The Allen Flap
I came home from the Nats game last night to find the Virginia blogosphere burning brightly over Senator Allen’s remarks to one of my neighbors, S.R. Sidarth, a fine young Virginian that we all can be proud of. I’ve been an Allen supporter despite my personal admiration for Jim Webb and I’ve had trouble putting the event in a context that makes sense.  My first reaction was that everything depends on what “Macaca” is supposed to mean. (Calling Mr. Chomsky, calling Mr. Chomsky . . . where are those damned semanticists and semioticians when you really need them).
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Was it just a nonsense word, or was Senator Allen’s well-hidden command of vernacular North African French surging into the open at a gathering down in Breaks?  (I speak French reasonably well, sometimes dream in that language, but it usually doesn’t come jumping out of my mouth when I’m wandering around in Southwest Virginia, and I’m no politician).  So I have to discount  pretty thoroughly the notion that the Senator chose that moment to unleash a racist slur in another language. I think we can put that one aside forever and hope the lefties who are in paroxysms of newly found interest in Tunisian French and primate zoology just burn themselves out on this.
But, unhappily, the problem doesn’t really go away when we rule out a direct racial epithet. I remembering noticing that when I’m in countries with a lot of ethnic strife, there’s a tendency to refer to the Other Guy by some common name that is neutral in itself, but really can be offensive and demeaning when repeatedly applied. In Israel, Israelis in forward settlements sometimes refer to Palestinians as “Ahmed.â€Â I’ve heard Anglo-Americans refer to Latinos as “Pedro.â€Â We all remember Jesse Jackson’s reference to “Hymies.â€Â I’ve heard known racist white Americans refer to blacks collectively by first names that I won’t repeat here because, and here’s where I’m going with this, you know damn well that there’s a racist-type grouping going on in the mind of the speaker.
Macaca doesn’t seem to mean anything in particular. Its not even a common name in the Indian sub-continent (If Allen had called Mr. Sidarth “Rajesh†“Mahondas†or â€Shashiâ€, I think there still would have been a lot of unhappiness). But those of us inclined to defend Allen because we’re pretty darned sure he wasn’t calling Sidarth a “monkeyâ€, have to ask, “What was he trying to say?â€Â All he had to do was use the young man’s real name and we wouldn’t be having this conversation (well, we’d still have that “Welcome to America†stuff to deal with).
I think Allen was trying to say that this is a foreigner (he isn’t, but that’s still what the intent seems to have been). I’ll try to make him look silly to these Virginians of paler hue, go right into an anti-terrorist rif and then Webb’s operative will leave an impression on the audience that Webb is tied to foreigners. That’s the only explanation I can come up with. Morgan Griffith is quoted in the WaPo this morning as saying,â€Not many people in southwest Virginia would think it is derogatory.â€Â I suspect everyone present knew that the remark was intentionally derogatory on some level. You can’t get around that.  Â
Why would a politician do that? One reason is that, in segments of our party, it pays to do it. The recent history of the Republican Party, particularly in the South, is that we have accepted, with far too little critical comment, an influx of what were prior to the 60s and 70s, hard-core Democrats whose defining political impulse was fear or dislike of persons not like themselves. That’s why a seasoned politician like Trent Lott can make a slip praising Strom Thurmond’s Dixiecrat candidacy.  That element does us great harm and distracts from the real business of providing sound governance to all the people. We should have had some sort of assimilation program to have that Southern Democratic heritage checked at the door before it got into our councils. Allen falls into the trap when he plays, consciously or sub-consciously, to what he thinks are the sentiments of the audience in Soutwest Virginia. It’s a commentary on us that he would do this without pause or hesitation. He ought to know better.Â
How do we get away from this? By speaking out forcefully whenever it raises its ugly, corrosive, anti-American, anti-Republican face in our midst and letting our own pols know that Republicans won’t stand for it.
