The Philadelphia Daily News, a struggling tabloid owned by the Catholic, former Bush publicist Brian Tierney, has managed to inform its - as Bo and Stanley would say - diverse white American readership that they or their cousins are “crackers”.  Here’s the offending extract from John Baer’s column on Tuesday:-

I think McCain’s camp is banking on Pennsylvania’s “cracker factor.”

I think the campaign believes the Democratic view - expressed by Ed Rendell last winter and Jack Murtha last week (and James Carville 22 years ago) - that there are racist tendencies among Pennsylvania voters.

Think about it.

Rendell in February said, “There are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate.”

He even put a point spread on it, saying that being black in Pennsylvania costs a candidate 5 percentage points.

Murtha, a veteran Johnstown congressman, last week said, “There’s no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area.”

He put the black penalty at 4 percentage points.

These guys are among the state’s most successful, longest- serving politicians: Rendell has been in office 22 years and is a former national party chairman; Murtha has been in Congress 34 years.

(Carville in 1986 famously said everything between Philly and Pittsburgh is “Alabama without black people,” which today insults Alabama; it has four times more black elected officials than Pennsylvania, according to U.S. Census data.)

So, if you take the most recent polling - an Allentown Morning Call poll Sunday is reflective of others and puts Obama 12 points up, 52-40 - I figure McCain’s folks figure, well, heck, that’s really only 7 points and since most polls have a 3-point margin of error, maybe just 4 points, and that puts us right in the game.

Meanwhile, McCain’s campaign, in TV ads and on the stump, is calling Obama’s tax- cut proposal a “government handout” and “welfare.” McCain yesterday said it’s “just another government giveaway.”

Whom do you think that’s aimed at?

Oh, I don’t know, maybe lower-income, less-educated white voters for whom “welfare” and “government giveaway” means black people?

So how did that go down?  Do Bo and Stanley have a point?  A considerable majority of the 294 comments says they do.  Here is a selection of the later ones:-

Posted by BobbyD 06:05 AM, 10/21/2008
I voted for Michael Nutter, and Lynn Swann. I’m voting for John McCain on November 4th. Does that make me a racist cracker? So if you don’t vote for Obama you’re a racist?

Posted by janet123 07:10 AM, 10/21/2008
The racist factor is that more than 90% of blacks are voting for Obama. Why is that not the racism that is reported? I am originally from Western PA, and it is less racist than Philadelphia. Is there a point to this article, or is it just to promote racial harmony?

Posted by Simon 07:49 AM, 10/21/2008
I like how this paper is totally comfortable printing “cracker factor” but if they ever did the “black” equivalent there would be riots in the street and they’d probably try and burn down city hall. Double standards fill me with hate.

Posted by daddyimscared 07:52 AM, 10/21/2008
I say AGAIN>.. why is it when a white doesn’t vote for a black candidate it is called “racism” but when 98% of blacks vote for a black candidate instead of any other candidate it is called “unity” and consider a good thing? The double standard astounds me! I am reminded almost daily by articles like this that have no reservation about calling white people “crackers” and assuming that “lower income, less educated” white people are all racist why I no longer suscribe to this rag! This paper does a disservice to the community with articles like this. It can’t go out of business fast enough for me!

Posted by utleyrules 07:56 AM, 10/21/2008
My God enough with this nonsense, liberal reporting is out of control. 90% of blacks are voting for Obama yet I have not seen one article about black racism. Racism goes BOTH ways just hang around Philly for a few days and you will see it. Obama is leading yet white liberals still are talking about white racism.

Posted by xstewart4 08:00 AM, 10/21/2008
John Baer is the racist here.

Posted by lonewolf 08:01 AM, 10/21/2008
it’s time the ‘crackers’ to come out in force on nov 4th,and vote for the only qualified candidate in the race.

