'Tar baby’ quip lands Mitt in muddle

Boston Herald ^ | 07/31/06 | Laurel J. Sweet

[JRochelle]

Prominent black Bay Staters are outraged by Gov. Mitt Romney’s use of the words “tar baby” to describe the Big Dig as he stumped for presidential points in Iowa. “Tar baby is a totally inappropriate phrase in the 21st century. If Calvin Coolidge didn’t use it, why the hell should Mitt Romney?” railed Larry Jones, a black Republican and civil rights activist. Tar baby can refer to a sticky mess, but it also has been recognized as an epithet to humiliate black people. President Bush’s spokesman Tony Snow learned that in May when his expression, “I don’t want to hug the tar baby of trying to comment on the program,” raised the hackles of political correctness. “He thinks he’s presidential timber,” Jones said yesterday of Romney, “but all he’s shown us is arrogance.”

[msnimje]

Ah, the state of American Education today.

There is nothing racists about "Tar Baby," PERIOD.

[msnimje]

Politically correct way to say "Tar Baby"

"A dark, oily, viscous material, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons, produced by the destructive distillation of organic substances such as wood, coal, or peat -- baby"

[frankenMonkey]

"Actually - and someone correct me on this - isn't a spade and a shovel two different instruments?"
ok...
"aren't a spade and a shovel two different instruments?"

[don-o]

"Please don't throw me in that briar patch."

[cripplecreek]

"baby"

The chronologically inexperienced.

[Kirkwood]

"There is nothing racists about "Tar Baby," PERIOD."

It definitely is a phrase that for a couple generations had a racist connotation. The fact that you don't know that maybe reflects your age or an insular childhood. It was used as a racist comment though, no doubt about it. There are many words and phrases that have such dual meanings.

[6SJ7]

No Sambo jokes!

I could never figure how the PC crowd perverted that story and claim it to be demeaning. I loved the story as a child. Sambo outsmarts the tiger and in the end has butter with his pancakes. That's a bad thing ?!

[GoldCountryRedneck]

Prominent black Bay Staters are outraged ...

So???? This not-so-prominant-white-Golden Stater is outraged at their outrage.

In other news....

~GCR~

[caseinpoint]

You left out the stewardess who got into trouble for saying "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe. Pick a seat, we've got to go."

[albee]

"...or Malaysia, where "parents are not allowed to name their babies after animals, insects, fruits,

vegetables or colours. "

Geeeeeez!

And I was going to name my kid "Liberace".

[Holicheese]

I think you are referring to a HO, oh damn, now I have insulted sluts.

[Armigerous]

...actually his name was Joel Chandler HARRIS

[Tax-chick]

"baby"

The chronologically inexperienced.

"Gestation survivor."

[Condor51]

Prominent black Bay Staters are outraged ignorant MORONS!

TAR BABY is NOT a racial epithet - jeez!!

Tar baby, Tar Baby, Tar baby, Tar Baby, Tar baby, Tar Baby, Tar baby, Tar Baby, Tar baby, Tar Baby, Tar baby, Tar Baby, Tar baby, Tar Baby, Tar baby, Tar Baby, Tar baby, Tar Baby, etc, etc, etc....

So there, you so-called 'Prominent blacks' -- TAR BABY. Read it and weep.

Oh, here's something else to get your goat you ijit race hustlers....

Niggardly, Niggardly, Niggardly, Niggardly, Niggardly, Niggardly, Niggardly, Niggardly, Niggardly, Niggardly, Niggardly AND ... Niggardly!!

BTW, per Drudge Mitt has apologized - screw him.

[TC Rider]

My first dog as a young child in the 50s was a coal black Cocker Spaniel named "Tar Baby".

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

This is what they do. They lie in wait, hoping that a conservative will say something that they can twist, distort and misuse in order to bring the conservative down.
There is no life in these people.

[drb9]

He actually followed that quote with the following:

"But I got elected as governor of Massachusetts. It's part of my job to do what I think is the right thing."

He was essentially saying that, although from a politically expedient standpoint, he should avoid getting involved, in this case it was his very job to get involved. Of course, we can't expect the media to give his comments perspective. It is their job instead to fan the flames with journalistically expedient snippets. Sheesh.

[msnimje]

It definitely is a phrase that for a couple generations had a racist connotation. The fact that you don't know that maybe reflects your age or an insular childhood. It was used as a racist comment though, no doubt about it. There are many words and phrases that have such dual meanings.

Only an idiot would not know that the phrase "tar Baby" was (and is) used in some contexts by some people as racist. But the fact that some people use it in that way in some contexts does not mean that ALL USES of it are racist.

It is plainly evident that neither Mitt Romney nor Tony Snow meant this phrase in anything other than its classical sense.

[drb9]

You're so gay. (First of Webster's definitions, not the sixth.)

[OneWingedShark]

> When I hear the words "Tar baby" I immediately think Br'er Rabbit.

Exactly the same here. And, by implication a sticky mess that you would have no part in if you knew what was up.