Lynn Westmoreland got nailed for referring to Barack Obama as “uppity” last week. Well, it turns out he’s not the only one, suggesting more of a pattern and practice by white Georgian politicians than an innocent misuse of what one might mistakenly think is a racially-neutral word.
On Thursday (the same day as Westmoreland’s gaffe) Retired Air Force major general Rick Goddard, who’s running against Jim Marshall in the neighboring Eighth District, referred to MSNBC reporter Ron Allen, who is African-American, as “uppity” while being interviewed on a Macon radio news show.
Last night, Newt Gingrich disarmed a very uppity newscaster who tried to question him on the capabilities and leadership of Governor Palin.
Now unlike Westmoreland, who’s not in any immediate electoral peril, Goddard is a challenger and was considered a strong recruit against the perenially-endangered Marshall. This may have made Goddard’s slog a little more uphill.
And I can assure you that the term is 100% known to be an offensive slur in those parts. This should really help Marshall given the district has a large AA population.
As much as it pains me to admit it, Westmoreland is so agonizingly, mindbendingly dumb, that I actually believe now that he didn’t know uppity was racist. I know, that’s an absurd thing to say, and a week ago I was telling people here so along with you. But man… that guy is dumb as a post. If you haven’t seen the interview lately, check it out. I just can’t figure out how he made it to Congress.
Now Goddard, on the other hand. I saw that interview, and if Goddard called that journalist “uppity”, then he is a racist asshole. Full stop.
Anybody, claiming not to know the racial implications of “uppity”, should get a free IQ test.