Posted on Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 8:07 a.m.
Alicia Ping pulls support from Pete Hoekstra after 'racist' Super Bowl ad
By Cindy Heflin
Republican Washtenaw County Commissioner Alicia Ping is throwing her support behind GOP Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra’s rival in the wake of Hoekstra's controversial Super Bowl commercial, Talking Points Memo reports.
Alicia Ping
Ping, whose grandparents emigrated from China, called the ad, which featured an Asian woman speaking broken English and thanking U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow for spending so much money in China, “offensive and racist.”
Ping served on the Saline City Council for 11 years before resigning to become commissioner.
Watch the ad below:
Comments
Mike
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 7:09 p.m.
1. I found the Hoekstra ad offensive and probably racist, but as others have pointed out, it's really for those of Chinese heritage to make that determination. However, it's still in bad taste to run it and then see if those offended do call it racist. As others have also pointed out, Hoekstra is just as guilty as most of Congress for piling up huge debts. To call another elected representative out on it is absolutely hypocritical on his part, but that seems to the the standard operating procedure for most elected officials these days. And most of us are absolutely no better because we're more than willing to call out those elected representatives in the opposite party as failing their responsibility and conveniently look the other way when those we (supposedly) support do exactly the same. Regarding the Ping sisters little stunt, what they did was not against any law on any set of books anywhere. The real problem was that no one in their district cared one fig to want to run for that office. So far as I can see only the Ping sisters even wanted to hold that office, and when the one decided (at the last minute) not to seek re-election, only write-in candidates were left. I certainly didn't see any one of the posters here who live in their district trying to mount any kind of write-in campaign. I guess a representative who wants the job is at least marginally better than the vast majority - who don't care. The real issue is how many more of Hoekstra's misinformed and insensitive ads will we have to see before Stabenow is forced to react with similar ads, because of all the people like those populating this board who only respond to attack ads, brushing aside inconsequential things like facts. How many here still actually believe that Hoekstra has NOT helped pile up our debt? Anyone? My guess is...a lot. Attack ads are mostly lies, but it would appear the average voter prefers to believe lies instead of actually referring to facts.
gonefishing
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 1:39 a.m.
I bet if I said pete hoekstra was a terrible person for running that ad, my comments would stay , however I find it very interesting why ann arbor.com never writes anything bad about democrats---difficult to do that in a democrat stronghold, right gang-----clearly you choose what offends you and not what all the community is thinking---sure am glad we are allowed to vote in washtenaw county---and just for the record--the tea party is surging because both democrats and republicans politicians are about the same and in case ann arbor.com didn't get the latest news at 6:30 , from the networks, the approval rating for congress is at 10%, the lowest in the history of our country, and by the way---the bad rating , applies to your favorite party---the democrats as well
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Thu, Feb 9, 2012 : 3:05 a.m.
You, apparently, weren't reading A2.com when Granholm was governor? GN&GL
Leah Gunn
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 3:18 p.m.
@SalineSara: anyone is free to run for County Commissioner, as long as that person lives in the district in which they run. One can get on the ballot by passing petitions, or by putting down a deposit of $100.00 (which is refunded to the winner and runner up in a Primary). Nobody else filed - neither another Republican nor any Democrat. Those are the facts.
Michigan Man
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 3:34 p.m.
LG - Sounds like the Ping sisters act is wearing thin on the fine folks in Saline.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 3:29 p.m.
Ahhhh, Leah. You, too, appear to be under the misapprehension that facts actually matter to a very large segment of the population who comments on the A2.com discussion boards. Good Night and Good Luck
newsboy
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 3:03 p.m.
Did he fly to China to do this ad or that Holland Michigan?
clownfish
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 2:13 p.m.
