304 Barack H. Obama: The Unauthorized Biographyconducted a public fling with Obama, especially because of resentment from women over this
betrayal. One of Oprah’s previous darlings had been the writer James Frey, who had marketed a
fictional account as a real first person narrative of actual events. With Frey and Obama, Oprah
had struck out twice in a row. Women were appalled: “Even Oprah abandoned them when she
opted for Obama. Am I alone in suspecting that TV’s most powerful 54-year-old woman just
might have endorsed him so fast for reasons of desirable viewer demographics as much as
personal inspiration? Certainly, no TV diva in her 50s who values her ratings wants to be
defined by the hot-flash cohort.” (Tina Brown, Newsweek, 17 March 2008)
Seasoned and experienced observers, including some from within the black community, could
also see the negative potential of the Obama youth cult. Adolph Green is a professor at the
University of Pennsylvania and notes:
There is also something disturbingly ritualistic and superficial in the Obama camp’s young
minions’ enthusiasm. Paul Krugman noted months ago that the Obamistas display a cultish
quality in the sense that they treat others’ criticism or failure to support their icon as a character
flaw or sin. The campaign even has a stock conversion narrative, which has been recycled in
print by such normally clear-headed columnists as Barbara Ehrenreich and Katha Pollitt: the
middle-aged white woman’s report of not having paid much attention to Obama early on, but
having been won over by the enthusiasm and energy of their adolescent or twenty-something
daughters. (A colleague recently reported having heard this narrative from a friend, citing the
latter’s conversion at the hands of her eighteen year old. I observed that three short years ago
the daughter was likely acting the same way about Britney Spears.) (Adolph Green, “Obama
No,” The Progressive, May 17, 2008)REPORTS OF A MICHELLE OBAMA “HATE WHITEY” TAPE
In the late spring of 2008, rumors circulated that Karl Rove was in possession of a video tape
which showed Michelle Obama denouncing the white race or white people in the most violent and
abusive terms. This video tape was thought to represent the “October surprise” against Obama
referred to by the Clinton campaign in its conference calls, a time bomb ticking underneath the
entire Obama candidacy, capable of wiping him off the political map within a few days. This may
also have been what right-wing columnist Robert Novak had been referring to in the fall of 2007
when he reported that
the Clinton campaign is spreading the word that it’s holding back on dishing dirt on Barack
Obama, and charged the Democratic frontrunner with playing “Nixon tricks.” ... Novak’s initial
report said: “Agents of Sen. Hillary Clinton are spreading the word in Democratic circles that
she has scandalous information” about Obama, “but has decided not to use it. The nature of the
alleged scandal was not disclosed.”^158
Novak’s story was published on November 19, 2007. As for Michelle, her growing reputation as
a race baiter was a growing liability for Obama’s chances. In late May 2008, Larry Johnson
reported the existence of a “hate whitey” tape depicting a racist tirade by Michelle, with vicious
attacks on white America, the “white race,” or just plain whitey in extreme terms. The tape was
reported to be in the possession of Karl Rove, who was organizing private screenings for GOP
fatcats to generate fundraising for his autumn 2008 October surprise designed to stun and defeat
Obama. By now Obama had almost repudiated Wright, but what was he going to do when the racist
rant came from Michelle?