This is a message I sent to Don Campbell, who writes an occasional right wing political opinion column for USA Today and is identified as one of their "Board of Contributors," last week in response to a total BS hate column that he wrote entitled something like "Obama's Makeover." His column was so off the wall, hateful, and probably racist, that I just had to respond to him. He is, unfortunately, a journalism teacher at Emory University in Atlanta. I got his email from their faculty directory. I cced the message to Brian Gallagher, who is the editorial page editor of USA Today. I just think that it is disgusting that USA Today allowed such drivel to be published.

-----Forwarded Message-----
>From: Mark Donham
>Sent: Oct 1, 2010 12:13 PM
>To: ddcampb@emory.edu
>Cc: bgallagher@usatoday.com
>Subject: your last column in USA Today
>
>Dear Mr. Campbell,
>
> My wife and I are long time subscribers to USA Today. I generally don't get all the way through your guest columns because they are biased and uninteresting to me. But, I thought the one this week showed prejudice on your part that, in combination with Gannett getting involved in partisan politics, really makes me wonder about my subscription. Here is the part of your column which I am most concerned about:
>
>"Obama, by contrast, is the most hidebound ideologue to serve in the White House in my lifetime (witness his hell-bent determination to raise taxes on the most productive cohort of Americans in a recession despite advice to the contrary by leading economists, including one who used to work for him). Pragmatism means expanding his shrinking base beyond blacks, public union employees and academics; he can afford to offend the crazy left in order to broaden his appeal among moderates and independents.
>
>Fourth, he needs to change his personal image. To me, Obama comes across as a narcissistic, condescending, elitist, pedantic scold who thinks he knows what's best for people who are too dumb to realize it.
>
>Fifth, Obama needs to cut back on television appearances; they only remind people of why they've lost faith in him. I'd make a sizeable wager, in fact, that if he cut his public speeches and photo ops in half, his approval ratings would turn positive within weeks."
>
> I have my own problems with Obama, but I think he's sincere and has actually tried, too hard probably, to work with the republicans. Your use of the term "hidebound idealogue" to describe him is very much hyperbole and false. And, it is pretty much a plagarism, as it has sort of become the phrase de jour of the national political pundits, used by other pundits first like Krugman. It shows a lack of creativity.
>
> Calling him "narcissistic, condescending, elitist and a pedantic scold who thinks he knows what's best for people who are too dumb to realize it," makes me think you don't want any "uppity blacks" having any kind of authority. But again, that description is such hyperbole and false that one has to wonder what your motives are in writing such things.
>
> The comment about being on TV too much also adds to the feeling that I have from the above quote.
>
> Your column may help whip up the hate against Obama, but it does little to solve the problems of the nation, and is simply untrue propoganda. I promise you that I will not read any more of your columns, and if USA Today can't do better than this, we may very well reconsider when our subscription comes due.
>
>Sincerely,
>Mark Donham
>Brookport, IL 62910
>www.ruralthoughts.net