SNARK did and excellent job covering this, and I have this buried in replies, but it should go onto the main forum page as well. holders of US debt: 1 Social Security trust fund: $2.67 trillion (19%) 2 The U.S. Treasury: $1.63 trillion (11.3%) 3 China: $1.16 trillion (8%) 4 U.S. households: $959.4 billion (6.6%) 5 Japan: $912.4 billion (6.4%) 6 State and local governments: $506.1 billion (3.5%) 7 Private pension funds: $504.7 billion (3.5%) 8 United Kingdom: $346.5 billion (2.4%) 9 Money market mutual funds: $337.7 billion (2.4%) 10 State, local and federal retirement funds: $320.9 billion (2.2%) So, as we can see, Mr Hoekstra is complaining about a country that holds 8% of our debt. And he is doing it in a childish, racist manner. We deserve better representation.
SalineSara
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 12:51 p.m.
Not so fast Ms. Gunn. What the Ping sisters pulled did not pass the smell test and in fact was considered greasy politics in many circles around the County.
Michigan Man
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 2:19 p.m.
SS - Nice post - sounds like the Ping sisters have learned a great deal from the Daley brothers in Chicago - Now if you only had Chicago style pizza in Saline ! Saline, I would think, will tire of the Ping sisters and retire them very quickly. Wish I had a vote in Saline.
Leah Gunn
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 11:34 a.m.
Facts: Jessica Ping did not resign. She simply decided not to run. Alicia Ping filed to run. It is simple as that.
Roadman
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 5:22 p.m.
Jessica Ping was about to be exposed in the same per diem controversy that enmeshed Mark Ouimet and may have foresaw giving her seat to her sister as a way of defusing an October Sunrise attack that targeted Ouimet. My disappointment, Leah, is that the Board of Commissioners took no action to recoup the $8,500 that was improperly collected as mileage and per diemsby the four Commissioners that have thus far refused to disgorge these monies. You and Mark Ouimet acted honorably by paying back amounts, but Jessica Ping has never contested the accuracy of the audit findings and ignored public sentiment supporting repayment. Jessica Ping's failure to disgorge the $5,000.00+ owed the county is indefensible and an insult to taxpayers.
snapshot
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 6:59 a.m.
Isn't Alicia Ping the sister of Jessica Ping who resigned as commissioner with purposely short notice to guarantee Alicia a seat without competition? It was an ethical controversy if I'm not mistaken.
talker
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 4:47 a.m.
Much of the deficit is due to debt taken on when Bush and Cheney sent American troops into Iraq. Not only are we still paying for former wars and outside contractors who earned much more than military members, but we have the continuing care that we owe to those who served. It was the decision to go to war in Iraq (despite no evidence that Iraq had anything to do with 9/11) that led to the costs of rehabilitating and providing continual medical care for those who served. These are costs we will have through many Presidential terms for 50 or 60 years, but the costs were generated by Bush and Cheney. BTW, I think Japan is the major holder of U.S. debt and I also read that some other holders, such as the Social Security Administration also hold more debt than China does. European countries hold some of the debt, as do American banks and life insurance companies. China does hold a lot of American debt. We need to bring back more manufacturing jobs. Meanwhile, we can be grateful that President Obama was instrumental (as was former President Bush in laying the foundation) in saving millions of jobs in the auto industry. Without that, suppliers (both large and small businesses) wouldn't have been able to survive and that would have killed companies such as Ford, who didn't need Government help.
NoSUVforMe
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 2:49 a.m.
If Ping doesn't like racism, why is she a Republican? Where was she during "welfare queens", Willy Horton, and Obama is an Arab?
Danai
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:36 a.m.
If you don't want to see the ad as racist (I do), at the very least you have to admit it was just plain dumb and irresponsible on Hoekstra's part to put it out there. Mr. Hoekstra, do you remember Vincent Chin? Why are you fanning these kinds of flames in tough economic times? And you want to be my U.S. Senator? Get to steppin'.
firstfolio
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 10:55 p.m.
Mickey Rooney in Breakfast At Tiffanys. Nice.
Jim
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 10:52 p.m.
