A billionaire whose family owns the Chicago Cubs is considering a proposal to help fund a strongly provocative campaign against Barack Obama. Joe Ricketts, the founder of the brokerage firm TD Ameritrade, may get behind a group of high-profile Republican strategists and their proposal, which is overseen by Fred Davis. The 54-page proposal, professionally bound and illustrated with color photographs, includes calls for running commercials linking Obama his former spiritual adviser, Jeremiah Wright, whose famous “God Damn America” comments were reflective of his racist ideology.
Anticipating charges of racism from the Obama Administration, the organizers have contacted Larry Elder, the outspoken best-selling author and conservative radio host on KABC radio in Los Angeles, about serving as a spokesman, as well as engaging other black business leaders to join the effort. The strategists have decided that the non-confrontational attitude of John McCain in 2008 was too timid, saying the plan would “do exactly what John McCain would not let us do … the world is about to see Jeremiah Wright and understand his influence on Barack Obama for the first time in a big, attention-arresting way.”
The proposal doesn’t mince words; it states that Obama misled the electorate in 2008 by posing as a “metrosexual, black Abe Lincoln.”
Brian Baker, president and general counsel of the Ending Spending Action Fund, confirmed that Mr. Ricketts was ready to get heavily involved in the presidential campaign: “Joe Ricketts is prepared to spend significant resources in the 2012 election in both the presidential race and Congressional races. He is very concerned about the future direction of the country and plans to take a stand.”
The proposal is still in its nascent form: Mr. Ricketts has not decided whether to endorse it yet. His efforts may be influenced by the strategy employed by Mitt Romney’s campaign, which has eschewed attacking Obama in any way that could be considered incendiary.