Folks believe it or not Duncan Hunter's Obama 'has good teeth' comment may be racial

[wndycty]

Seriously. I'm watching HARDBALL with my 69 year old mother and she immediately turned to me and said that is what they used to say about slaves on the trading block. She is very very pissed.

[jezebel]

1. Yep, you say it about horses and they used to say it about slaves. nt

[EFerrari]

19. Yep. Hunter is a POS.

[polichick]

2. That thought did cross my mind.

[KittyWampus]

20. the problem with me, my mind just doesn't go to those places. Okay, it's not a problem.

But it's why some people seem so alien to me.

[polichick]

25. Maybe you haven't spent time in old Southern slave trading ports...

...it's the kind of thing you learn visiting places like that ~ not easy info to take in.

[Control-Z]

56. Not in a million years

would that have registered as racist to me. I just don't think that way, and I believe that's a good thing. It's awfully sad that such thinking has been resurrected. Or maybe it never really went away in the first place.

[medeak]

3. omg n/t

[medicswife]

4. It pissed me off too. I took it as being a racist comment as well.

They used to look at their teeth to see if they were healthy or not.

[livetohike]

5. Your mom is correct

Duncan Hunter is an ass. I hope Chris Matthews lets him have it. All of these racist Republicans are front and center on their blatant racism.

[BlooInBloo]

6. hahahaha! Gawd - the things I learn from those crazyass bigots!

:rofl:

[sniffa]

7. As the other poster noted, that's from the slave days

The teeth were always inspected before purchase.

Does Duncan the Failed Presidential Candidate only wear pin striped suits?

[tekisui]

8. "Never look a gift President in the mouth"?

It sounds racist to me.

[ellacott]

9. Good stock

That's what they used to call them.

[frickaline]

10. what the heck was the context for this?

[medicswife]

13. Only reason Obama is ahead is "because he has good teeth"

Fucking racist asshole. Where's Duncan Hunter from, South Carolina? I can't remember.

[Hepburn]

18. SoCal....same general area that Duke Cunningham rep'd.

:puke:

[medicswife]

24. Ah. That's right. :( Yuck. He's disgusting. nt

[frickaline]

26. what ... the ...

:wow:

[Bucky]

42. To be fair, the Republicans ARE getting their asses chewed up this year.

On the other hand, they're mostly suffering from self inflicted wounds.

[frogmarch]

11. Of course it's racist! Jeez! nt

[mitchum]

12. I wouldn't doubt that "strapping buck" may soon be offered up

[CLANG]

14. That struck me as an insult

but now that you mention it, whether horse or slave, it is a HUGE insult!! More proof that the re-pukes have a bunch of racists in their midst. Oh how I'd love for the B girl to admit that she was put up to her hoax by higher up republicans. Unfortunately that is unlikely because no political operative could be that fucking thick.

[medeak]

15. mentioned in this book

re slaves and teeth
http://books.google.com/books?id=ugSgBczOaTEC&pg=PA187&lpg=PA187&dq=slaves+good+teeth&source=bl&ots=cJ-aC-HtoI&sig=RTSdCfn40IzueaPrf16h7ZNxykI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result

[magdalena]

60. Here is another book excerpt that explicitly talks about the slave trade and "good teeth".

http://books.google.com/books?id=Qb5JZlM3cGAC&pg=RA1-PA233&lpg=RA1-PA233&dq=slaves+good+teeth&source=web&ots=0WEoXLNDkc&sig=3o5n7zdwbNctNucLqU-4pgyAMrU&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result

[Hepburn]

16. I totally agree....

....the buyers looked at the good physical characteristics of the slaves on auction. Nice teeth would be one of the things they looked at ~~ less up-keep on their property. (Man is that disgusting!!!! That human beings were considered property.)

IMO: Duncan Hunter is a racist pig in my book...and I thought that before his stupid ass bigoted comment on Obama's teeth. The comment just confirmed my opinion.

[Virginia Dare]

17. Duckin Hukster might have just sunk his career too..

dropping like flies, they are.

[LiberalAndProud]

21. And McCain wears dentures.

Sarah Palin has pretty teeth. Joe Biden has a beautiful smile. And Duncan Hunter is an ass.

[Pisces]

It is a bullshit statement. The Repuke party will be labeled the new KKK party

[DevonRex]

22. That was my first reaction. It's a dehumanizing comment that relates

to how slaves were examined on the block. Exactly like they examined horses' mouths.

[KittyWampus]

23. Good Lord knows McCain isn't exactly prime breeding stock.

[Lucky 13]

27. My first thought too....

2 things.

1) Slaves on the trading block were "inspected" by potential owners like they do livestock. One thing that they specifically used to check were the slaves teeth.

2) Racist imagery (blackface, "darky" iconography) has often focused on black people's bright white teeth.

[uponit7771]

28. Could SOMEONE write a racist code word book or somethin?

I would've never thought of that but out of the mouth of someone like "Maccaca" Allen it would've sound horrible.

[sandnsea]

29. Have you ever "complimented" a politician's teeth?

What the hell else could it be except racist?

[Bucky]

44. I just tried googling for the phrase "racist code words" to help you. Unfortunately...

... all Google could find for me were discussion board comments about McCain-Palin tactics.

[Tutonic]

30. I picked up on that too. I think someone should remind the FBI and

DOJ that they need to finish up their investigation of Duncan. Shouldn't he be in jail by now?

