More weird racist campaign commercial wackness... this time in the unexpected form of China's most famous athlete. Can someone explain to me why basketball star Yao Ming randomly shows up in this political attack ad, airing in Texas, against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White? It certainly isn't supposed to be positive:
It's fashionable for conservatives to connect political opponents with negative connotations of "liberal" and Barack Obama. I get that. But why is the Houston Rockets center lumped in with the President, a crying baby and Middle Eastern businessmen? I'm not the only one wonder: HuTube: Why Yao?
Team Perry's video response to Democrat Bill White's latest television ad includes photos of White with various characters - Barack Obama, a crying baby and businessmen from the Middle East. But watch it one more time, and you'll notice that when the ad also includes a photo of White with a less likely political target - basketball star Yao Ming.I can only assume the image of Yao Ming's Chinese foreign face, standing next to Bill White, is somehow supposed to make you uneasy. Hey, when all else fails, go for the xenophobic fearmongering. Either that, or Rick Perry has something against really really tall basketball stars. That's how you'll get those votes!
So, why Yao? Does this say something about a disdain for tall basketball stars? Chinese people? Or just cap-and-trade, as the web video mentions?
Of course, when asked to explain why Yao makes an appearance in the ad, Perry shrugged it off, telling critics that they're "overreacting." Okay, fine, but how about answering the damn question? More here: Yao Ming Featured in Political Ad.