In the latest display of the South Carolina Republican Party’s “outreach” efforts, two county chairman praised U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint’s frugality by comparing him to … wait for it … a Jew.
And yes, it is in fact October 2009 (according to our calendars) and we are in fact (sadly) not kidding.
The reference was made in an opinion-editorial published Sunday in the Orangeburg Times & Democrat.
“There is a saying that the Jews who are wealthy got that way not by watching dollars, but instead by taking care of the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves,” James S. Ulmer, Jr. and Edwin O. Merwin Jr. wrote in the op-ed.
Really?
Ulmer and Merwin are the GOP County Chairmen for Orangeburg and Bamberg Counties, respectively.
Obviously, it didn’t take long for the anti-Semitic comment to unleash a firestorm.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dwight Drake, for example, pounced on the remark as a “slight to South Carolina’s Jewish community,” and urged DeMint to call for the resignations of the two Republican leaders.
“I was deeply disappointed to see two South Carolina Republican leaders resorting to offensive stereotyping in an editorial supposedly defending Senator Jim DeMint,” Drake said in a statement released Tuesday by his campaign. “There is no place for that kind of discourse among fair-minded people, and it’s another black eye for our state at a time when we can scarcely afford it.”
As much as we can’t stand to agree with a grandstanding, opportunistic, liberal special interest lobbyist, Drake is 100% correct on this one.
DeMint should call for these two morons to resign.
And it is indeed “another black eye” for South Carolina, but specifically it’s another black eye for a S.C. Republican Party that’s already reeling from a series of race-related scandals.
First there was former GOP official Rusty DePass, who earlier this summer compared U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama to an escaped gorilla at a local zoo. Then came GOP activist Mike Green, who days later joked that President Barack Obama was going to impose a 40% tax on aspirin because “it’s white and it works.”
Green’s joke is similar to the one included in this racist flier, which was discovered last year by a FITS photographer on the desk of S.C. Rep. Bill Sandifer. The image on the flier portrayed a group of African-American men running away from Obama, who was offering them jobs – with the obvious implication being that black people are lazy and don’t want to work.
In spite of the furor over the flier, Sandifer coasted to reelection last year in his rural district and was promptly promoted by S.C. Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell.
Of course the GOP’s problem goes deeper than just racist jokes or anti-Semitic stereotypes.
Several prominent Republican politicians – including S.C. Attorney General (and gubernatorial front-runner) Henry McMaster – are also members of “whites only” country clubs or debutante societies.
Then there’s the real problem – namely the fact that despite a PR blitz touting its “diversity,” when you get right down to it GOP events are typically not all that different from other “whites only” gatherings.
Diversity?
Please.
It’s no secret that SCGOP politicians and party leaders have strayed from the principles of individual liberty, small government and free markets that made their party great. You don’t have to look any further than the state’s bottom line to see that.
Sadly, though, far too many of them appear to still be committed to the divisiveness that lurked not-s0-far beneath the surface of those principles.
By Jonny D October 20, 2009 at 11:26 am
What?!? Jews are penny pinchers? Nigga Please.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I11w-rl6iaY
By Cooter Brown October 20, 2009 at 11:27 am
Hoo keers whut dese peoples sayz? Dis aint news Mista Willie! Th’ reactshun t’ dis iz worst dan th’ remarks!
By Ynot October 20, 2009 at 12:02 pm
GOP= rich selfish white men with agendas.
No room for anybody else, no way no how.
By Todd October 20, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Actually, DeMint does look Jewish. And I agree with you and Drake on this one.
By Commonman October 20, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Some of my best friends are Jews and colored folk. Really! People just don’t think before talking. Diarrhea of the mouth will bring them down. The Republicans have a problem and it may be too late to remedy it.
By Rick October 20, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Call me a racist, but I respect and envy anybody able to have their pennies grow to dollars. Don’t know if its racist or not, frugality is a time honored tradition in many cultures, to say it’s exclusivly Jewish demeans all the other cultures with like sayings and traditions. Hell, I’m just happy that somebody understands the cost earmarks make on a budget and society as a whole. Jim DeMint didn’t say anything and shouldn’t even be a part of the discussion. I see it as just another cheap democratic tactic to marginalize an effective opponent.
By Crooner October 20, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Some folks don’t understand that even complimentary stereotypes are racist, and don’t get it when there is a backlash. Although I suspect this reference was to an old Jewish saying rather than an old saying About Jews. But either way they are morons.
By Brandon October 20, 2009 at 2:04 pm
How did that “sterotype” get started anyway?
By Workin' Tommy C October 20, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I think DeMint looks like a greedy Scotsman and I mean that in the worst possible, HATEFUL, and stereotypical way. (Think Scrooge McDuck!)
Okay, maybe I need to back off a little bit.
Thinking about it, I don’t really see a downside to being of Scottish descent–bad temper, penny-pinching, and all the rest of the stereotypical (for a reason) characteristics.
My positive outlook may be because I’ve got Lowland Presbyterian Scots-Irish redneck blood myself. Stereotypical insults? BRING ‘EM ON! I’ll respond in a stereotypical manner.
Or maybe not.
You never can tell with us. We’re unlarn-ed but we’re clever and mean =:>)
By CNSYD October 20, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Workin’ Tommy C, in conversations with “for real” Scots in Scottish pubs, they allege that the sterotype of their penny pinching is spread by the hated English who the Scots claim are the real cheapskates.
As was told to me years ago by an Orthodox Jew, Jesus saves but Moses invests. So if they say it themselves how can it be derogatory?
By CNSYD October 20, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I have no idea who McGowan is but if he is running against Demented he has my vote.
By Reality Check October 20, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Can we get an updated article on how DeMint responded?
By Old Bike Dude October 20, 2009 at 9:11 pm
“Upset the states Jewish populace”…all freakin 7 of them, oh I forgot the BBQ dude. OK 8 Jews, that’s it.
And Cooter for God’s sake is it TURTLE OR VAGINA???
By reprobate October 20, 2009 at 10:17 pm
by CNSYD:As was told to me years ago by an Orthodox Jew, Jesus saves but Moses invests. So if they say it themselves how can it be derogatory?
Same way that Black people use the “N” word for themselves, but consider it derogatory if a White person uses it. Go figure.
By Rick October 21, 2009 at 8:24 am
Still much about nothing….another PC moment. When ya’ll going to figure out that calling the race card is nothing but a mechanism for ending conversation. Call me what you will, but if you’re not paying or fu*cking me, your opinion don’t matter. (learned that as a long haired hippy back in the day)
By Stunned October 21, 2009 at 9:14 am
Seriously?!! There are republicans in Orangeburg???!
By James the Foot Soldier October 21, 2009 at 10:50 pm
So you’re saying the 12 south caorlina jewish voters aren’t in the GOP column anymore?
By R. Hill December 23, 2010 at 10:26 am
DeMint is a Red Neck. Plain and simple. And the people who choose not to see that are of the same ilk who choose to look at the sky and whistle dixie instead of dealing with the issue of racism. Only ignorant poor white trash would yell out “You lie” at the President of the United States. DeMint’s mother obviously never took the time to teach him how to act around civilized people. The decent people of South Carolina are not well served by an ignorant moron who acts like an escaped gorilla.