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Bill de Blasio Accused of Playing the (Inter-)Race Card
By
Billy Parker
Published Sep 3, 2009
Modified Sep 3, 2009
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By
Billy Parker
Published Sep 3, 2009
Modified Sep 3, 2009
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If you're a local news junkie, you've probably seen TV spots from Public Advocate candidate Bill de Blasio around his Park Slope home that prominently featuring his family, who in case you missed it, include his African-American wife and their two children. Well, now his fellow City Councilman Charles Barron accuses him of pandering to the black community with campaign ads.
De Blasio has been endorsed in the public advocate's race by many prominent locals, including the Reverend Al Sharpton and Congressman Charles Rangel. But Barron says to the News, "For de Blasio to do that is disgraceful. It's an insult to the black community, because you need to be talking about our black issues. Don't just promote your wife...Everybody in the city is talking about it...You want to attract the black vote? Then talk about foreclosures."
Apparently a flyer that shows his wife Chirlane (the couple met when they worked in the Dinkins administration) saying, "He gets it," is getting lots of complaints since "the implication is he's married to a black woman so he 'gets us,'" according to a Post source. The Post also says that de Blasio's mailings which go to "predominantly white areas had no pictures or just showed photos of the candidate." However, de Blasio said this morning, "We have sent the mailings with my family to every part of the city, every community and I’m very proud of my family."
After the jump is the TV ad featuring de Blasio's and his family. He also said today, "There are some people who feel very good about people of different backgrounds getting together, and there are some that don’t. We’ve always known that some people would react negatively. And it’s unfortunate, but it’s not a surprise."
Tagged
bill de blasio
Charles Barron
david dinkins
election 2009
interracial marriage
park slope
public advocate
race card
race matters
Billy Parker
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