Pete Hoekstra Defends Racist Political Ad
From TPM -- Hoekstra Defends Ad: ‘There’s Nothing In Here That Has A Racial Tint At All’:
Former Rep. Pete Hoesktra (R-MI) appeared Monday afternoon on Fox News, to defend his controversial TV ad by his Senate campaign, which played in Michigan during the Super Bowl — and featured an Asian-American actress speaking in broken English, to thank incumbent Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow for spending and borrowing money from China.
“Your economy get very weak,” the woman said in the ad. “Ours get very good. We take your jobs.”
Megyn Kelly asked Hoekstra about objections from Asian-American groups, who say the Hoekstra campaign is stirring up anti-Asian sentiments and stereotypes. But Hoekstra stood firm.
“The only group of people that this ad is ‘anti-’ — its anti-Debbie Stabenow, it’s anti-Barack Obama, the spending policies of the liberal left. You’ll notice that the ad points to the opportunities that America’s dumb economic policies — deficit spending, trillion dollars of deficits, trillions and trillions of debt — it creates the opportunities for countries like China and others to take advantage of our weakness. it weakens the U.S. economy, and it strengthens our competitors.
Kelly then asked about objections from the ad’s opponents, who have said that the ad’s use of broken English stirred up old-time stereotypes about a lack of intelligence in other races.
“Well It’s not a stereotype at all. This is a — you know, through the creative — this is a young woman in China who is speaking English. That’s quite an achievement,” said Hoekstra. “You know, what these folks and what others are angry about, they’re angry about the message, that we are actually confronting the Democrats and Debbie Stabenow on the failed policies that have resulted in eight and a half, nine percent unemployment in the United States. Read on...
And here's more from Marcy Wheeler -- Pete Hoekstra Mocks His Asian-American Neighbors:
When I first saw Crazy Pete Hoekstra’s racist ad, I thought the woman in it–who is supposed to depict a Chinese woman who speaks English well–looked more Thai or Laotian than Han Chinese. And while Hoekstra claims that her parents are “100% Chinese” there are unconfirmed reports that the actress is actually Laotian-American.
Which would be particularly galling, given that Hoekstra’s home town has a significant population of Laotian-Americans (note, Holland Township is basically the northern suburbs of Holland city). [...]
Hoekstra’s ad was bigoted and wrong in any case. But it turns out he may have been making fun not of a distant Asian community in California or China, but his neighbors and former constituents in Holland.
If Hoekstra can’t even figure out that his neighbors are good Americans, then he’s not the guy to be fighting to defend the American Dream.
And from The Maddow Blog -- Pete Hoekstra's viral bait:
Featuring a young Asian woman who thanks Stabenow for borrowing so much money from Asia and sending jobs overseas, Hoekstra's ad jams an incredible number of stereotypes into just 30 seconds -- from the bicycle to the rice paddies to the accent.
The ad is classic viral bait, in which the repellant doubles as the attraction. Hoekstra's ad sends viewers to the DebbieSpendItNow.com, screengrabbed above. The site credits the Prosper Group, whose client list includes Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle, the Wisconsin GOP and Scott Brown. You want the vanilla site? OK. You want the crazy? Just send the check. Hoekstra's spot is gross, certainly, but it's also sadly usual.
You've got to love Hoekstra's defense of the ad to Megyn Kelly during the interview. Lou Dobbs said it's not racist... so there you go. Guess that settles that. These Republicans aren't even bothering with dog whistles any more. They've turned to blow horns instead, because there is absolutely nothing subtle about their tactics.
'This is a young woman in China who's speaking English, that's an achievement!'
Oh OK! At first it seemed really racist, but I understand now. Cock.
following Katrina, (paraphrased)
"They should be happy to live this way. Its a step up for them."
This is the kind of shit these filthy stinking no good POS republican bastards are going to be bombing my t.v. with for the next 10 month's.
This guy is a flaming prick on steroids.
And just where in the hell did this little fat lying pig fucker get the huge cash influx to buy super bowl ads from? Duh!
This bald headed neo fascist steaming pile of shit - is pure evil.