Will I vote for Allen, now? Probably. I think Webb is in a serious mess as a Republican-turned-Democrat largely over one issue, however important that issue may be. Webb is a Republican in his inclinations and the Dems will never let him get near a position of influence. I don’t see how he could be effective. But I’m not happy about this Allen gaffe because it is revealing of things we all ought to go to the ramparts to disapprove and decry. I’ll have to think again about my vote. At a minimum, it diminished Mr. Allen, not just subjectively, but in absolute terms.  My hope is that the incident focusses Republicans on the absolute necessity of putting this sort of rhetorical nastiness away from the Party forever.  That would be a huge win for us.     Â
when you say “one of your neighbors”, are you saying you actually know this guy, and can vouch for him, or are you just using “neighbors” in the loose vernacular of “he’s from the same area I’m from”?
NovaScout-
First of all, our Nationals have some serious problems. Can we get some pitching please? But I’ll save that rant for Sportstalk 980.
Regarding NovaScout’s comments….Look, I could care less what the term Allen used actually means. To focus on the definition is to miss the forest for the trees. It is the tone, context, and spirit of what Allen said, combined with his apparent history of doing things that appear controversial, that would have me concerned. Your last 4 paragraphs are the crucial point. I would advise all Republicans to read NoVA Scout’s last 4 paragraphs multiple because unlike a few members of our party, NoVA Scout gets it. Dick Morris, who appears on Sean Hannity’s show regularly and is a very astute pollster and campaign watcher, has made the point that the Republican Party is in trouble in the long term if it does not do a better job with welcoming new people to the party.
I am not saying that is fair but us Northeast and Mid-Atlantic folks (I include NoVA in that category cause I hardly consider Fairfax Co to be the South) have a certain perception of the South. Again, it isn’t always accurate as some of the most racist people I know actually are in New England and NYC. Likewise, some of my best friends are from the South. But it is what it is.
I think Allen’s comments speak to a problem that the GOP has in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. I would like to see that problem changed. I would like for us to be competitive in these respective states.
Some naive folks say that race doesn’t matter. “We just want to hire the best person for the job”. My sister likes to say that also. Look, we would ALL like for the best person for a job to get hired. But don’t stick your head in the sky and pretend that one’s race plays no role in corporate America. I don’t want to sound like Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton. But I also don’t want to sound like some of the naive members of our party who pretend that race no longer plays a role in our country.
And being racist is not solely confined to uttering racial epithets in public. Racism is often a subtle thing, something that is sub-conscious. One may not mean to be racist. In this one area, I feel like I am more liberal than conservative. I think most of the country is and if the GOP doesn’t catch up, it will lose elections in the long term. It’s really that simple.
Just Wondering… As a guy who far more familiar with the connotation of that word than me (ive been told by a number of people who have roots across the globe that its a common derogatory word like the N word), but were you offended? If you had been Mr. Sidarth, would you have gotten up and smacked him or just said, “What an a-hole†(basically if you would have been offended, how badly?)
That’s a good question, James. I myself had no idea what the term meant. Like Siddarth, I was born in this country. But I asked my Mom, who was born in India and she said she didn’t know what it meant. Just for my own curiosity, I’m going to ask a few of my relatives if they know what the term means. I’ll let you know what they say.
NoVA Scout, I enjoyed reading your post. The integrity of what you wrote is a refreshing change from the steady diet of mindless partisan screaming that is the fashion these days. Your thoughtfulness stands out against the mindless partisan attacks and knee jerk defense of one’s own group that is the norm. So many have drunk their particular brand of Kool-Aid that they can’t even pretend to objectivity.
It is your party’s misfortune to have inherited the old racist haters from my party. You are welcome to them all.
You ask the question, “why would a politician do that?” and correctly answer your own question by saying that it pays to do it. Unfortunately, you are right about that. It often pays off. But don’t lose heart. It is usually the lesser lights like George Allen who behave that way. There will always be opportunists and those with faulty moral compasses who exploit prejudice for electoral gain. The country will be better served if we all work to keep those types from gaining ascendency in our respective parties.
Why does everyone assume that it was meant to be derogatory? The monkey is kind of cute.
While I still remain somewhat upset over Senator Allen’s comments, I would like to add a few more comments with regards to The Washington Post’s coverage of his remarks. Does anyone else besides me find incredible hypocrisy in the fact that both Senator Clinton and Senator Biden have made somewhat controversial jokes about the Indian American community, yet none of our friends on the left wing blogs condemned those unfortunate remarks. My extended family, most of whom are liberal and huge fans of Bill and Hillary, like to point out that the Clintons have (start laughing here) apparently been really, really good to the Indian community. Therefore, they have earned plenty of reserve with Indian Americans. I think that’s hogwash but that is another discussion for another day. But here is the point. The Washington Post did not cover either Senator Joe Biden’s comments nor did they cover Senator Clinton’s remarks.
