In a statement, Albemarle County Republican Chairman Keith Drake suggested that the slavery apology resolution should be scrapped, replaced with one in which we express appreciation “to recognize the significant contributions of slaves.” Good job, slaverinos! Keep up the good work! While we’re at it, let’s thank the Jews for their hard work in the camps, too. Keep digging, Republicans — there’s a pony in there somewhere!
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It reminds me of this video clip from Wonder Showzen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFvAH4WQGFE
Heheh. Being old means never having to say you’re sorry.
I’ll be sorta sad when all these old-timer politicans are gone from office, with all their miscues and inappropriate comments.
The worst part is that, based on the comments on the Progress’ website under the story, most people seem to agree with Del. Hargrove, even to the point of “just get over it.” I believe I counted 14 comments and out of those, only one person disagreed with him. Some of the arguments are logical, others are just plain offensive.
Wow! Are we allowed to laugh at this?
Those comments at the Daily Progress site are really rather scary. I had been thinking that Virgil Goode’s anti-Muslim stance was a calculated move to appeal to the more base elements of his constituency. These comments (even more so than those of Del. Hargrove himself) lead me to believe that there remains a strong undercurrent of racism around here that politicians may become increasingly emboldened to play up to.
I think you are allowed to laugh at this. Besides, Waldo’s pretty funny in his piece on Drake, and any Ned Flandersization of language is gonna get a laugh.
But I have a serious question about what seems to me to be a contradiction running through the various posts on Goode & Hargrave.
Harry L. suggests above that Goode and Hargrove are deliberately playing to the stereotypical good ole boy, southern, racist crackers in order to gain support. Voters. Political strength. Whatever you wanna call it. I don’t agree largely b/c I don’t think either one of them was being that calculating, but it’s certainly a reasonable argument about which people may differ.
In other posts, I’ve seen it suggested that the GOP will pay a political price for these comments and the failure of the broad state party to condemn them. Well, which is it?
I realize it can be both if one believes Goode, Hargrove and others are electorally safe b/c of the make-up of their districts, but that the GOP in the state as a whole may suffer.
It just seems wierd to say in one breath that a pol is playing to his racist base, and in the next to predict his demise for doing so.
Judge Smails,
To clarify, I do think that Virgil Goode’s stance is quite likely calculated to gain support among his constituents. That is, I think he recognizes an anti-Islamic sensibility out there that easily piggy-backs on his more general anti-immigrant and he’s willing to use it to his politcal advantage.
I honestly don’t believe that Frank Hargrove was at all calculating in his statement. He’s an old man from a different era. Insensitive? Sure. Awkward? You bet. Politically tin-eared? Well, I thought so. But, now I’m not so sure. It’s the responses to the Daily Progress piece, much more so than Delegate Hargrove’s words themselves, that concern me. I know it’s only a dozen or so comments on a newspaper’s website, but it makes me worry that there still is that racist mindset ready to be tapped into by a more diabolical politician.
I hope I’m wrong.
You gotta be kiddin’. Thanking African Americans for slavery instead of apologizing? This stuff is too funny for anyone to even make up. Waldo, could you PLEASE send this on to The Daily Show and The Colbert Report? What’s sad is that the people saying these stupid things are so out of touch they don’t know how ridiculous what they are saying is. The next time my kid hits his brother, instead of making him apologize, I think I’ll just have him thank his brother for allowing him a venue within which to vent his frustrations.