[ProgressiveEconomist]

31. "DARKIE TOOTHPASTE" still is a very popular brand in many Asian countries

I was astounded to find some in a Vietnamese grocery store a fcouple of years ago. See the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlie :

"The package featured an image said to have been inspired by an Al Jolson performance, that of a wide-eyed, smiling dark-skinned Black male wearing a top hat, monocle and bowtie. Because of the contrast with very dark skin, it was a common perception that the teeth of people of African descent were exceptionally white."

[ProgressiveEconomist]

32. Here's a photo of the image of Obama Hunter likely sees in his mind:

[Bucky]

43. "Darlie"

Interesting. I was really young when my family moved away from New Orleans, but I do still remember some of that old southern Jim Crowism.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

51. Colgate actually acquired "Darkie Toothpaste" in 1985, and kept the name intact for

four years, according to http://www.wholepop.com/features/oral/strange.html .

"Aunt Jemima" got a makeover too; I don't know about "Uncle Ben" or the "Cream of Wheat" guy. Hunter and many ofther superannuated Republicans must have used products with old stereotyped racist logos as late as the 50s and 60s.

Racism still must be used to sell products, don't you think?. I often wonder about the prevalence of African-American men in TV ads for high-tech products. Are these ads aimed at whites who don't want Blacks to get ahead of them?

[Raschel]

53. Yep, years ago an old lady asked a friend of mine how he got his teeth so white......n/t

[stillcool]

57. yup...I knew exactly what he was saying..

[magdalena]

61. My mom is Thai and has always used this toothpaste.

My family in Thailand still do, it's probably the most popular brand over there. Even when it had the black-faced logo, I don't think it ever struck any of them as racist. I don't think Asians in general are very racist towards black skinned people. Sure, some have their share of racism and prejudice, but it's usually directed at other Asian ethnicities.

[secondwind]

33. You may be right............I didn't think of it that way..........unbelievable.

[AlCzervik]

34. i heard that and was pissed. Tweety didn't let that pass either, i think he restrained himself.

[Raineyb]

35. Not may be. Is. n/t

Regards

[spanone]

36. drunken hunter.....as mean as mcstunt

[EFerrari]

37. wndycty, two years ago, I don't think DU would have gotten this right away.

Progress.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

38. I hadn't thought of that.

Got in a discussion with somebody over McCain's absence of a neck. That particular point over Obama's teeth went completely over my head. You're right though.

[FrenchieCat]

39. This comment needs to be ignored at this point......

again, the matter of race does not EVER help our candidate.

Never, ever.

[EFerrari]

41. Agree that it doesn't help. But, that doesn't mean we shouldn't track this stuff. n/t

[obiwan]

40. IMHO Duncan Hunter is an inbred throwback who is missing a few chromosomes.

Thank God he's not MY rep.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

45. I caught that too. K&R. Vote it up, folks! n/t

[spooky3]

46. give Tweety credit

he drew immediate attention to it and softballed it up to the Democrat, who took Hunter to task.

[EFerrari]

49. I'm watching it again right now. Chris was great.

I've never liked him so well.

[spooky3]

52. He has often wasted his abilities in the past, IMHO.

He's too concerned about which way the wind is blowing (and happy to make sexist comments). Now, of course, he sees who will be in the WH, and I think he has always seemed to like Obama as well, so he is turning up the heat on goofy Republicans. If he would behave like a journalist every night, I'd be a fan.

[ailsagirl]

55. Matthews is sharp-- no doubt about it

[ShortnFiery]

47. Yes, the CONTRAST (black skin-white teeth) that's "fetching" to covert racists. It's a dog whistle.

:thumbsdown:

[vaberella]

48. I didn't see your post. I just mentioned it. Damn. I knew it couldn't have been just me!!

[mzmolly]

50. Well, so does Biden.

But I'd prefer to hear "he has a nice smile" vs. "good teeth" ... :crazy:

[libertad]

54. That is exactly how it struck me, too! I think that was an outrageous

thing for him to say.

[liberalla]

58. Yup. I saw that and immediately thought the same thing.

I'm glad Chris brought the conversation back around.

I wonder how much attention this will get. I would think at least a 'Worst Person', but you never know.

Hmmm... and Duncan Hunter was trying to 'help' McCain?

[Cherchez la Femme]

59. This racist POS needs to be TALKED UP

AND KICKED & RECOMMENDED!

It's not quite blatant and fits directly into the no-longer-subtle racist propaganda spewing like vomit from the repig's mouths, therefore, We The People need to make one hell of a stink about it and make damn sure OTHERS know about it!

[Vinca]

62. After watching it, I was surprised Tweety didn't say something.

Maybe it didn't occur to him . . . or maybe old Duncan has him intimidated.

[wndycty]

63. Saturday night kick

:kick:

[firedupdem]

64. It is what they used to say about slaves on the trading blocks...I don't

know if these people really realize what they are saying? I don't know....I thought it was a strange comment to make. He basically tried to diminish him to nothing but a nice smile...forget he has 2 degree's and is a brilliant man. Some people are assholes.

[TheKentuckian]

65. Of course he was being a bigot

He could have easily made the point most people perceived by saying something like "all he is a pretty smile and____" to make his bogus attack but he couldn't just leave it at that. The Republiscum are throwing off pretense and showing their true colors in HD.