Posted by htown reader 08:06 AM, 10/21/2008
What a pathetic job of editing! What genius of an editor decided that a column calling white people “crackers” was worthy of printing? The paper is going in the toilet…

Posted by jbruder02 08:10 AM, 10/21/2008
So apparently the word “cracker” is fine not only to say publicly to a white person but it’s also alright to put it in print now? Could this article be written with the “N” word and used as a reason African American’s are voting for Obama? Nope because that word isn’t allowed to be said but “cracker” is, somehow that makes sense to someone, there is no double standard here for sure. Also why isn’t an article written about why African Americans not only may actually vote for a President (which is a story in itself) but probably 95% of them will be voting for Obama. What a coincidence. They must really like his policies and stance on the important issues facing the country these days. The Daily News should do a poll around North Philly to see who they are going to vote for and why. An overwhelming majority will say Obama and have no good reason other than the fact that he’s black.

Posted by goJ0E v2.0 08:18 AM, 10/21/2008
I’m white. I don’t hunt. I don’t like NASCAR. I graduated from two nationally recognized universities and hold a masters degree in a non-arts discipline. I’m voting for John McCain. Does that make me a “cracker?”

Posted by Tango 08:27 AM, 10/21/2008
There sure are racist tendencies in PA, just take a look at the right-wing comments on this site on a daily basis. There are a lot of scared little white people. I wonder…is it racist for white people to vote for McCain because he’s white and so are they? In fact, I wonder if our country isn’t completely racist considering white people have voted for white presidents since 1789. (I’m white btw).

Posted by Scooterlicious 08:28 AM, 10/21/2008
On Cracker Factor: no surprises here. This is exactly what you can expect from the Daily News.

Posted by KeepsItReal 08:35 AM, 10/21/2008
Wow. This article is the most offensive peice of garbage I have ever read. Unbelievable. Who runs this paper? The Black Panthers?

Posted by bleedinggreen 08:42 AM, 10/21/2008
I’ll never buy another DN.

Posted by Bella316 08:49 AM, 10/21/2008
I am highly offended by his “cracker factor” column. Maybe we just don’t agree with Obama - like on his abortion-on-demand stance.

Posted by NJA 09:03 AM, 10/21/2008
If white people are “crackers”, why are white European-Americans the only voting bloc to NOT vote based on racial lines, I believe African-Americans will vote for Obama with over 95 percentage.

Posted by goJ0E v2.0 09:05 AM, 10/21/2008
Tango - you are a complete disgrace to humanity. You say “I wonder if our country isn’t completely racist considering white people have voted for white presidents since 1789. (I’m white btw).” Why didn’t black people find America? Why weren’t there black presidents in 1789? What I’m about to say may shock you to the bone. I may make you tremble that such words could be typed at all. Are you ready for them? Here they are: It wasn’t in nature’s plan for evolution. All races weren’t created equal. Some are stronger. Some are smarter. Deal with it, rather than make excuses and unfounded claims of racism. Your argument is based on fallacy. It’s like saying that the “native American Indians were racist since non of their chiefs were white.” Don’t hold it against the Caucasian races that they were leaders in science, exploration, democracy, the arts, and virtually everything that you have today. Likewise, I’ll refrain from listing the contributions that Africans have given the world, if you get my point. It’s acceptable to be white, despite what you may think.

Posted by jn3 09:05 AM, 10/21/2008
WOW. This article is a racist article if I ever saw one. I guess it is ok in print to now call blacks N*****. Cracker is a racially offensive term towards whites by blacks but this paper deems it ok to print? John Baer should be fired. Don Imus was fired for using a racially insensitive remark so should he. We all know he won’t be because it is ok to use racial terms, discriminate against, and phyically attack whites, none of these are racial. A black aid uses KKK against a white, and her boss backs her. Someone writes KKK on a street and it is a racial crime. WHY. Because of articles like this. Fire John Baer now.

Posted by Smedkus 09:06 AM, 10/21/2008
oh great, why is it okay to say that, but not okay to say Obama is being elected by the “n-trigger” . What a messed up apologist world.

