Tucker Carlson = Racist

Via Media Matters:

On the September 18 edition of MSNBC's Tucker, host Tucker Carlson called S.R. Sidarth, a volunteer with the campaign of Virginia Democratic Senate challenger Jim Webb, "[t]hat whiny little kid." On August 11, Sen. George F. Allen (R-VA), Webb's opponent, was caught on tape addressing Sidarth as "Macaca" and saying to him: "Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia." Macaca is a genus of monkey and is also reportedly a slur used in Europe and North Africa against people of African descent; Sidarth is of Indian descent, but he was reportedly born and raised in Virginia.

As Media Matters for America noted, Allen has engaged in behavior in the past that has resulted in accusations that he has what The New Republic has called a "race problem." Yet Carlson said that if Allen "loses because he called this kid 'Macaca,' that's got to be the worst possible reason to lose a race." Carlson asked people who were "gonna vote against George Allen" because of the "Macaca" incident to "[p]lease, have some dignity," and repeatedly stated of the issue: "Who cares?" On the August 24 edition of Tucker, Carlson also stated, "He's not calling [Sidarth] a widely recognized racist term. ... I've never even heard that word before." He then asked, "[W]ho cares?"

Media Matters has video and the transcript.

Here's the thing: The only possible reason why Tucker wouldn't care about having a racist like Allen in the Senate is if he agrees with the Senators sentiments.

Being a racist and refering to an American born citizen as a 'monkey' and a racial epithet isn't a good reason not to vote for someone? Not wanting somebody in government that thinks that people who look different couldn't possibly understand what the 'real America' is isn't a good reason? How about just not wanting to elect a bully that would grossly insult a young man who was quietly going about doing his job for having skin darker than your lily-white ideal?

And speaking of victim-blaming, if I recall, S.R. Sidarth never actually said anything. I haven't seen him on TV talking about the incident. I don't even recall Sidarth asking for an apology, though when he got a rather disingenuous one, he was skeptical.

Tucker, you're calling for voters to 'have some dignity' and vote for a racist. How about calling on Senators to NOT BE RACISTS!

And while we're dealing in personal attacks like 'whiny little kid' I'll ask you how it feels to be the first "star" kicked off "Dancing with the Stars." I guess that makes you a 'stone-footed bungling oaf.'

Tucker Carlson George Allen Racism Virginia Politics