Lou Dobbs Almost Calls Condi A "Cotton Picker"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

VIDEO CLIP @ URL below.

Lou Dobbs visited Wolf Blitzer in the "Situation Room" on Friday and railed against Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice for saying that race is still an issue in America because it was an American "birth defect."

Dobbs dismissed Rice's very notion, claiming race is no longer an issue in a society as diverse as modern day America. "The reality is, this is the most socially, ethnically, religiously, racially diverse society on the face of the earth," Dobbs said. "Now, Wolf, we don't make enough of that in the national media. We listen to some idiot say you can't talk about race."

Then Dobbs tripped over his words, as he declared, "Not a single one of these cotton...(stammering)...these just ridiculous politicians should be the moderator on the issue of race."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/31/lou-dobbs-almost-calls-co_n_94301.html

[EFerrari]

1. He did call her that. He's a hate monger. That's how he earns his living. n/t

[Bucky]

2. Wow

Black person says racism exists. White person says, "Nah, I ain't seen it since they took the signs off the drinking fountains."

What a surprise.

[lpbk2713]

3. That ought to keep Hannity whining for at least three days

That little weasel turd.

[Cant trust em]

4. Holy shit. Yikes. What the hell do I say about that? NT

[DJ13]

5. That didnt sound like a swipe at Condi, but of all politicians

"Not a single one of these cotton...(stammering)...these just ridiculous politicians should be the moderator on the issue of race."


Havent you ever used the phrase "cotton pickin" as in wait one cotton pickin moment, or those cotton picken idiots down at the (insert government office name here)?

It sounded more like a non-cussing way of expressing his sentiment towards ALL politicians.

Thats hardly the racial slur your headline makes it sound like.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

6. It's not "MY" fucking headline

You have an issue with the headline, contact Huffington Post.

I copied and pasted.

"MY" headline is NO FUCKING HEADLINE AT ALL, tough guy.

[Mojambo]

7. THIS close to a stay at the Don Imus resort and casino.

Too bad he didn't finish the thought.

[Clovis Sangrail]

8. now hold on a cotton pickin' minute

I cant' watch the video, and I don't really like Dobbs... but 'cotton pickin' ' is a pretty common idiom.
Just about every time I've heard it used it was as a 'cleaned up' way of saying 'god damned'

From the transcript it sounds like a) Dobbs was using it in that way not as a racist jibe and b) he was addressing it towards ALL politicians.

[Shakespeare]

9. Correction. He was addressing it towards all BLACK politicians.

And he caught himself mid-gaffe. He knew exactly what he was doing (or almost did).

It's not as if Dobbs doesn't already haved a well-established pattern of bigoted statements and sentiments.

[chixydix]

12. It is only racist to those who need for it to be.

...

[Saturday]

10. Dobbs uses cotton pickin all the time and it's not in reference to race issues. nt

[NMLobo]

14. Well then

Why didn't he just say the whole thing. Why did he stammer and stop in mid "expression"??

[lightningandsnow]

11. Lou Dobbs is a racist asshat.

Period. End of sentence.

[chixydix]

13. No, he isn't.

He's a xenophobic asshat. Not the same thing at all.

[nomorenomore08]

15. Does the distinction really matter? Bigotry is bigotry, there isn't a huge difference

between fear of foreigners and fear of brown people. Neither is justified, and both are exploited by unscrupulous people for political gain.

[chixydix]

18. Two hundred years ago, fear of foreigners was fear of white people.

I'm not defending bigotry, I just think we ought to be accurate when describing it. Also, fear isn't the same thing as hatred, although they are frequently found together. (I know a little about that distinction and so does my same-sex partner of 29 years.)
:-)

[nomorenomore08]

20. Point taken. The most important thing is that Dobbs is an asshole, and a lot

of stupid people believe him. Don't worry, I don't think you're a bigot or anything. :hi:

[libodem]

16. Unless you take a look at

the phrase, and think about how it sounds, it passes as slang swearing. It's part of the endemic racism embedded in our culture. I think most of us try our best to be politically correct and to be unoffensive. With Lou, I'm not so sure. I wish I had bookmarked some of the best documentary's in the Video Forum, concerning how the media uses racist words and stories, to the point it becomes more normalized in society. Some of that: 'we need a big fence across the Mexican border to keep out the bad men who will steal our jobs and daughters', filth, that Lou, seems to favor.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

17. Keith Olbermann, when naming Dobbs as a worst person, pointed out, Dobbs' wife is Mexican American.

:shrug:

[Marr]

19. Breaking! Racist old white man thinks racism not a problem!

News at 11!

[malaise]

21. Poor Lou

He should visit Jamaica if he wants to understand diversity and we're far from perfect.

[apocalypsehow]

22. So, a racist slurs a war criminal. Ironic.

n/t.