I asked the Post ombudsman (woman?) about this and she said that Allen’s remarks made the front page only because he was a local Senator, whereas Senators Clinton and Biden were not. Fair point. But I ask the bloggers, do you feel this is another example of liberal bias in the media?
I think Allen did know what the word meant, because it was likely something he heard growing up. Does that mean that his mother is a racist, as a number of apologists have inferred? Not necessarily; we all know the meaning of the n-word, but that doesn’t prove that we were exposed to a racist relative. We don’t know in what context he learned the term.
No, my impression is that he knew what it meant, suspected that Sidarth knew what it meant, and that, as you said, thought he could score some points with the crowd and leave a vague association of his opponent with “foreigner/terrorist” without paying much of a price. He miscalculated, in my view.
There was a mean-spiritedness underlying the surface “playfulness” that again, some of the apologists have tried to spin. Allen was angry that he had a tracker videotaping him, and he wanted to lash out at this young man. He lashed out in a way that he thought he could get away with. Maybe he truly thought that using this particular epithet was no big deal.
Either way, it illustrates a person who is out of touch with the world as it is today. That kind of thing might play well to a group that yearns for a time when everyone in the community looked and sounded and thought just like them, but that world is gone. Pandering to that idea is either fundamentally dishonest or reflects a serious misunderstanding of reality on Allen’s part. I’m not even sure which one of those alternatives is worse.
The most disappointing thing is the “apology.” There are two kinds of faux apology. The first is “I’m sorry, but..” followed by some justification of the offending behavior. The second is worse, and is what Allen did: “I’m sorry if he was offended by what I said.” In other words, I’m not sorry for my behavior, I’m sorry that the person I offended wasn’t willing to accept it. Not good.
Terps4fan,
I haven’t heard or read what Hillary said but totally know what Biden had said about Indians. Take it from this Republican Indian that Biden had in fact meant to be complimentary to Indians. Basically he was saying look how good they are doing and how hard they have worked towards their American dream. It probably came out wrongly. Allen on the other hand totally knew what he was saying and he had indeed sought fleeting glory with that remark aimed at the only non white person in the audience. I am also sure that most people in the audience didn’t quite get macaca. But Allen, very well knows what it means.
anyone who votes for allen at this point is sending a message that this type of racism is acceptable for a U.S. senator.
Just because you don’t vote for Allen does not mean you have to cast a vote for Jim Webb. Why not just leave the Senate part of the voting ballot blank? Where’s the law that says you have to vote for every single race that is on the ballot?
I plan on voting for Rep Wolf and I will simply leave the Senate part blank. There is no way I would vote for Webb. But I’m not prepared to endorse Allen either, given his campaign staff’s INITIAL reaction to Allen’s comments.
Look, this isn’t going to go away as an issue. It may not be a big deal in the rest of Virginia but in NoVA, especially Fairfax County, Allen made a big mistake by saying what he said. Ask Jerry Kilgore what happens when you talk in a way that comes across as threatening or offensive.
The GOP needs to get past this idea that we can simply win elections by dividing people along cultural and social issues. It’s not just people of color who are offended by Allen’s remarks. I have many white friends who find his remarks condascending.
kensdad, I don’t think that is necessarily true. While Allen’s attitudes on race leave much to be desired, he is no David Duke. And I think most folks voting for him aren’t going to be doing so to endorse racism.
I do think that with an opponent of the high caliber of Jim Webb that this gives voters just one more reason not to rehire Allen. With the way the Republicans have been running the country of late they hardly need any additional reasons to make a change.
You assume that Webb has character just because you think he’s swell. He’s actually the devil, and George looks better and better by comparison.
” I think Webb is in a serious mess as a Republican-turned-Democrat largely over one issue, however important that issue may be. Webb is a Republican in his inclinations and the Dems will never let him get near a position of influence.”
