One of the side effects of making yourself as available to the media as McCain has, is the likelihood of being caught saying the wrong thing. This time, the wrong thing to say was "Tar Baby".This is silly. It's quite clear from the context that he was using "tar baby" as a well understood synonym for "sticky mess." There was no racial context in the question or the answer at all. Those who are ginning this up deserve to either be laughed at or sneered at.Republican presidential contender John McCain on Friday used the term "tar baby," considered by some a racial epithet, and later said he regretted it.
Answering questions at a town hall meeting, the Arizona senator was discussing federal involvement in custody cases when he said, "For me to stand here and ... say I'm going to declare divorces invalid because of someone who feels they weren't treated fairly in court, we are getting into a tar baby of enormous proportions and I don't know how you get out of that."
After the event, McCain told reporters: "I don't think I should have used that word and I was wrong to do so."
Of course as the article notes, this isn't the first time in the last few months that someone committed a racial epithet by inadvertently using an Uncle Remus story. And last year Tony Snow said it well when he admitted that he would take "tar baby" out of his rhetorical toolchest rather than explain 150 years of American culture.
In my opinion, John McCain missed a golden opportunity here to live up to the straight talk persona and explain what words mean. Of course this would have angered the political correctness gods, but they don't vote in Republican primaries anyway.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. On guard!
In reality it is close to impossible to be entirely aware of sensitivities to every ethnicity or religious group and not make what may be deemed an insensitive slur. Tar Baby however has been deemed one such phrase by certain groups as racial. This is unfortunate, yet it is fact. SO WHAT! Since I know now that this is an offensive epithet to my black friends upon whom I damn sure do not wish to inflict hurt feelings and cause anger toward my insensitivity, I would never use the term. NO not privately, because if I use such derogatory words in private then sooner of later they might be uttered among friends who would be right to take offense.
McCain and all public figures, especially those with many years of speaking experience use words to effect goals and send messages every single day. They well understand the close scrutiny each phrase the utter receives..Poor McJohn, he can't help it, he has his far right foot inserted in his mouth. Woe to any and all who even accidently might slip up...........
YET try as I might, is it really possible not to use phrases seen as offensive to this or that group in our great world of diversity?
Steve at 9:43AM on Mar 18th 2007
2. Mistakes happen. You appologize and do your best to make it up to anyone who was harmed. And you step back and take a humility break, thanking God it wasn't worse, and promising to change for the better.
Steve Bonomo at 11:15AM on Mar 18th 2007
3. move on if you can't look at the context of what what was said your in a position to just be looking for a reason to holler racist and use the race card to your own purpose. Get over it and lets look at the important issues. Health, the economy, defeating the insurgents in iraq, oil prices. These are the important issues not wether someone offends the few's feeling.
Clarence R Edwards at 9:02PM on Mar 18th 2007
4. McCain's got problems with "Straight Talk", Rudy's got those "drag queen" videos and Mitt Romney is quoting Castro on: http://www.solidpolitics.com
Bill at 9:56AM on Mar 19th 2007
5. It is ok for John McCain to make a statement he says is just a "slip of the tongue" then apologize. The reason it is ok is that he, like all Republicans, Especially Old, Old Republicans like McCain can say anything. Now when a Democrat slips, like say, oh, John Kerry, when telling a joke about our beloved, Killer President Bush, and his not having learned anything in college, well, never, NEVER forgive, or understand, or admit it was a slip of the tongue. At least McCain didn't deny it, that may be due to the onset of Alzheimer's Disease though. That would also explain his flip floping.
A Different Scott at 3:48PM on Mar 21st 2007