Is this PC???

[Mackey Mouse]

This morning I was watching the local news as they were following candidates around on their last minute campaigning tactics.. One of the candidates running for Governor in MA was being interviewed in the North End of Boston, which is an Italian section, and he said he was out campaigning this morning for the workers and for the cannoli vote...I thought did he just say that??? Maybe he thought he was being funny, but I thought that is labeling.. I am wondering what you all think...

 

[Jeff in BigD]

I guess it's up to the voters in MA.

 

[Serena]

He was probably trying to be funny and it didn't work for you. I'm not sure it would have worked for me either.

 

[amid chaos]

That Jerk...Marsha, which one was it, I'll be sure not to vote for him.

 

[Cindy B]

Um, send an email to the station.

That was rude!

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Maybe I am just too sensitive about that sort of thing.. but I was telling my husband this am..and he could not believe it and he is not Italian.. that would be like saying if he was in South Boston he was there for the Harp vote.. is it me??

Vanessa, I will pm you..

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

It's hard to tell without seeing his demeanor or facial expressions in person or on tape. He could just be joking, because I'm sure there are many other remarks he could make that are more politically incorrect.

I'm not sure if a comment about food is intended to be an insult, though. That would be like someone saying they're campaigning in the south for the grits vote. Being from the south, I would find that only slightly amusing but not insulting. Maybe stereotyping at worse.

Still, for a politician it's not a smart thing to say. Some Italians might laugh at it, but others might get upset.

 

[RitaZ.]

The cannoli vote?

To me that's the same as saying that he is there for the "collard green vote" or the "matzo vote" I find it insulting.

I think he was probably trying to appeal to the workers, but I find it condescending.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Good point, Obi.. but it was one thing to target a section of the country by food, hence the grits vote, but here we targeting an ethnic group.. right??? what if he had said, he was looking for the taboulleh vote.. or...the crepe vote.. or.. the curry vote.. I guess I could go on forever.. Interesting that he made this faux pas the day we are all voting in the primaries here in MA..

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

How about "the watermelon vote" in a black community? I don't THINK so.

Insults aren't any less insulting followed by "I was just KIDDING."

 

[Steve H.]

Doesn't really bother me, and I'm Italian (well, Sicilian, technically) -- but I'm not overly sensitive about things like that.

 

[missyb]

I believe one time Jesse Jackson refered to New York City as Himey-Town. ( a slanderous term against Jews).

He caught a lot of flack about that.

 

[d.kurz]

A candidate should know better. I think it was poor taste. And I not Italian.

 

[TheLionKing]

It's funny how perceptions are different.

I think it was a poor choice of words.

Would it have been better if he said he was looking for the Italian vote?

I think we are a little more sensitive to ethnic references than more general terms like "workers".

Would anyone get upset if he was looking for the "Mickey Bar" vote?

Probably not because anyone can eat a Mickey Bar.

Of course, anyone can eat a cannoli too.

I guess that is why politicians are usually so scripted which may be good but also maybe not so good.