http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/09/05/alaskans-speak-in-a-frightened-whisper-palin-is-%E2%80%9Cracist-sexist-vindictive-and-mean%E2%80%9D/
This is an article from the LA Progressive website, a website dedicated to discussing progressive issues in the Greater Los Angeles area. The article states that when Obama beat Clinton in the primaries, Palin’s response was “So Sambo beat the bitch.” First of all, this article (and this news source) does not attempt to present a "fair and balanced" look at candidates in the upcoming election. Furthermore, many have said that this article is a fabrication and/or the author's sources were merely a few Alaskans (not necessarily credible witnesses). However, this article’s mere presence presents a number of questions about the role of race and gender in the election and how it’s presented in the media. The derogatory term “Sambo” is derived from blackface images in advertisements and cartoons. Many people will lose this context while reading the article, refutes of the article, or, especially, when simply hearing that this might have been something Palin said. Is it a positive thing that this article highlights possible racist sentiments of the candidates; or is its presence merely propagating negative, damaging racist sentiments throughout the media, furthering the country's racial divide?
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Thanks for this post, Liz. I've been interested to see how different media outlets have been trying to get find out what various Alaskans think of Palin. It would, of course, be very troubling if she said this, but as you point out it is difficult to verify based on the evidence presented in the article. Either way, it is useful contemporary link to our readings on minstrelsy.
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