
It is as if the Republicans can not help themselves. The love of racist humor must be a pre-requisite for party membership. We have seen Barack the Magic Negro, we have had a South Carolina state representative compare the First Lady to a gorilla, a Tennessee state employee send out a historical presidential pictorial with the image of Present Obama as a wide eyed spook, and now we have one of the candidates for vice chairman of the young Republicans affirm the use of the word “coon” in reference to the president. “On Wednesday, Shay—a 38-year-old Army veteran, mother, and event planner from Louisiana who has been endorsed by her governor, Bobby Jindal—was holding court on her Facebook page, initiating a political conversation by posting that “WalMart just signed a death warrant” by “endorsing Obama’s healthcare plan.” At 1:52, a friend named listed as Eric S. Piker, but whose personal page says his actual name is Eric Pike, wrote “It’s the government making us commies… can’t even smoke in my damn car… what’s next they going to issue toilet paper once a month… tell us how to wipe our asses…” Two minutes later, Piker posted again saying “Obama Bin Lauden [sic] is the new terrorist… Muslim is on there side [sic]… need to take this country back from all of these mad coons… and illegals.” Eight minutes after that, at 2:02, Shay weighed in on Piker’s comments: “You tell em Eric! lol.” * After she received some responses that challenged her affirmation of Piker’s remarks she dismissed them as friends, but held on to Piker. Eight hours later Shays issued her obligatory apology and said that she was simply responding to the first posts and not to the racial posts. The Republicans do not want to increase their “tent”. These incidents happen too frequently to be viewed as isolated and in spite of having Michael Steele as chairman their actions are loud and clear, and their actions say minorities not welcome.
*The Daily Beast
