The difference between the KKK and Sarah Palin?
September 6, 2008 41 Comments
by twit
Might actually be lipstick…
You may have heard by now that Sarah Palin has been accused of being an “open racist.”
According to Charley James, writing in LA Progressive, interviews of Alaska residents have dished up a series of allegations related to racism in Alaska, as well as allegations that Governor Palin isn’t shy about expressing contempt and mockery of people who don’t happen to be white.
What we are likely to see steadfastly denied in this week’s news cycle is this:
“So Sambo beat the bitch!”
This is how Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin described Barack Obama’s win over Hillary Clinton to political colleagues in a restaurant a few days after Obama locked up the Democratic Party presidential nomination.
According to Lucille, the waitress serving her table at the time and who asked that her last name not be used, Gov. Palin was eating lunch with five or six people when the subject of the Democrat’s primary battle came up. The governor, seemingly not caring that people at nearby tables would likely hear her, uttered the slur and then laughed loudly as her meal mates joined in appreciatively.
and yes, there’s more:
“It was kind of disgusting,” Lucille, who is part Aboriginal, said in a phone interview after admitting that she is frightened of being discovered telling folks in the “lower 48” about life near the North Pole.
Then, almost with a sigh, she added, “But that’s just Alaska.”
Racial and ethnic slurs may be “just Alaska” and, clearly, they are common, everyday chatter for Palin.
Besides insulting Obama with a Step-N’-Fetch-It, “darkie musical” swipe, people who know her say she refers regularly to Alaska’s Aboriginal people as “Arctic Arabs” – how efficient, lumping two apparently undesirable groups into one ugly description – as well as the more colourful “mukluks” along with the totally unimaginative “f**king Eskimo’s,” according to a number of Alaskans and Wasillians interviewed for this article.
update: It is important to note that the current allegations against Governor Palin are mostly unsourced hearsay allegations. That being said, it appears that racism in Alaska has been reported on by mainstream news organizations in the past.
For example, on April 14, 2008, KTUU reports on derogatory statements made by two Alaska DJs, including this:
Native officials call the remarks brutally offensive and “typical of Alaska’s race relations.”
On April 16, 2008, KTUU reports:
The [Alaska Native] heritage center’s vice president of operations says the comments, though not uncommon, are detrimental.
“It is not uncommon. That is disconcerting, for particularly our young people, and people of the community to listen to because it certainly is not a community builder. It’s a community divider,” Debra Call said.
Such comments are not limited to the Woody and Wilcox Show. Across town, the competition at KWHL-FM 106.5 “The Whale” makes easy fodder of Alaska Natives during early-morning humor on the “Bob and Mark Show.”
The DJs make mockery of Native language and customs and also poke fun at dental care issues in the Bush.
Bob Lester and Mark Colazecchio also play a bit called, “That’s what I call Native.” And, they say, it’s all done in the name of entertainment.
hmm… I can’t seem to find any reports of Governor Palin making any statement about the Woody and Wilcox controversy.
update: Governor Palin apparently isn’t shy about appearing on the “Bob and Mark” show:
Lester questioned Green’s motherhood, asking Palin if the senator cares about her own kids. Palin laughs.
Then Lester clearly sets the stage for what he is about to say by warning his large audience and Palin. He says, “Governor you can’t say this but I will, Lyda Green is a cancer and a b—-.” Palin laughs for the second time.
… At the end of Lester making fun of Green as a mother, calling her a cancer, twice, and saying she has to go; after calling the senator a b—-, making fun of her weight, and accusing Green of being jealous and hateful; after all of that, Lester ends the conversation offering to visit Palin.
How does Palin respond? “I’d be honored to have you.”
an audio recording of the January, 2008 radio show can be heard at the Anchorage Daily News.
Related:
The Church of the Apocalyptic Kiwi 
You do know that Palin himself is a Native Alaskan. His mother was the Sec. for the Alaskan Natives. He is a registered member of an Alaskan Native tribe and got payments for that. So it would not make any sense for Palin or his, Palin who is a member of an Alaskan tribe to make racist remarks about his own people.