Pete Hoekstra has bothered me ever since he made a pledge for term limits, and then ran again for a 7th term, breaking his promise.
Roadman
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 10:39 p.m.
Alicia Ping as County Commissioner should be showing a similar degree of outrage and outspokenness over the fact that four current and former county commissioners owe the county an aggregate $8,500.00 in per diems and mileage reimbursements that were deemed to not be properly payable as a result of an audit - including her sister Jessica owing over $5,000.00. I find Jessica Ping's failure to disgorge these funds "offensive".
asymptote
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 10:16 p.m.
I think its kind of ironic that he calls him self Pete "spend-it-not" Hoekstra, when he voted to bail out wall street, voted to raise the debt ceiling to 11 trillion, and voted to get us into Iraq, costing billions of dollars.
HeimerBoodle
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 10:10 p.m.
Do you really need scare quotes around "racist"? Clearly it's offensive, as evidenced by the content of the article. As others have pointed out, it's not up to people outside of an impacted group to judge what is harmful to that group. Also, please pull the "but I have an Asian friend!" cards out of your deck. Ms Ping is, understandably, pulling her support for Hoekstra. She calls it racist, it's racist. If you can't see that, it is also not up to the impacted group to explain it to you - Google Racism 101 and White Privilege if you want the basics.
snoopdog
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:18 a.m.
Thank you BeimerHoodle, I am a Mormon with sixteen wives and fifty eight kids and I hate it when my neighbors roll their eyes at me. Good Day
Scylding
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 10:45 p.m.
@HeimerBoodle: "it's not up to people outside of an impacted group to judge what is harmful to that group." What if the group is Christians? If they say it's discrimination, is it discrimination?
snark12
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 9:50 p.m.
Most of these points have been made elsewhere but I'm bringing them together in a summary: 1) China's economy has not bloomed because it bought US debt. It's the other way around. And its economy has grown primarily because it has been the recipient of the international trend of outsourcing manufacturing. In this country that has primarily been associated with the Republican party, not the Democrats, but certainly not exclusively. Japan owns almost nearly as much US debt as China and they are the poster child country for "stagnant economy," the example which everyone agrees the US must not follow. So owning a lot of US debt apparently doesn't mean you have a good economy. 2) China owns less than 8% of the US debt, and that number has actually DECREASED in recent years. <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/biggest-holders-of-us-gov-t-debt.html" rel='nofollow'>http://finance.yahoo.com/news/biggest-holders-of-us-gov-t-debt.html</a> 3) Contrary to popular perception, by far the largest holder of US debt is the American public. Note, that's not the case with, say, Greece or Italy, which is why our situations are not directly comparable. <a href="http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/21/who-owns-america-hint-its-not-china/" rel='nofollow'>http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/21/who-owns-america-hint-its-not-china/</a> 4) Since 1980, Republican presidents added to the national debt far more than Democratic ones. Democratic president FDR ran up a huge debt for WWII (proportionately more than our debt today, as a percentage of GDP) and Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter all worked at reducing it. It was down to a minimal level when Reagan shot it throw the roof again. <a href="http://zfacts.com/p/318.html" rel='nofollow'>http://zfacts.com/p/318.html</a> So I'm more bothered by the commercial's stupidity than its racism.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 3:24 p.m.
"Many 'progressives' think that is OK." Really? And you can present evidence that "many" (presumably more than one or two people) progressives approve of the practices you cite? Of course you can!! GN&GL
Mike
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 2:46 p.m.
China is eating our lunch and so are many other countries with currency manuipulations, tariffs, and other illegal trade practices. Many "progressives" think that is OK and is just the price of having a global economy. We'd have more jobs if our government would crack down on trade practices and cretae a level playing field and get the environmentalist out of the way.
snark12
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 10:23 p.m.
@Ed Yes, I know it's very disturbing to me that facts never really matter in these conversations any more. "Conservative vs. liberal" debates from the 60s, 70s, and even the 80s still had a factual basis to the discussion. To steal from Colbert, truthiness is more important than truth now.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 10 p.m.