This filthy bastard ran the economy into the ground, and the deficit into the stratosphere under Bush, and now he uses race bating on steroids to get the dim bulbs to forget who the fuck he really is, and what he has really done.
Buying super bowl time, when he isn't even a favored primary GOP candidate. WTF?
You gotta be astonished at the stupidity of the GOP base. On one hand, they'll be supporting Mr. Taxes are for little people Romney, with his King of Bain serial killing of the working class through outsourcing; then, on the other hand, they are going to try to blame liberals for those policies that they love.
It really pissed me off to see this fat, bald headed, pasty faced POS on my t.v., when I was trying to enjoy some football.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
Racism is kinda like Illegal Drugs; it is fueled by "demand!"
When are we going to drop the "fake outrage" and stop pretending to be surprise that about 45% of Americans are racist? The Republican are selling this crap (racism) only because enough middle class White working class Americans are buying it.
and having several asian friends who speak perfect english. Among those with advanced degrees from Caltech, three doctors and a JPL scientist. All I can say is a Big Fuck You!.
What an asshole.
This ad will cost Hoekstra nothing. He assumes that his base shares his views and anybody who gets upset about it wasn't going to vote for him anyway. What he's done is falsely accused Stabenow of what his party is actually guilty of, and that accusation is going unchallenged. And it's a twofer, because his followers are enjoying the sight of a bunch of liberals with their panties in a wad.
What he's managed to do is make a lie stick to his opponent in the eyes of his base, and inflame the hatred that drives them. This is all about getting his base to the polls and making the race so disgusting that his opposition stays home.
I agree. In the next few months we will see attacks from the right that will make the last few years seem cordial. Romney will go further to the right as well, much further.
The desired result will be increased GOP turn out and the hope that the left won't. Obama is about to endure the worst attacks a president has seen since 1861.
I don't believe in God. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problem of life.
-Andrew Carnegie
Of course Hoekstra does not mention that he voted for the Bush tax cuts (twice!) that contributed over $1 trillion to the debt. He also voted for the Medicare part D that is still contributing hundreds of billions of $$$ to the debt. We wont get into the wars that Hoekstra voted for and the trillions of $$$ that contributed to the debt. I guess Hoekstra is PeteHypocrisyAlways. Do not every forget that it was the Republicans who got us into this crazy mess.
did a good job of pointing that out last night subbing for Rachel Maddow.
He also featured a graph showing that China only holds 8% of our total debt.
Besides all that......looks more like Vietnam to me !
and i don't think that even hoekstra's most bigoted supporters have a vision of china as rural rice paddies, given that all we've seen/heard about for the past 20 years is china's urban development
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
Stabbenow has been nothing but an embarrassment for Michigan, her whore mongering husband was caught with a hooker and her power kept him from being arrested, her drunk driving son Todd smashed in to two parked cars again her position kept charges from being filed meanwhile she takes money from MADD.
Hoekstra spent himself silly during his 18 years in the House and I do not think he has a snowballs chance in hell to win his primary.
Handle has stepped down from SGKF.
I am rather proud of Debbie as my Senator. How is she an embarrassment?
.
Sorry Pete, but that ad is indefensible. No matter what you spin or how you spin it.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Where a bunch of black people are chained together working in a field with a bunch of white guys watching them work as they drink mint juleps from the plantation porch. It would be a great anti-republican ad and you could argue there's nothing racist about it because it merely represents the policy goals of the present G.O.P. Why pay the Chinese for slave labor if we can just have our own slaves?
Well, if the GOP could just get rid of us liberals who feel sorry for black people in chains, there would be slavery again.
I don't believe in God. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problem of life.
-Andrew Carnegie
when he was on the House intelligence committee Leaky Pete?
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Was that leak frothy? Just wondering. I think Severely Stupid Pete would have been better.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
on his website, and campaign ads? Is he trying to come off as "green"? was he once a former athlete/competitor?
I mean, why else would a right-winger advocate such a euro-progressive-eco activity such as cycling?
We all know his rhetoric about borrowing from China is BS, but the cycling thing is puzzling.....