That means Sarah Palin’s children are also Alaskan Natives by blood.
Mika,
From what I have read, Todd Palin’s grandmother is a “Native Alaskan.” It makes the ethic heritage of the Palin kids quite distant.
However, you raise an interesting point. Why would Governor Palin appear on a radio show that regularly demeans and belittles “Native Alaskans”? Why did Governor Palin apparently make no public comment when derogatory comments made by radio shockjocks ignited a controversy in the state?
That doesn’t make any sense, unless Governor Palin is not concerned about racism in Alaska.
When we look at the actions taken by Governor Palin, it does suggest that despite the heritage of her family, she has little or no interest in addressing the apparently rampant racism in the state of Alaska.
It appears that the ethnic heritage of her husband and her children does not stop Governor Palin from supporting racist radio shows, nor does it cause her to take any apparent action when racism on the radio explodes into controversy.
The ethnic heritage of her family does not insulate Governor Palin from allegations that she is an “open racist.” Particularly when there is a public record that suggests that Governor Palin is tolerant and even supportive of that racism.
The more I read about this woman the more nauseated I get. How can we even consider allowing someone like this into the White House? In my opinion, by taking no action she is simply saying that racism is ok. There is no room in this country for a leader who is not willing to stand up to racism.
Was Palin on their radio show when the DJ’s made those comments? Then that would be a smoking gun.
Barack Obama has been on Fox News several times does that tie Obama with Fox News? No. Many persons from both parties have been on the Imus show.
Now if she was on the radio shows when they made those comments that would show that she was insensitive towards Alaskan Natives. Many tribal people have low blood degree, like Many Cherokees and north eastern tribes, but they are considered Natives by themselves, their tribal government, and the federal government.
Mika,
Governor Palin was on the “Bob and Mark Show” when disgusting comments were made about her political opponent. And she laughed.
“Bob and Mark” apparently have a long history of making racist comments on air, and Governor Palin blessed their program with her appearance and said that she would be “honored” to have a visit from them.
That means she has no problem with their hate and disrespect of people who don’t happen to be white. She is “honored” by it.
The “Woody and Wilcox” show broadcast derogatory comments and it set off a public controversy in the state. And Governor Palin appears to have had no comment.
In her role as Governor, she could have played a significant role in the condemnation of their racist comments. But she didn’t. And of course she didn’t, she is “honored” to be around that kind of talk.
Imus lost his job when he broadcast racist comments on the radio and faced broad condemnation for his ugly rhetoric. Politicians that go on his new show should be ashamed of themselves.
FOX News was boycotted by Democrats for a primary debate. FOX News was put on notice that their unseemly behavior would not be tolerated. And if the FOX newscasters made racist comments, politicians would condemn them. Obama would never have laughed at his opponent getting called a cancer and a bitch. That kind of behavior is intolerable. Instead, what we have with FOX is a news outfit on probation and on notice that they will be denied access to politicians if they engage in unprofessional conduct.
That is how Governor Palin could have handled the situation. She could have condemned the ugly behavior and withheld her participation. She could have spoken out against the racist comments, and like you continue to suggest, noted that her family happens to have a heritage that isn’t completely white.
It would have been a powerful condemnation to point out how it is her family that is being insulted and demeaned by the behavior of those radio shows.
But she didn’t. According to your own arguments, she has behaved in an incomprehensible manner. Her own family is being disrespected. She not only tolerates it, she is “honored” by it.
KKK and Sarah – Yes they definitely fit together. Can we get her a Pacific Island for her extremist views?
Sarah’s husband is only HALF Alaskan don’t forget. He’s also half white. And he doesn’t look anything like an Eskimo and therefore has more white blood in him. If she didn’t say he was half Alaskan, NO one would have ever known.
