Rick Sanchez Calls Obama The "Cotton-Picking President"

[Scurrilous]

Rick Sanchez Calls Obama The "Cotton-Picking President," Turns In CNN's Worst 8 P.M. Ratings In Three Years

<snip>

"Campbell Brown's replacement at CNN, Rick Sanchez of "Rick's List," is drawing a tiny audience at 8 P.M. each night, according to the latest Nielsen Ratings.

In August, "Rick's List" averaged 452,000 viewers each night – and just 127,000 each night in the 25 to 54 age group.

Total viewers for the month were down 41% year-over-year.

All told, August was the worst month for CNN's 8 P.M. time-slot in about three years.

Why is Rick so unpopular? Maybe it's because of flubs like this one, where he calls Barack Obama the "cotton-picking President."

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/rick-sanchez-calls-obama-the-cotton-picking-president-turns-in-cnns-worst-8-pm-ratings-in-three-years-2010-8#ixzz0y8AP2k72

(video at link)

[JuniperLea]

1. K&R so all will see the stupid...

Holy cow.

[steve2470]

4. wow... tone deaf nt

[JuniperLea]

7. Excuse me?

Insult and run without explanation? That's beyond rude.

[steve2470]

19. I was talking about him... not you

I don't do insult and run.

[AngryOldDem]

2. Rick is a journalistic legend in his own mind.

Why did CNN give over two time slots to him?

[superduperfarleft]

3. I remember him, I think it was re: the BP well, having some scientist use "meters"

and he asks the guy, "What's that in English?"

:rofl:

Edit: I was completely wrong. It was during the Hawaiian tsunami fiasco. Sorry for the drudge link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD90dN4fOLk

[RKP5637]

6. LOL

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[JuniperLea]

11. OMG! That was sooo stupid!

:rofl:

(Not you... not the Drudge link... just in case... didn't want you to take offense!)

[REP]

26. I hate to defend Sanchez, but inches, feet, yards, etc are often called "English units"

There's a more modern name, but that's the name I was taught a zillion years ago, and so probably was Sanchez. He was probably trying to get a translation into units a metric-challenged US audience would better understand.

[Canuckistanian]

33. It's called "Imperial"

Feet, pounds, miles, degrees Fahrenheit.

I find it ironic that the rebelling colonists still use the Imperial (British) system, while we in Canada officially ditched it back in the 1970's for Metric.

[REP]

34. US Customary in the States, or more commonly, English units

They tried metric in the '70s here ... didn't take, except for sodas coming in 2 liters instead of 1/2 gallons.

[RKP5637]

5. I've always thought he's not very good the few times I've watched him. n/t

[Thrill]

8. Fuck CNN

[gratuitous]

9. Somebody call Glenn Beck, for crying out loud!

Had to be said.

[Nite Owl]

10. I gave up on CNN

a long time ago. They want to be a baby Fox and in many ways they are worse because people still think they report news. Poor Ted Turner must be so miserable just thinking of what happened to his news network, it used to be the premier place for real news.

[madmax]

12. WHAT!?? nt

[tblue37]

13. It was certainly tone deaf, but he didn't mean it to *describe* Obama, but rather as an

intensifier, like saying, "He is the gol-darn president of the United States."

[monmouth]

14. It's in our vernacular, I use the term all of the time. This is such a non-story...n/t

[jberryhill]

25. While it is a common expression

It is one that is best retired.

[TroglodyteScholar]

31. +1

I used to work in GA for a black gentleman about my father's age...We had one coworker who would use that phrase periodically, and it was always cringe-worthy. My guy was really cool about it, though. Actually, now that I think about it, he was basically cool about everything.

[KamaAina]

15. Well, that was pretty dirty, Sanchez

:eyes:

[Joanie Baloney]

39. Ha!

Sly fox.

:evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[global1]

16. He Didn't Say It As A Slam To Obama - Just As An Expression In A ......

comment he had in a discussion as to why Obama isn't defending himself on this "He is a muslim" thing. He said something to the effect for gosh sakes he is the cotton picking president - why doesn't he just use his bully pulpit to defend himself.

A few minutes after he said that - he got a flurry of tweets calling him on it telling him don't you realize you just called our black president 'cotton picking'.

When this was brought to his attention - he immediately apologized on air.

People here - this is how things get blown out of proportion. Get the facts before you post. Rick did not say this to dis the president. It was a inappropriate use of an old use of words - not a defamatory remark.

I've been listening to Rick for a long time now and I believe he is on our side. He's one of the good guys.

Give it a break already folks.

[superduperfarleft]

21. He may not be a racist but he's definitely a moron. n/t

[wmbrew0206]

35. OK, but do we extend that to the others who have use that phase that we have derided

here on DU?

Sanchez claims it is a phrase he used growing up in the south. Does that mean we give Lou Dobbs the same pass when he used it and members of DU jumped all over him for it?

[global1]

38. Did Dobbs Immediately Apologize For Using That Phrase?.......

I kind of doubt it - and I'm sure he used it in a manner that he intended to use it to slam the President. What Sanchez said was said almost unconsciously and immediately after it was brought to his attention - he apologized profusely. I don't see this as a double standard.

I'm willing to take Sanchez at his word. He's a upstanding type of guy. Not like Lou Dobbs who is on par with the likes of Hannity, Rush, Beck, et al.

[wmbrew0206]

40. Uh. Dobbs never used that phase to describe Obama. It was almost used about Condi Rice.

I'm not defending Dobbs, but the phase "cotton picking" is used a lot and not considered bad or racial if not used in conjunction with anything relating to African Americans. Dobbs stopped himself half way through the phrase when he realized he was using it conjunction with an African American and it might come off as racial. Sanchez didn't even realize it.

The only thing I think we can really draw from this is that Dobbs is faster thinking on his feet than Sanchez.

[geek tragedy]

17. Sanchez is a pretty good guy--he's not the type

who would consciously--or unconsciously for that matter--use a racial slur.

[bleever]

18. Tase him.

[Marr]

20. This is all you need to know about Rick Sanchez.

http://www.navigadget.com/index.php/2010/03/01/dear-rick-sanchez-please-use-this-guide

He may or may not be a nice guy, but he's definitely an airhead.

[More_liberal_than_mo]

22. He's not a racist

but airhead maybe. He often puts his mouth in gear before engaging his brain. It was unintentional and when brought to his attention he quickly apologized. He was really standing up for the President but unfortunately made a bad choice in wording.

[HEyHEY]

29. He's part of a bigger problem

These people who are complete dolts getting TV shows have ruined the collective brain of the world.

I worked in radio and TV. The people working in TV were always loudest, fastest talkers, but even at the pub they could never say anything of value.

[hootinholler]

23. His show makes me seasick

Rocking back and forth like that.

-Hoot

[peacetalksforall]

24. No TV. I'm sooooo happy! Thanks to all of your for the highlights, and low sewer stuff like this.

I don't think it was off the top of his head. His employer wants him to be Beck like.

[asdjrocky]

27. I think he may be the single dumbest anchor I've ever seen on the news.

Anywhere.

[eShirl]

28. He needs to step away from the Yosemite Sam DVDs.

[TroglodyteScholar]

32. Darn tootin'! n/t

[JI7]

30. In his case i don't think there was any racism behind it

[upi402]

36. CNN - Corporate News Network

My jaw dropped when Ted Turner said recently that CNN was about right, in terms of balance and middle of the road.

[JCMach1]

37. Okay, that is EXTREMELY racist... I remember a rabid great uncle of mine

that phrase always went... 'Cotton Picking Ni##$%s'

:grr: