Saturday, September 6, 2008

Alaskans Speak (In A Frightened Whisper): Palin Is “Racist, Sexist, Vindictive, And Mean”

While the article I've posted here makes good use of misogynistic metaphors to critique Sarah Palin (and by good -- I don't mean "glad he did it" -- I mean, man oh man did this journalist show a proficiency in using sexist metaphors) -- it's got some interesting information in it. If what he, Charley James, is reporting is true, I am disturbed. But also feelin' pretty good about the possibility the media will do damage to the McCain campaign by reporting on Palin's race and gender bigotry. That was too kind. Let me try that again: the media will do damage to the McCain campaign by reporting on Palin's old-school George Wallace-Strom Thurmond pro-segregation style call 'em "nigger" while you knock up the young, vulnerable black women in your employ racism, and new-school unapologetic, send 'em back to Africa neo-nazi style racism.

There. That's much better:)

Here's the first section of the article (read all of it here):

“'So Sambo beat the bitch!'

This is how Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin described Barack Obama’s win over Hillary Clinton to political colleagues in a restaurant a few days after Obama locked up the Democratic Party presidential nomination.
According to Lucille, the waitress serving her table at the time and who asked that her last name not be used, Gov. Palin was eating lunch with five or six people when the subject of the Democrat’s primary battle came up. The governor, seemingly not caring that people at nearby tables would likely hear her, uttered the slur and then laughed loudly as her meal mates joined in appreciatively.

'It was kind of disgusting,' Lucille, who is part Aboriginal, said in a phone interview after admitting that she is frightened of being discovered telling folks in the 'lower 48' about life near the North Pole.

Then, almost with a sigh, she added, 'But that’s just Alaska.'

Racial and ethnic slurs may be “just Alaska” and, clearly, they are common, everyday chatter for Palin.

Besides insulting Obama with a Step-N’-Fetch-It, 'darkie musical' swipe, people who know her say s
he refers regularly to Alaska’s Aboriginal people as 'Arctic Arabs' – how efficient, lumping two apparently undesirable groups into one ugly description – as well as the more colourful 'mukluks' along with the totally unimaginative 'f**king Eskimo’s,' according to a number of Alaskans and Wasillians interviewed for this article.

But being openly racist is only the tip of the Palin iceberg. According to Alaskans interviewed for this article, she is also vindictive and mean. We’re talking Rove mean and Nixon vindictive.

Read the rest of the article here.

3 comments:

Man Royal said...

'Sambo beat the bitch' sums up totally how they both may have been seen by bigots. And how foolish supporters of Clinton were when they were so pissed off that she lost, they would not vote for Obama.

One wonders how many of those Democrat supporters of Clinton saw Obama as 'Sambo' too.

Not to mention stupid supporters of Obama who were misogynistic and saw Clinton as the 'bitch'

Racism and sexism are not just a Republican traits.

butchrebel said...

I completely agree with you (and I blogged about the sexism & racism among Obama & McCain supporters in previous posts.

I am continuously struck by how frequently Obama supporters used sexism to critique & condemn Clinton (& now Palin) *and* how frequently McCain & Clinton supporters use/d racism to critique Obama.

As an Obama supporter, I feel I can safely say that there is PLENTY to criticize both Clinton and Palin for without using sexism to do it:)

Seriously though, it appears to be thoroughly counter-productive (& unintelligent) to use oppressive ideas about women and people of color to support a chosen candidate.

Critique the candidates racist, sexist (etc), and harmful behaviors and policies where we believe it exists. And do that without contributing to a culture insensitive to and in denial of the ways in which institutionalized oppression operates. If we believe ourselves to be progressive and liberal we should work very hard to resist colluding/participating in the oppression of others.

And as you point out, liberals and Leftists frequently *do* collude/participate in the oppression of others.

Here's a great article by Tim Wise on "Racism, White Liberals, and the Limits of Tolerance:"
http://www.lipmagazine.org/articles/featwise_11.htm

Joy said...

i agree with solo negro -- racism and sexism are endemic and accepted. this example is just one of those "step back and gasp" types of sexism/racism -- the type that so-called liberals would [*wink wink*] never take part in. which i suppose is true. liberals prefer their racism/sexism/heterosexism/etc/etc served up nice and pretty -- say in the form of phrases like "working class values", "small town america", "tradition", "heritage".

thx for posting this because it is important to raise awareness of anything the corporate media isn't covering -- but the fight is far from being over.

in other news -- what are your thoughts on the dichotomoy and hypocrisy that exists between granting corporate welfare and chapter 11 bankruptcy to these large banks who got greedy and are now drowning and the demonization of TANF/Medicaid/WIC recipients and undocumented immigrants [who are said to be "sucking up" all of our country's social and financial resources]?? next blog topic, perhaps?? ;-)