The JTF is making excuses for her support of Pat Buchanan. Hmmmm…interesting. She has a tiny Israli flag across the room by the window and so that makes her pro-Israel. Yeah, right…lol lol
why nameless commenter, you raise an issue that anyone who understands how racism works gets right off the bat, and my how you do go on. Todd Palin does “pass” for white and he surely is old enough to be part of a generation that internalized racism and made self-hate a coping mechanism.
That Alaska appears to be about twenty years behind the rest of the country when it comes to race relations, I suppose it is that much more clear about why it seems so possible that Governor Palin won’t ever condemn the denigration of people who happen to not be white. If she tried to lead Alaska into the 21st century, it might ::gasp:: make her unpopular with her racist base.
This is media sensationalism at its best. I dont believe a word of this, it is all hype with a hidden agenda.
” Mika (09:08:47) :
You do know that Palin himself is a Native Alaskan. His mother was the Sec. for the Alaskan Natives. He is a registered member of an Alaskan Native tribe and got payments for that. So it would not make any sense for Palin or his, Palin who is a member of an Alaskan tribe to make racist remarks about his own people.”
I’m not sure what that has to do with her hating black people.
also Mika, i am not sure what “making sense” has to do with anything the McCain/Palin ticket has done or is doing. The entire campaign is built on a shaky foundation of lies and half-truths:
Experience mattered until the selection. now, who cares?
McCain is a “maverick” who goes against his party, except that Palin is reportedly his third or fourth choice because the party wouldn’t let him go with he people he actually thought would make the best vice-presidents.
Palin rails against earmarks while securing $27 million for her small alaskan town as well as maintaining the inordinately high pork rate for her state.
She campaigns on saying “thanks but no thanks” to the Bridge to Nowhere, but only after she campaigned on supporting it and was only against it after Congress killed the project. Even then, she took the money, but didn’t build the bridge.
The campaign is currently attacking their opponent for using a colloquialism that McCain himself used to describe a Hillary Clinton policy.
Hell, the entire campaign – which, again, used to be about experience – is now about how a 26-year veteran who supports the current administration more than 90 percent of the time is the one to bring change to DC.
Meanwhile, they’ve got BUSH PEOPLE tutoring her on foreign policy and debate techniques.
What? The only change McCain has ever made was to the central reasoning and argument made by his campaign.
NONE of this makes sense, Mika. None of it.
So no, Ms. Palin slagging on native alaskans or black people while being married to a native would not surprise me in the least. She, like her party and the “master” at whose feet she is now apparently learning foreign policy, seems to have no grounding or use for reality or truth of fact…
Twit,
Twit is a suiting name considering your barrage of verbal diarrhea is congealing.
How can you expect any creditability with such weak attempt of demonizing someone? Do you have proof of Palin being or acting racially menacing towards ANYONE other then she was on a radio station where someone other then her may have said something you found offensive? No? I didn’t think so.
I hope you never quite your day job and try to take on this shilling thing as a real job. It’d just be another mouth my hard earned tax dollar has to feed.
JRW
JRW,
It is difficult to explain this point to racists, I agree. One of the points here is that Governor Palin appears to have taken no action and made no statement condemning the derogatory comments by Alaska radio shockjocks that ignited a public controversy. That failure to condemn their racism, particularly in light of the reports that Alaska has a significant problem with racism in general, in my opinion, that is tolerance of racism. I condemn Governor Palin’s tolerance of racism, especially because as a popular Governor, she is in a position to actually do something about it.
Also, Governor Palin is “honored” by another set of racist shockjocks and has said so herself. That is not just tolerance, that is support of racism. So I condemn Governor Palin’s support of racism, because as a popular Governor, she is in the position to set the tone for the state.
I consider this issue to be vitally important to understanding the type of leader Governor Palin has been. As your comment demonstrates, tolerance and support of racism is a very real problem in this country.
Twitterpaters,
I’m sorry but I still fail to see what makes her a raciest. You have yet to list one just one example of her acting in a raciest manner towards someone. Just because she didn’t act or react in a manner that pleased you doesn’t make her a raciest in my mind.
