South Carolina GOPer Apologizes For Calling Michelle Obama A Gorilla -- And Says She Started It
Rusty DePass, a prominent South Carolina Republican activist, is now apologizing for making a racist joke about Michelle Obama, and taken down the Facebook page where he made it -- though he does make sure to shift the blame and say that Michelle started it.
DePass commented on a story about a gorilla escaping from a local zoo: "I'm sure it's just one of Michelle's ancestors - probably harmless."
"I am as sorry as I can be if I offended anyone," said DePass. "The comment was clearly in jest."
But, he said, "The comment was hers, not mine," referring to Michelle having said that man has descended from apes. The New York Daily News says they could find no such comment from Michelle -- but even if they could, it's not like that would make it any better.
It's worth noting that Michelle's ancestors came from South Carolina. So why did they leave, again?
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Listen up, Republicans. The problem is not with you (oops!)saying it out loud. The problem is that you think that way. You are racists right down to the marrow. You are so comfortable with your bigotry that you can't keep from letting it slip out. The circles in which you operate on a daily basis are so predominately racist that you just aren't used to speaking publicly among people who aren't. Why don't you tell us how you really feel about that token that you picked for RNC chair. I'd love to hear him defend it.
"I am as sorry as I can be if I offended anyone..."
Imagine that, Rusty. Somebody was actually offended that you called a black person an ape. It just boggles that minuscule mind of yours, doesn't it. Yes, you are as sorry as you can possibly be.
June 15, 2009 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why is that whenever these folks apologize, lately, they always say they are sorry "if" they offended anyone. Obviously they offended people, no ifs, ands or buts about it.
The farkin' asshat...
Oh, and chimpale? Great comment, btw.
June 15, 2009 12:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's called a non-apology apology. Pretends to apologize, but actually blames people who were offended for being offended. The sad thing is that it gets reported as an apology when it isn't.
June 15, 2009 1:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Where's the outrage from the talking heads? At least Letterman was a professional comedian.
June 15, 2009 12:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Where's the outrage from the people who line up on the same side of the aisle as this asshole? Especially the African-American ones
I've said it before: I have no fucking idea how any person of color, especially my fellow African-Americans, could line up on the same side as people like this. Seriously.
June 15, 2009 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Where's the outrage from the people who line up on the same side of the aisle as this a--hole? "
Including Lindsay Graham whose political steering committee this guy was a member of. It's gonna make Graham have a pretty tough case going after Sotomayor when this is one of his political allies and the best Graham can come up with as far as a condemnation is to ask that he apologize.
June 15, 2009 2:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe Jon Stewart will pick it up.
June 15, 2009 5:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
One more reason we should just allow the South to make good on their threats to secede.
June 15, 2009 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sure let them secede. They just can't have one square inch of the present territory of the U.S. to take with them. This is one single nation. We've already fought one Civil War over that fact.
They (or at least their similar-thinking ancestors) lost.
June 15, 2009 2:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well said Richard. But do let us permit the Redstaters to relocate. Lets make them a new home that they can live with all their a$$hate beliefs : No income tax, no government services, no health care, and christian state religion. How about Madagasgar?
Failing that, we can centralyze them temporarily in some single location (Oklahoma?) until we can have a final Redstater solution.
:D
June 15, 2009 2:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, Madagascar is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, so it's far too valuable to throw away. I say let 'em have Texas: it's big enough for all of them to fit; most won't have too much of a relocation move; and Rick Perry has already set that ball rolling.
June 15, 2009 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Texas is a great idea.
If they don't take Texas, give them Iraq.
If they don't take Iraq, give them Afghanistan.
If they don't take Afghan, give them cyanide.
June 15, 2009 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Silver lining: this kind of creepy stuff just drives more Independent voters to the Dem side.
June 15, 2009 12:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just to be pedantic, we are not descended from apes, seeing as how we are apes (and great ones at that).
Those that believe that they did not evolve from lesser primates probably haven't, yet.
June 15, 2009 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Er...how does the fact that we are still apes interfere with us being descended from apes? I'd say that's the best evidence of all. Are you saying that since I'm a human, I'm not descendent of humans?
June 15, 2009 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I stand corrected. My parents are apes, and I am descended from them.