@snark, You, apparently, are under the misapprehension that facts are important to those who think that the ad got to some level of "truth". Good Night and Good Luck
Mike
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 8:54 p.m.
I guess people in China don't really speak like that............Shame on Pete Hoekstra.........
Wolf's Bane
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 8:36 p.m.
This is just surreal. In addition to being false it is also completely racist and false.
clownfish
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 2:05 p.m.
It is false for the following reason: 1 Social Security trust fund: $2.67 trillion (19%) 2 The U.S. Treasury: $1.63 trillion (11.3%) 3 China: $1.16 trillion (8%) 4 U.S. households: $959.4 billion (6.6%) 5 Japan: $912.4 billion (6.4%) 6 State and local governments: $506.1 billion (3.5%) 7 Private pension funds: $504.7 billion (3.5%) 8 United Kingdom: $346.5 billion (2.4%) 9 Money market mutual funds: $337.7 billion (2.4%) 10 State, local and federal retirement funds: $320.9 billion (2.2%)
jcj
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:08 a.m.
And it could have been avoided if only there were censors!
jcj
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:06 a.m.
How So? Please explain!
John of Saline
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 8:25 p.m.
Some politicians shoot themselves in the foot. This guy used a bazooka.
SalineSara
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 7:49 p.m.
Alicia Ping is a RINO and show us proof that she actually was backing Hoekstra. Party insiders have known for years that Ping is not a party loyalist. If the balance of power shifted in her district she'd change into a DINO in a heartbeat. Can we now logically conclude that Obama calling out white folk for clinging to guns and religion is also RACIST??????
cinnabar7071
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:36 a.m.
"weakness" ? xyz what weakness did you see in the ad? Is she somehow handicap that only you noticed? Are who saying shes handicaped cause she doesn't speak good english? Whats her weakness? You showed yours, now tell us hers.
Scylding
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 10:16 p.m.
Okay, got censored. Not sure what I did wrong, but I'll try to be good: @SalineSara: I said more, but the upshot was "good post." @xyz: "Did Obama try to make fun of other people's weakness?" Maybe you will recall Obama's "joke" on the Leno show about his own bad bowling score: "It's like -- it was like Special Olympics or something."
shutthefrtdoor
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 9:30 p.m.
Trust me Sara...it is not only "white folk" that cling to our guns and religion.
xyz
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 9:05 p.m.
Racism aside, you simply dont' want to make fun of other people's perceived "weakness" unless you wouldn't mind your own weakness being made fun of. This is what parents would teach their children, regardless of race. And this is especially true for potential public servants. Did Obama try to make fun of other people's weakness?
Mike
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 8:55 p.m.
Only whites can be racist. Didn't you know that?
Jake C
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 8:35 p.m.
Party loyalty above all else! Get in line!
shutthefrtdoor
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 7:24 p.m.
Sadly, our society has been foundationally programmed to "act and think" like a "white male' instead of considering other cultural view-points or feelings. Er'go the Huron moniker. If non-Native folk wouldn't have been prone to dressing in regalia and acting like "stereo type Injun's" while jumping around like fools, we might not have issue with "honoring" a tribe as you say. Unfortunately, because of the sensitivity built by this, "IMO", is how we have become so PC in today's world. Maybe it is like pennance or some wierd karma for all the discrimination propagated over time? I don't know. My best solution is to wait for the affected parties to cry foul and take heed. Who am I to tell them if their feeling is justified or not if I don't live in their skin? I can only try to understand the outcome and make appropiate corrections. Walk a mile and reflect how it feels in those borrowed shoes...
monroe c
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 5:39 p.m.
Huh. I wonder if the good commissioner was equally offended by her sister over-charging the county on her expense reports and then indignantly refusing to pay it back?
Enso
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 5:06 p.m.
The ad is misleading in how China is becoming increasingly wealthy. Let's not forget the fact that China is as wealthy as it is today because if MASSIVE government spending on the part of the Chinese.
