Need some help with the Whoopi Goldberg Thing, DUers!

[Maat]

You guys will have to pardon me. I graduated from law school June 6th, but for the last six months or so, culminating in intense study for the last month or so, I have been studying for the bar. So, I am not keeping up with your discussions.

This Deaniac has been really getting into supporting the Kerry-Edwards ticket, and the things I have seen (their speeches, their commercials have energized me).

I watched with interest the Whoopi flap. Now, even though I give my candidates performance a 90% approval rating .. I'm now kinda ticked off.

Instead of saying something gracious such as, "We really appreciate Whoopi and her fellow entertainers support, and we're proud she expressed her views wholeheartedly, yet, of course, we each have unique opinions, and have small differences with what is said sometimes. John and I, of course, didn't agree with some small parts, but again, we wholeheardedly support her expression. That's what Democrats are about."

Instead, I heard that they quickly distanced themselves from her, stating that her remarks were inappropriate, and that she didn't speak for them. Hey, they could use the $7.5 Million. And they certainly do not need to make Whoopi and her friends angry. And they seem a bit cowardly to me. Help me with my disappointment, please.

We need to stop backing away from stuff, and clearly, our leaders, including Kerry and Edwards (Demo. leaders) need to state that our party is the Inclusive Party, and we support all progressive expression - be it from Michael Moore, Whoopi, Wes Clark, Howard Dean or Ed Schultz, or any other Democrat. We do not have to agree with every word said. But we support the expression.

What do you guys think? Did they chicken out?

[floridaguy]

1. Although I haven't read the Dems response, I agree

we can't keep backpedaling every time the Repukes say we broke one of their fucking morality rules. When Wes Clark wouldn't badmouth Michael Moore when asked about the "deserter" comment, I was impressed, although it probably hurt his campaign. I love Whoopi, and in fact, she took some shots at Bush on her TV show which were great. The gloves are off, and Dick Cheney's comments are a clear sign that they expect to get nasty. So if we have to get in the mud with them to kick their asses, so be it. I got my boots on.

[floridaguy]

2. Sorry I forgot, Good luck on the bar exam!

Been there, done that.

[merh]

3. Couldn't agree with you more. I am tired of them chickening out

and backing away from things. The high road is not always the best road.

good luck on your exam!

[Swamp Rat]

4. I agree, no need to apologise for Whoopie. They should CELEBRATE her!

[no_hypocrisy]

5. The right response: yeah, she said it, we don't have a problem with it,

and we hope she keeps talking.

Congrats on graduation. Advice on the bar exam: don't even look at your notes the morning of the test(s). You know what you already know. Just get a good night's sleep, eat a good breakfast, and approach the experience like filling out a crossword puzzle (fill in the blanks and keep going). And get out of earshot of anyone at the exam having an anxiety problem.

[G_j]

6. agreed

its cowardly
not what I would call solidarity

[Habibi]

7. I haven't kept up with all the particulars of this flap

either, but I hadn't heard that Kerry et al had distanced themselves from Whoopi. Do you have a link to something that illustrates this? Where did you hear it?

[Window]

8. I absolutely agree.

.

[DarbyUSMC]

9. I agree also. As far as Slim Slow firing her----- how stupid they are.

They didn't know that Whoppi works blue in her stand up? Where have they been all these years. Certainly she has a right to be herself when not speaking for them. Will there ever be politicians who don't cave when confronted with something like this? Political correctness is a pain in the neck.

[SemperEadem]

13. they thought that because she did "Sister Act"

that meant the Disney "Imagineering" took effect... who she was before is forgotten... she's now a wholesome, middle-aged black woman who does funny, heartwarming movies about orphans and nuns... How could she even form her mouth and draw breath to utter anything profane!!! What about the children!!!!!

Until they talk to their boy, Cheney, about his attitude, they need to drink a big can of STFU. Let the church say:SHUT THE EFF UP!

[mellowinman]

10. Mixed feelings...

I'm a big fan of "not backing down," and think that our side is often too hesitant to show solidarity, but let's have some perspective on this:

Kerry and Edwards need to show their support of the concept that Bush is a vagina?

That's absurd.

I love Whoopi, but she can handle this, and live on. What was she doing pimping that shit anyway? Slimfast? FUCK Slimfast!

Somebody put Whoopi in a good movie again, and quit this fucking nonsense.

As for Kerry and Edwards, I agree that we should support those that help us, but they need to campaign smart. To take the official position that Bush is a vagina is stupid.

[noiretextatique]

11. it would have been better to just say nothing

i agree...whoppi will be jst fine. but...i do think there is a point about capitulation here. the rw tolerates all manner of crass, foul, and vulgar speech without apology. they may not agree with what she said, but the should support her right to say it. the notion that * can't be criticized (about anything) is something democrats should challenge...as long as the 1st amdendment still applies on the left side of the spectrum. personally...i think whoppi used the wrong sexual organ for her comparison.