I guess guilt by association is the rule of thumb now days.
JRW
Like I said, JRW, it is difficult to explain this issue to racists.
“As your comment demonstrates, tolerance and support of racism is a very real problem in this country.”
Tolerance? That reads awful strange coming from the hands who wrote the above masterpiece.
I don’t really appreciate being labeled a raciest anymore then I’m sure you appreciate being called out on your ignorance so I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.
Have a good night.
JRW
JRW-
I don’t think you have presented yourself as a racist – and that is important – however, it is your ignorance that is showing.
the post very clearly labels the cited allegations “unsourced hearsay.”
however, this is a lot more association and acceptance of racists from an elected official than any fabricated relationship between obama and william ayers. yet, the mccain commercials continue to – what was your phrase? – weakly attempt to demonize their opponent. and you seem to give them undue credibility.
and you do so opening with a demonization and belittling of the post and its writer because you know you don’t have the facts on your side. what a tremendous hypocrisy that is. no wonder you support the mccain/palin ticket.
also, given your apparent concern about your “heard-earned tax dollar,” i find it interesting that you are defending palin – and i am jumping issues here so hang on to your cranky pants – who has done everything she can in her career, both as mayor and governor, to make sure that more of your hard earned tax dollars per capita go to alaska than anywhere else in the country, including $27 million to the 7,000-person town of Wasilla – using one of those same lobbyists she now seems to be promising to get rid of.
it’s not that you are a racist, but an apologist. you are choosing – for whatever reason, be it the moose hunting, the hockey, the pitbull joke, the glasses, the fundamentalist christianity, the party loyalty – to ignore things that might paint her in an unflattering light and immediately demonize (again your word) those who ask questions about a woman most people knew nothing about just two weeks ago.
but calling you a racist – when you are clearly an apologist – could have been going too far.
You raise the issue of racist… and yet I see none about Obama.. do you not read his college papers? or his wifes? or the church he is so proud of? do none of those equal a radio show interview? and thus make for equal discussion?
Vic,
If you have any evidence that Barack Obama or Michelle Obama are racists, you should produce it. The Obamas left the church that you are referencing and the news reports that I have reviewed about their writing in school does not suggest that either of them are racist at all.
The Obamas condemn racism, unlike Governor Palin, who is “honored” by it. If you have anything credible to add to the discussion, by all means, please do. However, your unsourced allegations suggest that you are making things up out of thin air.
http://kska.org/2008/04/15/community-forum-combating-racism-on-radio/
Interesting. This is the forum titled “Racism on the Radio” which a local Alaska radio station was holding to discuss the Woody and Wilcox scandal.
Palin has a long email chain in her 78-page long list of witheld emails titled “Racism on the Radio”.
Wonder what they were talking about in there?
LOL I blogged about this too and most of the comments I received were from conservatives claiming “if it’s not on tape it didn’t happen.” It’s so sad to see this country in such a state of ignorance and denial.
I don’t know about this specific example of Palin’s racism – and speaking as a life-long Alaskan, I find it a little fishy that she’d refer to Inupiat (I’m presuming it’s Inupiat and not Yupiq) as “Arab-Alaskans” it just doesn’t ring quite right with the normal racist slang.
That said, I think that its absolutely necessary that the mainstream media investigate Palin’s history with Native Alaskans – and there’s a lot more hard evidence about her background racism than the hearsay this story is based on. Rural, predominantly Native villages have gotten routinely screwed over by the predominantly white state government – its not all Palin, but she buys into it. Sanitation is still rudimentary in many places, education is minimal, voting rights are routinely infringed, fuel costs are through the roof, and the suicide and substance abuse rates are astronomical – just to mention a few things, and the state refuses to do anything about it. To be honest, though I despise Ted Stevens in general, if he weren’t shoveling federal pork at the Native community as quickly as he could, things would be a great deal worse.
