“The spot, which began airing in Iowa on Wednesday, features the governor questioning why soldiers can serve openly in the military while children “can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.” Coming a day after Perry criticized the Obama administration for using foreign aid to defend gay rights abroad, the ad was one more note in a fairly overt dog whistle aimed at the Hawkeye State’s influential evangelical voting block.”
Rick Perry’s Anti-Gay Iowa Ad Divides His Top Staff | XYDO
OK, two comments. 1) To qualify as a dog whistle it needs to be phrased in language that might pass as meaning something else, or something less offensive, to people outside the target audience. This is a train whistle. 2) Have any of these people been to an elementary school lately? There are PILES of Christmas decorations up in the school. My daughter’s elementary school is staging a holiday celebration on Friday. During a song with the lyric “Celebrate, we all celebrate” various children will step forward and announce things they celebrate. One of those things will be Christmas, which I’m sure will cheers from the audience. (I just hope they are as enthusiastic when my daughter steps forward to announce she celebrates Channukah.)