Arborcomment
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:04 a.m.
Thank you Eyeheart, We need something better however and I can't quite put my finger on the proper term. Would not State Capitalism be fascism? Reason I'm asking is related to Jake's comment about "Chinese Business Owners". Jake, you are aware that the Chinese Government controls a majority stake in most large Chinese firms (especially the PLA)?
EyeHeartA2
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 8:44 p.m.
"Perfect capitalism" I love it when people are so far out in the left weeds that they say ingorant garbage like that. China? "Perfect capitalism" Try "State Capitalism".
Jake C
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 8:34 p.m.
@Scylding: Thank you for covering most of the reasons why China is able to manufacture goods far cheaper than here in the US. Chinese business owners are able to get away with subjugating their poor into indentured servitude, whereas the same conditions would be seen as illegal and repulsive if done here in the US. What exactly should we do in the US to "catch up" with the Chinese, then? Cut our own minimum wage and eliminate all business regulations regarding abusive working conditions, so we can bring ourselves down to their level? Maybe just sit around and wait for China's standard of living to catch up to our own?
Arborcomment
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 7:50 p.m.
Not quite the full definition there Enso, try adding: governmental party laissez-faire capitalism (no hindering rules like patents, working conditions, etc.). I know the historical term in the full definition (individual) contradicts adding "government" and "party" to the front of it. Anybody have or heard a better term?
Enso
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 7:24 p.m.
Perfect capitalism.
Scylding
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 6:38 p.m.
Yes, they have spent themselves into prosperity, just like we have been trying to do for about 50 or 60 years. It sure is working. Uh huh... Also, I'm sure that China's "prosperity" has nothing to do with the fact that 150 million Chinese in the permanent underclass have to work for a few dollars a day hundreds and hundreds of miles away from their ancestral homes, sleeping in factory dormitories (while their children are raised by their grandparents), so they can manufacture goods at half the price that we can and still sell them at huge profits to the factory-owners, who provide massive kick-backs to the Chinese government. That's all immaterial. Also, I doubt that the fact that China utterly ignores international patents and trademarks and manufactures anything they can hack and steal, or reverse engineer, has anything do do with it either.
cinnabar7071
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 5:02 p.m.
I must be very thick skined cause I dont see how that ad is racist.
average joe
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 11:32 p.m.
I also fail to see it being racist. I hear people pay money to go see a movie where actors/actresses speak with a false accent to portray a certain type of character, and I also understand that a few of these people are honored for their work at award shows.
shutthefrtdoor
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 9:27 p.m.
@ djacks...I was pondering on whether or not to report Scyldings comment...but I felt it should stand for the record. Must be a busy day at AA.com...lol...
xyz
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 6:35 p.m.
Well I don't think an average Chinese farmer in rural China could even spell Obama's name correctly, let alone getting involved in local politics in Michigan. So it is perfectly legitimate for Asian Americans to voice their concerns.
Chase Ingersoll
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:52 p.m.
The problem is Hoestra was also a "spend a lot". If you want to see something really embarrassing to Hoekstra, search YouTube for the videos of him trying to defend his vote for the TARP bailout to a bunch of Tea Partiers. Stabenow is embarrassing every time she speaks. She sounds like a patronizing 1st grade teacher, who probably never took a college level algebra or economics course and that is reflected in her inability to personally calculate the effects of her votes on an economy. So here we are, caught between "stupid" and a "sellout", courtesy of the RINO's in the GOP, unless enough Democrats and Independents on the East Side of the State, cross over to vote for Clark Durant in the GOP primary. Chase Ingersoll
snoopdog
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:20 a.m.
Brilliant post Chase ! Good Day
Michael K.
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:21 p.m.
