McCain - "I hated the gooks."

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by: RadioFreeDenver

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

On his campaign bus recently, Sen. John McCain told reporters, “I hated the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live.” Although McCain said he was referring only to his prison guards, there are many reasons why his use of the word “gook” is offensive and alarming.

It is offensive because by using a racial epithet that has historically been used to demean all Asians to describe his captors, McCain failed to make a distinction between his torturers and an entire racial group.

It is alarming because a major candidate for president publicly used a racial epithet, refused to apologize for doing so and remains a legitimate contender.

This quote is actually from 2000, not 2008 as I originally thought, although that doesn’t make it any less offensive. I have to say I’m not surprised, though, after running across this gem:

“Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno.” — John McCain, GOP fund-raiser, Washington D.C., June 1998

I guess only a real commander in chief can make fun of a defenseless teenage girl while begging fat cats for money.

A leader prepared to lead? I don’t think so.

7 thoughts on “McCain – “I hated the gooks.””

rwrgop says:

August 2, 2008 at 5:12 am

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Dabee47 says:

August 2, 2008 at 5:18 am

but it was 8 years ago…

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Jambalaya says:

August 2, 2008 at 6:51 am

…not so Ok to hate an entire race of people.

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1. Barron X says:
  
  August 2, 2008 at 9:17 am
  
  .
  
  this same quote was the basis of a diary less than 2 weeks ago.
  
  The quote was dated then.
  
  What makes it newsworthy now ?
  
  “Gook” is from the Hangul language. It means “people.”
  
  .
  
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  1. Jambalaya says:
    
    August 2, 2008 at 9:21 am
    
    ……I hated those “people”? Is that better? Did he use “gooks” to refer to anyone but Vietnamese? I.e., “those gooks made amazing sweet tamales con guacamole and salsa”?
    
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  2. RadioFreeDenver says:
    
    August 3, 2008 at 1:02 am
    Gook: (U.S. military slang) a derogatory term for foreigners, especially south-east Asians.75 The etymology of this racial slur is shrouded in mystery, disagreement, and controversy.76 The Oxford English Dictionary admits that its origin is “unknown”.77
    
    According to Random House Unabridged Dictionary, “a native of Southeast Asia or the South Pacific, esp. when a member of an enemy military force. any dark-skinned foreigner, esp. one from the Middle East.” 78
    
    According to Princeton University Dictionary, it described as “a disparaging term for an Asian person (especially for North Vietnamese soldiers in the Vietnam War).” 78
    
    According to Online Etymology Dictionary, “1899, U.S. military slang for ‘Filipino’ during the insurrection there, probably from a native word, or imitative of the babbling sound of their language to American ears (cf. barbarian). The term goo-goo eyes ‘soft, seductive eyes’ was in vogue c.1900 and may have contributed to this somehow. Extended over time to ‘Nicaraguan,’ ‘any Pacific Islander’ (World War II), ‘Korean’ (1950s), ‘Vietnamese’ and ‘any Asian’ (1960s).” 78
    
    According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, “Used as a disparaging term for a person of East Asian birth or descent. Perhaps alteration of earlier goo-goo, native inhabitant of the Philippines, Pacific islander.” 78
    
    I’m sorry, but there is no way to spin this as anything other than a blatantly racist remark, used deliberately and with full knowledge of its connotations, and with absolutely no coverage in the so-called liberal media.
    
    Disgusting.
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Whiskey Lima Juliet says:

August 4, 2008 at 7:36 am

In his book The Real McCain, author Cliff Schecter claims that John McCain made extremely ugly remarks about his wife Cindy McCain during a tirade witnessed by three reporters and two aides. “At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain’s hair and said, ‘You’re getting a little thin up there,'” Schechter writes. “McCain’s face reddened, and he responded, ‘At least I don’t plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt.’

What man even uses those words? Trollop and cunt?

Accusations of the first Black nominee playing the race card? Barack clearly pointed out what their strategy was before it happened and he was correct.

McCain is like someone’s grandfather who they have to keep correcting, “Granddad, you know you can’t say that, we call them African Americans now.”

No not racist, just living in a different time. A time when disrespecting women was a masculine trait and calling people by an offensive slang names was par for the course. Think Archie Bunker. Yep John “Archie Bunker” McCain.

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