Ryan as VP? "Now I guess I gotta vote for the moulignon"

[Patiod]

Says an older Italian Republican friend of my dad's 10 minutes ago

"So what you you think about Romney's VP, Ryan"
"Who? Who did he pick?"
"Paul Ryan"
"Isn't that the guy that wants to cut Social Security and Medicare?"
"That's him"
"Ugh, now I guess I got to vote for the moulignon"

(For those of you not from an Italian area, that's a nasty slur they use for black folks - basically calling them an eggplant.)

Not very nice, but I'm sure the Obama folks don't care what he says, just so long as he stays home or votes to re-elect our President!

[Cooley Hurd]

1. I'd rec, but for the moolie crack by your Dad's friend...

I'm always stunned when I see Irish or Italian-Americans displaying racism. It wasn't THAT long ago that THEY were the object of bigotry.

[Odin2005]

2. I have noticed that a lot of older "Ethnic" Whites tend to be VERY racist.

I suspect it is because they saw blacks, who would work for lower wages then them, as a threat to their livelihood.

[Freddie]

3. Heard worse

One of the old guys at work said "now I gotta vote for the n***" for the same reason.

[Patiod]

6. Nobody looking into their hearts - just counting their votes.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

7. Yup

Had an old guy at work in 2008 tell me "Gotta vote for the n****r because I don't want that dumb broad (Palin) in there".

[ChairmanAgnostic]

9. wow. a two-fer.

[Patiod]

5. I know, right?

Two Italian-Americans, a German-American and an Irish-AmericanAll WWII vets.

The other three fellows are as racist as HELL, but I loved overhearing my (Irish-American) dad tell them he didn't care what their party was or what they think of black people, if they don't want cuts to their Medicare and Social Security, they need to vote for "Mr. Obama" (which is what my dad calls him -- to hell with what the old Italians)


This Ryan pick is going to SINK the ticket in Florida and Pennsylvania, since both states have such big elderly populations. We don't have to say ONE WORD against Ryan except "he wants to cut Medicare and Social Security". That should do it

[malthaussen]

8. Hey, Philly is the place

Where a major Italian cheesesteak joint had a sign out saying "Order in English or no food!"
In the heart of the Italian-American neighborhood.

-- Mal

[Patiod]

10. That guy died recently

Owner of Genos. Good riddance to bad rubbish, stupid POS.

"This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING Please 'SPEAK ENGLISH'".

And we wonder why we're not more of an international tourist destination with an attitude like that.

And, as usual with Tea Baggers, he misuses punctuation.

[malthaussen]

11. Couldn't remember the exact quote.

Yeah, I heard he died. I wonder what that's done to the Pat's/Geno's rivalry.

-- Mal

[Freddie]

13. Heart attack--all that steak and cheese

Whiz wit (onions)...mmmm....

[aquart]

4. Eggplant? That's hysterical.

Tell him to remember how white it is when you cut it open.

Damn. Now I'm remembering that eggplant that looked like Dick Nixon.

[Not Me]

12. I remember when I was a child...about 50 years ago

my father's older brother used that term, and my father chastised him about using language "in front of the children."
Reading this today brought that memory back and reminded me that my dad was trying to change that racist behaviour by not passing it on to another generation.

I miss my Dad every day.

[Oilwellian]

14. No, it's basically not calling them an eggplant

It's an Italian-American code word for "n*****". It is a corruption of melanzane, the Italian word for eggplant.

Unfortunately, this is now a weak argument for the Democrats. The Republicans have Obama's "Grand Bargain" to throw back in our faces. Remember?