Posted by Smedkus 09:06 AM, 10/21/2008
oh great, why is it okay to say that, but not okay to say Obama is being elected by the “n-trigger” . What a messed up apologist world.

Posted by goJ0E v2.0 09:18 AM, 10/21/2008
Tango - maybe it’s because you feel that racism is a one-way street and that blacks are incapable of being racist. News flash: 96% of blacks are voting for Obama.

Posted by KJ256 09:24 AM, 10/21/2008
I find this appalling that John Baer would use the term “cracker” It’s absolutely disgusting.

Posted by jbruder02 09:24 AM, 10/21/2008
Don Imus was fired why shouldn’t this “writer” be fired? Oh wait I know why there is a double standard in this country and it’s ridiculous.

Posted by goJ0E v2.0 09:25 AM, 10/21/2008
Since the webmaster refuses to allow the N-word to be posted, here’s my watered-down post, in hopes that it passes the non-tolerance screen: Very offensive choice of words. I’m extremely outraged that the word “cracker” has been deemed acceptable to print. To prove my point, would it be fair to run a similar piece titled “Is Obama banking on the ‘n****r factor’ in Pa.?”

Posted by JGD84 09:28 AM, 10/21/2008
This is one of the most outrageous articles I’ve ever seen in a Philadelphia newspaper in my 42 years in and around the city. John Baer is a disgrace! People have been working for YEARS to stop race baiting and eliminate racially charged language and in 2008 John Baer decides to write about the ‘cracker factor’?!?! Newsflash to John… ALL PEOPLE have the capacity to hate! Sadly, people like Rev. Al Sharpton (among others!) are trying to stop people from using the “N” word… and for good reason… inflamatory language only polarizes. I’m embarrassed for this website and the newspaper John Baer writes for… and if the management team doesn’t have the intestinal fortitude to fire or fine a guy like this, print media DESERVES to go away!!!

Posted by wood_yee 09:35 AM, 10/21/2008
A double standard does not exist. Unity, when describing 98% of blacks voting black, is a comfort term. It is very important that the children receive positive reinforcement on a consistent basis – destroy schools, give more money. Murder, blame the guns. Rampant idiocy, blame racist curriculum. If one starts calling it what it is, thus, agitating the children, image what the cost will be to rebuild the torched neighborhoods. Term-substitution is an acceptable solution when the probability of riotous behavior is greater than 98%.

... and so on.  Everything is there, really.  The wisdom of the crowd, as far as it goes.

The interesting thing about it is that the emotive power at work here is the sense of injustice.  These people feel that they have done what was asked of them, and paid their dues towards the kind of society they were told must be built.  But it’s not enough.  It’s never enough.  The world won’t leave them alone, won’t stop telling them they are illegitimate human beings.  And the reason?  Because they are white.  There is no other.

And this in a country whose entire political ethos has been built on the myths of the free individual and boundless progress!  It is not the America of freedom and opportunity they thought they knew.  It is an America that is institutionally hostile to them, and over which they have no control.  A default vote for McCain is precisely an acknowledgement that they have no control.

The black racial injustice that was used to extract a tribute in guilt from white America pays no returns beyond a certain point.  If we are not already beyond that point, we will be if and when the golden couple take up residence in the White House, and Oprah moves into her new office overlooking Grosvenor Square.  Obama‘s presidency, the product of a wave of staggering electoral naivety, will signal that the due-paying is done.  But the allegations of racism and the demands for white obeisance, the affirmative action, the liberal speech code will go on.  They will only engender more of the anger and bitterness evident in the Philadelphia Daily News thread.  And if that is indeed the case, Obama’s presidency will mark the moment when racial injustice became the dominant characteristic of American society, felt by black and white alike.

One can’t help but wonder whether the Establishment has got its timing wrong and promoted a black to the presidency a generation too early.  It may be the best possible development for a white America that has been supine and somnulent for far too long.

What a pity it doesn’t have a vehicle of political protest.