There's a California Republican email that has been sent out, or, rather, a California
Republican official has sent out an email, and we have the picture about a... it's an
Obama ape joke, and they're arguing that it's not racist. Let's see if we can put the thing
up on the screen for our TV audience. I mean, I figure why not? We've got it, you know?
What about this thing, Louis... and as you can see, Barack Obama's face superimposed
very poorly on, it's a family of monkeys. This is not a racist email to the Republican
Party. So you know what it explains? When the Tea Party says it's not racist, I understand,
they just, they don't think this is racist, I guess. That's what it might mean.
Marilyn Davenport sent this email, reportedly, of course, we have to say reportedly. She's
the Party Central Committee... she's a Party Central Committee member. And it's kind of
a family portrait of chimpanzee parents and a child, and Obama's face is on the child,
and below it says, "Now you know why no birth certificate." So what isn't racist about comparing
black people to apes? That has been a stock feature of racist denigration in America.
And I'm sure... we'll get to her statement, to Marilyn Davenport's statement... I'm sure
somewhere in her statement she'll mention she has black friends, right? Because that's
the next follow-up. First you sent out-- you send out the email comparing black people
to monkeys, and then when called out, of course you say that you have black friends, because
that explains it all.
Louis: Then you apologize to Jesse Jackson.
[Laughter]
David: That's right. We don't have that yet. We certainly need to get that. You apologize
to Jesse Jackson and to...
Louis: Al Sharpton.
David: Al Sharpton, racists themselves. You apologize to them to kind of clear your name.
Remember Michael Richards when he had-- he went on his N-word rant...
Louis: Oh, boy.
David: That was just... that was, that was brilliant.
Michael Richards: Every time I look at an African-American I think that he should be
upside-down and hung from a tree.
David: Yeah. So it can get tough. You can really wrap yourself up sometimes with those
kind of statements. So the alternative newspaper "Orange County Weekly" reported the story,
and they were told by Davenport the email was, quote, "just an internet joke". She also
asked, "You're not going to make a big deal out of this, are you?" No, of course not.
And then she denies the racist implications here. "I simply found it amusing, regarding
the character of Obama and all the questions surrounding his origin of birth." Right. Since
there's questions about whether Obama was born in Hawaii or not, it's amusing to show
pictures of him as a monkey. It's perfectly reasonable, Louis.
And then she said, "In no way did I even consider the fact that he's half black when I sent
out the email. In fact, the thought never entered my mind until one or two other people
tried to make this about race." She also said, "Oh, come on, everybody who knows me knows
that I'm not a racist. It was a joke. I have friends who are black. Besides, I only sent
it to a few people." Oh, OK. There it is, Louis, she has friends who are black.
Fortunately, Republican Party of Orange County Chairman Scott Baugh told the Associated Press
that there is an ethics investigation going on and it was just highly inappropriate. Listen,
if this woman, Marilyn Davenport, is not bright enough to realize that this is an obvious
racist joke, she shouldn't be in public office. And if she is bright enough to realize that
and she sent the email, she shouldn't be in public office. So in either case, she shouldn't
be in public office.
Louis: Either way, there's a huge problem.
[Laughter]
David: Either way, well, there's a huge problem. You know what, and I guess I could understand,
right, because the cartoons that we see of big-nosed Jews swimming in pools of money
with jewelry and diamonds, that has nothing to do with anti-Semitism. Who would think
to connect that cartoon to anti-semitism? It's a commentary on the politics of the jewelry
industry, of course! Nobody... anybody who would even suggest that a cartoon like that
would be remotely anti-Semitic or based on Judaism would just be looking for something
where there is nothing, right?
Louis: Do you believe that?
David: [Laughs] No, if I believed that, I would believe that this picture... [laughs]
that's over my shoulder has nothing to do with race. [Laughs] The more I look at it,
the more absurd... you have to assume she can't be that dumb, right, if she was smart
enough to be elected.
Louis: No. I don't think she's that dumb, I just think she's... well, how dumb are you
to send something out like that when you're in a position like hers? You know...
David: That's right. Even to send it out indicates you must have some kind of problem going on.
You have to assume it's going to get around.
Louis: Right.
David: Maybe she thought it was... you know, maybe it's an indicator that she thought...
Louis: Maybe she thought the few people she sent it to...
David: Were all racists also, and they wouldn't spread it around.
Louis: And then would just... yeah, keep it on the downlow.
David: That's the only... back-- racism backfire. Well, I don't know. We'll see if she...
Louis: Well, I'm glad it backfired.
David: Yeah, if nothing else. Hey, make sure to like The David Pakman Show on Facebook,
www.Facebook.com/DavidPakmanShow. We're going to take a break now because we have the Chris
Martenson interview to get to, and then still plenty more to talk about. So www.DavidPakman.com
is the website, make sure to vote in our latest poll, and we'll be back with more right after
this. Chris Martenson.
Announcer: The David Pakman Show at www.DavidPakman.com.
Transcript provided by Alex Wickersham and www.Subscriptorium.com. For transcripts, translations,
captions, and subtitles, or for more information, visit www.Subscriptorium.com, or contact Alex
at subscriptorium@gmail.com.