Youtube and Politicos

[Balta1701]

So, on occasion, I'll run into an article on a topic about which I've given absolutely no thought beforehand, and Here's one of them (from the NYT).

 

In the last few weeks, Youtube seems to have made a remarkable impact on politics in this country. We've got the prime example of former leading 2008 GOP Presidential Hopeful George Allen making an African Monkey out of himself by using an obscure racial slur, we've got dozens of Anti-Lieberman montages, we've got

sleeping through a hearing.

 

So, one side in this article argues that Youtube might be a bad thing, because it will force politicians to constantly be "On", they'll never have time to practice, work on a line, or even just be themselves, because even if they're caught swearing, hundreds of thousands of people might be able to watch it the next day.

 

I think I fall on the other side...I for one think that America is probably getting pretty tired of these people who make news by saying stupid things. Howard Dean deserved the flak he got for some of his remarks, George Allen deserves what he's getting now, and so on. There are ways to be a decent, real human being without making yourself look like a fool.

 

So, am I the only one who finds this interesting? Do you think this will suck even more emotion out of campaigns, or do you think it might bring a little life back into that lobbyist-dominated world?

[jackie hayes]

I just don't think it'll amount to much beyond what we've had before. Tv already gets most of the awkwardness (Dean, eg) -- I was surprised it didn't nab the macaca moment. Maybe just freeriding on the bloggers and the campaign teams?

[southsider2k5]

All this does is continue the trend we have been seeing since people realized how important TV was during the Kennedy debates. It just happens that more and more time is getting eaten away at by these mediums. It also continues the trend of electing the best actors instead of the best people for the country because of what they do when the cameras are supposed to be off, and how old or bad they look on TV.

[NorthSideSox72]

All this does is continue the trend we have been seeing since people realized how important TV was during the Kennedy debates. It just happens that more and more time is getting eaten away at by these mediums. It also continues the trend of electing the best actors instead of the best people for the country because of what they do when the cameras are supposed to be off, and how old or bad they look on TV.

There is another side to that, though. The actors won when TV was becoming prevalent. And they continue to be. But... as the amount of their time is aired becomes so large that they can't possible prepare for it all, the curve starts to turn down on the actors. Instead, its those who, in the net, make the best image of themselves, who win. That may not be actors anymore, if there is no rehearsal for everything.

 

Bush is a good example, I think. Good, bad or otherwise, he isn't much of an actor - that is for certain. WYSIWYG is the word for Dubya. And as we see more and more of him, in awkward and unrehearsed moments... we know see a lot of that smug frat boy, and we are all more than a little embarrassed by him. Even his former supporters.

[mr_genius]

George Allen making an African Monkey out of himself by using an obscure racial slur

 

 

Macaca? wow, that is obscure. never heard that one before

 

not nearly as good as Hilary's hilarious abuse of Indian immigrants.

 

 

So, am I the only one who finds this interesting? Do you think this will suck even more emotion out of campaigns, or do you think it might bring a little life back into that lobbyist-dominated world?

 

it's definately not a bad thing IMO, the more information voters can get on a candidate the better.

Edited August 21, 2006 by mr_genius

[NorthSideSox72]

Macaca? wow, that is obscure. never heard that one before

 

not nearly as good as Hilary's hilarious abuse of Indian immigrants.

Not familiar. Source?

[Balta1701]

Not familiar. Source?

I'll cite this one, not sure it's the same he means.

 

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton apologized for joking that Mahatma Gandhi used to run a gas station in St. Louis, saying it was "a lame attempt at humor."

 

The New York Democrat made the remark at a fund-raiser Saturday. During an event here for Senate candidate Nancy Farmer, Mrs. Clinton introduced a quote from Gandhi by saying, "He ran a gas station down in St. Louis."

Linkity.

[mr_genius]

Not familiar. Source?

 

 

 

she said something like "Ghandi worked at a gas station in St.Louis".

 

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1052966/posts

 

Biden said something like it too (this article also quote hilary)

 

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/...ogy_needed.html

Edited August 21, 2006 by mr_genius

[NorthSideSox72]

I'll cite this one, not sure it's the same he means.

 

Linkity.

 

 

she said something like "haha, Ghadi worked at a gas station".

 

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1052966/posts

 

Biden said something like it too (this article also quote hilary)

 

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/...ogy_needed.html

 

Hm. Not as bad as calling someone a monkey... but still a poor choice of words. Not that I needed much prodding to dislike Hillary anyway.

[Balta1701]

Macaca? wow, that is obscure. never heard that one before

Macaque is a French term used to insult North Africans, i.e. basically calling them monkeys. George Allen's mother is French-Tunisian and he speaks French.

[southsider2k5]

Hm. Not as bad as calling someone a monkey... but still a poor choice of words. Not that I needed much prodding to dislike Hillary anyway.

 

Its still a really poor racial sterotype...

[NorthSideSox72]

Its still a really poor racial sterotype...

I guess I took it a different way - more like "Ghandi... you may have heard of him" type humor, not a racial thing. But then again, like I said, poor choice of words.

 

And before this goes any further, don't think for a second I am a defender of Hillary. She may in fact be at the bottom of my list for all candidates from both parties looking to run for Prez in '08. Or at least, really close.

[mr_genius]

Macaque is a French term used to insult North Africans, i.e. basically calling them monkeys. George Allen's mother is French-Tunisian and he speaks French.

 

ah, i see. what a prick.

 

I guess I took it a different way - more like "Ghandi... you may have heard of him" type humor, not a racial thing.

 

meh, i think it was racial.

 

kinda like saying "Martin Luther King worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken in St.Louis"

[Balta1701]

ah, i see. what a prick.

meh, i think it was racial.

 

kinda like saying "Martin Luther King worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken in St.Louis"

It may not have been intentionally racial, but she certainly managed to lump in Ghandi with what would be an exact negative stereotype of the sort of work Indian-Americans might be expected to do. I for one don't believe that was any more of a random choice of jobs than I believe Allen's choice of words was just some random pick. So yeah, Hillary's remark was definately racial, it's just a matter of where do you drop it on your personal scale of offensiveness.

Edited August 21, 2006 by Balta1701

[EvilMonkey]

\ So yeah, Hillary's remark was definately racial, it's just a matter of where do you drop it on your personal scale of offensiveness.

So, there are degrees of racism? Hmmm.

[Balta1701]

So, there are degrees of racism? Hmmm.

I would say so. I for one would judge that insinuating that a lot of people of a certain race wind up at certain jobs is slightly above randomly dropping a racist word, which is slightly above directly using a racist word in an insult (ie that stupid N*****), which is slightly above an actual racist action (like denying a person housing based on their race), which is slightly above racial violence.

 

Probably a few steps i didn't bother to think of, but I would judge a person who launches into a racial tirade worse than a person who drops a random remark, and a person who commits a crime in the name of race more harshly than almost any of the others. Seems to make sense to me.

[Texsox]

All this does is continue the trend we have been seeing since people realized how important TV was during the Kennedy debates. It just happens that more and more time is getting eaten away at by these mediums. It also continues the trend of electing the best actors instead of the best people for the country because of what they do when the cameras are supposed to be off, and how old or bad they look on TV.

 

[CanOfCorn]

What this country likes to do is tear it's heroes down and then cheer them when they come back. So, anytime we, as a nation, can find something wrong or completely misguided with a candidate, athlete, entertainer, etc., we will jump on it.

 

But, if that person comes back strong. Maybe with a new way of thinking or a new outlook on life or they've just learned to shut their big yapper, we will jump on that too.