The REAL Larry Sabato weighs in: "it's this kind of thing that destroys ... candidacies."
By: Rob
Published On: 8/14/2006 10:25:19 PM
We've heard much from Not Larry Sabato on George Allen's slur, so it was high time for the real deal to give his thoughts. Professor Sabato surveys the damage:
University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato said Allen's remarks could damage Allen's efforts to position himself for a possible run for president in 2008.
"This is a comment that will be regurgitated a thousand times," Sabato said. "It was a clumsy, stupid gaffe, and it's this kind of thing that destroys presidential candidacies."
The words could be especially damaging when considered in the context of Allen's history of displaying the Confederate flag, Sabato said. Allen used to keep the flag in his living room, and he wore a Confederate lapel pin for his high school yearbook photo.
"People may read into this more than is actually there, but whose fault is that?" Sabato said.
The answer to Professor Sabato's hypothetical question is obvious: the Senator himself has dug this hole for himself and climbed into it.
Time will tell whether he can climb out of this well before any of the upcoming election days he's simultaneously targeting.
[UPDATE #1: The other Larry Sabato comments further on the lame "coverup" by Dick Wadham. This guy is supposed to be Rove 2.0?]
[UPDATE #2: Conservative blogger Bearing Drift agrees, calls Allen's comments "poor taste at best" and that "most rationale conservatives ... will find the Senator's comments appalling...." He also calls Allen's behavior "unconscionable."]
Comments
Hmmm... (James Martin - 8/14/2006 10:39:24 PM)
I am cracking up!!!!! (thegools - 8/15/2006 12:58:07 AM)
Priceless.
No excuses (Susan Mariner - 8/14/2006 10:51:46 PM)
We can only speculate at this point if Allen meant to use the word "mukaka" as a racial slur. I tend to think the word rolled off his tongue far too easily to be the first time he's used it, and it certainly seems likely that he learned it from his Tunisian mother. Either way, we know for sure that George Allen mocked one of our fellow Virginians based on his skin color by asking the crowd to welcome him to America. And then Wadhams made it worse by concocting that ridiculous story about a mohawk haircut to excuse Allen's behavior. Even the conservatives don't believe that one. There's no excuse for this.
I disagree (Dan - 8/14/2006 11:20:07 PM)
I honestly don't think this is a big deal. I really don't. Allen is an idiot. He is. But not a big ENOUGH idiot that he can't get himself out of this one pretty quickly. I think Webb should keep hammering on Allen's record, like he has been doing, and winning based on his own merits. I know this is probably an unpopular statement, and I mean no disrespect, since I have been busting my ass for Webb (including hours handing out fliers before the primary, marching in parades, talking to voters at several events manning the Democratic booth, and promoting events on listservs). I just don't feel strongly about this Mukaka thing. What we really need to do is show Virginians' Webb's incredible record. Show him with the troops. That's all that I am saying. Good night everybody.
I understand ... (Rob - 8/14/2006 11:31:48 PM)
that Allen has so many negatives, it's easy to feel like this is a distraction. But he really screwed up here in a hateful way - it's important to call him out on it. Set stategy aside - one of Webb's hardest working staffers was singled out for his ethnicity and smacked with a racial slur by our sitting Senator. The Webb camp should be fighting mad - and they are right to get on this. Like one commenter said over at NLS - Webb is a marine and a boxer, no wonder he's pissed.
Also, this kills his '08 chances. That's pretty important too.
WaPo changed the story (phriendlyjaime - 8/14/2006 11:16:28 PM)
Now Allen is "sorry."
::pukes::
Allen basically says... (Rob - 8/14/2006 11:34:44 PM)
"my bad!" but does not change the underlying (and ridiculous) mohawk defense. I can't believe he thinks that'll fly. Really, "mucaca" and "mohawk" are somehow similar words?
This made me laugh (MasonLee - 8/14/2006 11:16:56 PM)
From the updated WaPo article:
Sidarth said his hairstyle is a mullet -- tight on top, long in the back.
Mullet... (Susan Mariner - 8/14/2006 11:45:21 PM)
sounds more like "mukaka" than mohawk does. Come on, Dick. Just how stupid do you think we are?
RE: Damage Control (JPTERP - 8/15/2006 12:47:29 AM)
I thought that Jim Hoeft made some excellent points concerning damage control. If you read between the lines, Hoeft's issue didn't seem to be so much that Allen is racist, as it is that Allen not be seen as OPENLY and UNAPOLOGETICALLY racist. Hoeft clearly has a very good understanding of Virginia politics. We have come a long way, but in many respects, we haven't come that far.
Forget Macaca..... (thegools - 8/15/2006 12:59:50 AM)
and trying to tie it to Tunisian, French, Portugese slurs etc.
This article cuts to the quick of the story
http://www.washingto...