[Tomee450]

18. Why

criticize her? They could have made a statement without the criticism. Whoopi is a staunch supporter of the Democrats. She deserved better from their leaders. President Clinton was called a murderer, a scumbag, Slick Willie, and other terrible names. I never heard any Republicans criticizing the individuals who made those remarks.

[KittyWampus]

12. Whoopi Declined To Allow Kerry's Team To See Her Schtick Beforehand

and has since bragged about that.

As far as I'm concerned, she should have had more respect for her audience and the Presidential candiate she was headlining the act for.

Her comments, from what I can tell, weren't tasteful, funny or even ORIGINAL.

I could give a crap about Whoopi. And if she doesn't want to do benefits for Democrats anymore, there's other BETTER talent out there. All of which would understand the benefit of not using puerile, 6th grade humor.

[SemperEadem]

15. The people who booked her to do this

should have done a far better job of researching her act. It is no secret that she does very adult humor--and is very funny.

Her comedy act, which brought her to her fame, was blue before Kerry/Edwards turned a thought towards the presidency. When they received the fax back from her with her 'response', that was when they should have dropped her. They didn't. They chose to ignore that jesture and proceed because they were focused on the $$$ which her appearance could help them raise for the campaign. Now that they have their hands on the money, they want to distance themselves from her. They should have done it when they got the fax back.

Their handling of this has been total bs because they're letting the GOP dictate to them how they should respond, how they should think and they're buying into the notion that following what the GOP says is going to advance their efforts in this presidency.

It doesn't diminish the fact that she did a routine for a room full of paying adults. She wasn't performing for children, for God's sake! Cheney can spit offal at a US Senator on the official record and not be reprimanded for it--in fact, he's revelling in his offense and even feeling proud of his accomplishment-- but a comedienne with a humor which has been extensively documented is to be singled out and persecuted for doing what she's always done. That's rather bright.

[in_cog_ni_to]

14. Shhhhhhhhh!

You're not allowed to say anything bad about the Kerry ticket. He doesn't have the time to be defending every person who says something the repubs don't like....and besides....Whoopi has a potty mouth. She doesn't deserve defending. Kerry must choose his battles and Whoopi isn't important enough. Please, get with the program. <sarcasm>

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x579519#580698


BTW, I agree with you. That whole thing looked like the party "used" her to raise $$$ and then turned around and let her hang out to dry. It's distateful to me that our so-called "inclusive" party would do such a thing, but can't say I'm surprised. He didn't have to take any of his precious TIME to defend her on TV. All he had to do was sit down and dictate a statement in support of her right to say what she wants to. He must have 5 minutes while sitting on a plane to do that? As it looked to me, he abandoned a woman who had taken HER time to raise money for him and he could have defended her right to say what she did.....Freedom Of Speech. I bet he GLADLY accepted the money she raised though.

[Tomee450]

19. What are you talking about.?

They did not have to defend her. What they did was side with the people trying to destroy her. You just don't do that to your friends. Plenty of Republicans have made hateful remarks about Democrats but their Republican brethren did not criticize them. I don't recall any prominent Republicans criticizing the person who called President Clinton a scumbag, or Limbaugh who referred to Chelsea as the white house dog. How awful to call a sitting president and a young child such names, yet there was silence from the Republicans.
Why do democrats always go on the defensive;the Republican don't.

[Eric J in MN]

16. Do you have a link to prove that Kerry distanced himself from Whoopi? nt

nt

[Pepperbelly]

17. although the media-whores characterized it as "distancing", what ...

I actually heard from one of the primaries ... Mrs. Edwards, is that Whoopi may or may not have been a little overboard but hey, people are angry and have every right to be and when people are mad, there is no telling how it will come out.

Paraphrasing but it sounded solid to me.

:shrug:

Much of it is merely mis-characterization by a whore-media that is busily doing whatever chores it can for Bushco.

[Tomee450]

20. I believe

the Kerry campaign distanced themselves when they said her remarks were inappropriate.

[Bridget Burke]

21. It would be helpful to read the exact response from the campaign.

Could we have a link?

This is request #3 in the thread so far.

[Maat]

22. Thanks for your input.

And thanks for the bar advice. I do not have a link. I read it on some news website. Forget now. Will have to research it later. And I really liked Elizabeth Edwards' response - people are angry and will say things. Oh, well! I'm sure there will be more news about it.


And yes, I would be very gracious to my supporters, if I were the candidate. All I would have to say is that we all don't agree how to go about things 100%