling, slightly derisive photo op would go a long way toward showing that he's not going to go all Stokely Carmichael once he's in office. There are actually people who worry about that, and this would be a nice moment to show a little post-racial humanity.

Comments

[Steve]

Lets see:

Call George Bush a chimp: OK

Call Obama a monkey: liberal outrage.

No double standard there.

[Steve]

Too bad the never angry and always fun loving liberals are going after the wrong guy:

I am a real estate agent working and residing in Park City, Utah with my
wife, Denise. My business website is www.davidjlawson.com. Unfortunately,
my name, identity and business website have been linked to THESOCKOBAMA CO., LLC. However, again, I assure you that I am in no way affiliated with
THESOCKOBAMA CO., LLC. Simply put, I unfortunately have the same name as one of the company's members, and I am therefore being wrongfully linked to that company. Thank you for allowing me to address the confusion."

[Jessica]

In defense of the sock monkey, it's awfully cute.

[Squidley]

Just what in the racially-conscious, race-card playing, racially-divisive history of B. Hussein Obama, Jr., makes you think that he and his people would react with humor or good will? Have you learned nothing about the man in the wake of the revelations, one after another, about the kind of company he keeps?

Incidentally, you haven't had anything to say about Obama's dumping of his pastor and his church, even though he dumped them just weeks after he said he could no more disown his (actually) racist pastor than he could disown his (allegedly but not actually) racist grandmother.

Interesting.

[Frank]

I, too, think it's hilarious and Obama's team should sell these things at every campaign stop. I would buy two or three, thereby giving Obama money he would never get from me.

But I'm just that kind of political nerd. I have campaign buttons going back to around Kennedy, an elephant and donkey figuring prominently displayed in my cube at work, and the George W. action figure.

I really need to get a life.

[Adam]

You have a GWB action figure? Oh, man. I want one. It'd go swell next to my Jesus. And there, that'd be the GOP 01-08 platform.

Am I truly insensitive to think people are way too thin-skinned about this sort of thing? I agree with Tom: buy as many as you can, Obama, and sell 'em at every stop.

[Adam]

Well, OK - on second thought, like most jokes, it depends on who is saying it and whether it's malicious or not.

I have no idea if this is.

[Adam]

Well, OK - on second thought, like most jokes, it depends on who is saying it and whether it's malicious or not.

I have no idea if this is.

[Wally]

The shoe definitely fits for the Obama sock monkey. With Obama's ears it would be difficult to have any caricature not look like a monkey. Bush has the same kind of jug handles that lend themselves to the chimp pictures.

[Wally]

I can't tell from the website- What does the button say?

[fish]

I can't tell from the website- What does the button say?

Go Anaheim Angels....beat the Giants! 2002 World Series!