What is up with Fritz Hollings and his inappropriate racial comments?

[bicentennial_baby]

"Or perhaps the candidate who receives the worst introduction speech of the campaign wins. At that Friday event in Manchester, Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., introduced Kerry with a long, rambling speech that included the word "Chinaman." As Hollings was explaining that "50 percent of the furniture in this country comes from China," a shockingly loud pop crackled through the speakers and startled most people in the room. "Some Chinaman got mad at that," Hollings said to laughter. (Later, when more noises popped through the speakers, Kerry politically corrected the joke to, "This Chinese guy is still around.") Hollings also declared that Dick Cheney "is the Jesse Jackson of the Republican Party. He wants it all, his time has come!" A few people applauded when Hollings said he was about to finish."


http://slate.msn.com/id/2094401/


These comments disgust me. Is he really an appropriate person to be representing Kerry, even in SC?

http://slate.msn.com/id/2094401/

[krkaufman]

1. I don't get it

I'd heard the Cheney/Jackson comment earlier... and I still don't get it. What was the point, however misguided, of his comparison??

[xultar]

2. A few people applauded when Hollings said he was about to finish."

Buhwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

[Printer70]

3. Hollings is an old racist

It's time for him to go. He won't change.

[bicentennial_baby]

4. Anyone?

C'mon people, those are some really ugly words... Am I the only one disturbed by this?

[slinkerwink]

6. I'm disturbed by this, and the press hasn't even caught onto that....

shows that Kerry's getting a free pass from the media.

[bicentennial_baby]

5. One more time

:kick:

[bicentennial_baby]

7. Kick

:kick:

[Fleshdancer]

8. How ridiculous

Jesse Jackson, love him or hate him, is NOTHING like Cheney. What a disgusting analogy...comparing any Democrat to the vp.

And why did Kerry keep up the stupid Chinaman (sure, he said "China guy instead...soooo much better) joke? Ridiculous.

Could you imagine if Dean said this?

[bicentennial_baby]

9. Exactly

and why do the words of one Clark supporter (Michael Moore) get repeated in the media ad nauseam, but not a peep about this?

[Fleshdancer]

10. Very true

The thing that really annoys me about what the media is doing to both Dean and Clarks is they try to make a scandal out of bullshit. Heaven forbid we have a media that *gasp* brings up actual issues instead of what a supporter said about Bush or a freakin' pep rally speech.

Insane. I've seen better jounalism in my old highschool newspaper.

[_Jumper_]

16. Good point

What will Kerry's explaination be?

[PurityOfEssence]

11. Puhhaps we should ask Buffcoat 'n Beavah

(For those who don't remember, this how he referred to "Bevis and Butthead" as the pariahs they were...,)

Hey, Hollings is a mixed bag; he's also the guy who said "We got uh Enron Government" and many other things to hammer the current thugs. Sure, he's a bit of a racist, and sure, that's a horrible thing to be, but he's also been on the correct side of many battles, and he's got some guts.

He's an anachronism, but put it in context: he's the much better version of the flawed old south than ol' Strom was.

[jsw_81]

12. He's 82 years-old

Like Thurmond, he's from another America and another time. It's not that I support his comments, but you've got to cut him some slack. Remember, when he was growing up they didn't even allow African-Americans (or Asian-Americans) into the same restaurants with whites. And gays went to prison (or worse). I have a grandmother who makes similar comments once in a while, and you just have to learn to ignore it.

[dsc]

14. Howard Metzenbalm turned 90 recently

Teddy Kennedy is well over 70. Neither of them would dream of saying such non sense.

[jsw_81]

15. They didn't grow up in the segregated south of the 1920's

[_Jumper_]

18. Did they grow up in a tolerant America?

America was not exactly tolerant when Ted Kennedy was young.

[_Jumper_]

17. What about Trent Lott?

He grew up in the segregated South. Does that mean he should get a free pass for being a racist?

[Freddie Stubbs]

13. Perhaps he has been spending too much time

with Robert Byrd.

[Anwen]

19. Un-freakin-believable.

could you imagine if this were Dean or Clark? The media would be jumping up and down pointing fingers screaming "racist!"

But I guess not for Kerry, the chosen one.

[_Jumper_]

20. Don't give up

Remember, it took the media 2-3 days to pick up the Lott story. We must keep this alive on the internet until it is picked up by the press.

[tishaLA]

21. It happened over a week ago now

Josh Marshall wrote about it on his talkingpointsmemo back then. But apparently Sen. Kerry is unwilling to say that Old Fritz was "over the top" with his comments.

[_Jumper_]

22. Wow

Why hasn't any candidate used it against him?

[tishaLA]

23. Not all candidates are willing to

slime others because of what their supporters say. I can only think of one candidate who has done that thus far.

[_Jumper_]

25. What about Kerry's comment?

n/t

[tishaLA]

26. That's what I'm talking about.

[ShaneGR]

24. How old is he now? 85?

Sounds to me like his retirement couldn't come sooner.

[jpgpenn]

27. and Kerry is proud to be endorsed by this guy?

[_Jumper_]

28. Apparently

And he also apparently approves of Holling's ethnic joke since he recylced it later.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

31. So why is Edwards afraid to attack Hollings?

What is he afraid of? :shrug:

[_Jumper_]

33. Losing votes

Hollings is very popular in SC--the same state that elected Strom Thurmond a million times.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

34. What a courageous stand from Edwards.

[sangha]

29. Are any of the offended actually Chinese?

My family is part Chinese, and I see nothing wrong with Kerry talking about a "Chinese guy"

[tinanator]

30. who cares what Kerry said, Chinaman?

What was the question?

[Dark Star]

32. There is no excuse for any kind of bigoted

statements. I don't care what ethnicity is the target. To a previous post on the thread: I am not Chinese. To another: I will NOT cut anyone slack because of where they come from or their age. Hollings has spent a good deal of his life in DC and he knows what's offensive; I don't care where he grew up.

Kerry needs to repudiate this now. Hollings needs to apologize now. The media needs to make a big tsuris over this now.

We need Clark for President now. :bounce: :bounce:

[fujiyama]

35. I agree...

Kerry needs to condemn this statement. Unlike the comment about the Italian Army, this is somewhat offensive.

[John_H]

36. Disgusting.