The (former) mayor of Los Alamitos, California, Dean Grose was the latest local politician to get into trouble for sending racist jokes about Barack Obama over email. Grose sent an email of a Photoshopped White House lawn covered in watermelons that said ,”No Easter egg hunt this year.” The email ended up going to an African-American businesswoman. Grose, who now plans to resign, said in an email (a non-racist one) that he was unaware of the black-people-and-watermelons stereotype. Riiiight.
A few weeks ago, Hillsborough County Florida Republican state committeewoman, Carol Carter also got into some trouble for sending a similarly racist email. The email’s subject line said “Amazing!” and the email read: “I’m confused. How can 2,000,000 blacks get into Washington, DC in 1 day in sub zero temps when 200,000 couldn’t get out of New Orleans in 85 degree temps with four days notice?”
Carter later sent this half-assed apology: “I have been asked to send this apology for my earlier e-mail. I am sorry that it was received in a negative manner. I do hope that we are going to be allowed to keep our sense of humor. As you can now see, it went to very few people… I am also sorry to learn that some of these persons are not real team players. There really was no reason for this to go beyond those that I e-mailed (8 people). This was not an e-mail blast as I do not have that capability.”
Somehow not surprisingly, “Classy” Carol Carter has since attempted to rescind her resignation, but the Florida Republican party has told her to hit the bricks. This is the Michael Steele Hip-Hop party now, remember?
Sadly, Hillsborough County, is not new to these types of emails. In October, former state party finance chairman Al Austin apologized for sending a joke referring to Barack Obama’s assasination. And in November, former county GOP chairman David Storck apologized for forwarding a warning of the threat of carloads of black people going to the polls to vote for Obama.
What is wrong with this county? And why did Classy Carol not think the same shit would happen to her?
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