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  • TUESDAY AUGUST 22 2006 6:00 PM

George Allen Macaca's His Way Out of Lead in VA Senate Race

Submitted by legionnaire

Edited by legionnaire

Tags: George Allen, racist, macaca

One of the more bizarre political stories of this election season centers on Virginia Senator George Allen and his racist remarks made to college student S.R. Sidarth following Allen's campaign trail. Unfortunately for Allen, the remarks were captured on digital video, and have been floating around the web via YouTube:

Whoops! First of all - what the hell is a Macaca? Apparently it's a.... mohawk?

[Allen campaign spokesman Dick] Wadhams said, however, that the name was a variation of "Mohawk," the nickname he said Allen campaign staffers gave Sidarth because he had a Mohawk haircut.

Whether the University of Virginia senior's haircut -- closely cropped around the temples and above the ears, but otherwise full -- qualifies as a Mohawk is open to interpretation. Sidarth said he does not consider it a Mohawk.


That's just about the lamest excuse I can think of. And even if it were an appelation for a hairstyle, it doesn't make saying "Welcome to America," a pretty obvious presumption because of Sidarth's skin color, any less offensive, especially considering that Sidarth is a US native.

What really matters is that this particular scandal's popularity and availability via the internet seems to be having real implications for Allen's campaign, as his lead went from almost twenty percentage points above Democrat Jim Webb to a measly three point margin. Was it just a slip of the tongue or is Allen really a racist? He has been accused of it, even before this whole debacle.

Campaigning for governor in 1993, he admitted to prominently displaying a Confederate flag in his living room. He said it was part of a flag collection--and had been removed at the start of his gubernatorial bid. When it was learned that he kept a noose hanging on a ficus tree in his law office, he said it was part of a Western memorabilia collection. These explanations may be sincere. But, as a chief executive, he also compiled a controversial record on race. In 1994, he said he would accept an honorary membership at a Richmond social club with a well-known history of discrimination--an invitation that the three previous governors had refused. After an outcry, Allen rejected the offer. He replaced the only black member of the University of Virginia (UVA) Board of Visitors with a white one. He issued a proclamation drafted by the Sons of Confederate Veterans declaring April Confederate History and Heritage Month. The text celebrated Dixie's "four-year struggle for independence and sovereign rights." There was no mention of slavery.


None of which constitutes a smoking gun, but at the very least, an intense insensitivity to issues that hold a lot of weight for racial minorities. His latest gaffe may have been more of the same, but at the moment the polls suggest people can't discern any difference.

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Comments
slowtostanding

slowtostanding

Richmond, VA
September 2003

AUG 22, 2006 07:59 PM

i dunno man. this feels like a stretch to me.

MrCrisp

MrCrisp

I'm lost
August 2004

AUG 22, 2006 08:08 PM

it's amazing, all the spinning involved in a nose dive. biggrin

Dogslife

dogslife

Toronto, ON
April 2003

AUG 22, 2006 08:18 PM

Had he left it at "macaca" he might've got out with his skin.

I think it's the "or whatever your name is" that followed that made him sound like a certified ass. It's a frank admission that he really doesn't give a shit what the guy's name is, and hey folks it's alright if you all call this darkie whatever you like because as long as you clap and smile and talk real slow he'll understand how nice Americans are, 'cause this is the real America not the mixed up tarnished one you'll find out on those filthy coasts where people like Macaca never get to learn about what being a real American is all about, like changing your name to Bill or George for starters, it's that thinly veiled subtext that betrays the guy's contempt for anyone not of good ol' boy descent.

The question, as Jon Stewart put it the other night, is whether in Virginia this will hurt or help his campaign.

meggle

meggle

Berkeley, CA
November 2002

AUG 22, 2006 09:15 PM

so, this is trent lott loves the dixiecrats part (fill in large no. here).

allen is a racist...not misunderstood...further on the question of who represents VA, who is "American"...allen was born in CA, not VA and "macaca" was born in VA, an American citizen and all...nice work Repugnicons...

maybe allen should have just whipped out one of his many prized confederate flags (celebrating the states' rights tradtion of slavery) and started yee-hawing...his polls may go up in VA...

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