Hillary: Mahatma Gandhi used to run a gas station in St. Louis

[cali]

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton apologized for joking that Mahatma Gandhi used to run a gas station in St. Louis, saying it was "a lame attempt at humor."

The New York Democrat made the remark at a fund-raiser Saturday. During an event here for Senate candidate Nancy Farmer, Missouri's state treasurer, Clinton introduced a quote from Gandhi by saying, "He ran a gas station down in St. Louis."

<snip>

The director of a U.S. center devoted to Gandhi's teachings on Tuesday called the remarks stereotypical and racially insensitive, while an educator said the flap underscored the need for politicians to be cautious when trying to get laughs.

<snip>
http://www.ivarta.com/newsletters/nL_040107.htm

You want to call Obama a racist for his inartful words about "typical white people"? You really want to make a big deal about it? OK, fine. Don't choke on this blooper by dear Hilly.

[Hepburn]

1. Jeeeeeeeeez. she is such a dork....

...at times she does not even make it to the level of asshole.

What a totally stupid remark!

[roguevalley]

33. it amazes me how you can look at someone and make a remark

like that. how can she see an Indian and say that? What a complete ass.

[gabeana]

2. It seems on DU and MSM

If you question historical white privelage thats the only racism

[Dogmudgeon]

3. "Inartful"! Well if THAT don't put lipstick on the pig!

Obama is inartful -- Hillary is a terrible person who eats babies.

Kinda like Goofus and Gallant, only for (supposed) adults.

--p!

[americanstranger]

6. Shh. The OP didn't mention the baby-eating thing.

Keep it to yourself.

- as

[cali]

10. No, dear. They both made inartful comments and neither is a bigot

how pathetic that you can't grasp the obvious, pig.

[islandmkl]

4. how the hell did Hillary get ahold of jr.'s joke book?...

did she go "heh, heh, heh.." at the end, too?

[americanstranger]

5. WTF?

What a stupid remark.

I call upon Nancy Farmer to renounce, reject, disavow.... ahh, never mind.

- as

[bunnies]

7. Ripping on Gandhi is tasteless. I dont care who you are. nt

[karynnj]

23. I agree and likely quite offensive to the world's largest democracy

Imagine how many threads here if Bush was clueless enough to say this.

[PoliticalAmazon]

28. Oh my...she insulted someone from INDIA!?!

The way she bows and scrapes to corporate India, she must be getting senile to insult one of their most revered religious and political figures!

[boobooday]

8. I remember that

Astonishingly unfunny.

[redstate_democrat]

9. The Chickeeeennnssss are coommmmiinnng hoommmeee

to roost!

[azmouse]

11. If we behaved the way Hillary supporters do

we'd need at least 10 threads on this subject because you know, our outrage cannot be expressed enough.
Where are they on this subject?

[wain]

12. very old

Jan 2004

[cali]

14. oh, I see. It's fine because she said it four years ago

take a logic course, genius.

[wain]

51. Probably right to a certain extent, less the the name calling

It becomes frustrating when either candidate reaches back through the years to grasp at straws.

[Leopolds Ghost]

34. So are Wright's remarks.

Oops! pwned!!!

[emilyg]

13. You must be very worried to post this.

[cali]

16. no. I'm very offended.

that people are calling Obama a racist. duh.

[snappyturtle]

17. I'd call it 'tit for tat'. If it had occurred the other way around it would

be the lead story in the MSM for DAYS!

[Zhade]

15. Obama wasn't even talking about all white persons, just those who have negative racial reactions.

clinton's joke was clearly a racial stereotype, and actually worthy of scorn.

[leeroysphitz]

18. How is that any better than the "Macaca" remark?

Bigots and children joke about Indians and Pakistanis who run gas stations or convenience stores.

[redstate_democrat]

19. SHAME ON HILLARY CLINTON!

[cali]

20. I'm gonna kick this for every stupid post about Obama's grandmother

which means it could linger for days. Goose meet gander.

[dembotoz]

21. what a clown

Gandhi is one of the great leaders in history.

His example influenced MLK and the whole civil rights movement.

Everyday it gets harder and harder for me to think of myself supporting her if she
gets the nomination.

[2rth2pwr]

22. She apologized, has Obama?

[cali]

24. I have no idea.

My post was in response to all the asswipes here lying and sliming Obama. Goose meet gander. What hilly dear said was at least as bad as what Obama said. She thought it was cute to slur all Indians for a cheap little laugh. He was trying to explain something and did it poorly. Neither are racists. But I play hardball, and I don't tolerate stupid vile shit.

[ldf]

37. asswipe?

project much?

[MattBaggins]

27. Sorry too late

She is in a tailspin, crashing, burning. She is unelectable now and should drop out before the SDs have to give this to Obama. Either that or Al Gore comes swooshing in and saves us all.

[goclark]

25. Is she in need of the Betty Ford Center?

This is not the HC I thought that I knew.
This is unreal for an "experienced" world traveler.