Well, it seems obvious that the Republicans really don't understand their own racist attitudes and statements. I suppose that is how you have so many - like Fox News and Rush - bending over and twisting their minds to try to make the President into a racist. It is almost funny to see the Democrats and liberals accused of being racist when we call them on it. Incredible. Aside from all of that, Hoeksta did as much or more to put us in debt, if that is his somewhat abtuse point. He completely supported Bush's $3 trillion off the books wars - the first time we have failed to pay for our military incursions - at the same time Bush was cutting trillions of dollars in taxes. Then he voted for the $780 billion bailout. Don't forget - Bush started with zero defecit, thanks to Clinton. He managed to put us in a huge hole during good times, so that when his depression came along, there was nothing in the " rainy day'" fund to help the unemployed, or to jump start the economy using Keynesian economic tools that 95% of economists agreed were necessary.
Peter
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 9:49 p.m.
He's no true Scotsman, eh Chase?
Scylding
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 6:02 p.m.
I didn't need to "twist my mind" to see the racism when Obama said that the folks in small towns in the Midwest were "clinging to their guns," "religion," and their "antipathy towards people who aren't like them," etc. Seems to me a lot of people aren't aware of their attitudes, including people other than white people.
Chase Ingersoll
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:54 p.m.
Please refer to Pete Hoesktra as a RINO and distinguish him from a Conservative Republican like Clark Durant.
1233456789
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:20 p.m.
On a side note: after he was asked about the ad, he didn't apologize, but made justifications. He tried to act like this ad was suppose to be interpreted as a serious message, yet it was designed to make fun of his opponent at the expense of all American's with Asian heritage. He also said that the actress is 100% Chinese, due to her parents being Chinese. I wish someone would tell him that doesn't make her Chinese. It makes her heritage Chinese……. Similar to many American's in Michigan with German heritage, but you are not German. I identify myself as being American first, with Korean heritage. Hoekstra may not have had the intent to be racist, but his decision to use this ad shows how uncultured and insensitive he is to minorities. I know that actors and actresses can be desperate for work, but this actress didn't just insult Debbie Stabenow, she insulted her own heritage. She allowed herself to be dressed up with props like she was in a Vietnam film.
1233456789
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:13 p.m.
Email I sent to Mr. Hoekstra: Dear Mr. Hoekstra, As an American-Korean, adopted to a Michigan couple over 30 years ago, I am appalled at your Super Bowl ad. I grew up among majority Caucasian conservatives and married a man who thought he was Republican, until the Republican's changed their political stance from being fiscally conservative to racially insensitive. Your ad used a woman who clearly did not have a real accent and appears to look like an American, with Asian heritage, pretending to be Chinese. If you had a dime for every time a Caucasian tried to imitate the broken English to me, you wouldn't need to fundraise anymore. Although I can appreciate your message of the ad (even though China doesn't beg the U.S. to borrow money), your marketing group tried to be funny at the expense of others. Your ad only reminded me of all the times my young Caucasian classmates thought it would be funny to talk to me in broken English. My family, friends, and colleagues will remember your commercial and how this American, with Asian heritage, found it offensive. Many times, people aren't aware of the insensitivity, because it doesn't apply to them, until someone they respect and care about points it out to them. I am aware that there isn't a large Asian population on the west side of Michigan. Regardless of the lack of presence, it was in poor taste. There are many Michigan voters that have adopted Asian children like myself, or have a friend, or married to someone Asian, or may be mixed (like my children).
shutthefrtdoor
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 9:24 p.m.
Mike, who has perpetuated or initiated the majority of the discrimination throughout history? I'm pretty positive that ethnic groups didn't label themselves as much as the contrary. And to be quite honest with you...I think Repubicans invented the term "red-neck".
Mike
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 9:01 p.m.
What about all of the jokes made at the expense of our southern brethren? Ever hear the term redneck? I don't see oo many rednecks getting their panties in a bunch over it. Christians are made fun of all of the time and ridiculed by "progressives". What's so progressive about that? White males are made to look stupid on TV shows and ads. Do you see a big outcry form white males? No, only the progressives whine about things like this while the majority remain silent and think to themselves how tired they are of hearing this kind of rhetoric.........