That’s what they said about JC Watts…
Democrats have everything to gain by sticking Webb on military committees and getting his voice out there…
t believes that Allen’s comments were wrong. Having said that, perhaps Mr. Nova Scout can spare us the blather about Sidarth being “a fine young Virginian that we all can be proud of”. t is not proud of anyone who works on the campaign of a pro-abortion candidate, nor should t be.
charles: not sure I understand the term “vouch” in the context here presented. I wouldn’t co-sign a loan or anything, but the young man is well-regarded in the community.
t supports making uteruses public property, apparently.
or is it uteri??
dan, if the voters of VA re-elect allen after knowing that he spoke to that young man in that way, then the message is clear. the message will be that racism is less important than other issues or simply that the voters of VA don’t care. in this day and age in america, there should be zero tolerance for this type of thing. if re-elected, then allen will look back on his actions as a little “slip-up.” the lesson for him will be not to utter racist slurs in public (not that it was wrong) and then VA will know that they have a racist representing them in the United States Senate.
I was just starting to think Jimbo Young was the most obnoxious person in the blogosphere, and then willis drops in to prove me wrong.
I think there’s a serious problem when a faux-southerner (someone who not only isn’t from here, which is okay, but who consciously tries to make himself over in familiar mannerisms for PR purposes, which isn’t) tries to call someone that was born and raised in Virginia a “foriegner.” If anything, that’s a lot more troubling than the monkey comment.
And how utterly pathetic is it to whine about a member of the opposition videotaping you? I mean, I know a lot of people here have worked on political campaigns in Virginia. If you have, then you know full well that EVERY campaign does this. It isn’t some outrageous dirty trick. It’s perfectly standard practice in big campaigns, and I’d be flabbergasted if Allen’s campaign didn’t have someone filming Webb’s events. These are public events. The opposition always shows up. Whining about it or even mentioning it is basically breaking the fouth wall of politics. You might as well admit that most lawn signs aren’t put up by dedicated fans, but rather by campaign staffers and campaign volunteers.
Glad to be of service t.
That’s the second time in two days that you have been of service, willis. Wasn’t that you that filled up my gas tank at Exxon yesterday?
Well the story has legs. CNN, Hardball, Keith – have all done segments on this and they haven’t been sympathic to Allen. Matthews and Keith were incredulous. I understand Jon Stewart took it on as well.
Nice depiction of Virginia to the rest of the nation, huh?
Willis has a job???
Yes, t, that was me. And I saw that half naked corpse in your back seat.
Welcome to America? Who does he consider an American? Why is it up him to judge and demean someone who has come to listen to him speak? I have always found him arrogant and now racist as well. I will not vote for him, and will campaign against him. He is disrespectful, demeaning, and embarrassing to me as a Virginian. The “real world of Virginia” ~ get a clue George, I never got a response to my letters & e-mails from his office until I asked he was still alive!
The problem for Allen is not just this one comment. We all make mistakes. The problem for Allen is that he has miscalculated the electorate. Yes, Virginia is a Republican state but just like North Carolina, Florida, and Arkansas, we are a MODERATE Republican state. That means we like our politicans to be conservative but pragmatic at the same time. On race relations, we are actually a very progressive country and Virginia is a moderately progressive state with regards to race. Northern Virginia is trending Democrat NOT because most voters embrace the Pelosi/Dean agenda. Rather, some Virginia candidates are seen as being out of touch when it comes to race relations. I am not saying that this is an accurate perception but that’s how some voters feel.
Both Jerry Kilgore and now George Allen, have tried to win elections in this state by dividing people. Virginia Republicans have to understand that while we may be a conservative state outside of NoVA, what may have worked in the past no longer works now. This is a new GOP and a new South.
“Yes, Virginia is a Republican state but just like North Carolina, Florida, and Arkansas, we are a MODERATE Republican state. That means we like our politicans to be conservative but pragmatic at the same time.”
North Carolina might not be the best example of that, at least not prior to 2002.
[...] Among the few right-of-center blogs that are more troubled by Allen’s remarks, we have Too Conservative. If not racist in intent, what was Allen’s intent? I think Allen was trying to say that this is a foreigner (he isn’t, but that’s still what the intent seems to have been). I’ll try to make him look silly to these Virginians of paler hue, go right into an anti-terrorist rif and then Webb’s operative will leave an impression on the audience that Webb is tied to foreigners. That’s the only explanation I can come up with. [...]