Palin’s bought into a lot of this background racism that masquerades as the “urban-rural divide” in Alaska in a variety of subtle ways, from refusing to kick in more state funding for the Denali Commission (a nominally state-federal commission that is supposed to deal with the problems of rural AK) to hedging on starting an incentive from the Governor’s office on race and racism in Alaska. She’s also been really bad on subsistence issues and hasn’t provided much incentive for Native education. This is an excellent blog, though written by an Outsider, that summarizes the main points:
http://earlofarihutchinson.blogspot.com/20…-for-yupik.html
You can also check out a recent indictment of Palin’s record, written by a Native-rights attorney in Anchorage, at the Alaska Politics blog on the Anchorage Daily News webpage, at:
http://community.adn.com/adn/node/130953
The Republican comeback to the “Palin is a racist” story will inevitably be that Todd Palin is part Yupiq. Well, I guarantee you that this is no prophylactic against the background, endemic racism against Alaska Natives that is part and parcel of white settler culture in Alaska. We’re a colony and we know it, we just think it’s ugly to talk about it.
Thank you very much for your detailed comment and the links. I will check them out.
As a point of clarification, I don’t think anyone has been saying that the term “Arab-Alaskans” has been used – my understanding is that the slang is “Arctic Arabs.”
The difference between Sarah Palin and the KKK is the birth of a new Klan member.
Senator McCain’s choice of Governor Palin reveals the desperation of a deminishing group of people who have nothing to lose but the restoration of a Democracy in America.
This country is ruled by an insane dictator who is responsible for many, many innocent people being murdered throughout this world, including the World Trade Center and innocent civilians in Iraq.
What an entire crock of shit this whole blog is, I bet your mommas proud, loser
then you probably won’t like this:
At a rally today, she was dressed all in white, the same day the McCain campaign decided they were over the economic crisis and back to “character”. It seemed all she needed was a hood to complete the outfit….so I did a quick google to see if I was off base. Maybe her white outfit was just coincidence. But the image seemed pretty upfront, even to those like me who don’t usually think of these things.
Pingback: Sarah Palin rallies the KKK « The Church of the Apocalyptic Kiwi
you are not the only one wondering, I assure you:
IT IS MY HOPE THAT IT DID NOT TAKE THIS FOR AMERICA TO SEE SHE IS A HATE MONGER ALONG WITH HER RUNNING MATE. WAKE UP IF YOU ARE FRIENDS WITH THE ARIAN NATION AND FELLOWSHIP WITH THEM ONE WOULD ASSUME YOU SHARE THEIR PASSION TO HATE
Sarah Palin must be investigated by justice departament for insiting hate and racism. Governor Palin is a bigot, ignorant and arrogant. I could see her carying the torch for KKK. Bravo to Alaska’s rasist governor. This conduct must not be tolerated and must be investigated. Sarah Palin may be very dangerous.
I would not be surprised, that after the meeting with Sarah Palin the insited and provoked mob will seek to get discharged.
She is very scary.
Sarah Palin appears to be insiting hate and ultimately violence. Amusing. What a achievement from CEO Bush to KKK Sarah Palin. Great heiress for Bush.
God save our souls. We endured enough. I am about to give up. There is hope there is Ralph Nader, moral, inteligent, fair, informed, thru advocate for ordinary people. Who’s listening? I feel no unger, just saddness. I feel sorry for us, for all of us.