She needs some serious work before she represents America.

What the hell would she sound like ~ GW Bush.

[PoliticalAmazon]

26. I dunno--sounds like a McCain Senior Moment to Me!

Advancing senility would explain a lot of Hillary Clinton's actions, inconsistencies, inability to focus, and emotional lability demonstrated during this campaign.

[JI7]

29. kick

[azmouse]

30. kick

[Yael]

31. Even Bill Maher couldn't spin that enough to qualify for "funny"

Stick to your day job, Mrs. Clinton. Go back to your senate seat and finish out your term.

[Basement Beat]

32. WOW....

How could she even make a joke about Gandhi and think its funny?
Someone needs to watch Obama's speech.

[cali]

35. Hill gets away with quite a bit

despite her fans whining about how she has it harder than any other candidate.

[Whisp]

36. no class at all.

just a huge conniving embarrassment

[Lucky 13]

38. Deleted.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

39. Oh Cali... it was a joke, as you well know.

The joke was the idea that anyone in the audience wouldn't know who Ghandi was... she was playing it off like he was an obscure guy, and running a gas station in St. Louis was used as an example of obscurity.

The only parties with a right to complain are 1) gas station managers, and 2) St. Louis.

There was zero implication that he was running a gas station because he's Indian. And you KNOW that. So this attempt at tit-for-tat is really low by your standards.

Comparability Score = 0.00

The Obama comment is not a big outrage (to any sane person), but it was not a jest and not misunderstood. It meant what it meant.

You'd be better off saying it's am eaningless flap (which it is) than by trying to resurrect another meaningless flap...

As a certain midwestern gas station manager once told me, "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind"

[cali]

40. hey kurt,

it was an offensive and derogatory joke, and you know it. What was the point of said joke? What was supposed to make it funny? The implied put stereotype of Indians in American culture. The barb wasn't about Gandhi, but Indians, and it played into a very widely recognized stereotype. Some jokes aren't funny and are offensive. Why do you think she apologized? Why do you think Indian Americans were offended? And they were. Go read some of the stuff out of the Indian American community and grab a clue. Obama stated something awkwardly. Hillary made an inappropriate joke. Absolutely comparable and not remotely a low blow.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

41. You're off the rails.

Why did people complain? Because some people are assholes. (Breaking news!)

Why did she apologize? Because it's easier than not apologizing.

Why was she quoting Gandhi? Because she considers him one of the greatest men in world history.

What a SLUR!!!!

People who are freaking out about grandmother-gate need to drown themselves in the toilet.

So why join them?

[cali]

49. I don't think so

it was uniformly condemned by the Indian American community and for you decide that they're all just assholes is a bit much. I'm not making a big deal out of it, but I am demonstrating to the haters claiming that Obama is a racist, that politicians can make imprudent statements and jokes- including Hillary.

[Yael]

43. Someone needs to tell Mrs.Clinton that non-funny people shoudn't try to be funny

I know, I know -- the focus groups told her to go for the laugh. They screwed up.

[Poll_Blind]

42. YOUTUBE link HERE and a comment...

YouTube

  I believe in my heart of hearts that it was just an attempt at humor gone...horribly wrong. But, let me ask you this, would something similar be likely to come out of your mouth? The stereotype of the Indian-American owning a gas station/mini-mart is very real and it makes me uncomfortable to watch her say it. Where's her internal editor going "Cut the joke off in mid sentence- you fucked up, shut up!"

  Who said "Better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it?"

  It, ahem, certainly wasn't Mrs. Clinton, of course. Mark Twain?

PB

[derby378]

44. w00t!

She just handed the race to Obama. Nice going, genius.

[whistler162]

45. And in even older news....

Senator Clinton once stuck her tongue out at a classmate in the 1st grade!

[fuertegal]

46. tasteless joke

Mahatma is the greatest person on earth since Jesuschrist, IMO.

[Umbram]

47. I'm sure it wasn't meant to be racially insensitive, but it was certainly not very bright. (nt)

[meow mix]

48. well at least shes blowing her own dog whistle again..

:puke:

[TwilightGardener]

50. Selling Slurpees and burritos, huh, Hill? Yikes. All Obama said

was that his beloved grandmother was a typical white lady (and he would know, being half white), a product of her times, with a normal fear reaction to strange black men, which is why she's NOT racist. He was trying to defend her by saying she's perfectly normal and ordinary. Hillary made what anyone could see as an OBVIOUS stereotype joke.

[Mike03]

52. I've not heard Obama say a word, sentence or even a syllable that sounded remotely racist.

Although I doubt Hillary is truly racist. I don't think Obama, Clinton or Pelosi or even Ferarro (sp?) are racist. The racism and sexism are coming from the MSM and interpretation of what these people are saying, which in many cases is STUPID and THOUGHTLESS but not racist.

[anonymous171]

53. RACIST!