Despite real issues in the world right now, a few moments to discuss Tommy Thompson should be addressed before people forget who he is, given that this story should have zero traction.
Tommy Thompson is an obscure former nondescript midwestern governor (Wisconsin). He governed during the 1990s, with men named John Engler (Michigan), Jim Edgar (Illinois), and George Voinovich (Ohio). The reason you do not know them is that they were also obscure former midwestern governors. They were all potential vice presidential candidates to Bob Dole until the list was shortened from anybody in America. This is not to put them down. It is just to make clear that they were more substance than flash.
Tommy Thompson was one of the leading innovators with regards to welfare reform. The national 1996 welfare reform law that created block grants was inspired by Tommy Thompson. Yet outside of Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson became a national story today for all the wrong reasons.
While speaking to a Jewish audience (and a liberal one at that), he referred to “Jews and money.” This sent shock waves through a news community that is still reeling from the Virginia Tech shooting knocking Anna Nicole out of the news. Two days of substantive news was too much, and the media needed some nonsense. To go back to Anna Nicole right away would have been too shocking, so the Tommy Thompson incident is a slow slide back into stupidity in broadcasts.
First of all, the remark was stupid. Some people think that “Jews and money” is a “positive” stereotype, and therefore ok. It is not. I could not articulate how many times this has been used as a pejorative, but someone suggested tonight that by going to google, typing in “Jews and money,” and observing the results, it would speak for itself. For those who do not know, I will make it clear, “Jews and money” is no better than associating black people with “chicken and watermelon,” or hispanics with “baby making machines.”
Some people think positive stereotypes are ok. Referring to black men as having “large genitals,” may seem like a compliment. Yet when the late Jimmy the Greek Snyder talked about black men being bred for sports since the days of slavery, he was actually trying to pay a compliment. Blacks have had much success in professional sports. Yet his comments were deemed offensive, because slavery simply does not make for a positive analogy.
“Good with money,” is a way of implying Jews will cheat non-Jews out of their money. Some do not make that connection, but that is what the connection is. The fact that (if) I thought chicken and watermelon were tasty foods would be irrelevant. If I offered it to a room full of black people, they would be offended. My rationale does not override their understanding.
I have had very few good hair days since the 1980s (then again, I have a full head of hair, and would rather be unkempt than bald). Don Imus referred to the Rutgers team as “nappy headed hos.” Were his comments racist or sexist? Perhaps both. Yet if someone said I had “bed head (which I do),” I would not bat an eyelash.
Yes, we can go overboard. When Ross Perot referred to a black audience as “You people,” he was criticized. If someone can explain why “you people,” is offensive, please enlighten me. So how do we know if a situation is much ado about nothing or a very big deal?
There are two factors to be looked at. The first is if the person sincerely apologizes. Apologizing does not mean issuing a namby pamby “statement of regret,” or saying “If anyone was offended.” It means saying “I was wrong.” Tommy Thompson passes this test because he immediately did that, without equivocation.
The second criteria is if the incident is isolated or a pattern. Don Imus has a track record of insensitive remarks. Tommy Thompson does not. If in the coming days this is shown to be false, this will not blow over so quickly. Assuming this was one slip of the tongue, to destroy his career would be wrong.
We do not have freedom of speech in this country. Rapper Ice-T has an album entitled “Freedom of Speech…Just watch what you say.” This is important because we have already seen one man with a legitimate shot of being a top tier 2008 Presidential Candidate (George Allen in Virginia) have his political career go down in flames. Tommy Thompson did not have a “Macaca moment.” He spoke carelessly, but on the surface, was not trying to insult anyone. George Allen was trying to be funny, but that is not an excuse.
Tommy Thompson is not an anti-semite. He is a decent guy who misspoke. I am not sure what is worse…the fact that this became an issue…or the fact that Tommy Thompson is a 4th tier presidential candidate who cannot become 3rd tier due to welfare reform, but can make the news for one flubbed gaffe and a half.
There are plenty of black people who suck at basketball and hate rap music. None of my Jewish friends are wealthy…not Bill Gates or Warren Buffett wealthy (neither are Jewish). Not oil wealthy (Arabs nations in the Middle East have oil, not Israel). Not every Asian excels in mathematics and succeeds at everything. The Virginia Tech Massacre was conducted by an Asian man. People may be surprised because “Asians don’t do that,” but you know what? Asian gangs are as brutal as Russian, Italian, Crips, Bloods, or any other gangs. One of my closest friends is Asian. The pressure of adhering to Asian culture got to him. He wanted to be American. This enraged his parents, but he is now happy…and married to an Asian woman he loves, not someone who was “traditional” for him.
We are people first, and as proud as I am that many Jews have succeeded in business, I would love to see one of my fellow Jews throw the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. I suspect most black athletes would be ok if their children avoided the injury plagued sports lifestyle and became Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.
Oh, and for good measure, I had a homosexual roommate for 5 years. He had no fashion sense, could not decorate, and had no social skills. He was not offended by Dire Straits using a gay slur in one of their hit songs (they changed the lyrics) because Dire Straits did not have a track record of anything but great rock music. Yet when Ann Coulter speaks about John Edwards…well…point beaten to death.
For humor or serious analogies to work, they have to be based on truth. There is nothing funny about Jews and money….especially with me having student loans up the ying-yang…or maybe I should say wazoo…ying-yang can be misconstrued, and wazoo is fun to say (Unless you hate the Washington State Cougars. The Washington Huskies prefer saying Udub).
The Tommy Thompson Tempest in a Teapot is now Toast. I am not an environmentalist, so we should not recycle it. So before we get back to the real tough issues in life, the only thing left to say is…Wazoo! Wow, that is fun actually.
eric