Sparty
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:09 p.m.
So the Republicans are giving away the votes of African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, gays, muslims, union members, presumably anyone who values Medicare and Medicaid as we currently know it, Social Security as we know it, etc. I guess their "tent" is getting smaller day by day.
jcj
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:03 a.m.
Might want to wait and do your crowing AFTER the election!
David Cahill
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:36 p.m.
I'm surprised the Republicans are willing to say good bye to the Asian vote.
SalineSara
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 7:55 p.m.
Asians vote overwhelmingly Republican. They are small business owners who have a high work ethic unlike some other groups in America.
average joe
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 5:51 p.m.
Quite assuming there Mr. Cahill.
cinnabar7071
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 5:39 p.m.
I know many Asians, and my son is half Asian and not one of them sees this as Racist. Just because liberals say its racist doesn't make it racist. In fact I'll say it makes liberal racist.
groland
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 5:16 p.m.
Yes, big mistake as most Asians I know are actually quite conservative on many issues.
Scylding
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:25 p.m.
I have always been favorably inclined toward Ping, but this seems to me to be much ado about very little. The "R word" is getting lobbed with too little thought, these days. Is it the way the woman speaks in the commercial? I have known many Asian immigrants, and if they came here after a certain age, their dropping of articles and poor inflection of verbs often never goes away. Why is accurately depicting a speech pattern racist? If it had been a Russian or other European speech pattern being depicted, would that not be racist simply because the person being depicted is not brown-skinned? Isn't treating people of different races differently, simply because one race is deemed worthy of defense and the other is not, itself a form of racism? I tire of liberals looking for racism in every story and situation, but now Republicans are hurling the "R-word" at each other over a commercial? Ping: leave it to the libs to cry wolf, please.
Arborcomment
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 7:57 p.m.
Nice 12:45 post - exposes a commonly used maneuver and counters with "check" and "mate".
shutthefrtdoor
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 7:16 p.m.
@ cinnabar...within your own reply lies the answer. Unless one belongs to a certain ethnic group, one will never truly know or feel if something is "racist". It basically gets down to "walk a mile" Sadly, our society has been foundationally programmed to "act and think" like a "white male' instead of considering other cultural view-points or feelings. Ergo the Huron moniker. Unfortunately, this IMO is how we have become so PC in today's world. Maybe it is like pennance or some wierd karma for all the discrimination propagated over time? I don't know. My best solution is to wait for the affected parties to cry foul and take heed. Who am I to tell them if their feeling is justified or not? I can only try to understand the outcome and make appropiate corrections.
xyz
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 6:53 p.m.
"I have known many Asian immigrants, and if they came here after a certain age, their dropping of articles and poor inflection of verbs often never goes away. Why is accurately depicting a speech pattern racist?Why is accurately depicting a speech pattern racist?" You dont' want to make fun of other people's perceived "weakness", unless you wouldn't mind your own weakness being made fun of. It is especially true for potential public servants.
Scylding
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 5:45 p.m.
@123456789. Did I say I was a white male? Couldn't I be, say, a half-Native American woman who likes chess (icon is a chess piece), and facts? But let's go with it for the sake of argument. I'm a white male, so I don't/can't "understand" what racism is? You find me "insensitive," therefore I must be a white male? No judgment of a race based on skin color there"... No judgment based on gender there... Not judging me, men, and all white people in one fell swoop... Nope. Ever hear of the rhetorical device called "litotes"? It's when you say you aren't doing something even as you actually do it, like when a politician says, "this campaign needs to focus on the economy, not on the fact that my opponent was accused of rape when he was seventeen." Another example is when someone says they won't judge you, even as they form about half a dozen judgments about you, including what your gender and race is. Politicians use it purposefully all the time. People who are blind to their biases and judgment of others use it without meaning to, and it undermines their argument. Can you answer the question so we can focus on facts instead of "feelings"? If the ad were made by an Asian-American Democrat, placed in Russia, and the speaker were an attractive blonde woman with a thick Russian accent, would you still call it racism? Would this discussion even be happening?
cinnabar7071
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 5:19 p.m.
