Zandar calls it “the most spectacularly offensive political ad I’ve seen in recent years.” I wonder if that is an understatement. I can’t think of a political ad that has ever even come close to being as offensive as the one created by Ladd Ehlinger for the special election in California’s 36th District. The advertisement, paid for by Turn Right PAC on behalf of Republican candidate Craig Huey is shocking on every level. It portrays the Democratic candidate, Janice Hahn, as a stripper with dollar bills stuffed into her underwear. It has two black gangster rappers calling Hahn a “bitch” and a “Ho,” and asking her for money as she shakes her rump for the camera. The details don’t matter, but the ad is based entirely on lies.
It’s kind of fascinating how the Republicans think about black people and black culture. One feature of this ad that is bit different from others is that it is guaranteed to get a lot of attention but probably not that much airplay on television because it is so obscene. To watch it on YouTube you need to sign into your account to verify that you are 18 years-old. It’s not clear whether cable news will be willing to show more than some sanitized clips, since it is so offensive to Ms. Hahn.
I used to live in what is now California’s 36th District. If you’ve ever been to Venice Beach you can imagine what a poor fit this ad is for the district, which is quite diverse and tolerant. I used to play basketball all the time with the Venice Crips. At the time, they were mainly engaged in selling guns and assault rifles rather than drugs. They were definitely an unsavory group and I was a little hesitant to call fouls on them. But, as far as LA gangs of the early 1990’s went, they were pretty tame and had no problem getting schooled by a white guy. They used to call me “Danny Ainge motherfucker” and “Larry fucking Bird.” In any case, having former gang members or imprisoned gang members talk to the kids and try to steer them away from a life of crime is not a bad thing.
You know, this ad may be outrageous, but it’s honest. It tells you how one side of our political divide understands the problems people face in our cities. It exposes all their prejudices and their ignorance and their lack of empathy and their refusal to think creatively, and their outright hatred.
I hope they keep making these ads. They’re like a public service announcement that educates the public about a real threat. It’s just not the threat they intended to warn us about.