Needs moar GOP candidates speaking Mandarin.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
"linkee no workee"
Not suggesting you have ever used that line, but I have seen it hereabouts a time or three.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
It's not racist if you're a Republican!
Does this clown really think deficit spending is a liberal idea that just started on 1/20/2009? Does he think prior to that date we didn't already owe China trillions?
Well, you haven't been keeping up with the GOP narrative have you?
Our country was perfectly fine and had a balanced budget before darkie socialist Muslim invaded the White House with his army of ballot-box stuffing ACORN militants and Chicago mobsters.
I don't believe in God. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problem of life.
-Andrew Carnegie
AND divisive! Nice going Pete, you fucking jackass.
Before enlightenment - chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment - chop wood, carry water.
new phenom....massive corporate takeovers and outsourcing began under St. Ronnie Reagan, it's not a democratic idea, although they've gone along with the entire thing for years including Clintons Nafta, cafta, etc... bullshit to "level the playing field for the world"....What balls...gonna fix the world huh? The selling point was poor countries will start to feel what it's like to have a middle class...and in reality Americans are now competing at sweat shop level wages...and rights.....Great job Ronnie/Bill!!! real patriots, you.
...Wake up people, above, a vampire blonde talking head and a reptilian brained politician are spinning their voodoo....
Yep, the message sucks, chinese are sucking our jobs away, like mexico, indonesia, and many more...
time to start informing corporate washington we are gonna start insourcing instead by not buying the outsourced goods and paying for quality American built items...They've made it harder for American business minded people to get the money to start our own business's to fight the outsourcing, but it can be done....
No matter what the nay sayers say....we created this mess, we can fix this mess...and those vampires and reptiles that would stop the progression of putting American as a leader in the world again need to be walked over, around, or through....time to get busy...
“Well It’s not a stereotype at all."
Holy Flying Spagetti Monster! That ad stopped just inches short of "Me love you long time" and he doesn't see how it's a stereotype?
Vernon Robinson.
http://wonkette.com/177513/vernon-robinsons-t...
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
if he really wanted to scare people about jobs going to china, he should have had the commercial delivered, in articulate english, by a chinese banker standing before a city of gleaming sky scrapers, or by a lab-coated foreperson standing amidst a factory full of humming machinery ... or he could have featured a chinese government official cutting the ribbon on a new, state-owned industrial park ... or maybe he could have just had the lines delivered in subtitled chinese by a prisoner working an assembly line
oh, but then people might figure out that there's more to china's success than democratic spending ... it's also about investment in human capital, the aggressive acquisition of new technologies, intense government involvement in and ownership of industry, slave labor, and, yes, unfair trade practices
Frankly, chinese (for the most part) think we are idiots for not protecting our own businesses.
Gotta agree.
not exports. And if (or when) the Chinese speculative bubble bursts, the ensuing crisis in China could be brutal.
Americans love to use China as a bogeyman to distract from dire domestic issues, and the Chinese are too busy speculating to notice the massive systemic issues they are facing.
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
Real estate skyrocketing. It's hard to witness what's going on without thinking of what happened here. One difference is, if heads of banks etc.... where found to game the system and cause a crash, they'd be dispatched rather quickly.
?
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
Hardly.
.
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
You did notice the crash right? The trillions of dollars that are missing and no ones investigating?
and I was going for percentages ;-)
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
Though we may have a slight lead.
try to conduct business there. Let me know.
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
?
There you have to contend with the Mafia, and the Unions! Do I repeat myself?
Your police are more tax collectors, than policemen. If someone breaks into your car, it's hard enough to get a policeman to take a police report, because there is better money handing out speeding citations and the like.
The American Legal system are better suited for separating people from their money than making society safe, and just.
of manufacturing ... and they have increased their percentage of worldwide manufacturing every year for the past 20 years ... yeah, things like their risky lending practices, pollution/climate change, and rising income inequality will at some point bite them in the ass, but those challenges are going to devour the economies of the west long before the chinese are fatally wounded
china's alleged illegal government subsidies and currency manipulation are not my bailiwick ... but at least arguments can be made by those more knowledgeable than i that go beyond dem spending
hoekstra, however, had to portray china as a rural backwater receiving a windfall from democratic-induced debt, because if he showed the real china, he would mostly be arguing for democratic policies, more accurately democratic policies on steriods
currency. They've even said they do. They don't really care however, because if it's good for their economy they'll do it.
