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Blackface Versus Macaca

Two weeks ago, a liberal blogger was embarrassed into removing her depiction of Sen. Joseph Lieberman in blackface from the Internet, and her like-minded colleagues said nothing of the racial gaffe. Yesterday, Sen. George Allen made a racial blunder of his own in Virginia, and liberal bloggers can't stop talking about it.

If you want to read what blogs that were silent about Lieberman in blackface have to say about Allen, R-Va., calling a campaign staffer for his opponent "macaca," here are some links:
-- Daily Kos
-- Ezra Klein
-- MyDD
-- Talking Points Memo

My personal favorite is the post by Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake, the blogger responsible for the blackface incident. She filed her entry on the Allen incident under "bigotsphere." She also blasted conservative blogger Michelle Malkin, who drew a lot of attention to Hamsher's goof in Connecticut. "I’m sure Michelle Malkin, on full bigot-watch, has her outrage-ometer pinning."

Malkin happens to be on vacation this week, but one of her guest bloggers addressed the Allen incident with sarcasm directed at Allen's critics. Downplaying the incident seems to be a theme in some Republican quarters of the blogosphere, namely The Corner and Right Wing News.

But for one writer at Wizbang Politics who at least initially took Allen to task, the lesson in all of this might be that racial slurs are only signficant when a political enemy is either directly responsible or has ties to the one who is.

"I don't know if Allen used it with the intent of a racial slur," Jim Addison wrote at that GOP site, "but it could only have been, at best, derisive and disrespectful. If the young man is dark-complected and of south Asian heritage, it is hard not to take it as an ethnic or racial slur."

UPDATE: Allen has now issued an apology that is eerily similar in tone to the one Hamsher issued after the blackface incident. He blames others -- namely, the media -- for the misunderstanding.

Blogs that ignored Hamsher's non-apology apology, including Americablog, Daily Kos and Eschaton, are all over Allen for his.

Over at Captain's Quarters, meanwhile, big-name conservative blogger Ed Morrissey chastised Allen both for his initial "macaca" moment and his apology. Morrissey is even having second thoughts about Allen's fitness as a potential 2008 presidential candidate.

UPDATE II: Steve Clemons of The Washington Note said that if Democrats are smart, they will do whatever they can to see that Allen wins the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Who better for Democrats to run against than Macaca Man?

Posted by Danny | 09:13 PM

Comments

Apparently the word is a made up one they used in the campaign for the guy cause he had a Mohawk haircut, hence the Mo part. The "caca" part means "sh--" . The were calling him "sh--head" internally in the campaign. But the word sounds like the macaca monkey word. That is what was on Hardball tonight anyway.

I always thought sh--head was a term of endearment. But , alas I may be wrong. Wasn't it the name of Steve Martin's dog....?

mrbill | 08.16.06 09:21 PM

Don't you think there is a difference between a rabid blogger and a front line GOP presidential contender using race to characterize the opposition? I am not being asked to consider Hamsher for political office. I AM being asked to look at Allen as a potential US President. I watched the video. He welcomed a US born citizen of Indian descent to America. He welcomed him to Virginia, a state he studies in. He called him a macaca, an organ grinders monkey. He let his frustration bring out a hitherto unseen racist undercore. I am thankful there are more candidtates than George Allen for president.

Brad | 08.17.06 07:00 AM

Jane Hamsher's use of that image was despicable. And should have been more roundly condemned by the left, than it was.

That said, she is not an elected official, as Allen is. Who "should" (esp given the persecution that his newly revealed ancestors experienced) know better.

BTW--Macaca is a racial perjorative in Africa, used by people of European ancestry to depict their darker skinned neighbors, particularly in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and yes, South Africa.

Allen's mother (born in Tunisia) would be familar with the term, which is likely where Allen learned it.

But none of this excuses the left's excuses of the same kinds of gaffes from their own.

Sunrunner | 09.26.06 06:41 PM

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