Connections: McCain and Helms
from Shakes by Jeff Fecke
So as you may or may not know, the chief strategist for John McCain is a man by the name of Charlie Black. Who else has Charlie Black worked for? A now-dead former Senator named Jesse Helms:
1984: Black Advised Helms On Senate Re-Election Bid And Bragged About Victory. The Washington Post reported, “‘It’s a tremendous victory for conservatives,’ Helms’ strategist Charles Black said. ‘It enhances his clout and influence in the Senate in the eyes of the press and his colleagues. He’ll be even more effective than he has been.’” [Washington Post, 11/8/84, emphasis added]
[...]
1990: Black Advised Jesse Helms. As He Ran Controversial “Hands” Ad Against Black Candidate. […] On the television commercial, the camera zones in on a white man’s hands, crumpling what apparently is a job rejection letter. The announcer then intones: ‘You needed that job and you were the best qualified. But they had to give it to a minority because of a racial quota. Is that really fair? Harvey Gantt says it is,’ the message continues. ‘Gantt supports Ted Kennedy’s racial quota law that makes the color of your skin more important than your qualifications.’” Black, an adviser to the campaign and a consultant for the Congressional Club – Helms’s political machine – insisted the race would come down to turnout: “‘What it’s going to come down to is turnout,’ said Charles Black, chairman of the Republican National Committee and a Helms adviser. ‘It’s, no question, the biggest challenge at this point.’” [Newsday, 11/4/90]
Black also defended the “hands” ad — one of the most straight-up racist ads to run for any political campaign in my lifetime:
Asked about the ad on the MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour, Black said, “Well there is nothing racial about the campaign.” When asked if there was anything improper about the ad, Black said, “Of course not.” Another guest on the show, DNC Chairman Ron Brown, pressed Black again, saying, “You are a principal adviser of Jesse Helms. Would you advise him to run that kind of ad, Charlie? Do you approve of that ad, Charlie?” Black responded, “I advised Jesse Helms to do what he’s always done.”
And of course, what Jesse Helms always did was sow bigotry and dissention.
Now, this doesn’t mean that one should expect John McCain to run a hands ad for a new generation. But it does suggest that McCain has selected a campaign strategist less concerned with niceness and fairness than Angry McCranky claims to be. This is not a surprise.
