The Behoodlerization of North West Ohio

I lived in the Toledo area for 10 or so years and have many friends and family still there. I have been known to actually physically visit from time to time and am struck by the deterioration and rapid changes as the city decays and neighborhoods were almost abandoned during the Bush years. The inner city has become a legendary scary place for the fringe dwelling predominantly white suburbanites. With a disproportionate amount of evangelical and conservative protestant churches, suburban Toledo is a fertile field for the seeds of Tea Party Behoodlement to be sown and take root.

Late last month, conservative media lit up with a video of an African-American woman excitedly praising President Barack Obama because he supposedly gave racial minorities in Cleveland free telephones. The video received prominent placement on the pro-Romney Drudge Report and spawned a popular #Obamaphone hashtag on Twitter. Although there is indeed a federal program which provides low-income people with free or reduced-cost cell phones, it began in 2008 under President George W. Bush. The idea of providing subsidized phone service to low-income individuals originated with a program started under President Ronald Reagan.
Now, the “Obamaphone” woman is the star of an ad sponsored by the Tea Party Victory Fund suggesting President Obama’s policies have “enslaved Americans“:

It’s difficult to view this ad as anything other that an appeal to the visceral reaction its very enthusiastic star is likely to inspire in a certain kind of voter. The ad will run in three Ohio counties — Lucas, Summit, and Mahoning — all of which are predominantly white. I know many of my friend will be subjected to this lying racist propaganda. How do you fight the behoodlement? It can't happen here? But it has, my friend, it is happening here...Please Vote! No matter what you think, your vote really matters....I already voted.