Romney Had No Idea He's a Racist
Romney is a Mormon here is a bit of history of blacks in the LDS church.
Massachusetts governor apologizes for calling Big Dig 'tar baby'
July 31, 2006
BOSTON --Gov. Mitt Romney has apologized for referring to the Big Dig mess as a "tar baby" during a fundraiser with Iowa Republicans, saying he didn't know anyone would be offended by the term some consider a racial epithet.
Romney, who is considering a presidential run in 2008, acknowledged in a speech Saturday that he took a big political risk taking control of the state's troubled highway project after a fatal tunnel ceiling collapse, but said inaction would have been even worse.
"The best thing politically would be to stay as far away from that tar baby as I can," he told a crowd of about 100 supporters in Ames, Iowa.
"I'll get the blame for anything that goes wrong," he said. "But I'm sure tired of people who are nothing but talk. I'm willing to take action."
Black leaders reacted with outrage at his use of the term, which dates to the 19th century Uncle Remus stories, referring to a doll made of tar that traps Br'er Rabbit. It has come to be known as a way of describing a sticky mess, and has been used as a derogatory term for a black person.
"Tar baby is a totally inappropriate phrase in the 21st century," said Larry Jones, a black Republican and civil rights activist.
"He thinks he's presidential timber," Jones said. "But all he's shown us is arrogance."
"He obviously has lived a sheltered life," said Leonard Atkins, president of the Boston NAACP.
"He's completely disconnected with reality in terms of racial sensitivity. He just does not get it."
Romney's spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, said the governor was describing "a sticky situation."
"He was unaware that some people find the term objectionable and he's sorry if anyone's offended," Fehrnstrom said.
White House spokesman Tony Snow sparked similar criticism in May when he used the term in response to a question about government surveillance.
© Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
posted by Scott E D @ 10:41 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
It's inconceivable that Romney didn't know the association. Walt Disney animations of the 1940s and 50s that were being shown repeatedly on national TV through the 1960s depicted the Uncle Remus stories in all their racially stereotypical obviousness.
The crows were all depicted as fat black clowns straight out of the minstrel shows and there could be no doubt as to the Tar Baby's place in the scheme of things. It all went together with Amon 'n Andy and other racially insulting material that was shown openly until the Civil Rights Movement exposed them all for what they really were.
Romney is nothing but a bigoted, homophobic, very rich, very heavily connected (and therefore politically dangerous) reactionary jerk. He has to be defeated wherever he chooses to insinuate himself.
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