Old times there (in the GOP) are not forgotten

George Allen, Republican Senator from Virginia and candidate for re-election this year against Democrat James Webb, was already known for his sometime fondness for things neo-Confederate. See Edward Sebesta's post Sen. George Allen and the Confederacy Anti-Neo-Confederate blog 05/20/06 for some of the history. (Sebesta is a great source for one of the main ways in which far-right ideas become "mainstreamed" into today's Republican Party.)

It's all over the liberal blogosphere how Allen got a white crowd at a campaign stop to yuck it up making fun of an Indian-American young man filming Allen's appearance for Webb's campaign using a racial slur that was mostly an in-group thing for white surpremacists until Allen made national news with it. Now that particular slur, "Macaca", will be injected into the "respectable" Republican vocablulary nationally. Starting as a joke, of course. You know, "political humor", as the OxyContin crowd call it.

His supporters starting doing exactly what far-right types do when confronted with things like this. They start comma-dancing with goofy explanations, not to apologize but to further sneer at their critics and at their target group for the slur.

For various takes on the story, see:

Duncan "Atrios" Black: Welcome to America 08/11/06; Mohawk 08/14/06; Macaque 08/14/06
Laura Rozen: 08/15/06 War and Piece post
Washington Post: Allen Quip Provokes Outrage, Apology: Name Insults Webb Volunteer by Tim Craig and Michael Shear 08/15/06
Liza Ryan: Macaque 08/14/06
Frameshop: George Allen's White Power Word by Jeffrey Feldman, Daily Kos diary 08/15/06
Ezra Klein: You Say Macaque, I Mohawk, Let's Call The Whole Thing Racist 08/14/06
Dog Whistle Bigotry Comes Out of the Closet by Jane Hamsher, FireDogLake blog 08/14/06

Let me emphasize that I don't bring this up to criticize Allen's manners. Nor do I particularly care if he apologizes. My guess is that if he does, it will be a typical non-apology apology, as in "If any of my opponents or dark-skinned types were offended by my racial slur, I'm sorry you were offended and that you are such wusses as to be offended and that you can't be real Americans like us nice white folks."


No, I bring it up as an illustration of the extent to which plain old white racism is so very much a part of today neosegregationist Republican Party. That's why I sometimes refer to it as the Christian Republican White Peoples Party. And, yes, the Religious Right is one of the most virulent sources of those racial attitudes.

More articles on good ole boy George "ah-luv-the-nigras" Allen:

Allen comments create storm:A new campaign video could revive questions about the senator's views on race by David Lerman Newport News Daily Press 08/15/06

But video excerpts of Allen's speech, which made the rounds of political blogs Monday, threatened to revive questions about the senator's controversial history on civil-rights matters as he seeks re-election and explores a 2008 presidential campaign.

Allen once hung a Confederate flag in his home as part of what he described as a historical flag collection. As a young lawyer in Charlottesville, he once hung a noose in his law office, which he said was part of a collection of Western memorabilia. As governor in the mid-1990's, Allen issued a Confederate History Month proclamation that made no mention of slavery.

And last spring, Allen acknowledged a new revelation about his past when the liberal-leaning New Republic magazine unearthed a high school yearbook photo showing a young George Allen wearing a Confederate flag pin on his shirt collar. ...

Oops! I guess Massa Allen has already issued his first non-apology apology:

"I'm sorry if he was offended," Allen said of Sidarth. "I certainly in no way meant to demean him. I look forward to seeing Sidarth on the trail ahead."

Sidarth said that he had introduced himself to Allen before Friday's speech and that Allen knew his name. Allen acknowledged the introduction but said he had not understood Sidarth clearly and did not know his name at the time he made the disputed comments.

I can't wait to see what Kathleen "ah'm-a-respectable-white-lady" Parker has to say about this.

The former party of Lincoln has come a long way, baby.

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