Pete Hoekstra eats crow

[marmar]

from the Detroit News:



Former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra has taken down a controversial Chinese-themed website and is phasing in a new TV commercial in the slot of his original Super Bowl ad that was panned as racially insensitive.

Along with the Super Bowl ad that featured a Chinese-American actress speaking broken English, the GOP Senate hopeful launched a website www.DebbieSpentitnow.com that included Chinese characters, paper lanterns, parade dragons and Democratic opponent Debbie Stabenow's face on a Chinese fan. The web address now is directed to Hoekstra's traditional Senate campaign page.

Asked about the switch made four days after the original ad debuted, Hoekstra campaign spokesman Paul Ciaramitaro said in an email: "After hundreds of thousands of visitors to the micro-site saw our first campaign ad and the effects of Stabenow's reckless spending, we wanted to direct traffic to Pete's site where voters can see our second ad, which lays out Pete's vision of fiscal discipline and economic growth."

Hoekstra on Thursday launched another TV ad, again reiterating the nickname for Stabenow — Debbie Spend-it-now — but this time without the Chinese references. The campaign said the new ad is running in the same rotation as the previous one, but declined to discuss details on whether the non-Chinese ad will be more dominant. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120209/POLITICS02/202090432/Hoekstra-takes-down-Chinese-themed-site-attacking-Stabenow?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[babylonsister]

1. Good. He's an ass, and that ad was way over the top. Rec'd. nt

[xfundy]

2. Did he replace the ad with "minstrels?"

"Spend It Now." This is an example of a republiturd attempting humor and meme-creation.

Fail.

And, Hoeky-joeky.

[safeinOhio]

3. This from a guy that voted

for unfunded war, medicare prescription coverage and more unfunded tax cuts for billionaires. Hoekstraraise the deficit with unfunded votes.

[limpyhobbler]

4. I don't see where he's eating crow. He didn't apologize. I think he is still running the ad.

At least not in that article.

He didn't say sorry or apologize.

He insists there was nothing wrong with the ad.

His new ad is just being 'added into the rotation' with the original ad.

He took down that horribly racist website. So what?

One could easily speculate that the Hoekstra campaign expected a firestorm of criticism, and understood they might have to take the website down after a few days. They got alot of free media out of it in the meantime, and that may have been the real goal. Race-baiting attacks are part of the standard GOP playbook.

When criticized they can always offer a backhanded apology for being 'insensitive'. This gives them the plausible deniability they need to appeal to racists while at the same time acting innocent in the matter, and even portraying themselves as the victims.

Edited to say:
This article from politico does indicate he reportedly is pulling the ad...so whatever, he's still a ass...
http://politic365.com/2012/02/09/hoekstra-ad-reveals-crack-in-racial-code/

[orwell]

5. You got that right...

One could easily speculate that the Hoekstra campaign expected a firestorm of criticism, and understood they might have to take the website down after a few days. They got alot of free media out of it in the meantime, and that may have been the real goal. Race-baiting attacks are part of the standard GOP playbook.

Mission accomplished...