Public Noose-ance
The noose is hot. It’s passed the Swastika as the go-to hate symbol for high-school kids and bozos from the Deep South to South Capitol Street. Don’t even try to use it to sell magazines, or to defend those who try to use it to sell magazines.
So, let’s take time to give credit for this phenomenon to the man who put the noose back in play in American pop culture: Former Virginia Senator George Allen.
When he was a lawyer and state lawmaker, Allen felt cozy hanging a noose in his office. During campaigns for the U.S. Senate in 2000, the rope wasn’t a major issue, and Allen was able to pass it off as, depending on the interview, a token of his law-and-order leanings or of his fondness for the ways of the Old West.
Then came the great “macaca” episode while Allen was running for re-election to the Senate in 2006, and Allen’s history on matters racial became the focus of the campaign and, because of his presidential ambitions and status as a frontrunner for the 2008 Republican nomination, part of the national conversation.
Turns out Allen had the sort of resume Spike Lee would fabricate were he to create a “Politician Who Hangs Noose in Office” character.
There was Allen’s opposition to the MLK Holiday in Virginia while he was in the state legislature, his proclamation for “Confederate Heritage Month” as governor to answer Black History Month, and his support for Trent Lott during the Strom Thurmond episode. And old acquaintances were running to microphones to recall Allen as a guy who would drop “the N-Word” into casual conversation.
By the end of his losing and most likely last campaign, the days when a hanging rope could be dismissed as “more of a lasso,” as Allen had tried doing not so long ago, were over.
January 26th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Give it up. Allen was disqualified long ago.
All the aspersions against him won’t keep talent from seeking office, again.
January 27th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
N/A:
give what up? if Allen does come back to politics anytime soon, he’s gonna get even more hung up on that noose than he was last time out. and how’d that work out for him in 2k6? there’s a lot more in his background that could be, and would be, linked to his office decorations, too. All an opponent would have to do is, as they say, give him enough rope…
January 28th, 2008 at 1:24 am
There’s a lot more in the backgrounds of Moran and Webb that “could be.” Does the public know all of what Jimmy Webb did while overseas? Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t Webb hook up with his current wife while still married to his ex in the early 90s? I don’t need to convince anyone that Webb’s a misogynist, either — he’s slighted some of the most honorable women, including Mrs. Reagan and female marines.
Do readers a favor, McKenna — spare us your generalities.
January 28th, 2008 at 1:25 am
They do no one any good.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t Webb hook up with his current wife while still married to his ex in the early 90s?
I have no idea, but that dooesn’t seem to have stopped John McCain. Or Rudy Giuliani. Or Bob Dole. Or Newt Gingrich.
January 28th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
N/A:
i didn’t mean to be too general for you, since there’s so many specifics out there about allen’s racial resume. here’s one:http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060911/george_allen/3
hope that works for you. i just didn’t want to go over george allen the younger’s entire history here. i’ll talk all day about his dad, tho!
and if you are insinuating that marital infidelity is as much a deal breaker as hanging a noose in today’s political arena, well, N/A, that makes me giggle…
but thanks for playing the feud!
January 28th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Where is the evidence that Allen supported Trent Lott when he made his comments regarding Strom Thurmond? Please show me, because it sounds as though you are just spreading misinformation.
January 29th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Dear John:
this was meant to be a blog post, johnny, not a history book!
but, since you were condescending and accusatory, two of my favorite attributes, i’ll do all your work for you: Check the archives of the Virginian Pilot. The December 14, 2002 edition has a 1,000 word piece about the Lott episode by Allen himself, in which he calls for an end to the criticism of Lott (”a decent, honorable man”) and says Lott’s offense was merely an “unfortunate choice of words.”
there are plenty of references to this piece in that paper’s archives, Johnny! next time, work a bit for what you want! you’re not a guy who buys your peanut butter already mixed in with your jelly?
in any case, thanks for playing the feud!
January 29th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Damn, only a blog post? Well I guess accuracy and all that other “stuff” that goes along with being a “journalist” must not mean a thing since it’s only a “blog post.” Some “journalist”, to use the term loosely, you are, David. Rather than being a hack, you might want to try research before writing about things you don’t actually know about. In Trent Lott’s book, he actually calls George Allen and John Warner to task for being some of the first members of his own party (Allen in private, Warner in public) that called for him to step down.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8989917/
You sound really angry and bitter, David, but I suppose I would be also if I worked for dying, irrelevant alternative weekly that people only bother to read when they’re trying to score anonymous sex or a free couch.
January 29th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Wow! this got ugly fast, Johnny! In hopes of cooling things down between us, let me offer an olive branch: I hereby accept your premise that City Paper is something “that people only bother to read when they’re trying to score anonymous sex or a free couch.”
Are we cool now, Johnny? Oh, wait…if I’m accepting your premise….and since you’re now a regular poster here…I guess…I’m accepting… that you’re only here (AGAIN?)…to score sex or a couch.
Oh, my! TMI! Kinda painted yourself into one of two corners there, Johnny!
So much for the olive branch. Now let’s get back to hatin’!
Now, where were we? Oh, right: your silly posts.
Johnny, first you barge into my house accusing me of spreading “misinformation” and babbling that Allen never supported Lott. So I lead you by the hand to the source of the information (no “dis-” Johnny!) that you so cockily quibbled with: a Virginian Pilot piece from Dec. 14, 2002 headlined “It’s Time to Accept Lott’s Sincere Apologies” and WRITTEN BY GEORGE ALLEN HIMSELF!
It’s all there, guy! But rather than accept defeat and apologize, Johnny comes marching in again and says that Allen called for Lott to step down. Of course he did, Johnny! Of course your boy George caved along with all his fellow Republicans once Lott’s goose was cooked.
But, unlike most of his peers, Allen had already put his support for Lott on the record, in the form of – stop me if you’ve heard this one before — a Virginian Pilot piece from Dec. 14, 2002 headlined “It’s Time to Accept Lott’s Sincere Apologies” and WRITTEN BY GEORGE ALLEN HIMSELF!
That’s why the very same Virginian Pilot, in a story written just 12 days after Allen’s piece and headlined “QUICK CHANGE ARTIST SCORES AGAIN,” recalled the homestate senator’s initial support of Lott and subsequent flip-flop.
I’m begging you, Johnny: Before you type another wrong, silly word or try to score more anonymous sex or another free couch or whatever it is you freaks come here for, go read what Allen wrote.
But, continued thanks for playing the feud!
January 30th, 2008 at 11:08 am
McKenna you really need a lesson in professionalism, regardless of John’s tactless comments.
January 30th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Scott:
professionalism is overrated…but thanks for playing!