Thanks for correcting me.
June 15, 2009 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Descended? Evolved? I thought the world was just created 6,000 years ago?
June 15, 2009 5:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
250.
They won't understand it until they lose a Presidential election by a margin equal to or greater than 250 EVs.
C'mon, GOPers - I know that's a reach, but you can do it!
June 15, 2009 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't ever recall Michelle Obama making any comments about apes, evolution, or gorillas.
This asshole, and the Republican Party should pay for this garbage.
And where's the outrage?
Sarah Palin is all over the airways talking about a double standard, and MSM caters to her every utterance. This kind of comment is made about the First Lady, and there's nary a discussion of it.
Double standards, indeed. IOKIYAR. Anything goes.
June 15, 2009 1:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am from the South and this stuff is pretty typical with a lot of the old Dixiecrat/new Republicans. They live in another world--and when I say "they" I'm including many of my relatives and people I grew up with.
My grandfather was as racist as they come, even when he was in his last years and the nurses taking care of him were black. They simply removed his false teeth when no one else was around so they didn't have to listen to the tripe.
The truth is, times are changing and there are large numbers of people suffering from future shock (go go Alvin Toffler). It's hard to change. Which is why they are wrapping themselves with evangelical shit to justify their behavior and avoid facing up to the absurdity of their right wing world views.
Not saying there aren't lefties with some absurd views as well, just that the conservative south isn't used to looking in the mirror.
June 15, 2009 1:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can you change the headline on this article? It really should say that "South Carolina GOPer Apologizes (Conditionally)...."
It seems to me we can call it an apology when it's no longer conditioned on someone finding the slur offensive.
June 15, 2009 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Too bad our nation has come to this...
Not the gorilla comment persay, but that our leaders and representatives on BOTH sides, as well as commentators and posters and the general public have taken a behavior like ethical conduct... and perverted it so it only applies when a person is getting his/own way... and means getting even is perfectly okay when not.
It used to be that one's ethics, morality, values, etc. belonged SOLELY to that individual, not upon the other person. As we continue our downhill slide, our nation continues to warp the defining personality and behavior which once made us great.
Debasing one another is now not only common, but acceptable... as long as WE are the ones doing the debasing.
Getting even is admirable to half the population... even if we are getting even with the wrong country... and sending someone else's folks to their death... and causing women and childrens destruction.
And now, as we continue down, even torture has become a non story (how much media attention is it getting today?).
The reason? It's ALL about us. Our self centeredness, self worship, all importance has risen to the top of the agenda, and now that we actually have time, wealth, education and health that no civilization has ever been blessed with... we have decided to turn our backs on everything which has gotten this nation this far... and have decided an actual civilized society is no longer a desirable goal.
Perhaps once we manage to arm 100% of the human beings in this world, kill everyone who disagrees with us, dehumanize and vilify everyone who contradicts, and devolve back into lower animals... we will consider ourselves successful. I'm just glad I will most likely not live long enough to see the final results... IMHO
June 15, 2009 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
There are days when it is still acutely embarrassing to be from or be attached to South Carolina. This is one of them.
BlueSplashy and BlueMeanie? Please join me in saying that we are sorry -- not IF anyone was offended, but that Rusty DePass (and his ilk) offended, and offend, everyone.
Step up to the plate, Rusty, and send your First Lady a hand-written personal apology. Then contribute serious money to a zoo fund on the condition that they name the next baby ape, Rusty.
June 15, 2009 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ohh ww, I've moved back to help my parents in DE. But my first thought was how many people I knew in SC that would see absolutely NOTHING wrong with what Rusty said. People my age and younger would say something equally offensive and my mouth would just drop open. He actually put it on his face book page. Jesus, how can you even begin to explain to someone that dumb what he said was offensive?
I say move Austin then send them all to Texas and MAKE them secede.
June 15, 2009 5:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
So by this racist's logic, the gorilla could have been one of his ancestors.
June 15, 2009 2:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, not really. I'm sure that part of his clever little joke was intended to skewer the ridiculous notion of human evolution. I mean, after all, it's just so silly to think that humans could be descended from apes when there's a much simpler and more rational explanation for human existence: Every human being on Earth is descended from a couple of white folks, the husband having been formed from the dust of the earth and the wife having been made from one of the husband's ribs, shortly after the entire universe had been created in 7 days. It would be ridiculous to think otherwise. Heh.
