Would a campaign memo including any of the following be racist?

[draft_mario_cuomo]

McCain (R-Navajos)
McCain (R-Mexico)
Nelson (D-Cuba)
Clinton (D-Israel)
Brown (D-Poland)
Menendez (D-Puerto Rico)
Schumer (D-Italy)
Boxer (D-Mexico)
Murray (D-China)
Kerry (D-Ireland)
Wellstone (D-Norway)
Daschle (D-Germany)
Obama (D-South Side Chicago)

Would it be racist to imply that these senators are in the pockets of the mentioned minority groups?

[Debi]

1. I thought Leroy Brown was from the South Side of Chicago..nt

[draft_mario_cuomo]

8. Senator Brown of Ohio nt

[Debi]

13. .

[truedelphi]

2. The kerry Wellstone and Daschle would not be considered racist

In my view the others would be

[MnFats]

9. 'cept Wellstone was the son of Russian immigrant Jews....

is that anti-Semitic?

[draft_mario_cuomo]

11. Wellstone represented a state with a large Norwegian population

Would it be racist to say he is in the pockets of Norwegians?

[DemBones DemBones]

16. How could it be anti-Semitic to say a Jewish person is Jewish?

Or, in this case, sadly, was Jewish.

R.I.P., Paul Wellstone

[draft_mario_cuomo]

17. Is it racist to say Wellstone was in the pockets of Norweigan-Americans?

I have deliberately chosen examples of senators representing states with a substantial ethnic population from the listed groups. In every case the senator is not a member of the mentioned group.

[LeftishBrit]

21. It wouldn't be anti-semitic to say that Wellstone was Jewish!!!

It would, however, be anti-semitic to say that he was 'the Senator for Israel' because he was Jewish.

To say that he was the 'Senator for Norway' as suggested in the OP would not be racist in the ordinary sense, but would imply ethnic bigotry, not against Wellstone himself but against many of his constituents.

Mentioning someone's ethnicity isn't bigoted, but implying that minority groups are less than full citizens of their country is bigoted.

[Mass]

3. Kerry D-Ireland ? Not sure what the point would be?

[draft_mario_cuomo]

6. Mass. has a large Irish population

Would it be racist to imply that Kerry is in the pockets of Irish-Americans?

[Mass]

10. Thanks. I just found the post concerning the memo about Hillary.

Now I understand what the thread is about.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

12. No problem

:hi:

[sandnsea]

4. Jesus - it was HER FRIGGIN JOKE

She shouldn't have said she could be elected Senator to Punjab if she didn't want anybody else to repeat it.

[tammywammy]

5. Agreed

[ElizabethDC]

20. Yeah, but she meant it in a positive way

and one could say the Obama folks were being derogatory about it.

Hillary was bragging about her Indian support - the Obama team was deriding her for it.

[JI7]

24. she was referring to her support specifically because of outsourcing

not because of support among indians in general.

and the oppo research was used in the same way also.

[Lobster Martini]

7. Self delete (n/t)

[draft_mario_cuomo]

14. Obama apologists?

[Ethelk2044]

15. She said it. It would be different if Obama said the words then he

should apologized.

Hillary just had a macaca moment Just like George Allen.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

18. HRC has strong support from an ethnic group. What is wrong with that?

Are ethnics not worthy of being included in Obama's "new politics"?

[LeftishBrit]

19. Racist may not be the word in all cases; but certainly xenophobic

Some of these groups (e.g. Norwegians) would not normally be regarded as a 'race', so one could argue about whether racism is a proper term. But it would certainly imply xenophobic bigotry against the politicians and/or their voting constituencies; amd has no place in a modern democracy.

Describing a politician as the 'Senator for X" (another country or region) would only be appropriate and non-xenophobic if the politician is in fact spending too much time in that country and neglecting their home duties.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

23. Good post, thanks for it and the point on racism vs. xenophobia nt

[illinoisprogressive]

22. Obama represented the South Side in the State senate.