Posted on 08/30/2018 5:56:33 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
Immediately after winning Florida's Republican gubernatorial primary, Rep. Ron DeSantis -- the candidate endorsed by Donald Trump -- was branded a racist for using the phrase "monkey this up" in connection with his African-American opponent.
The controversy was still thriving on Thursday morning, stoked by cable news shows, where indignation flared anew.
DeSantis, appearing on Sean Hannity's show Wednesday night, said his "monkey this up" comment "has zero to do with race. It has everything to do with whether we want Florida to continue to go in a good direction, building off the success, or do we want to turn to left wing socialist policies which will absolutely devastate our state?"
Earlier Wednesday, speaking to Fox News, DeSantis made the gaffe that his opponents have seized upon.
He was speaking about his Democrat opponent, Andrew Gillum, whose platform includes the abolition of ICE, Medicare for all, legislating higher wages, legalizing marijuana, eliminating jail time for low-level drug offenders, and having businesses pay for the education of the workforce they want to hire.
DeSantis said:
"He is an articulate spokesman for those far-left views, and he's a charismatic candidate, and you know, I watched those Democratic debates and none of that was my cup of tea, but he performed better than the other people there, so we've got to work hard to make sure that we continue Florida going in a good direction. Let's build off the success we've had on Governor Scott. The last thing we need to do is to monkey this up by trying to embrace a socialist agenda, with huge tax increases and bankrupting the state."
On Wednesday night, DeSantis told Hannity:
"I believe people should be judged based on their ability and character regardless of race. But it's because of that that I know socialism won't work in Florida. It's not good for any race, color or creed. So this is not about race. This is about ideas and principles. And I'm not going to let the Democrats and Andrew Gillum try to obscure a debate about whether his tax increases, his single-payer health care plan, his desire to abolish ICE -- whether that is something that's acceptable for Florida. I don't think it is and I don't care what color you are."
DeSantis later added that, "From athletics, to the military, to how I've conducted myself as an elected official, I'm a straight shooter. I treat everyone with respect, regardless of circumstances of birth."
For his part, Gillum told Fox News, "It's very clear that Mr. DeSantis is taking a page directly from the campaign manual of Donald Trump. But I think he's got another thing coming to him, if he thinks that in today’s day and age Florida voters are going to respond that level of derision and division. They're sick of it."
Asked by Shepard Smith if DeSantis's remark was racist or a figure of speech, Gillum said, "Well, in the handbook of Donald Trump, they no longer do whistle calls, they're now using full bull horns."
For the record, MoveOn.org is already using the DeSantis gaffe to raise money.
It’s the 21st century. If you are thinking “let’s not f@#k this up” and can’t quickly think of a suitable replacement, don’t use monkey. Just go with f@#k. It will result in less blowback.
Neither did Rosnne Barr’s, comment including a reference to planet of the apes (actually a jab at totalitarianism), directed at valjar.....
KYPD
The race police need to publish a dictionary of what offends them.
Anyone who finds his statements actually offensive is a porch monkey.
And once again with a few words the Marxists put us on the defensive. Set virtue signalling to eleven.
DeSantis needs to take a lesson from George Allen who made the mistake of using the word ‘macaca’. Instead of standing up and fighting back, he acted weakly and was dragged down by the Dems/media.
Take a lesson from Trump, Ron - stand in the breach, punch back, keep your head up and DAMN THE TORPEDOES, FULL STEAM AHEAD!! Do NOT let the enemedia/Dems make this your Waterloo.
My Mommy use to call me a little monkey and it had nothing to do with the color of my skin.
This is about the folks Booker T. Washington warned us of...
“There is (a) class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public.
Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs
— partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances,
because they do not want to lose their jobs. ... “
“There is a certain class of race problem-solvers who don’t want the patient to get well,
because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living,
but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public.”
DeSantis knows what he meant, but I confess I’ve never heard the phrase “monkey this up” before. Must be a Florida thing.
Don’t back down. Don’t apologize.
At most, just say it is a more polite way of saying “eff up” something.
Agreed, and that may be critical. Why apologize when someone twists words solely in order to advance their agenda.
Even Howard Cosell, whose reference was most direct, had black defenders.
The DEMOCRAT MAIN STREAM MEDIA PARTY will be doing all they can to deflect attention from Andrew Gillum’s socialist, communist, Marxist agenda.
If Ron DeSantis says ‘BOO’, the DEMOCRAT MAIN STREAM MEDIA PARTY will immediately go crazy with their claims that DeSantis is being (fill in the blank)ist.
Meanwhile, we conservatives have telephones, personal visits, and social media to talk about how great Ron DeSantis is and Gillum’s extremism.
DEMOCRAT MSM can rant and rave all they want about a word said by DeSantis, but our alternative media has far, far more coverage than the almost bankrupt DEMOCRAT MSM.
Have you ever asked an employee of DEMOCRAT MSM about their salary and pay raises? Most reporters would make more flipping burgers. The pay scale at DEMOCRAT MSM really sucks and that explains their deep seated anger. Most DEMOCRAT MSM spent a lot of money getting their Journalism degree and are now in a dead end job with no future in sight.
The real “dog whistle” being blown in all of this is DeSantis’s race.
Not every use of monkey is racist. I recall my mom telling us to quit the monkey business all the time.
Stand your ground! Don’t be a surrender monkey like some on this board.
Using the race card isn’t gonna hide Gillum’s extreme radical lefty views. He would be a TOTAL disaster for Florida!
‘Exposing leftwing claims and charges as ridiculous nonsense (without being defensive) is the only sane response.’
or, put another way, let’s not ‘ape’ their behavior, lest they think we’re ‘gibbon’ them the business...
I agree it's a typical leftist tactic but how can you be involved in politics and NOT understand this issue?
How many times have we seen the left use this tactic to club their opponent to political death?
How could DeSantis be so ignorant of the left using this kind of gaff against him?
Has he never watched the news or read a news article?
The left is thoroughly disgusting. I wish them a miserable life and a long-delayed end.
So, the left automatically thinks blacks are monkeys. Got it.
You’ll go far in PR!
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