Even more Allen

I love the Commonwealth. I was born, raised, and educated (Go Hokies!) in Virginia. In fact, I have spent all but five of my thirty two years here. It is my home and I embrace all of its glories and its shortcomings. Our history is full of great leaders, events and such but also the ugly legacy of slavery and Jim Crow. Nothing is perfect.

Senator Allen’s recent bigoted outburst has brought the ugly in our state back to the forefront. Until that moment, Virginians were deciding whether to support a sitting Senator in George Allen or Jim Webb, a political newcomer albeit one with a damn impressive resume. That question has changed. Now the Commonwealth must decide whether or not we can re-elect an overt racist. To paraphrase Rob Cordry on the Daily Show,

“Well between you and me, I am not sure what macaca means but it sure as shit sounds racist. And John, here in Virginia, I am not sure whether that helps or hurts a guy…”

Unfortunately, I think Cordry is right. The idealist in me wants to believe that there are enough right thinking people here that are so offended by Allen’s nastiness that they cannot bring themselves to support the guy. The realist in me still hears the local saltwater hillbillies use the n-word in casual conversation.

So the question is, does being a racist help or hurt a guy in Virginia in 2006? I guess we will find out in November…