Carl Paladino has been one of the most controversial candidates for statewide office in New York's history. He's received heaps of national media coverage and been criticized relentlessly by countless media personalities. Most recently, Jim Heaney at the Buffalo News wrote a lengthy piece with the headline "His history with blacks not a plus for Paladino." In it, Heaney led with the well-trodden email controversy. From there, however, he went on to view almost everything else Paladino has done in his life through the prism of racist or not racist.
Paladino, a frequent donor to political campaigns, has given more money to white candidates then black candidates. Implication: That's Racist. He gave money to Kevin Helfer to try to beat Byrown Brown: That's Racist. He gave money to Mickey Kearns to try to beat Byrown Brown: That's Racist. Paladino's companies wouldn't provide a list detailing the racial composition of the workforce: That's Racist. Paladino, despite constantly attacking the Buffalo School Board and Superintendent, has not adopted a school or made donations to school foundations: That's Racist.
You may have missed it, but Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert held a Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear this weekend in Washington, DC. Stewart, a darling of the left, closed the rally with a memorable speech. In it, Stewart said "But we live now in hard times, not end times. The country's 24-hour political pundit perpetual panic conflictenator did not cause our problems, but it's existence makes solving them that much harder...If we amplify everything, we hear nothing. Not being able to distinguish between real racists and Tea Partiers or real bigots and Juan Williams and Rick Sanchez is an insult, not only to those people but to the racists themselves who have put in the exhausting effort it takes to hate."
The 24-hour political pundit perpetual panic conflictenator didn't slow down though, as now there are photos of Carl Paladino out a a local bar on a weekend. And get this, there is someone in the bar - and in photos with Paladino - who is in blackface. Mind you, no one has any idea what the guy's costume was (he seems to have been going for the Jimmy McMillan look but doesn't have the unique facial hair structure to pull it off) but because Paladino is in a photo with him, well, THAT'S RACIST. Really? Really?
Mercifully, tomorrow is election day and the robocalls will stop and the "he's a racist" "no, he's a socialist" point - counterpoint debates will quiet down. Until 2012.
And let me make the first comment for everyone: This post is racist. Now proceed with the "conversation."
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Paladino, a frequent donor to political campaigns, has given more money to white candidates then black candidates. Implication: That's Racist. He gave money to Kevin Helfer to try to beat Byrown Brown: That's Racist. He gave money to Mickey Kearns to try to beat Byrown Brown: That's Racist. Paladino's companies wouldn't provide a list detailing the racial composition of the workforce: That's Racist. Paladino, despite constantly attacking the Buffalo School Board and Superintendent, has not adopted a school or made donations to school foundations: That's Racist.
You may have missed it, but Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert held a Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear this weekend in Washington, DC. Stewart, a darling of the left, closed the rally with a memorable speech. In it, Stewart said "But we live now in hard times, not end times. The country's 24-hour political pundit perpetual panic conflictenator did not cause our problems, but it's existence makes solving them that much harder...If we amplify everything, we hear nothing. Not being able to distinguish between real racists and Tea Partiers or real bigots and Juan Williams and Rick Sanchez is an insult, not only to those people but to the racists themselves who have put in the exhausting effort it takes to hate."
The 24-hour political pundit perpetual panic conflictenator didn't slow down though, as now there are photos of Carl Paladino out a a local bar on a weekend. And get this, there is someone in the bar - and in photos with Paladino - who is in blackface. Mind you, no one has any idea what the guy's costume was (he seems to have been going for the Jimmy McMillan look but doesn't have the unique facial hair structure to pull it off) but because Paladino is in a photo with him, well, THAT'S RACIST. Really? Really?
Mercifully, tomorrow is election day and the robocalls will stop and the "he's a racist" "no, he's a socialist" point - counterpoint debates will quiet down. Until 2012.
And let me make the first comment for everyone: This post is racist. Now proceed with the "conversation."
I definitely wouldn't call this article racist. You're certainly entitled to your opinion and you certainly didn't say anything hateful...you just support a candidate that is.
In my humble opinion, someone that forwards emails with the N Word in them is most certainly a racist. I could easily stop there.
