Creigh Deeds Dismisses Reporter As “Young Lady,” GOP Cares
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The Republican Governor's Association has launched a new attack ad against Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate for Governor of Virginia. The ad catches Deeds fending off a female reporter's line of questioning about proposed tax increases by telling her, "I think I've made myself clear, young lady."
"Did you catch that?" a female voice for the GOP's ad asks, incredulously. "Young lady?" The ad then rewinds the tape to replay the money quote: "I think I've made myself clear, young lady."
I don't know the age of this particular reporter, who has not been identified, but she's clearly a fully grown woman and not some spunky cub reporter grilling Creigh Deeds on tax reform for class credit. That's unimportant—dismissing a reporter as "young lady" is offensive, regardless of the age of the woman behind the microphone. Deeds obviously fucked up here. Interestingly, the people calling him out on it are supporters of Bob McDonnell, the Republican candidate. McDonnell has voiced some pretty fucked up ideas about women himself, ideas which have translated to a seriously dangerous voting record.
After playing "I think I've made myself clear, young lady" a second time, the ad's incredulous female voice chuckles softly and promises: "It gets worse." As proof, the ad points to DeedsUncut.com—not an uncircumcised porn site, promise!—which reveals Deed's entire back-and-forth on the tax issue.
But it doesn't get worse. It's just more footage of Creigh Deeds explaining to a group of reporters if and when he would raise taxes in the state of Virginia—no more sexist dismissals, verbal slip-ups, or misogynistic attitudes on display. Because to Republicans, taxes are worse than sexism!
The "young lady" line was bad. Also bad: when politicians with bad track records on women's rights use sexism as bait to try to get people outraged over raised taxes. To the Republican Governor's Association, sexism is only an issue when it's somehow involved with the only issue they really care about: that if Creigh Deeds becomes governor, rich white dudes may have to pay more taxes. Did you catch that?
3:32 pm
Old news.
3:56 pm
I doubt you shed tears when Obama ran his vicious sexist tactics on Hillary and Palin.
Either way, stuttering Deeds looked very sexist when he said that.
4:24 pm
Maria, if you and Sheila Johnson think you're going to score points by going after someone for stuttering, good look with that. It isn't funny and it makes you look petty.
4:27 pm
Seriously? The Left went after how Bush spoke and Corzine is making fun of Christie's weight in NJ.
Deeds doesn't have a stuttering problem, he never sought medical attention for it. Sheila Johnson is one of the smartest women in Virginia and she knows a dunce in Deeds.
As I wrote, Deeds doesn't have a stuttering poblem, Deeds has an intelligence problem.
And if looking petty is a concern, Deeds shouldn't have said "young lady" to that reporter.
4:27 pm
And also, seriously, spare me the concerns about how "sexist" someone looks for saying "young lady". The notion that a McDonnell supporter is that concerned about the sexist things someone says is laughable - if you can dismiss that entire thesis as being unimportant, but say someone saying "young lady" is very sexist, it's hard to take you seriously. Either Deeds saying "young lady" is "very sexist" and something that should be taken seriously, and therefore McDonnell's thesis and his comments on the problems of working women, etc. are huge, or not.
4:31 pm
Maria, I don't think the criticisms of Bush for how he spoke were particularly legitimate either.
Also, you said "stuttering Deeds", and Sheila Johnson made fun of his stuttering as well. In both cases these are attacks on how someone speaks, completely illegitimate and baseless.
What is your basis for saying that Deeds has an intelligence problem or is a dunce?
And what do you make of McDonnell's thesis then? Are you seriously dismissing it?
4:31 pm
The thesis was from 20 years ago, while Deeds said that just two weeks ago. I consider Deeds remakrs much more sexist. McDonnell has three strong women in his life including working daughters.
What does Deeds have? A drunk son with a terrible alcohol problem.