The thing with us crying foul is rather absurd. What the Chinese have done and are doing has nothing to do with the uber wealthy in this country closing factories and exporting jobs. And it's only unfair if we participate in it.
and it was the last factor that i mentioned in a whole list of "What the Chinese have done and are doing has nothing to do with the uber wealthy in this country closing factories and exporting jobs"
i wasn't "crying foul" ... as an american, i know i live in a glass house, and as a progressive, i disagree strenuously with just about our entire history of trade and industrial policies
I guess I misread.
There are One Billion Chinese in China learning English right now. Many speak English better than many who live inner city America. How many Americans do you know who can speak any amount of Chinese?
No their not stupid, and are generally better educated than the majority of students in American public schools. Last time I was there the library was full of elementary school children doing their after school studies. An average of 2 to 3 hours each day after school.
American schools have a hard time just teaching people to read, write, add, and subtract.
"blithering" and "incomprehensible" are to be embraced, not shunned.
And this gem,
"Through the creative"?
Hoekstra babbles more than any brook.
Just when you think they can't sink any lower.
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
I wonder what it'll be?
they tirrrkk errrr JERRRBBSS!!
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
You can take the coolie out of the rice paddy
But you can't take the paddy mentality out of the coolie.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
my post was not an open challenge to prove that you can, in fact, go lower.
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
could have pulled that out of their heads ... it's so very telling
he just gets off taking my words out of context, going from thread to thread trying to insinuate that I am a racist. It gives him an outlet to be a prick and pretend he's getting away with the very same stuff he blames/insinuates on other posters.
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
Who actually use the word in it's proper context.
They lie.
Hi, Ron Paul!
alongs with blacks, Hispanics, gays, Muslims, etc in their fearmongering racism and bigotry. And add women to that list for just plain-out demeaning.
I was waiting for an Asian woman driver joke - why she is riding a bicycle. Un friggin' believable.
I've seen some stuff, man. And some thangs...
Welll that train is never late. Basically anyone who is not a white conservative Christian is fair game to them. And when you point it out as racist then turn around and say YOU are the racist for bringing it up SMH. And it's even worse that the woman in the ad might not even be Chinese. So they get a woman of another ethnicity to fake a Chinese accent in a racist ad, wow.
Because I don't think it is. What is it exactly that is racist about that ad? That a person in another country who speaks English as a second language has an accent? How is that fact of life racist? That a person in another country would be happy the economy there is better and there are more jobs? What exactly is racist about that? Do you really think that people in China and India are weeping into their breakfast about how awful it is that they take jobs outsourced to their country? Would YOU, if the shoe was on the other foot?
I think the racism charge is much too easy and often irrelevant. This is an accusation that Americans are too quick to jump to, and a lot of the time it hurts the credibility of people who level it. It's pointing at something that is not the problem at all, and thus undermines the real problem with the ad - that it's accusing the Democratic party of being the ones who ruined our economy. THAT is why the ad is objectionable, because it lies about Hoekstra's opponents. Not because it pushes the buttons of people who think there should be only ONE way to portray humans in the media and everything else is social heresy.
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
perpetrated in a country with of a long history of just such portrayals of asian persons as uneducated laborers (see ricky's comment at 10:25 am), and that is why it is offensive
when republicans were floating a photoshop of president obama looking like an african witch doctor, it wasn't offensive because there are no african witch doctors ... it was offensive because it was a stereotype with a long, ugly history
Just point out the issue and be done with it. Putting an actual Asian in the ad is meant to do one thing - incite anger at Asians to rally votes. "It's THEIR fault." And if you don't think that is racist and dangerous, Google "Vincent Chin," who was beaten to death in the 80s for "taking jobs."
I've seen some stuff, man. And some thangs...
