Pro...your guy George Allen not only seems dumb as a brick, but now can't get his story straight. And, no, I grew up in the 1970s too and didn't us the "n" word then or now..
usnews.com
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George Allen—from toast of the town to just toast?
By Will Sullivan
Posted 9/26/06
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In the blink of an eye, George Allen and his presidential aspirations have gone from toast of the town to simply toast, political observers say.
Not too long ago, the junior senator from Virginia was being touted as a front-runner for the Republican nomination by the National Journal and prominent magazines on the right. Conservative columnist Kathleen Antrim decided to write a biography of him after surveying the field and concluding that Allen would be on the ticket in 2008.
Now, after a string of allegations of racism, Allen is just fighting to hold on to his seat against Democrat and former Navy Secretary Jim Webb. As for the possibility of a President Allen, most GOP insiders and political observers have concluded that he is, in the words of Northeastern University professor and election expert William Mayer, "not ready for prime time."
The most recent allegations come from former football teammates of Allen's at the University of Virginia who claim he repeatedly used the "N" word to describe African-Americans. The players' claims were backed up by famed political commentator and university Prof. Larry Sabato, a former classmate of Allen's who declined to provide details on how he had that knowledge.
Allen has called the claims "ludicrously false."
The allegations come a month after Allen apologized for calling a Webb campaign volunteer of Indian descent "macaca," an ethnic slur in some parts of the world. And they add to long-standing concerns about the racial sensitivity of Allen.
"It seems like his presidential prospects are evaporating by the hour," says Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. "It's a political death by a thousand cuts."
Racism charges are especially damaging in Allen's increasingly diverse state, particularly its urban areas. Robert Lang, director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech, says the population of Virginia's northern suburbs near Washington, D.C., "are like the United Nations, and this just isn't gonna cut it."
The past few weeks have also called into question Allen's political instincts. His response to the macaca controversy was clumsy, political observers said. And at a debate September 18, Allen lashed out at a reporter who asked whether his mother was Jewish, suggesting to some that he was embarrassed by the recent revelation in a Jewish newspaper about his family's religious background.
With regard to the "N" word allegation, the Allen campaign did aggressively respond to the new charges from his former teammates, offering interviews with other players who noticed no such prejudice in their quarterback. But the claims taint Allen's frequent stories about his football years, which he said helped teach him racial tolerance.
"When he talks about the good old days playing football at UVA, it's going to trigger a different memory for a lot of people," says Mark Rozell, a professor of public policy at George Mason University.
The claims have been a gift to Webb, who has struggled to raise money to compete with Allen's sizable war chest. Without running a single ad about the allegations, Webb has kept Allen on the defensive for more than a month.
Allen stalwarts hold on to hope of a presidential run.
"Never count George Allen out; never underestimate him," says Antrim.
But for a woman who once claimed Allen would have smooth sailing to the party nomination, her comment represents a dramatic shift in the forecast. |
