Trump backer says he's 'not a racist' after insults against Obamas published
Source: Associated Press
Posted: Dec 27, 2016 7:40 PM ET
A former Donald Trump campaign official who wrote that he wanted to see Barack Obama dead of mad cow disease and Michelle Obama living with a gorilla in Africa now says those comments weren't meant for publication but were nevertheless "inappropriate."
Carl Paladino, a millionaire developer, one-time Republican candidate for governor and co-chairman of Trump's New York campaign, issued a statement Tuesday expressing regret for the insults, four days after their publication in the local weekly newspaper Artvoice.
<snip>
But in the lengthy statement, Paladino also took fresh aim at the president, calling him a "traitor to American values," and said he wouldn't resign from Buffalo's school board, which called a special meeting later in the week to discuss his comments.
"I don't intend to yield to the fanatics among my adversaries. I certainly am not a racist," he wrote.
Paladino also said for the first time that he never meant to make his comments public. He said they were only intended to go to friends, but he mistakenly hit "reply" on his computer instead of "forward."
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/paladino-comments-inappropriate-1.3913638?cmp=rss
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,836 posts)And the terrible things you say that you meant only your friends to see are still terrible things.
DrToast
(6,414 posts)As if you'd only be offended by what he said if you're a minority.
cstanleytech
(26,319 posts)is exactly what they were when you sent them you prick.
brooklynite
(94,727 posts)guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Even racist clowns have feelings.
With apologies to any clowns who are reading this.
enough
(13,262 posts)jaysunb
(11,856 posts)It must have been in the latest memo....
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)He is notorious for running his mouth off and displaying alot of false bravato. Figures he is a blowhard drumpf supporter.
olddad56
(5,732 posts)that doesn't count. No way could be a racist.
Squinch
(51,007 posts)Dustlawyer
(10,497 posts)Its like they are brothers from another mother! On second thought, they probably are!
Nitram
(22,879 posts)They blithely assume it couldn't 't possibly ally to them. I mean, of course it was totally random that he chose Africa and a gorilla to populate his rancid fantasy about Michell Obama.
AgadorSparticus
(7,963 posts)I am still raging over what he said about Michelle Obama. Just.....
riversedge
(70,299 posts)The board is holding a special meeting Thursday to "discuss board member conduct." In New York, school board members typically can only be removed by the state education commissioner.
Paladino, 70, has gotten into trouble over emailed material before. During his unsuccessful run for governor in 2010 he apologized for forwarding emails to friends that included racist jokes and pornography.
Solly Mack
(90,787 posts)- no matter how racist - that wasn't intended to be heard/seen by everyone.
Miracle of affliction.
Snarkoleptic
(6,001 posts)Weakest. Denial. Ever.
Snarkoleptic
(6,001 posts)No Vested Interest
(5,167 posts)May be it's time to give up the computer keyboard, Carl.
Generic Other
(28,979 posts)Makes way more sense that these comments were meant for private guffaws with his good old boy pals in the pointy hoods.
YUK YUK YUK. Aint he witty?
The lame explanation is almost worse than the original comments. Almost.
Raine
(30,540 posts)he's ugly to the bone.
JI7
(89,264 posts)Behind the Aegis
(53,987 posts)People like this are only trying to convince themselves they aren't racists/bigots. Any minority person has likely come across such a person.
"It's just a joke! Lighten up!"
"I wasn't talking about you!"
"You aren't like those people!"
"You are a credit to your kind because you aren't a stereotype."
"There are (epithet)s, and then there are (politically/social correct name)." (e.g. "There are "faggots" and then there are gay people."
"Just because I point out the truth, it doesn't make me a bigot!"
As someone who is gay and Jewish, I have heard many variations, sometimes not in a good way. I would be willing to bet that most, if not all, African-American posters here have heard similar things. Too many will say, "If that makes me a racist/homophobe/anti-Semite, then so be it. I (a white person/heterosexual/gentile) won't let someone like you (an African-American/gay man or lesbian/Jew) tell me I am a bigot!" Some even laugh it off with shitty comments like, "How expected!" or "You people are always saying things are bigoted against your people!" or "Are you really going to play the (minority) card?!"
Yeah, shit like this is way more common than many are willing to admit. But, when these people really want to make a point, they always resort to...."some of my best friends/my father (other family member)/my neighbor are/is (the minority in question)." Sometimes, they actually are a member of the minority group, as if that magically absolves them.
Not all bigots wear sheets or armbands, many wear jeans and t-shirts. Not all bigots use the "real bad words", they simply rely on more acceptable forms of bigotry. Not all bigots are uneducated, knuckle-draggers. Not all bigots are conservatives. Not all bigots are straight, white, able-bodied, cis-gendered, Christian, men. No, sadly, bigotry comes in all forms, and usually comes with all forms of excuses.
BumRushDaShow
(129,453 posts)Botany
(70,581 posts)Asked what he wanted to see go away in 2017, Mr. Paladino answered, Michelle Obama, Id like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla.
He also wrote that he hoped President Obama would die of mad cow disease. His comments were published with those of three dozen other survey respondents.
snip
Mr. Paladino said that statement was a draft written by his brother-in-law, which he did not intend to send.
Vinca
(50,303 posts)We need a new word for this idiot/nutjob/racist/pervert/homophobe/woman hater. Once it's created it will probably be too vile for a dictionary.
Mc Mike
(9,115 posts)Zorro
(15,749 posts)The first is being called a racist.
Renew Deal
(81,871 posts)BeyondGeography
(39,379 posts)left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Too busy attacking SNL
still_one
(92,396 posts)WhiteTara
(29,722 posts)He is a deplorable racist.