Bigotry towards a white guy didn't inspire denunciation of ALL forms

[loyalsister]

Tom Schweich and pres. Obama were both smeared as being something they were not. I don't think it would have been appropriate to bring it up in this context, but I am wondering how many Republicans see the irony of this outrage.
Regardless, I hope they will take their own advice.

Danforth admitted that his eulogy at Schweich’s funeral was born in “overwhelming anger that politics has gone so hideously wrong.” He blamed Schweich’s death on “what politics has become.”

“I have never experienced an anti-Semitism campaign,” he said. “Anti-Semitism is always wrong and we can never let it creep into politics.”

Danforth recounted Schweich’s last conversation with him and how Schweich was angry about a radio commercial that attacked him but was more concerned about “a whispering campaign that he was Jewish.”

“The only reason for going around saying that someone is Jewish is to make political profit from religious bigotry,” said Danforth.

http://blog.missourinet.com/

[bravenak]

1. I'm a little glad they're able to see it for what it is.

Hope it spreads. They can reflect and learn empathy.

[loyalsister]

2. I hope so!

It has been bad nationally, and it has been absolutely toxic in MO. People with good intentions don't run in order to protect their families and personal lives.
Honestly, do we really want a candidate who is not affected by slander and hate? A friend was upset by seeing her son crying over a friend's death. I told her that the alternative was worse because it would mean that he was a sociopath.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. No, but it also didn't get much play or interest either.

Perhaps because of bigotry used.

[loyalsister]

4. Actually it has stimulated a lot of interest

There have been several articles written about it. A republican senator gave a speech about it at the MO capitol. I hope his hope for cleaner, more civil politics is realized, but for now I will settle for less hostility and hope it lasts.

http://politicmo.com/2015/03/02/mike-parson-schweich-speech/

[Behind the Aegis]

5. To be honest, I have only seen a few things here and there.

And I didn't see anything in the MSM. It didn't appear to make much of splash here. It reveals a different kind of ugliness.

[loyalsister]

6. Obviously there has a been considerable coverage in MO

The KC Star, STL Post Dispatch, and many of the smaller papers. A list of articles appears below this LTTE. Danforth did show some courage. A republican in MO calling out Rex Sinquefield (the Hanaway and Hancock backer) is like a republican member of congress calling out the Koch bros.

Of the republicans who have spoken up, they have very specifically condemned religious bigotry, rather than saying bigotry of any kind should be rejected.

http://m.stltoday.com/news/opinion/article_cf861616-67b6-5fa6-ae29-97ca3a243ec9.html?mobile_touch=true#.VPXqRYlXLmE.twitter

[Behind the Aegis]

7. In MO and the Jewish news, yes.

Outside of that...chirp, chirp. It is basically being treated as a "local" story. Frankly, I am surprised they even condemned religious bigotry, but, then again, they are actually concerned about offending Jewish people...to some extent.

[loyalsister]

8. So true

I suspect their idea religious bigotry probably is limited to Judaism. I grew up in a suburb of KC and I didn't meet anyone who I knew was Jewish until I was in college. The backlash against Obama has revealed MO to be a more backward than I thought with even that in mind.

I wonder if any of the republicans who are critical of this whispering campaign would acknowledge and denounce the screaming campaign on Obama's religion.

[Behind the Aegis]

9. They would NEVER condem the Islamophobic attacks against Obama.

A real test would be Jindal and if a "whisper" campaign about his "really being a Hindu" (he's Christian) would actually be a technique to keep him on the sidelines. Most people don't actually know a Jew, which isn't surprising because there aren't that many of us here, so it isn't uncommon for people to have never actually met a Jew. I have been a "first" to many people. Not the kind of 'first' I usually sought.

[loyalsister]

13. I know a Jew who grew up in New Orleans

He said that when he was growing up, he was a little self conscious about his food.
I now live in a more diverse part of MO, and I have met people from every major religion, and even a Satanist.

I think you're right about Jindal being the test. I think they would have to do some work to demonize Hinduism since it can't instantly be tied to terrorism.

[malaise]

10. That is not true - indeed Rachel Maddow actually

carried the important sections of the eulogy

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/shocking-suicide-exposes-religious-bigotry-407844931689

[Behind the Aegis]

11. One MSM source.

We have established a few places carried the story, but it didn't have much traction.

[malaise]

12. When last have you seen a eulogy carried on M$Greedia? n/t

[loyalsister]

14. It's really sad

because this thing has national, even international implications. I think it will be hard to get many republicans to speak to this, because it is so easy to find their Islamaphobic statements. Without on screen conflict, there is no story.