"Obama song's not 'magic,' but true"

Clarence Page:

Remember when media pundits were asking whether Sen. Barack Obama was "black enough" to attract black voters? That was the old media narrative. The new one goes sort of like this: Maybe he's too black.

Consider his conservative adversary Rush Limbaugh, who seems to take gleeful delight in reminding everyone of how black Obama is - and even more delight when the rest of us notice.

Back in mid-March, El Rushbo began to air a satirical song entitled, "Barack the Magic Negro."

He didn't make up the term. He hijacked it fair and square.

Los Angeles Times columnist David Ehrenstein employed the term, which dates back to the cinematic days before "Negroes" turned "black," to describe Obama's surprisingly soaring appeal to white voters.

Ehrenstein compared Obama's rapid rise in the public imagination to some of the roles that actors like Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman or Will Smith have played: The black hero who arises magically to "assuage white guilt."

Ehrenstein, who is black, described "white guilt" as "the minimal discomfort" that the white film characters feel about the role of slavery and racial segregation in American history.

Limbaugh, in the fashion of our times, chastised liberals for bringing up race in this fashion, then proceeded to air a song about it. Repeatedly. Sung to the tune of "Puff, the Magic Dragon" by its composer Paul Shanklin, imitating the Rev. Al Sharpton, the song goes in part like this:

"Barack the Magic Negro / lives in D.C./ The L.A. Times, they called him that/ 'Cause he's not authentic like me...."

If Limbaugh was looking for something to prove that he's worth caring about, he struck pay dirt. Predictably, the ever-alert watchdogs at the liberal Media Matters for America Web site immediately posted an indignant news alert and audio clip about the song. That's the same liberal watchdog group that posted Don Imus' "nappy headed hos" sound bite about the Rutgers women's basketball team that led to the loss of his national radio show within a week.

The controversy took on new life last week after it was learned that threats had been made against Obama. He became the first presidential candidate to qualify for Secret Service protection besides Sen. Hillary Clinton, who as a former first lady never stopped having it. Critics speculated that Limbaugh's song contributed to the hostile atmosphere that gave rise to the threats.

It was the earliest assignment of Secret Service protection since another black candidate, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, ran for president in 1984 and '88. If anyone still needs evidence as to whether the Illinois Democrat is "black enough," the bigot vote appears to have made up its mind.

Citing the large amount of wackos in the world, a lot of people on the web and on talk radio, particularly listeners to Sharpton's radio show, think Limbaugh should meet the same fate as Imus. I don't.

I may not be in synch of Limbaugh's politics, but the two cases are quite different. As satire, Limbaugh's song passes three critical tests that Imus' offhanded comment flunked: (1) it's funny; (2) it took at least half of a brain to think up; and (3) it contains a nugget of truth.

The song actually mocks Sharpton more than Obama. The flamboyant Harlem preacher and talk radio host comes off as a resentful old-school polarizer who doesn't like to be upstaged by an upstart. Obama is portrayed in this light as rising star who refuses to let the few things that divide us Americans along lines of race and class get in the way of the many things that we share in common.

Funny thing: As a guy who builds audiences by inflaming political differences, Limbaugh has more in common with Sharpton than with Obama. Birds of a feather mock together.

Imus' targets, by contrast, weren't rich, famous, powerful or political. He's entitled to free speech rights, but the First Amendment only protects you from government interference, not from losing sponsors or embarrassing your employer.

Limbaugh's target is a wildly popular presidential candidate, which is precisely the sort of political expression that the First Amendment was written to protect. I may not agree with Limbaugh's politics, but he has a right to express them.

Besides, if the potentates of political correctness come after Limbaugh from the left today, they'll come after liberals tomorrow.

If voters think Obama can close that divide, they really do believe in magic.