Having yet another controversial moment on the campaign trail (remember his "blah" controversy earlier this year?), GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum appears to have almost called President Obama a "nigger". Santorum was speaking at a rally in Janesville, WI last week when the incident occurred.
In the clips below Sam Seder (host of "The Majority Report") and The Young Turks give their takes on what Santorum may have said.
After listening to the clip several times, I think Santorum caught himself just in time before he completely derailed any chance he might have of becoming POTUS. Although a part of me finds it hard to believe he could be so stupid as to come that close to making a racist remark in public, I can't come up with another word that he could have intended to say that makes any sense. Also, the nervous transition leads me to believe he's guilty. Because the evidence isn't conclusive, Santorum will be able to remain a thorn in Mitt Romney's side for at least a couple more months.
Do you think Rick Santorum almost called President Obama a "nigger"?
7 comments:
I've listened to it several times. It's difficult to believe Santorum would say such a career-ending thing. I don't know what he was almost trying to say. Whatever it was, it DOES sound like he stopped short of saying the N-word, but I can't believe he would be that insensitive and stupid.
I'm usually as skeptical as they come in terms of racism without actual evidence of racism. But hell if I can figure out what he's trying to say if not "nigger."
The only thing I'm listening to that gives me pause on whether or not he was trying to drop the N-bomb is the framing. "We know the candidate Obama, what he was like: anti-war(,) government ____."
Does it really fit in there?
This reminds me of the Mike and Mike controversy that made it here a few months back. Only for the reason that it's about whom these people are speaking that slips and stutters can be construed as more.
Another way, "We know Governor Romney, what he was like..." -- it wouldn't be anything but a slip.
Then again, Santorum wouldn't be trying to say that about Romney! LMAO
Romney will win because the American right isn't nearly as evangelical zealot as what the numbers suggest. A lot of folks just don't like a fake conservative flip-flopper like Romney pretending that he's Reagan right when he's not. And on an unrelated note about Romney, he really doesn't have to play to the hard right. If he explained his stance that the healthcare on the state level was to save his state due to federal ER admittance regulations instead of disassociating himself from it to run against Obama, he could really run as a problem-solver instead of a government squasher.
But one or two more near-bombs from Santorum and Romney could break dance in his magic underwear and still win.
I don't think that was the word he was going after. I just can't pinpoint what it was he was going to say, but honestly, not that word.
good comment, really.
I'd weigh this against his past reputation. Is there any hint of anything like this in his past, in his record? Because those who like to call black people this tend to do it more than once.
Josh said "But hell if I can figure out what he's trying to say if not "nigger." "
I sure can't either!
Now, has Santorum tried to explain this?
I'm reminded when a white Democratic mayoral candidate in Chicago once said at a campaign stop that the city needed a white mayor. His excuse for this was that he really wanted to say wet mayor.... an excuse so lame it made him seem even worse.
Shaw: I find it hard to believe too, but months on the campaign trail can be a mental drain on a candidate. Assuming he did almost make a colossal slip up, this could be the reason.
dmarks: To the best of my knowledge, Santorum doesn't have a history of ever uttering the word in public. However, that's not to say he hasn't/doesn't say it in private. He also hasn't commented on what he might have said in reference to President Obama. Santorum's spokespeople went into "no comment" mode when asked about it.
Josh: In answer to your question regarding whether the N-word fits in there, I say yes as does practically any other noun.
Leticia: If I could come up with a logical word that he was going after, I'd be willing to give him a pass.
To all: One thing that I found surprising is the lack of coverage this story got from the major news outlets. The media must really want Santorum to stay in the race because they could have torched him with this story if they wanted.
"To the best of my knowledge, Santorum doesn't have a history of ever uttering the word in public. However, that's not to say he hasn't/doesn't say it in private."
If he had a habit of saying it in private, that would surely come out.
dmarks said: "If he had a habit of saying it in private, that would surely come out."
Not necessarily. It's possible he only used the word in the privacy of his home. If this were true, do you think anyone in his family would drop a dime on him?
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