4:35 pm
One final note - if you do actually watch the entire amount of footage (as opposed to just what the RGA and McDonnell campaign have edited together, you will see that Deeds had actually already answered her a few times, and I think was probably fairly frustrated
Also, I'm just going to put this out there, but to some degree I wonder how much the "young lady" thing comes from just that sort of Virginia southern upbringing - did Deeds mean it to be rude? I'm not really sure. Certainly a mistake but I think it's being a bit blown out here.... and again, either way, to attempt to use this as some sign of Deeds' sexism while at the same time claiming that McDonnell's thesis and the policies he's pursued are completely irrelevant seems laughable to me.
4:38 pm
Maria, seriously? Regardless of timing, you consider Deeds calling a reporter "young lady" to be much more sexist than a thesis written when McDonnell was 34 years old, which clearly outlined all sorts of views about women that are clearly sexist?
How can you even expect someone to take you seriously?
I mean, fine, go ahead and say it was a mistake for Deeds to say "young lady", but to say that has more weight than a carefully detailed thesis (written when he was an adult, and clearly laying the groundwork for what he has pursued in his political career) is ridiculous.
4:39 pm
"Obama ran his vicious sexist tactics on Hillary and Palin."
Lies.
"Deeds doesn’t have a stuttering poblem, Deeds has an intelligence problem"
Bigot.
4:41 pm
Sorry Tom, but explaining your answer fully instead of mumbled sentences is part of the political game. There's no reason why Deeds should have acted so rudely to her or even call her "young lady." It was a disgusting remark.
And typically to come from the South, one is taught to be respectful of women. Deeds did no such thing. Deeds does not have the intelligence nor the temperment to be in politics. To even defend Deeds for such crass behavior is laughable to me.
And this is coming from a Kaine/Obama supporter who will vote for McDonnell . . . one of hundreds of thousands.
4:42 pm
Bigot?
Sorry, criticizing BET founder, Sheila Johnson, is bigotry, thus making Deeds the biggest bigot in Virginia.
4:45 pm
Attributing a speech disorder to a lack of intelligence is bigotry, yes.
Critisizing a black person is not bigotry, no.
4:45 pm
Deeds does not come across well in the clip.
Damn, this devestating for Deeds. I was wondering when the McDonnell camp would use it.
4:47 pm
Well, according to Jimmy Carter, criticizing a black person is bigotry, so Deeds is racist who wears KKK robes at night.
And Deeds doesn't have a speech disorder. Neither did Bush.
4:52 pm
To have Sheila Johnson against you and Douglas Wilder not endorsing you shows how much lack of support Deeds has with African-Americans.
5:04 pm
I don't think that Sheila Johnson, Ms. BET, can speak for ANY black people. She can't when she runs that channel the way that she does. So sorry, Tyreek, she's not a good example or good representation of the African American community.
5:05 pm
Well, according to Jimmy Carter you're a moron so...
And actual polling data would show deeds has low support among African Americans, not two anecdotes.
5:49 pm
She and Wilder are fine examples of the African-American community.
What has Deeds ever done for the African-American community? Nothing. Zilch.
7:12 pm
Would you rather he had said " I already answered your question, you have asked three million times, so give it a rest B****".
If you want to go around being that sensitive about every word anyone in office or seeking office uses - - you best go hide your head in the sand - don't forget to cover your butt too!
10:22 pm
Wha? "Young lady" is offensive now? You must be kidding.
This ad is a joke, and reeks of desperation. McDonnell thinks working women are evil, but Deeds once called a reporter "young lady." Wow.
9:57 am
“I think I’ve made myself clear, young lady.”
"sorry Daddy!"
1:11 am
I have covered many presidential campaigns and many more local and state campaigns. Nothing is more frustrating, and nothing is a harder trap to avoid, than a pseudo-journalist on a mission to frustrate a candidate with inane and repetitive and picky questioning- and a camera, in front of other real journalists with cameras.
I've seen this tactic before. Get him to trip up, and run the video until he's forgotten.
It looks to me like it's working here.
1:39 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmdRW1Sm5i4
That's wrong.
10:59 pm
I'm a person who stutters and I can tell you with 100% certainty that Creigh Deeds suffers from this affliction. It's mild, but it's there. It's easy for other people who stutter to see the "blocks" he gets into.
12:50 pm
deed is gay this is bs!!
12:52 pm
Brown Pride FUK DEED!!!