We wanted to give you a little more detail about our "monkeying around" in Staunton yesterday.  People immediately saw MONKEY and BANANA walking on the streets of our small town...and most people laughed and smiled.  Kids of course were attracted to us and wanted a balloon and some, a banana. 

Our message was pretty straightforward:  "Racism is NOT a family value."  Obviously, most people agree and appreciated that statement regardless of whether they connected it with the Allen incident or not. 

For those who were curious and wanted to know more, we passed out 2 pieces of literature:  1 - the full transcript of Allen's statement to Sidarth and 2 - the full Wikipedia definition of "macaca (slur)" including footnotes/references and a synopsis of the Allen incident.  This 2-sided paper gave historical and cultural context for the slur and in our opinion was a fairly un-biased and yet, weighty description of the word. 

Some folks questioned us about whether Senator Allen was a racist or not.  We left that up for them to decide, pointing out that he had a noose in his private attorney office and collected flags, including the Confed. flag. 

We really didn't know how others would respond to us.  We hoped the monkey character might be a light and accessible way for people to re-consider the seriousness of Allen's name-calling.  Humor is a powerful force.  We want the image of his name-calling and his insensitivity to stick to Allen. 

The critical move now, in our opinion, is what Webb does.  He could really take the ball and run with it by emphasizing family values - Accessible, quality healthcare for all is something REAL Virginia families can relate to...Minimum wage increase is something REAL Virginia families can relate to...A healthy, safe environment is something REAL Virginia families can relate to.

And, from our discussions with military folks and others "on the street" - ending the war in Iraq, and bringing the troops home soon is an issue REAL Virginia families can relate to.

Let's take back "Family Values" from Mr. Allen and leave him with his "macaca".

Mac and Anna

Family values are clean drinking water for all Americans, decent jobs that support families so they don't have to hold 3 jobs to survive, and feeling well because preventative health care becomes a right, not a privilege. 

The first event was a Chamber of Commerce luncheon. I paid my $20 and took my seat. I counted 75 white people and not a single minority. Not even an Asian. lol...
The Senator gave his speech - during which he looked at a guy with a giant television camera and said "Who are you?" - making the entire room break up in hearty laughter... because, you know, making jokes to a roomful of white people about racist comments you made last week is the surest sign of contrition...

Allen is going to use humor like Bush, to break his weakness and it is seen over and over in the past few days. Something is happening in the BushALlenDickMaryMikeChris campaign squad to say, "Hey, we can use this weakness of Allen to fool Virginians that Allen really cares." 

He, Allen wants to appear transparent but he is clearly NOT.  HE has to make it appear he is happy with the bad press, state the obvious, "Who is that cameraman?", "I have to watch what I say." and he gets some laughs and more laughs and more laughs.  Very few issues being presented.  How about Iraq?  How about the budget? Do you even want to tell us how you support our veterans coming home from Iraq? Social security which is on everyone's minds is a Trojan (did I use that word) horse?  What issues are even being brought up in his "Listening Tour" (if you can afford the ENTRANCE FEE--WE PAY HIS SALARY NOT DICK OR MARY OR CHRIS' SALARY and he has the nerve to charge an ENTRANCE FEE?) that will make America better?

He has NOTHING SUBSTANTIVE TO RUN ON.  Most of what he is saying is so trivial, HE IS "BORED" BEING  A SENATOR, and his job MOVES AT A PACE OF A "SEA SLUG".  He laughs and says he is "sorry" IN THE SAME BREATH (Mel Gibson would love it.)  What the hell does that mean?  The Laughing Senator? Maybe!

This is not the Roman Empire, where laughter meant we who support you will not be given a thumbs down.  Some of his followers are laughing but they know he is going down the wrong path.  Nothing to offer for Virginia.  The same old tired lines of GeorgeAllen Bush and look at what it has given us.  Only a newer version of the Rove-Wadham Playbook.

The Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper had this to say in an editorial:

Mr. Allen apologized, said that he did not know all of that, and that he didn't mean to insult Mr. Sidarth.

One can choose to believe that, or not believe it. In any case, what is perfectly clear is that Mr. Allen is definitely not presidential or vice presidential material.

Whether the voters of Virginia consider Mr. Allen to be senatorial material when he speaks and perhaps thinks like that will be revealed at the polls in November.

We would certainly have to expect that they do not.

I noticed this in Jim Webb Jr's MySpace post too.  Perhaps unintentionally in his case, but this is the correct understanding.

One thing that distinguishes the U.S. from Old World Europe are the way that we bestow titles. 

In the U.S. these titles can be taken and given away fairly easily.  They cannot be inherited.  In theory, everything must be earned. 

"Mr. Allen was formerly a U.S. Senator from Virginia."  It's time that we started getting used to that idea. 

The majority of white Virginians are not going to support a racist and he has no minority support.  He's toast.

Buzz...Buzz...

Allen's performance is like George Bush's clown act at the press conference earlier this week, where Bush cracked "jokes"  and mocked the reporters, while making fools out of them.

If Allen wants to keep talking about the "macaca"  racial slur, I think we should oblige him, and expose the entire pattern of his behavior. Take a look at this RTD article of today: Blacks moving toward Webb?. At the same time, we need to force Allen to discuss substantial issues where he's weak, such as national security and the occupation of Iraq.