The Topeka Capitol-Journal is reporting that Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) told a town hall meeting that Republicans are searching for the “great white hope.” In the videotape, the newspaper reports that Jenkins says “Republicans are struggling right now to find the great white hope. I suggest to any of you who are concerned about that, who are Republican, there are some great young Republican minds in Washington.”
Jenkins goes on to mention various “hopes” who happened to be white: Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). McCarthy is not even black Irish to improve the situation.
For the video, click here.
Her spokesperson insists that she did not mean this in a racial sense, which may indeed be the case. Of course, Jenkins’ spokeswoman Mary Geiger didn’t make things much better by explaining “There’s no doubt the Republican Party has gone through somedark and challenging times in recent years, but thankfully bright young leaders have stepped up to lead the party into the future and she hopes to be a part of it.”
The origins of the expression is often traced back to James Jackson Jeffries (“The Boilermaker”) who was brought out of retirement to defeat heavyweight champion Jack Johnson on July 4, 1910 in Reno, Nevada. “The Great White Hope” announced “I am going into this fight for the sole purpose of proving that a white man is better than a Negro.” During the fight, the band played “All coons look alike to me.”
What should worry Republicans is not just the racial overtones but Jeffries got whipped. He threw in the towel in the 15th round.
I will second (or third or fourth) the suggestion that the Congresswoman didn’t intend anything racial. That leads to two lines of thought:
Line A) She’s completetly insenstive and oblivious to the derivation and meaning of her ill chosen statement. This, by itself, can be viewed as an indication of her own cluelessness about people and situations beyond her neighborhood.
or
Line B) WE’RE all being overly sensitive on this site. Perhaps in an America that has elected a black president we’re over examining people’s words and actions as being tinged with emotions, bigotry and biases that aren’t there. Perhaps this phrase is just part of our national lexicon, just an idiom, and not worthy of hyper reactions.
mespo,
As a Kansan I can assure you that your “reprobate” interpretation is quite correct. There’s a fair amount of “retrograde” going on too but it’s nothing compared to some places I’ve seen.
I suggest they try sanity. None of their other stuff works.
lottakatz, I like your explanation. I am prepared to accept the possibility that Rep. Jenkins is oblivious to the meaning of what she says most of the time.
Smile ?
I think the phrase “Sh!^-eating grin” would be a bit more accurate…
Can’t really say more about her statement than what has already been said, but on a sidenote; Her smile is seriously creepy.
the last time I saw a smile like that was on the Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman film. Could it be the great white hope is actually an evil Mime with a bat fixation?
Gyges:
Alaska, Mid-west, Deep South–pick your poison. I have always thought that that the “R” at the end of these folks’ tiles stands for “retrograde,” but now maybe it really has been “reprobate,” all along. My bad!
Mespo,
Various elected positions in Alaska?
“Her spokesperson insists that she did not mean this in a racial sense, which may indeed be the case.”
*******************
As with most of the crop of young, lame-brain Republicans, I am certain she meant it only in the finest “stupid” sense imaginable. Where do they find these people?
of course she meant white as in caucasian.
besides Cantor can’t rise farther than congress. no one really wants a jew in the white house not even if he is one of them politically. he can never like move into C Street….
unless he like gets born again into someone else.
which wouldn’t be any big surprise. lots of jews convert. just as lots of non-jews convert to judaism. it’s kind of a wash in many aspects.
anyway, there appear to be more than a few morons that this congresswoman can stand next to like virginia foxx and michele bachman.
maybe they already go to lunch at the Holier Than Thou Cafe,
It would suck to be her spokesperson right now…. “um um yeah…” “well she meant…um” “young Republicans are Bright!…um like… the.. color.. White..” Yeah that’s it.
The only good thing about public discourse devolving to the level it has over the last many years is that people like Jenkins, Palin beck et al feel free to say just anything that pops into their twisted little minds. The whole editing function of the pre-conscious mind is completely bypassed, whatever bubbles up from the sub-conscious is verbalized in its pristine glory.
Actual truth about what is going on in these people’s minds specifically and generally gets spoken. That’s kind of refreshing in the political arena we have today. It alerts sane people to where the big stinking piles of ‘teh stupid’ are so we can avoid them, target them in their bids for re-election, debate them regarding their true motives and contentions etc.
Nope, no one could have known in advance that was offensive.
This is a great time for a third party.
James,
That a Congress Woman is so lacking in (fairly) recent historical knowledge is a bit disturbing. On the plus side it gives me an excuse to remind everyone about one of my favorite soundtracks.
Wynton can do documentaries like nobody’s business.
Even if we accept the most charitable explanation that the “good” Congresswoman is simply unaware of the origins of the phrase, la cabeza would need to be encased in granite not — particularly as a politician — to be aware of how inheirantly incindiary such a remark would be. There will be cringing on all sides at THIS.
Welcome to Kansas, est. 6,000 years ago, and not a year before.
It keeps on giving.
Jenkins’ spokeswoman Mary Geiger told the paper that Jenkins’ remark was not meant to refer to “race, creed or any background.”
Said Geiger: “There’s no doubt the Republican Party has gone through some DARK and challenging times in recent years, but thankfully BRIGHT young leaders have stepped up to lead the party into the future and she hopes to be a part of it. That was the intent of her comments — nothing more and nothing less. Congresswoman Jenkins apologizes for her choice of words.” EMPHASIS added in.
Conservative minority outreach continues at a Titanic pace. Frankly, I’m surprised Michael Steele hasn’t run with the slogan.
I’m sure he’s working it into his “hip hop, fried chicken” shtick.
Well, she probable figures that she is free, white, and 21, and therefore can say anything she wants.
Oops.
No blatant racism expressed by that uttering….yeowee….
I wanna see how Fox News can spin this one!! I have nothing else. The comment speaks for itself.