Doug McKelway
In politics, the dreaded foot in mouth gaffe is an occupational hazard.The casual statement, the careless snipe, the outdated phrase that bypasses the brain’s “sensitivity” filter can wound or even doom a public figure, especially if the offender happens to be conservative.
The relative scant attention paid to such faux pas from left-leaning offenders suggests a double standard may be at work.
This week offered several examples. Vice President Joe Biden, a presumed presidential candidate, fired off yet another quip that some say played off an offensive stereotype of African-Americans and basketball.
At a Black History Month event attended by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson ,a former NBA player, Biden said, “I told the president, next game, I’ve got him. I may be a white boy, but I can jump.”
Perhaps because Biden is perceived of as the gaffe machine that keeps on giving, or perhaps because his folksy demeanor gets him a pass, he is seldom held to account for such indelicacies.
More troublesome is a remark by Alex Sink, the Democratic House candidate in Florida’s 13th Congressional District,who made a reference to Latinos in a recent debate that smacked of insensitive stereotyping – one that got little attention outside of a few conservative news outlets.
“We have a lot of employers over on the beaches that rely upon workers, and especially in this high-growth environment, where are you going to get people to work to clean out hotel rooms or do our landscaping,” she said.
Also this week, UN Ambassador Samantha Power sent out a bizarre and grotesquely insensitive tweet about Daniel Pearl , the Wall Street Journal reporter who was beheaded on video tape by al Qaeda leader, Kalid Sheik Mohammed. “Daniel Pearl’s story is a reminder that individual accountability & reconciliation are required to break cycles of violence,” she wrote.
The Twitterverse briefly lit up, prompting a correction from Power, which still left critics scratching their heads. It read, “Correction: @DanielPearlFNDN’s work is a reminder that individual accountability + reconciliation are required to break cycles of violence.”
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The leftists get a pass because they are the brilliant ones.
No, I didn’t just make that up, just ask one.
If a liberal stereotypes someone based on skin color or culture, it’s because they care. If a conservative stereotypes someone, or even uses a code word like “Constitution,” it’s because they are racist.
I hope this explanation clears up this confusion.
the only thing that old white boy can jump through are the hoops his buddy barry puts in front of him.
Biden and the Scarlet “R”…
… for RE-TARD!!! :loser:
Doug McKelway was one of the DC local TV reporters who always seemed to be balanced and intelligent in his reporting. He “broke” new stories, and didn’t regurgitate talking points.
A few years ago he pissed the wrong guy off by exposing BP’s financial ties to obummer during the gulf oil mess.
I’m glad FOX picked him up.
I don’t know about Biden (I really don’t), but from my perspective here in the North this has been the whitest Black History month on record!
“The relative scant attention paid to such faux pas from left-leaning offenders suggests a double standard may be at work.”
Gee, ya think? Thanks again, Mr. Obvious!