Great Question at Raising Kaine

RK:

Is it simplier to believe that George Allen, who speaks French and whose mother is French-Tunisian, used a French-Tunisian slur word ...

or ...

That he used a word that bears almost no resemblance to the word "mohawk" to describe the hair of someone he claims to have mohawk, despite photographic proof that he doesn't have a mohawk?  And that the made-up word he chose just happened to also be a slur word he could be accused of knowing based on his background?

UPDATE:  Another blog runs down Allen's history like this:

"In short, Allen's very long list of racially insensitive actions has grown again. He's twice referred to his opponent's non-white campaign staffer using a term that means monkey, hung a noose from a tree in his law office, displayed a Confederate flag on numerous occasions from 1967-2000, featured the flag in his first statewide television ad in Virginia, signed a Confederate Heritage Month proclamation that described the Civil War as "a four-year struggle for independence and state's rights," opposed the 1991 Civil Rights Act, opposed creating a holiday for Martin Luther King, voted against changing a racially offensive state song, and initially defended Trent Lott after he praised Strom Thurmond's Dixiecrat presidential candidacy. "

Comments

[Not Don Rumsfeld]

Were mistakes made? Sure. Could we have known Allen would slip up? Maybe. Could he have been reaching for the French equivalent of "Stretch"? Probably not. Is he a latte sipping, cheese eating surrender bunny? Mais oui!

[brimur]

I find it funny that the GOP shills think it's so reasonable that he was saying Macaca as a "variation on mohawk" but couldn't have been saying "Macaca" as a variation on "Macaque" a word much more closely related.

I mean, how does one accidentally mispronounce mohawk two times?

[William Jackson]

It must be hard for people who constantly say how dumb George Allen is to admit he speaks French.

[brimur]

Well, he grew up hearing french right? He'd have to be near retarded not to have picked up something. Not exactly evidence of genius.

Wait- George Allen is FRENCH?

Willy Jack - trying to make lemonade, I see.

[carl]

Allen is an idiot for saying it -- for someone of his political stature, to even let that slide (intentionally or unintentially) is completely inappropriate. But, at the end of the day, we can get all up in arms about it, but it's not going to effect the senate race. He was making trying to make the point (in a very, very, very poor way) that Webb is staying inside the Beltway and doesn't know the concerns of "real Virginia" -- of course this isn't true. It's much harder to attack him on this as it is for them to defend and spin. Lets focus on the issues where we all know he's most vulnerable. We can bring him down, but unfortunately because of politics today and the general lack of knowledge of most voters, this stupid and amatuer stunt on his part will go largely forgotten by next week and isn't going to do it.

Carl - it's not like this is good news for Allen. It'll hurt him with independents and moderates, NoVa voters (who he's now said don't live in the Real Virginia), and certainly the Indian-American (and perhaps other minority) communities.

Of course, there are plenty of other negatives, which will be focused on as well. But this scandal is meaningful for many Virginians, and it will motivate them to vote against Allen.

[Virginia Centrist]

carl -

Ummm. Webb got a negative press hit on Allen in more than 10 Virginia papers. This issue will surely be featured in nearly every newspaper endorsement of Webb in October and November. And it will be replayed over and over by pundits, direct mail, phone calls, tv ads, etc, etc, etc.

Nice try.

[carl]

VC,
I'm not trying anything -- i honestly don't think this is going to effect voters the way it seems like it will the day after. Unfortunately it will eventually fade away.

Carl -

You don't beat an incumbent like George Allen by playing nice with some issues like medicare and the war in iraq.

You beat an incumbent by thrashing them and tearing their character apart. The webb campaign has legitimate evidence that Allen is a racist dolt. And it's part of a pattern...it's part of the arc of his life story. it fits, the MSM buys it, etc.

Why not use that? Why sit on your hands and say, "gee...can we get back to medicare and our impotent attempts to tie allen to big oil and bush?"

[carl]

I don't think it works with a guy like Allen in a state like Virginia. Yes, he has a history ... thats he's beaten back before. He'll drop a few points in the polls for it, get hit on it for a little while, but eventually be able to bounce back b/c Webb doesn't have the funds mount a steady attack on him for it. Nobody's saying play nice, but to think this alone will bring him down is dead out wrong.

[Sophrosyne]

I have posted a picture of Sidarth WITH a mohawk on NOVA TH. You really think because he cut his hair for a recent picture (before or after the event really doesn't matter if he was given the mohawk nickname earlier and it stuck) discredits that response?

And now you folks are calling criticism of beltway elites racism?

Grasping at straws... and its only August! I didn't expect this kind of desperation until October.

[phriendlyjaime]

Oh, just link the pic and stop whining, soph.

[notvirgilgoode]

Video is up on Wapost
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2006/08/14/VI2006081400598.html

[Not Paul Hogan]

That's not a mohawk. This is a mohawk!

http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLJ,GGLJ:2006-06,GGLJ:en&q=mohawk&sa=N&tab=wi

How does one with a mohawk get a haircut that gives them more hair?

[Not A Fancy Greek Name]

mohawk
mohawka
mokawka
makaka

George Allen
George Alles
Oger Alles
Uber Alles

Yes, yes, my secret cheeto sense says it is the hair. We make fun of the hair. Get it, like toupees! Get it?

Is George Allen really French?

[Not A Fancy Greek Name]

Oui

[Bruce]

Here's my additional question:

Sidarth was so upset with this slur spoken directly to him that his response was:

a. To speak loudly and say "Sir, I am insulted by that racist slur."

b. To do nothing. Say nothing. Until talking to a WaPost reporter.

c. To run back to the Webb office and ask what he should do when addressed directly. Then, when a dictionary was consulted, to claim he was insulted.

Just curious.

[Virginia Centrist]

Bruce:

Yeah! That's right! And all of those black people who got lynched way back when? They should have complained louder! We can't blame the lynchers!

Bruce - so, you're suprised that the only brown guy there didn't voice displeasure to a white crowd laughing at a racial slur just hurled at him by their hero?

There are many options you've omitted in your little convenient list there. Like not wanting to get his ass kicked in the parking lot.

[Not Don Rumsfeld]

Should Sidarth have shouted out that he was offended in a crowd of 90 chuckling white Republicans? Maybe. Would he have been scorned and attacked? Sure. Should we blame the victem of an attacked? Of course, that's in the proceedures.

See our SOP for rape, riots or union busting. It's all pretty clear. I just can't believe he was so gosh darned uppity, doing his job for Webb and standing there calmly when he was obviously not welcomed.

[Am Dick Wadhams]

I hope you all don't mind my interns over here trying out our counter-arguments, one by one. Keep up the debate - it's helping us figure out the winners and losers.