Whenever there's talk of racist dog-whistles, Newt Gingrich pops up and dismisses the charges.
“Why do you assume food stamp refers to black? What kind of racist thinking do you have?” Gingrich said as Matthews tried unsuccessfully to interrupt him. “Wait a second, you’re being a racist because you assume it refers to black.”
Matthews said Gingrich and the GOP’s rhetoric about welfare had racial undertones, rhetoric that dates back to President Ronald Reagan.
“This is a history we have here,” Matthews said. “And this lingo is so clear to every African American watching right now.”
Gingrich disagreed.
“So we’re not allowed to tell the truth about food stamps?” he said. “Come on, give me a break.”
No, Newt, the Republican "welfare" and "birth certificate" and "food stamp" nonsense is racist because you and Romney believe the white conservative base will rally around you because you're with them and not with African American freeloaders/welfare queens/etc. All we're doing is calling out a commonly used Republican tactic (Southern Strategy).