A lot of people did a lot of stupid things in 2006. President Bush, of course, has a laundry list of idiocy on his record, but it would be too easy to give him the dunce cap. Then there are those who got caught making bigoted remarks. Also in contention are those Republicans who threw away their majority in Congress with a series of blunders. Indeed, it takes a special kind of moron to stand out in 2006, but one does stand out in my mind: former Senator of Virginia George Allen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Allen_(U.S._politician)).
Allen straddles two sides of the moron-o-sphere. He helped blow the Republican majority in Congress, and it was due to bigoted remarks. But he goes above and beyond the mark for two reasons.
First, he was considered a potential candidate for President before his fall from grace. Now, he's pissed that away.
Second, unlike others who did not realize their bigoted remarks would be spread to the world, Allen directed his comments at the guy holding the camera! Worse yet, he knew the guy was working for his opponent, and they were in a public setting. At least the other major bigoted remarks of the year came from guys who got caught with their pants down. But Allen has no such excuse when he handed his opponent a distinct catchphrase and what I feel was the truly bigoted remark: "Welcome to America." Good to say when a visitor steps off a plane. Bad to say to a U.S. citizen just because he "looks foreign".
Yep, a lot of people did a lot of stupid things this year, me included. But I think the guy who pissed away his Presidential potential by delivering bigoted remarks directly into a camera he knew was his opponent's deserves to be known as the biggest moron of 2006, although the dude who shot himself in the testicle (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/17/kidnap_attempt/) comes a close second. | 
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1 Comments:
The Bush administration has fostered an air of distrust and malice towards "foreigners". It's sad and embarrassing and infuriating all at the same time. And as an offshoot, it has led to an incrreased tolerance of rascism and homophobia. In this new tolerant atmosphere, racists and homophobes, who normally would reigned in their evil, have let it slip out into the light of day. In the end, maybe that's a good thing. Outing them so that we can vote them out of office (and off the tube) might be a blessing in disguise.
By
Clifford, at 1/06/2007 03:25:00 AM
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