So, Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) ran this incredibly racist ad during the Super Bowl.
If you're going to go racist, really; go for the gold man. Make her wear the hat and don some buckteeth.
Here's the accompanying website, which is... amusing. Though, from what I'm told, the characters on it are complete gibberish.
Anyway, surprising to no one, the backlash has been sharp and poignant from all sides.
But the highlight of all of this, I think, is his response (also in the article).Pacific Islander American Vote group’s Michigan chapter both called the ad racially insensitive. The other Republicans running for the Senate nomination said it proved that Hoekstra is not the best candidate to take on Stabenow in November. Democrats were united in their criticism and even some Republicans called the ad racist, xenophobic and “really, really dumb,” in social media postings.
The Rev. Charles Williams, pastor of the King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit, called on Hoekstra to apologize for what he called the “racist” ad and stop running it. If he doesn’t, a group of black pastors in Detroit will begin contacting contributors to Hoekstra’s campaign and ask them to withdraw their support.
“The imagery in the ad is no different than the folks who had to put black-faced paint on and tap dance,” he said. “This whole thing makes me so sad because Hoekstra really doesn’t get it.”
I've heard jumbo jets with less of a wooshing sound.But Hoekstra said the ad, which was filmed in California and featured an actress whose parents are 100% Chinese, was only insensitive to Debbie Stabenow, whom he called “Debbie Spend-it-now.”
“The Chinese benefit from the recklessness of U.S. spending. It doesn’t criticize the Chinese at all,” he said.