Apu The Talking Point
By Mitch Berg
I’ve said for quite some time; if Bobby Jindal becomes a contender (and his performance last Tuesday didn’t help, but he’s got a lot of time, in political terms, to fix things), “Apu the convenience store clerks” will become de rigeur.
As Brad Carlson shows us, from my blog to Joe Biden’s mouth.
Along with that, look for South-Asian Americans – diligent, hard-working, education-oriented – to get shunted into the same “not-really-authentic-minority” status that the left gives Asian Americans.
March 2nd, 2009 at 7:51 am
Man that dude says some stupid shit. Though you might want to remove the “Obammy” beam from the eye of your intern Johnny Roosh, Mitch. Kinda undercuts your whole “outraged at racial slights” pretense.
March 2nd, 2009 at 8:24 am
Do “The Office” writers watch Slow Joe for material? However, this Slow Joe gaff happened quite some time ago.
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:33 am
It was Rush Limbaugh, not Joe Biden, who made the joke about Jindal working at a 7-11.
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:48 am
True, RickDFL, but it kinda goes without saying that Limbaugh’s a jackass. If you watch the Biden clip I trust you’ll judge that what he said was also stupid.
March 2nd, 2009 at 10:28 am
Limbaugh was very clearly referring to Biden’s jape.
Limbaugh is an unabashed Jindal fan.
March 2nd, 2009 at 10:42 am
Nonetheless, Senator Franken was right about Rush. He’s a big fat drug-abusing idiot.
March 2nd, 2009 at 10:59 am
Comical Al(i) may or may not become Senator Comical Al(i). Al also did more than his share of drugs. So for Comical Al(i) to call someone a big fat idiot is like the pot calling the kettle black.
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:35 am
I bet you call him “sir” when you put a high gloss on his loafers, AC.
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:55 am
To be fair, Franken’s not fat. And having met Franken, I can tell you; I’ve met tall people. Franken is not tall.
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Why is it people from NYC are such rude jerks?
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Slow Joe made the 7-11 remark about Indians in general, not Jindal in particular: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIT3jUrNTX0
Rush was obviously mocking what Biden said. If you refuse to see that, you are being intellectually dishonest, race-baiting, and fawning over the sacred cow of falsely manipulated victimhood.
In other words, MO for today’s liberal.
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:03 pm
AC: “If you watch the Biden clip I trust you’ll judge that what he said was also stupid.” Sure, which is why he apologized, apparently to the satisfaction of “Indian-American Republican Council”.
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/Content/Article.aspx?rsrcid=34573
Mitch:
“Limbaugh was very clearly referring to Biden’s jape.”
But Biden never said anything about Jindal. It was Limbaugh talked about Jindal as a 7-11 clerk. In fact, Biden’s remarks happened before Jindal was elected Gov.
“Limbaugh is an unabashed Jindal fan.”
So that makes it OK to joke about him as a 7-11 clerk?
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Rush got hooked on pain killers during a painful ailment. Not to excuse it, but it happens. Al likes (liked?) to do the nose candy for recreation. Wonder if he ever sold it?
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:28 pm
So that makes it OK to joke about him as a 7-11 clerk?
You are lying. He did not, and you are quite deliberately misrepresenting what happened.
Which probably plays just fine among the addlepated bobbleheads who vote DFL, but not us, pallie.
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Obviously we need some sources here.
Biden:
I’ve had a great relationship,” said Biden. “In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.
Limbaugh:
Joe Biden was mystified how (Gov.) Bobby Jindal got his shift off at 7-11 that night to make the speech
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Chuckwagon alibied: “Rush got hooked on pain killers during a painful ailment. Not to excuse it, but it happens.”
Oh, dear, poor victim! Sorry, wingnuts, but you give no quarter, you get none. When you far-right kooks get all weepy when one of your own strays into crime, it makes Angryclown puke.
RickDFL argued: “Sure, which is why he apologized, apparently to the satisfaction of “Indian-American Republican Council”.”
“Hey guys, sorry I called you a bunch of Dunkin’ Donuts workers.” Kinda misses the point, in Angryclown’s opinion. Biden makes some dumbass remark about once a week. I think he’s a reasonably smart guy, but no question, his mouth moves a lot faster than his brain. I see President Obama giving him the heave-ho in ’12.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Biden statement was as bigoted as making a remark about all the Jews in Hollywood or the Blacks in basketball.
Limbaugh’s remark brought attention to the bigotry of Biden’s remark — that Indian-Americans were shopkeepers, not politicians or whatever.
Angry Clown-
Palin may be looking for work in 2012. It would take care of the corn-pone deficiency on your side of the political divide.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:30 pm
No doubt she will be, Terry, but won’t she have six new kids with stupid names to take care of by then? She would make an awesome reality TV host.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Gee, maybe Palin will name her next kid ‘Angry Clown’.
I think you are right about Obama ditching Biden in 2012. His replacement will probably have the initials “HRC”.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I like the way you think, Terry. After the father, naturally enough.
You may also be right on the HRC theory. I loved President Obama’s first press conference in which he was asked about Biden’s most recent foot-in-mouth moment and he just laughed and said “I have no idea.”
March 2nd, 2009 at 5:03 pm
After the father, naturally enough.
I thought your reply would be something along the lines of:
“I hope they make the campaign poster small enough that I can hold it with one hand!”
March 2nd, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Mitch:
“You are lying. He did not, and you are quite deliberately misrepresenting what happened.”
Would you settle for Limbaugh made a joke about Biden thinking Jindal was a 7-11 clerk?
If so, Limbaugh, not Biden, is still the one linking Jindal to the job of 7-11 clerk. Whatever the demerits of what Biden said in 2006, he wasn’t referring to Jindal.
March 2nd, 2009 at 5:48 pm
As usual, RickDFL, your logic is deficient.
Limbaugh was pointing out the bigotry of Biden. Biden mentioned Indian-Americans only in the context of being shopkeepers. Biden is a bigot.
March 2nd, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I’d counter that Biden’s comment didn’t particularly contemplate the possibility of a Jindal, not to mention buttloads of Indians and Indian-Americans with the smart-guy jobs we’re used to seeing Caucasian Americans in.
March 2nd, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Just to underline Angryclown’s point, because many of you Mitchketeers aren’t that bright. Angryclown disagrees with RickDFL; agrees with Terry. At least with the quibble that Angryclown doesn’t know whether Biden’s a bigot. But what he said in that clip was certainly bigoted.
March 2nd, 2009 at 6:07 pm
angryclown said:
“Angryclown doesn’t know whether Biden’s a bigot”
Wow, what do ‘we’ have to do to get such consideration from angryclown?
Plagiarize something? 😉
March 2nd, 2009 at 6:10 pm
RickDFL said:
“Whatever the demerits of what Biden said in 2006, he wasn’t referring to Jindal”
Because Jindal wasn’t a “Indian-American” in 2006? Try again.
March 2nd, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Terry:
“Limbaugh was pointing out the bigotry of Biden.” OK, but he pointed this out by making a joke that connected Jindal with the job of a 7-11 clerk. Biden may or may not be a bigot. Limbaugh may or may not be a bigot. But clearly only Limbaugh made a joke that mentioned Jindal and the job of 7-11 clerk.
Mitch’s post was crafted to make it look like Biden made a joke about Jindal as a 7-11 clerk, when in reality it was Limbaugh making a joke about something Biden said in 2006 and connecting it to Jindal as a 7-11 clerk.
March 2nd, 2009 at 6:28 pm
in reality it was Limbaugh making a joke about something Biden said in 2006 and connecting it to Jindal as a 7-11 clerk.
So you’re saying you really believe Limbaugh was saying Jindal – a politician he’s effusively praised, and is fairly clearly on Limbaugh’s short list for 2012/2016 – is a 7/11 clerk?
How many moons orbit your planet? Seriously?
March 2nd, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Since we are all Americans united in our support of the right of South Asian immigrants to enjoy the blessings of this great land, I would like to amend my last comment. Rather than “Biden is a bigot”, please read “Biden’s statement was bigoted. Limbaugh’s was not.”
I feel so much better.
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:30 am
See, Terry’s smart sometimes!
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:30 am
See, Terry’s smart sometimes!
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:31 am
I didn’t actually believe it the first time, so I wrote it again.
March 3rd, 2009 at 2:32 am
Again, admitting you don’t have enough information to judge whether Biden is truly bigoted, or not, would seem more impressive from someone who doesn’t declare that others hate “brown people” with no basis in fact. *looks at angryclown*
March 3rd, 2009 at 6:48 am
Who’s looking to impress you, Troy? Angryclown’s job is to speak the truth.
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:43 am
Mitch:
“So you’re saying you really believe Limbaugh was saying Jindal . . . is a 7/11 clerk?”
No. I am sorry you are part of a political movement where every utterance is some kind of esoteric dog-whistle code. Happily the rest of us get to just say what we mean in plain English. I said Limbaugh made “a joke that connected Jindal with the job of a 7-11 clerk”. I did not say Limbaugh thinks Jindal is a 7-11 clerk (in fact the joke depends on that not being true). I made no claims about Limbaugh’s state of mind regarding Asian-Indians or Jindal.
Frankly, I don’t even know if the joke was in poor taste, although, I doubt I would make a joke that involved Obama and watermelon, even if Trent Lott, not Obama, was somehow the butt of the joke.
My simple point is that your “post was crafted to make it look like Biden made a joke about Jindal as a 7-11 clerk, when in reality it was Limbaugh making a joke about something Biden said in 2006 and connecting it to Jindal as a 7-11 clerk.” I clicked on your link expecting to get evidence of Biden saying something about Jindal as a 7-11 clerk, instead I get Limbaugh making the connection.
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I found it interesting that Michael Steele observed that Rush Limbaugh was an entertainer who said ugly and inflammatory things, or words to that effect.
And then turned around and had to suck up to Rush once Rush hit the radio airwaves.
That is just scary….