Professor (Larry Sabato) Says Senator Used Racial Slur

AP ^ | 09/26/06

[Pokey78]

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- A noted political scientist joined one of Sen. George Allen's former college football teammates in claiming the senator used a racial slur to refer to blacks in the early 1970s, a claim Allen dismisses as ''ludicrously false.''

Larry J. Sabato, one of Virginia's most-quoted political science professors and a classmate of Allen's in the early 1970s, said in a televised interview Monday that Allen used the epithet.

Sabato's assertion came on the heels of accusations by Dr. Ken Shelton, a radiologist who was a tight end and wide receiver for the University of Virginia in the early 1970s when Allen was quarterback. He said Allen not only used the n-word frequently but also once stuffed a severed deer head into a black family's mailbox.

[Young Werther]

The Sheriif is a Ni.......!"

and I thought that Blazing Saddles had finally rid us of this speech pattern.."Honky!"

[Dems_R_Losers]

Allen losing this election would be pretty big. The Democrats would pound it that they have now won two straight statewide elections in a "red state." Mark Warner's campaign for President would get a huge boost. And Jim Webb will become the new media darling. They'll spin the hell out of his being a former Reaganite who is now a Democrat senator. Very dangerous.

People seem to be forgetting something else fishy about this. Does anyone remember who George Allen followed as Governor of Virginia? Doug Wilder! Does anyone seriously think that Wilder would have let George Allen get away with hiding all this racism?

And another thing about Larry Sabato. He was a student-government geek at UVA. People like that had ZERO contact with football players. I was the same type of political geek at a large Southern university in the 1970s, and I can tell you I never had any contact with football players. I would be surprised if he was ever even in the same room with George Allen in college. I'll bet he did hear of some cracker football players using racial slurs, but I'll bet just as much that George Allen is guilty only of being on the same football team with some rednecks.

This is all a manufactured smear, of the worst possible kind. And George Allen will nevr recover from it, even if he wins this election. IMO, he needs to come out with both barrels firing, demand that Jim Webb speak about this and demand that he deny any association with the smear and prtomise that nobody in his campaign will ever speak about it. He really needs to put the Democrats on the defensive about their smear tactics if he has any chance of recovering. Virginians really don't like this kind of gutter politics.

[justshutupandtakeit]

George must not give this story any credibility and should just laugh it off. He has been around blacks his whole life and they have been quality people. His father, a coach in the NFL, was not a racist and neither is his son.

However, just letting these liars shriek will not hurt him.

[twigs]

Negro is a "N" word,

It might be a "N" word, but it's not the "N" word. As you no doubt know.

[dmz]

So save your "racist morons" statements, as you are insulting the memory of my grandparents.
__________

OK. I will break out the sensitivity training to accomodate your feelings.

People who use the 'n' as a racial slur are racist morons.
People who don't know the 'n' word is a racial slur need some education.
People who use the 'n' word "cuz that's what grandpappy called 'em" are likely somewhere in the middle of those 2.

JMO.

[dmz]

Negro is a "N" word
_______

LOL. So is 'noodle'. You may want to engage yours.

[twigs]

Boy, do I ever remember Wilder! He completely ruined the career of Chuck Robb, although Robb helped him do it. While I was glad to see Robb out of politics, I didn't like the way it happened. Wilder was one nasty man. He had his eye on national office. I'm glad his character was revealed--and kept--in Virginia.

I would not assume that "rednecks" filled the football at VA in the early 70's. At that time, football players mostly had to have the same qualifications for admittance that other students had to have. And they got few concessions once they were there. I don't remember the football team having a winning year while I was there. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. The running joke was always that the only way our football could win was to have both teams take the SAT and the winner would have the higher scores.

[quadrant]

Who among us can claim that he/she has not at some time in his/her life - especially during youth - used racial, ethnic, or religious slurs. Let he (or she) who is without sin, cast the first stone.

[lakeman]

All depends on what the meaning of is is.

[lakeman]

LOl I was just trying for a little humor there. Sorry

[dmz]

No apology needed here. You are neither the pope nor George Allen. (joking) Actually, I'm laughing a little harder now that I know it was meant as a joke. Sadly, sarcasm doesn't translate really well to the printed word.

[GraniteStateConservative]

He was just playing word association. Some people are so sensitive...

[MEGoody]

So flippin' what? College guys say a lot of stuff among their buddies that they wouldn't say as adults. I bet this moron made comments about females he'd rather not have made public now.

[OBone]

LOL no, but it's the Italian word for Saturday.

Pokey78 had it right about the wapo in post number 57. Hardly a day goes by that Allen isn't beat on by the post.

To this day I remember a whipping I got for calling a neighbor farmer the "N" word when Dad was talkig to him. That was 60 0dd years ago and I still remember it. I haven't used the "N" word since and I grew up in South Georgia.
OB

[nina0113]

Saboto just lost what creditability he had as an objective political pundit with his participation in this article.

He did that when he let Allen's stalker into his class with an essay that read, in toto, "I am Macaca." How many students who wrote REAL essays were passed over?

[Ganymede]

"Who among us can claim that he/she has not at some time in his/her life - especially during youth - used racial, ethnic, or religious slurs. Let he (or she) who is without sin, cast the first stone."

Quoting Jesus to justify use of the "N" word. How quaint!

Nonetheless, let me say that there are in fact white folks (most likely not in your circles) who have never uttered that word.

And for what it is worth, I absolutely 100% will NOT be voting for George Allen in the fall. And, yes, I actually do live in Virginia and do have a say. He will probably win anyway, but the confederate flag wearing, noose hanging, macaca-spouting doofus DOES NOT have my vote.

[Ganymede]

"Of course keeping in mind that what is today considered a "racial slurr" was often the "standard" terminology used in the Early 70's (and before)- prior to the PC police deciding they know better how Americans are to speak."

Yeah, you're right... "N!&&*r was a VERY standard term directed at blacks in the 1970s. The PC police sure ruined use of a perfectly acceptable term. Democrats/Leftists/Speech Police are such killjoys.

[quadrant]

I am not quoting Jesus to justify the "N", but to demonstrate that no one is above reproach.
Perhaps there are people who do not use racial, ethnic, or religious slurs, but if they are human, they have committed verbal indiscretions of some sort, especially in a world where people are not short but are vertically challenged, or not living in sin but exploring an alternative lifestyle.
More importantly, the word itself may be tasteless and painful, but its use is not a sin. LBJ, the president who did more for black people than any president since Lincoln, used the "N" word frequently.
I was raised in the segregated South where use of the word though discouraged by the educated was not uncommon among all economic classes of white people. I could no more answer for my utterances of decades ago than could millions of others.
If you decide not to vote for George Allen because of this revelation, your decision says more about your judgment and lack of tolerance for the foibles of others than for Sen Allen's verbal miscues.
Most importantly, you should realize that sensitivity of this sort gives others power over you. Why would you wish to surrender control over your emotions to someone who may or may not have your best interests at heart?

[kittymyrib]

I think that, to be fair, no one who has ever used the n-word should be allowed to vote in VA.