Add this to the seemingly endless list of "Imagine what would happen if Republicans or conservatives did the same thing" items.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary "I don't feel no ways tired" Clinton and New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio rolled out a very tired, old and insulting racist stereotype this weekend. The headline at Stephanie Condon's report on the related event at CBS News only described it as a "race-based joke." Meanwhile, the Associated Press kept the nature of the "joke" out of its headline, and the wire service's Jonathan Lemire would only concede that "some people feel" that the "comedy skit" in which the pair engaged "was racially insensitive." Here's what happened, from the first four paragraphs of Condon's report (bolds are mine throughout this post):
Hillary Clinton, Bill de Blasio criticized for race-based joke
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her ally New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are taking heat for a race-based joke they made at a charity event over the weekend.
Appearing on stage at the Inner Circle Show, an annual New York comedic performance held for charity, Clinton set up the joke: "I just have to say thanks for the endorsement, Bill. Took you long enough," she said, referring to the fact that he endorsed her months after she launched her campaign.
"Sorry Hillary, I was running on C.P. time," de Blasio responded, seemingly referring to the slang term "colored people time." The term alludes to the stereotype that African Americans are typically late.
Actor Leslie Odom Jr., who plays Aaron Burr in the musical "Hamilton," was also on stage and told the mayor, "That's not -- I don't like jokes like that, Bill." Clinton then delivered the punchline, responding that de Blasio was referring to "cautious politician time."
The related video at the CBS web site describes what de Blasio and Clinton said as an "off-color joke."
I suppose that if de Blasio was black, one could see his line as an attempt at self-deprecating "humor." But he's not, though the AP's Lemire even tried to concoct an excuse for that:
NYC MAYOR, HILLARY CLINTON TAKING HEAT OVER COMEDY SKIT
Hillary Clinton and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have come under fire over a comedy skit that some people feel was racially insensitive.
... The New York Daily News blared "Skit for Brains" on its Tuesday front page. Salon called the skit "cringe worthy." And New York magazine made reference to the mayor's African-American spouse asking, "Does your wife, Chirlane, know about this joke?"
De Blasio, whose two multiracial children identify as black, downplayed the controversy.
"It was clearly a staged event," he told CNN on Monday." "I think people are missing the point here." Mayoral aides added that the skit was not meant to offend ...
Since when has a "not meant to offend" excuse ever been accepted if something perceived as offensive was uttered by a Republican or conservative?
The episode has been useful in exposing an unwritten journalists' stylebook rule, namely that racist jokes told by Democrats, liberals or leftists should be described as "race-based" or, at worst, "racially insensitive."
Lemire is right about one thing, though, in true AP fashion, he's completely downplaying the potential disaster involved if Mrs. Clinton were to actually lose her "home" state, aka her home-brewed private email server state:
The flap comes at a poor time for Clinton, who has enjoyed deep support from black voters during the previous primaries and is banking on their support again in New York's April 19 primary to ward off a challenge from Bernie Sanders. A loss for Clinton in her home state could upend the Democratic race, though she would still have a significant delegate lead.
Hillary had an average polling lead of over 30 points just one month ago. She still has a double-digit polling lead. An Empire State loss would confirm the seismic shift towards Sanders seen in the past several weeks, and the "oh, those are small states which don't matter" excuse would vanish.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