I can hardly WAIT for the hot Jewish chick nailing Jesus to the cross; sweet, machete-wielding Latina jumping the border to harvest human heads for some cartel; bomb-throwing, gum-popping, Stalinist Black lady; castrating lesbian or tomahawk swinging Native girl all glisteny in warpaint and gore... "Me make you die long time!" It's ALL what 'baggers crave. It's ALL a lie. Just SPEW hate! Psychotic wet- brained projection and puerile grandiosity; so what else is new? This is what's left of America, it's all we are about now. Why do you all HATE America so? Wonder how come The Prosper Group didn't think of a chorus line of scorching hot suicide-bomber jihadist babes, clad only in hijabs and C4? Obama DID it!!! Tiny women on bicycles, like her, whupped our ass GOOD, downhill ever since!
The Chinese make more profit for their investors. They WIN, we lose. Next!
Like "Queer" was in the '70's. It's so effective that people will cower down rather than publicly be called a racist! Only one person in 20 even know the dictionary definition of the word "Racist", and 19 in 20 think prejudice is the same as racism:)
Americans are not nearly as intelligent as they used to be! :) I love the new America!
we might as well be calling hoekstra a "unicorn"
Does he actually believe the white race is inherently superior to another?, as the Southern Democrats did until, reportedly sometime in the '70s.
but then he doesn't have to be a white supremacist to be a racist
a racist may believe that stereotypical differences among races "determine cultural or individual achievement" and make one race superior to another, or a racist may simply form derogatory, hateful and discriminatory views based upon those stereotypes ... i believe that peter hoekstra is at least the latter sort of unicorn
So then what does somebody mean when they say prejudice? Do the two words now mean the same?
and, thus, all racism is prejudice
but not all preconceived ideas are about race -- some are about gender, or sexual orientation, or class, or religion, etc -- so not all prejudice is racism
If somebody has an unfavorable opinion of somebody of another race, it automatically translates into hatred, or intolerance?
The word racism is used in America for political gain and intimidation purposes, and the ones who use it very seldom knows or cares what the definition of the word is.
prej·u·dice
[prej-uh-dis] noun, verb, -diced, -dic·ing.
noun
1. an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.
2. any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable.
3. unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group.
4. such attitudes considered collectively: The war against prejudice is never-ending.
rac·ism
[rey-siz-uhm] noun
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.
of somebody of another race, it automatically translates into hatred, or intolerance?
no ... if someone holds an "unfavorable opinion" of someone on the basis of their race, not their individual actions ... or if someone holds an unfavorable opinion of someone on the basis of their individual actions, but only if they are of a certain race or set of races, then it "translates to hatred or intolerance" ... it is racism
perhaps you "use the word racism ... for political gain and intimidation purposes", but don't assume that the rest of this do
i use the word "racism" to describe racism, and i have been doing so since i was a small child
Yes...Chinese, Laotian-American...they all look the same to people like you huh Pete?
I don't believe in God. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problem of life.
-Andrew Carnegie
Just like Americans, English, Germans, and French all look to Asians! After Russia, China is my favorite country! America needs to double the price of gasoline! To make people serious about alternative energy.
and a long trading history, so there is at least some cultural/racial overlap
what kills me is the routine use of indian and pakistani actors to portray levantine arabs, with whom they share neither race, nor culture, nor language, and in many cases, religion
but then those portrayals, like this one, aren't really about accuracy
...Not only does this ad let us get up a good hate-on against the Chinese, but look! They ride BIKES! Taking food out of the mouths of oil executives, that is, bunch of environmentalist whackos...
Sheesh.
The one place where a white immigrant from a European country can run for office and also run a disgusting, racist, xenophobic ad, attacking the Chinese, and by extension, Chinese-Americans, many of whom have roots in this country going back far longer than Hoekstra's ass has been here.
"The greatest tyranny is censoring information in order to be better able to control people." - Cristina Saralegui
I would love to have seen them try to buy ad time for a 30-second spot of Romney telling us he's "not worried about the very poor." Watch NBC and the NFL squirm as they refuse MoveOn's perfectly good money while accepting Hoekstra's racist bullshit.
Who done that? Corporations putting profits before people, country and their own best interest.
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