Pingback: The racism of John McCain « The Church of the Apocalyptic Kiwi
Pingback: American racism: Not dead yet « The Church of the Apocalyptic Kiwi
calling him a “socialist” and a “terrorist” in the context in which the republician party is using it is racist. no the words themselves are not racist, but if you use them in the context that they have been, it truly is. it is this big sentiment that he is going to be helping out the blacks who are on welfare (hence the obama bucks appearance in the newsletter incident), and them there black people with the lack of education and their ignorance is going to take over (hock and spit). i was once told by a professor that the more education that a white person gets the less prejudice he becomes and the more education a black person gets the more prejudice he becomes. i challenged this statement then and i challenge it now, because i feel like the more education a white person gets the more they learn about “buzz” words that they can use to preach to each other their hate. not all whites, but honestly sit back and tell me that this presidential race has not been a what is good for mccain and palin is not good for obama/biden. it is okay for palin to insult obama but the minute he says something in return he becomes that typical black man that is a sexist and has no respect for women. it is okay for palin to bring up ayers but where is the mention of palin and joe volger, thomas muthee, brickner or mccain and the US council on world freedom and moonie, or gorden lidey (wink at palin) . and how is it ALL of palin’s mistakes are someone else’s fault. the media, katie couric, everyone except dear ole sarah. she is out of her league, she is a racist, and both her and joe the plummers 15 minutes is up. they should both just go home. Joe is a liar and he is using this campaign to forward his personal agenda and palin is doing the same (ms. i am running for president in 2012). do you know why oreily’s ratings are down, because he has nothing good to report…if palin and mccain is what the republician party has to offer, i am not buying. if obama does not have experience, palin must be in diapers. he has forgot more than she knows. one of my coworkers put it best when she had her first baby she had never baby sat or had a child before, but (in the words of palin) she got in there and did it and did a wonderful job. no president that was originally running for office had experience in the job before they won. what makes obama different…he’s black and we are suppose to be ignorant and dumb. stop voting based on your racial fears and you may see that this country really CAN. it is so funny how obama talks about the issues and answers questions both directly and intelligently, and you look at how palin and mccain answers and you get fluff either around the subject or on a totally different subject and you say you don’t know or trust obama. palin can’t even tell you what newspapers she reads or what the vp’s job is. also, she is upset because tina fey portraits her using her own words….they did not change one word in the couric skit and she is upset because she was properly quoted…OMG. come on people mccain is running a campaign on injuries and name dropping….he is like 50 cents still telling the story he got shot 9 times….okay we got it you were a prisoner of war…we respect that, but that does not qualify you for a presidency. mccain friends are jumping ship like there is a hole in the floor, and there is him and palin. he doesn’t have a clue of what he will do except make the rich richer with his trickle down theory. if you are servicing a car you don’t pour the oil on top of the engine to keep the vehicle moving you put it in the engine. our economic engine is the middle class. we are the ones spending the money and providing most of the labor, so in order to keep the economy flowing you pump it into the middle class who will spend. rich people stay rich by investing and saving their money not by spending. middle class has to spend to survive. duh!!! I look at palin rallies and I swear it is a nascar Klan rally. she misstated it is not the gloves are off and the heels are on. it is the gloves are off and the hoods are on. vote mccain/palin but just be honest as to why you are doing it. don’t call a cat a dog, call it a cat which is what you are.
YOU do realize that in the state of Alaska you can be 1/100th of 1 percent and be eligible for FREE medical right?
Palin was native when HE wanted to fish his grandmothers permit- THAT being said-
HE has as much native blood in him as my white father. I mean it- he has the same amount~
his kids? LESS-his wife is a hater of anyone not WHITE-
It is not hard to see that Palin is a Racist.
What I have read over the past few years are true. The Palin’s support racial organizations. Palin left an organization when it came clear that his association will hurt his wife’s run for office .
I just wonder how far did he run away from this race hate group. He never spoke much in public and that was for a reason could be no one can control what he will say.
Now, I cannot trust McCain in any decision making situation for our nation. He did a bad job in placing this person as his running mate. McCain will do himself and this nation a favor if he publicly stand and denounce this person. Now, I understand why it was so hard for Palin and his wife to mention the name of the Obama’s in public and on television.
Ministers in the state of Alaska will do the state no favor by showing silence on this issue.
I remember when an Native American youth killed some classmates. He was a supporter of hate propaganda. So with that knowledge I see Palin express such hatred not impossible.
Hello, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your blog site in Opera, it looks fine but when opening in Internet
Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
Other then that, fantastic blog!