In my humble opinion, The Tea Party has problems in regard to its image with race. Very few black or hispanic people are involved with the Tea Party. Some people that identify with the Tea Party movement have hoisted signs with racialized images and epiphets on them. That doesn't exactly bolster the image of the Tea Party as accepting and diverse, don't you think?
I too supported Kearns. I would support Grisanti if he was in my district, too. To me though, these were the best candidates on issues and in ethical standards. This isn't necessarily indicative of racism for Paladino (nor myself), but it could be for anyone for all we know (until ones motives are disclosed).
Not supporting a city school is not racist. You are correct. However, the point they were making is that he doesn't have much in the way of redeeming community involvement to counter the amounting evidence.
If some of our conservative posters on BRO see this, I hope they equally critique the article for it's opinion-laden qualities...even if I doubt they could.
Interesting you assume the author to be a Paladino supporter. Did I miss something?
...only that he defends him like he's Caputo himself. But, hey, that's not at all damning evidence, right? I suppose a more appropriate question would be to ask if you missed something?
I get this crafty arguement from my wife all the time, but just because you don't come out and say "I support Carl" doesn't mean you didn't allude to it so heavily as to make this point readily apparent.
Racist is defined below:
- a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
I thought the article is saying, it's a bit extreme to match the definition above, with the behaviors described.
Granted, the emails are an issue. A professional politician would know better, but the need for that degree of polish seemed to be part of what he was running against.
If you don't like the guy, fine. Carrying a lot of venom for the guy seems a bit misplaced.
So you're saying that forwarding emails with the N Word in them is not racist then? This is your claim? Are you posting from Mississippi?
If you looked up the word "Socialism", "Capitalism" or something similarly complex, your definition would be equally limited to the one you found for "Racism". My point is that more than just a belief in racial superiority itself falls under the canopy of racism. Slurs that are used to insult a singular race are a vestige of racism and are inextricably related.
Why should we accept insults geared at someone solely on the premise of something they don't control anyway? Nobody asks to be black or white...we're just born that way.
I know people that can't speak about blacks without using the 'n' word. I think they are racist.
I said forwarding the email was an issue. I don't know if he forwards everything he receives, or if he has some type of filter. I don't forward. Some people forward everything. Knowledge of that would help, all in all, it doesn't concern me as much as you.
Needing to reach a conclusion about whether someone is a racist, based on a single behavior, seems a bit simplistic.
I've never really had a bunch of racists thoughts... so I guess I'm not so concerned trying to find them in others. Perhaps 'doth protest too much', might be appropriate, but it would probably just send you off to google, and then back here to protest some more.
I don't do a whole lot of Googling, actually. I have my B.A. in Political Science, I read/browse a few different newspapers every day and nearly all of my recreational reading is academic. I don't want a trophy, so save the jokes. I get that this sounds arrogant.
There are shades of gray with racism. Carl Paladino probably isn't a Klan member, but I would argue that his statements aren't just politically incorrect, but they're dangerous. He obviously has enough hatred of blacks to suggest they be instructed on hygiene from camps set up in prisons. That's not casual, that's relatively extreme for NY state!
I know people that can't speak about blacks without using the 'n' word. I think they are racist.
I said forwarding the email was an issue. I don't know if he forwards everything he receives, or if he has some type of filter. I don't forward. Some people forward everything. Knowledge of that would help, all in all, it doesn't concern me as much as you.
Needing to reach a conclusion about whether someone is a racist, based on a single behavior, seems a bit simplistic.
I've never really had a bunch of racists thoughts... so I guess I'm not so concerned trying to find them in others. Perhaps 'doth protest too much', might be appropriate, but it would probably just send you off to google, and then back here to protest some more.
Buffalo by choice, have you ever been to Mississippi? Its actually more desegregated than Buffalo. Its funny how Buffalo people start throwing out the old southern stereotypes when it is actually a place like WNY has more racial issues than the deep south. You may read a lot but you don't experience a lot.
As a person who has spent considerable time in the South for work, including Mississippi, I can tell you that your reference is severely outdated. Buffalo is a far more segregated and racist city than any city or town down there.
benfranklin, I think there is a lot that you've missed.