June 15, 2009 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
To restate a position described above: It is a matter of simple evolutionaty fact that DePass did not descend from an ape -- he is one.
Second his position on intelligent design needs work: just who did Adam and Eve's children marry?
June 15, 2009 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm getting the heebie jeebies with all of these "accepted" racist angles. Is it really this bad? My eyes are being opened to something way more ugly than I thought.
And I doubt this dumbo felt a gorilla could have been an ancestor...sounds like a creationist to me.
He came from a spare rib.
June 15, 2009 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Those of you implying that this is just a Southern problem are fooling yourselves. God knows being from one slave state and living in another, I've known (and was related to) plenty of racists given to open, unabashededly racist statements. God knows, too, that the extent to which mass of unexamined, ingrained assumptions that are the underpinnings of racism, are present, to some extent, in the majority of Southern whites.
But, still, the most virulently hateful racists I've ever known personally were from the north and (when it comes to Mexicans) the west.
June 15, 2009 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Those of you implying that this is just a Southern problem are fooling yourselves.
Second. I've only lived on one former slave state. I've also lived in four other states, and the northeast sure isn't any racist-free haven.
June 15, 2009 3:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I live in SC currently and the most racist places I've ever lived were NY and California. Mass. is up there too. I think the belief that the "North" is any better than the "South" when it comes to racism is funny. There are plenty of public lynching pics from NY and Chicago.
June 15, 2009 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, try Southie (South Boston for you non-New Englanders) for starters.
June 15, 2009 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
My first trip to Boston to visit family there was some kind of Klan rally.
It was also the first time in my life where average white people from yuppies to blue collar guys walking down the street went out of their way to stare at me with a look of pure hatred. I don't know if that was a everybody hates each other thing or "we hate you n***er" thing. Alot of AA sports celebs have talked about never wanting to play in Beantown because of the hostility.
June 15, 2009 6:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Talk about a 1/2 ass apology!!!!
I said it because she made me say it, but I ams orry I said it. Lord have mercy,a Dixiecrat speaks again!
Racists pigs! No wonder most Blacks are Dems. These are the people Steele represents? OMG!!
June 15, 2009 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. Colbert wasn't kidding when he said that growing up in South Carolina, he heard racial slurs in kindergarten that would strip the paint off a henhouse. Speaking of barnyards, that's a lovely mentality you have, Mr. DePass. Now who's the animal?
June 15, 2009 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh and not to deny credit:
"Racism is a doctrine of, by and for brutes. It is a barnyard or stock-farm version of collectivism, appropriate to a mentality that differentiates between various breeds of animals, but not between animals and men." --Ayn Rand
I may disagree with many of her ideas, but this one is elegant and true.
June 15, 2009 3:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
As Nick Yemana would say, "very well put."
June 15, 2009 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
A South Carolina Republican tells a racist joke? Ho-hum.
A South Carolina Republican admits to the existence of evolution? Now that's news.
June 15, 2009 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
This type of thing makes me want to apologize for being white and southern. I am ashamed that people can still feel the way they do about race. I am even more ashamed and horrified that they're probably raising their childen to feel the same way.
Never in my life have I seen such hate filled "jokes" and diatribes about Barack Obama and his family. I don't care how liberal he is, if he was white, we wouldn't be hearing and seeing all of this. Also, I agree with the earlier comment. Why don't we hear more about the filth being spread? Why aren't people slamming it publically instead of ignoring or excusing it? Free speech is great but isn't there a limit?
June 15, 2009 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
The wingers will find a way to be offended that this story got attention and some cause celebre of theirs didn't. "Those mean libs can't take a joke!"
June 15, 2009 5:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I am as sorry as I can be if I offended anyone," said DePass, continuing "...but of course I CAN'T be sorry for this damn funny joke!"
June 15, 2009 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I live in Ssouth Carolina and when I hear something like this I want to leave! I read some of the news message boards here and you would not believe the racist remarks when the item is about the President. But on a better note Mayor Coble sent The First Lady a letter of Apology.
June 15, 2009 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink