Allen Rationalizes Questionably Racist Decisions With Questionable Logic

[JABBS]

Click here to read how Sen. George Allen (R-VA) explained to NBC's Tim Russert why he was no longer the man who in earlier years had made questionably racist decisions.

ALLEN: On the Confederate flag — look, I wish I had had these experiences earlier in life, because I would have made decisions differently. The Confederate flag — as, as a kid, I was rebellious, anti-establishment, I still am. And I looked at the flag as a symbol for that.

RUSSERT: But you were governor.

Only Allen knows the truth about Allen. But his lame excuses, which began with his explaining away "macaca" last month, only continued today on Meet The Press. Whether it costs Allen a chance to retain his Senate seat this November -- and a chance at the presidency in 2008 -- remains to be seen.

[acmavm]

1. A chance at the presidency in 2008? I don't think that was ever

in the cards.

[bigdarryl]

2. Even his own sister questions his...

Rcist remarks. this guy is TOASTED as far as a presidential canidate.

[underpants]

4. Oh I do

he was the front runner of the old Reagan crowd (this will be about their last election). He has done everything possible to latch on to those coat tails. His whole career has consisted of a) being the football coach's son b) sort of being Reagan's fifth child.

The funny part is that the Webb campaign has footage of St.Ronnie praising HIM and the Allen campaign, to date, has none. Not one speech or photo op or anything. Nothing.

[Captain Hilts]

5. Yes, yes it was.

I worked with Republicans. They were grooming this guy.

No kidding.

[acmavm]

12. Well they didn't use enough cootie powder because you can

groom this clown from now 'til hell freezes over and he'll never live in the White House.

The repubs are dumb but to think that they'd push this buffoon out on the American...

Crap, it just dawned on me, look at the republican trash we have squatting in the White House as I type. They'll promote anyone I guess.

[Captain Hilts]

14. Don't forget: There's a constituency for 'stupid'. nt

[JABBS]

11. look back at the buzz from six months ago

and Allen was being talked up by the conservative noise machine.

[Captain Hilts]

3. He's an ignorant, redneck wanna be. He grew up in California!

Webb needs to emphasize the falsity of Allen's image. Much like Bush's.

[LibDemAlways]

6. I went to high school with Allen and he was not

rebellious or anti-establishement in the least. He sucked up to the teachers, joined some innocuous clubs like "car club," ran track, was quarterback of the varsity football team, and dated a cheerleader. Allen's achilles heel, then, as now, was his racism. Those Confederate flags he was so fond of represented nothing else. When some racist graffiti turned up on the school walls, everyone knew exactly who was responsible - George Allen.

[abluelady]

10. How About Sending The Richmond Paper

a LTTE with that information. It might help us here. If Webb takes Richmond, I think he will win the seat.

[sandnsea]

15. The clip in the OP should be enough

I can't figure out how anybody could vote for someone who said something so stupid. "I was young" - when he was governor??

Add... he made up macaca? Oh please. And since when was Virginia known for cowboys and cowboy boots anyway? And he's from friggin' California - southern California at that.

He should be dying in the polls, absolutely at the bottom of the barrel. Maybe you guys need to do some sort of "clean out the barn" campaign and put Allen in the same clips with Burns of MT and Santorum of PA.

[JABBS]

16. agreed

To be fair, there has been a 26-point swing toward Webb over the past two months.

The fog may be lifting in Virginia.

[sandnsea]

17. But Kerry had 45%

It's beyond baffling to me that anybody who pushed the lever for Kerry would turn around and even consider Allen. It should be a no-brainer for those 45% to vote for Webb. Who ARE these :crazy: people who walk amongst us???

[JABBS]

18. don't forget, though

that a lot of people vote for House and Senate based on what pork the incumbent did or did not bring home. also, allen has far more name recognition than webb in virginia.

and, you're talking about a state that leans to the right. even the democrats in Virginia tend to be conservative, anti-abortion, anti-gay rights types.

webb, of course, is a former reagan navy secretary who defected to the democrats over the Iraq War. But he's hardly a poster child for the left.

[sandnsea]

19. That still makes no sense

A former Reagan Navy Secy ought to be right up the alley of those conservative Democrats that showed up and voted for Kerry. They ought to have MORE reason to vote for Webb. Certainly he's no poster child for the left, but I haven't heard any of them defecting either so that shouldn't account for a lower percentage. Here in Oregon, our Republican portrays himself as a moderate so I can see where he'd get some swing voters who went for Kerry. But that's not true of Allen at all, so I still can't see a Kerry voter going for him. Either the Kerry campaign did a heckuvalot better job at getting votes than they're being credited for, or 'the herd' makes up a bigger portion of the voting block than I ever imagined.

[JABBS]

21. true

but his name recognition is still poor.

[magnolia]

20. Republicans will say anything...

...because their base will believe anything! Wasn't it Henry Hyde who called the affair he had while in his 40's "a youthful indescretion"!!!!

[yellowcanine]

7. Russert asked Allen FOUR times if he would serve a 6 year term.

Allen dodged the question every time.


MR. RUSSERT: We are out of time. Before we go, Senator Allen, you have said, “The Senate is too slow for me.” Would you pledge to serve a full six-year term if re-elected to the Senate?

SEN. ALLEN: The Senate does move too slowly. Having been governor I like action and I wish the Senate would move faster. But my focus is to keep fighting in the Senate for these ideas.

MR. RUSSERT: For six—will you serve a six-year term?

SEN. ALLEN: I’m the only candidate running on ideas on education...

MR. RUSSERT: OK.

SEN. ALLEN: ...and on energy independence. And I am focused...

MR. RUSSERT: I, I, I’ve read the—I’ve read the brochure. I’ve read the brochure.

SEN. ALLEN: ...and I want—I will...

MR. RUSSERT: But will you serve...

SEN. ALLEN: Sure, and you can put it in as a...(unintelligible)...of my family.

MR. RUSSERT: ...will you pledge to serve a full six-year term?

SEN. ALLEN: I pledge that I’m going to fight as hard as I can for our shared values and vision for Virginia for the next six years in Washington.

[LibDemAlways]

8. Allen is deluding himself if he thinks he will still

be taken seriously as a Presidential candidate. His participation in that race is over already.

[Virginia Dare]

9. The Pukes have already cut him loose..

on that you can be sure. The little chimp, as stupid as he is, has never made a gaffe that bad. If you can't handle yourself in a Senatorial race, there is no way they will trust you with a Presidential race.

[JABBS]

13. he didn't want to touch that

... he hopes that a year from now, when the presidential race matters, people will forget macaca.