Who will be the right's "black friend" in bashing Butler?

In a post about why he would support Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Ralph Ramirez for the state Supreme Court, Ol Lady Owen Robinson includes this observation:

Although I utterly reject the notion that race should be an issue in elections -- it is. 

Yes, and because race is always an issue in elections, we should expect the right will try to find a "black friend" (see Stephen Colbert's "Alan, my black friend, Alan") who will say bad things about Louis Butler. Who is, you know, African American.

The right won't do this to appeal to black voters per se. The purpose is to make white voters feel less guilty about voting against the black guy who's the incumbent Supreme Court Justice. The purpose is to provide cover for Butler's opponents to say bad things about Butler. The purpose is to have someone Charlie Sykes can point to and say, "Despite what the liberal media will have you think, not all black people support Louis Butler."

But who will it be?

African American clergy have, of course, been a vital part of the right's effort to destabilize and discredit public education, i.e. vouchers. Will the WMC and its running dogs reach out to clergy and encourage them to speak out against Butler and portray him as someone who wants to kill  vouchers? The Brawler has a hard time imagining this succeeding. Credibility with a congregation is important for any man of the cloth, and telling your flock to vote against somebody like Butler -- who worked his tail off to get where he is, a man whom many older churchgoers would be proud to call their son -- strikes the Brawler as a surefire way of shucking that credibility. The Brawler thinks they would be unimpressed with the WMC's complaints about the lead paint ruling given that many members of their congregations live in houses covered with the stuff. (And you have to admit, the lead paint ruling has a bit of Old Testament justice to it.)

Mikel Holt? Yeah, Holt teamed up with Sykes in a despicable attack on Jim Doyle, but the Brawler has a hard time seeing him doing that against Butler. Shoot, if he sticks up for McGee... But I could be surprised.

David Clarke? If Clarke starts bashing Butler it's safe to say that Clarke does not plan to run for public office again and will never seek to be mayor of Milwaukee.

So who will be the right's black friend against Butler? He -- and the Brawler thinks it would have to be a he -- would have to be of a conservative bent. He'd have to be in a position where his stature won't be affected by being seen as the guy who tried to take down the state's first black Supreme Court Justice. It's likely he's being groomed by the right for great things right now. And it's likely his local prominence is due to the right establishment.

So, Milwaukee, will WTMJ's own James T. Harris be the right's black friend in bashing Louis Butler? The Brawler does not know. But take a gander at some of Harris' illuminating prose on the "civil rights generation":

Strong words I know, but let’s get real, the civil rights generation and their now antiquated notions of race and power have created the atmosphere of abuse that grips the inner city of Milwaukee. Anti-poverty agencies, affirmative action, welfare and forced segregation are all products of white guilt that have enabled many black Americans to race hold instead of compete, improve and join mainstream society.

Chuck couldn't have said it any better. Dollars to doughnuts, James Harris will emerge as the right's black friend in attacking Louis Butler.

(And please note, the Brawler is not suggesting that Harris is  a "pawn" or an "Uncle Tom" or anything like that. The Brawler believes that when Harris speaks, he's expressing his honest opinion. The Brawler would only suggest his views are being broadcast because they align with things Charlie Sykes et al would like to say but know they can't.)

Comments

[illusory tenant]

Perhaps Mr. Harris could be informed that the Milwaukee courtroom in which Judge Butler presided featured a prominently displayed portrait of Thurgood Marshall. That should get the ball rolling.

[Capper]

I regret to say, but I disagree with your assessment regarding Sheriff Clarke. He has a history of showing his disregard for the African-American voter. His commentary could play big, especially outstate, among the more conservative voters. After all, he would only have to say that he "was elected as a Democrat" like he did for Ziegler.