Enough with old white men, already

Stacy Abrams during a campaign speech:
"I am tired of hearing about being the best state in the country to do business when we are the worst state in the country to live. When you're number 48 for mental health, when you're number one for maternal mortality, when you have an incarceration rate that's on the rise and wages that are on the decline, then you are not the number one place to live in the United States.

But we can get there. You see, Georgia is capable of greatness. We just need greatness to be in our governor's office."

Her adversary's, David Perdue, lofty response?
"When she told Black farmers, 'You don't need to be on the farm,' and she told Black workers in hospitality and all this, 'You don't need to be' – she is demeaning her own race when it comes to that. She said that Georgia is the worst place in the country to live. Hey, she ain't from here. Let her go back where she came from if she doesn't like it here."

Later, Perdue doubled down on his comments in a Newsmax interview. "She's not from here," Perdue he said. "My inclination is to say, 'Well look, if you don't like it, go back to where you came from.'"

Abrams has called Georgia her home since her early teens. So what exactly was he saying? And who here will defend it?

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Roadsterrider · 56-60, M

Better to keep one's mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt. He should have kept his mouth shut.

firefall · 61-69, M

@Roadsterrider Republicans really struggle with that, the last 5 years or so

Roadsterrider · 56-60, M

@firefall I am conservative, and I agree in the poor choice of words for a number of them.

firefall · 61-69, M

@Roadsterrider nonrepublican conservatives seem to be sensible - even when I disagree with them, it's something that can be discussed.

Roadsterrider · 56-60, M

@firefall I can discuss anything as long as it doesn't fall into bullying and name calling and insults. This guy is an idiot, no matter what the political views of a person are, there isn't a need to be rude.

Graylight · 51-55, F

@Roadsterrider Here's my issue with it - we all choose stupid wording from time to time, we all burst out with things best kept in our minds. But just as the excuse for calling someone a racist term because you had a moment of weakness and don't really think like that, when one utters phrases like our candidate did, it betrays his deep-seated beliefs and sentiments. And a phrase like "go back to where you cam from" doesn't just roll off the virgin tongue; that kind of thing requires practice to say with such ease.

That's the problem with conservative candidates. God knows we've go a dubiously well-spoken president; tripping on words is something we can handle. It's the sentiments behind the words that are a true menace.

Roadsterrider · 56-60, M

@Graylight I would agree with that, but I would rather hear them say it to identify their true character. An evil person who speaks freely is a known quantity, one that hides behind politically correct speech is a snake in the grass, you never know when it is going to bite you. What do the words really mean? Telling someone to go back where they came from isn't necessarily a racist comment. I don't follow political things from GA, but I can see where if Mrs. Abrams was comparing GA to Wisconsin, to say something like that may be okay as it defines a candidate's position. There is no excuse to be rude to anyone, some things need to be said though. I am sure that most of the people in GA don't think GA is a bad state, I think a great number of them aren't interested in overhauling the way the state works, we will see what happens in the elections and that will answer the question of what the people of GA want.

Graylight · 51-55, F

@Roadsterrider Abrams wasn't comparing anything. She mentioned GA was ranked as a top state with which to do business, but that's just one index. She then said: “let me contextualize” and saying that when Georgia has dismal rankings for mental health access and maternal mortality, “then you’re not the No. 1 place to live. Georgia is capable of greatness, we just need greatness to be in our governor’s office. We need someone who actually believes in bringing all of us in there together."

Stacy Abrams hasn't lived in WI since she was a small child. She lived in Gulfport, MI as a pre-teen and moved to GA as a teenager.

Yes, "go back to where you came from" is racist in origin." Certainly in a race where the candidates' origins were never at issue, it's was a racist remark. He said it about no other white candidate.