I’m not 100% convinced that Allen didn’t know the racist connotation – it is apparently used by some white supremecists, and certainly is one he might have been exposed to with the whole French/Tunisian connection as well.
But the main thing seems to be that he was pretty clearly being mean and setting up an us/them dichotomy. Assuming that the young man was from the beltway, welcoming to America, the “real Virgina” (is everyone from ubran areas in “fake Virginia”?) Using a semi-coded racist word doesn’t seem out of character in the context – and perhaps that’s the most disturbing thing.
BTW, I think Webb, if he wins, will be given a fair amount of influence. He’ll be visible, he’ll lend military/defense credibility to the work that he does. If Democrats are smart (sadly debatable), they’ll push him front and center.
BTW, I’m a progressive, but quite enjoy the blog. Not just the Allen flap – although your position on it impresses me as being honest and balanced. IMHO, we need honest, intelligent commentary from folks of many different political perspectives. So, thank you.
Or, kensdad, the message is this: Virginians know real racism when they see it (see Prince Edward County circa 1959-63), and reject the race-baiting politics of contrived grievances.
willis,
You told James Young that if he did not sue you, that you would retire from blogging. Why did you go back on your word? Why did you come back from the grave?
James Young,
While there are obviously varying degrees to which racial bigotry rears its ugly head, citing egregious examples from history is a pretty weak defense of Senator Allen’s more subtle appeal to bigotry and divisiveness today.
I’m sure we all agree that the massive resistance to school de-segregation you cite is a much graver matter than the disgusting performance of our smart-aleck bully of a junior Senator. However, by citing such an example, you make the case for why it is critical to call the Senator on his behavior.
The ugly historical incidents that have cost people their lives and freedom don’t happen in a vacuum. They don’t happen overnight. There is a progression of slights and humiliations and a gradual acceptance that certain things are okay or are “no big deal”. Well, those things are a big deal.
When my children were young and we were out together in public and some clod used the word nigger, I made a point of calling him on it. It was important for them to know that it wasn’t okay or “no big deal”. That people should be treated with respect.
I think it is important for people to know what kind of society we want to live in. And it’s important that we have enough backbone to stand up to a bully like Allen and let him know that his crap is not okay with us.
You may want to set the bar very low for acceptable behavior in a United States Senator, but I think Virginia deserves better.
I just read that George Allen owns $15 million in stock in that morning after pill company!!!!
That bothers me as much as anything. It’s an incredible example of what a hypocrite George Allen is. He tells the voters one thing and then makes money off of this. That’s hard for me to ignore.
I’ve lost all respect for the man this week.
George Allen likely isn’t the only politician to own stock in a company that manufactures birth control pills and other birth control products. Do we all know for sure what is in our mutual fund portfolios?
I think George’s remarks were more stupid than racist. I hear most if not all candidates “stalk” their opponents with video recording equipment. With this kind of judgment, is he ready for prime time?
I own property adjacent to the esteemed Mr. Allen. The guy is a bully. He’s clearly a racist… haven’t you seen the picture of him with the KKK guys? And any word that ends in ‘caca’ is asking for trouble. His mother’s from French African roots, so I can imagine little Georgie heard that word often enough that it just slipped out. Now we’ve got no less than Larry Sabato confirming the n-word habit that UVA stud Allen apparently had.
Listen folks, how much videotape, photographic evidence, confederate flag home decor, and eyewitness reports do you NEED?
Allen’s a seriously ambitious SOB. The racism is just part of his makeup, and is perhaps the only genuinely felt thing about him we’ve been allowed to glimpse.
The good thing is that Webb IS a former Republican. There’s no reason to think, at all, that the Democratic party leaders will do anything except embrace and empower the guy. He’s a much-needed reinforcement for them. He’ll have power that lefty Dems could never even dream of having since he’ll give some cover.
Plus he’s smart, while Allen’s dumb as a post. I’ve met him, and he makes George Bush seem smart by comparison. Remember Nixon? THAT guy was smart.
Vote for Webb, Virginians!