Presente to People of Color: The Haters Will Vote. Will You?

Racist rhetoric might drive liberals to the polls, too.

By Jamilah King Nov 01, 2010

There have been plenty of compelling ads lately trying to entice voters to the polls on Tuesday–including Jerry Brown’s zinger against Meg Whitman. Progressive advocacy group Presente.org has joined the fray. They recently released a "Look Who Is Voting" ad in an effort to sway voters of color to the polls. Democrats and their allies are hoping to stave off at least some of the expected GOP onslaught by using rightwing extremism as a call to action. The video features Alabama gubernatorial candidate Tim James, who’s pushing an English-only policy, and Michele Bachmann, who’s running for re-election and says that "not all cultures are equal." There’s plenty of material to choose from, observers like ColorLines publisher Rinku Sen argue that it’s been the most racist campaign in decades.