My son is half Asian and I dont get it. Do you consider all the Jackie Chan movies racist cause he specks in broken english? I really dont get this. Please explain and dont say if you're not Asian you wont get it. Maybe I'm just a racist cause I could never understand how it was racist for EMU to be the Hurons, in fact I thought it was a honor to the Hurons that they used that name
1233456789
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:25 p.m.
Yes, it is the way the woman was portrayed in the commercial. I don't expect you to understand, since you are not an American with Asian heritage. To you, it may not be a big deal, but if you had a wife, husband, or children that are identified as being Asian, you would feel different. I have never been a white man, so I cannot understand your insensitivity to minorities…… so I won't judge you.
Kevin McGuinness
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:18 p.m.
Strange comment by XMO, didn't he and the others who voted for it read the article -- Alicia Ping is a Republican. Another kne jerk reaction by people who believe the world is out to get them.
walker101
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:09 p.m.
What was offensive, the claim that we are spending more in China, which is fact or because women from Asia may have an accent? Get over it, we've become a nation that buries their heads in the sand just because we want to be politically correct. I guess Ping would rather hear the ad in a British accent, I thought the young and beautiful lady did a great job, aaahhh sooo sorry I may have spoken out of line. I guess I am just a hominist at heart.
clownfish
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:57 p.m.
Maybe you need to look at where the debt is owed, Social Security trust fund: $2.67 trillion (19%) 2 The U.S. Treasury: $1.63 trillion (11.3%) 3 China: $1.16 trillion (8%) 4 U.S. households: $959.4 billion (6.6%) 5 Japan: $912.4 billion (6.4%) 6 State and local governments: $506.1 billion (3.5%) 7 Private pension funds: $504.7 billion (3.5%) 8 United Kingdom: $346.5 billion (2.4%) 9 Money market mutual funds: $337.7 billion (2.4%) 10 State, local and federal retirement funds: $320.9 billion (2.2%)
Mick52
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 9:27 p.m.
What? Fake accent? How do you know her accent is fake? She sure looks Chinese to me. What accent do you think she has? The reason we buy goods made in China is because if they were made here, they would cost 3 to 4 times what we pay. If I had to choose between a pair of pliers that cost $8 or a pair that cost $24, I will go with the less expensive. This is starting to reverse. Chinese workers are starting to demand more pay and as that continues the costs of production and shipping will start evening things out. But the complaints of inflation like in the 70s/80s will come up too. Our deficits are based on spending more than our tax revenues. There is nothing wrong with deficit spending, that is what credit allows you to do. But excessive deficits, where we are heading if employment does not pick up is extremely wrong.
groland
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 6:41 p.m.
The government is not spending in China; we the consumers are sending our money there. In return, China buys US gov. bonds. Hoekstra gets the issue all wrong. Our deficits have nothing to do with Chinese economic growth. To me that claim is much worse than any racial insensitivity. It show blatant misunderstanding or deliberate falsification.
1233456789
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:29 p.m.
Riding on a bike through a rice patty? Come on, this isn't a Vietnam war! She did a horrible job, because everyone could tell she had a fake accent. Your comment only shows your prejudice and ignorance to those that are American with an Asian heritage.
Superior Twp voter
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:05 p.m.
The add was the truth! Finally, a Republican tells it like it is. And the Dems don't like that. Stabenow needs to go - she has the I Q of a fence post. And Jessica Ping? Waaaaah, waaah, waaah. We know who the masters of race-baiting and class-envy are - the Dems.
clownfish
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:54 p.m.
Maybe you could show us some statistics that prove that GOP Senators of the past reigned in spending? How about some GOP presidents of the last 40 years that reigned in spending? Maybe the Great Ronald Reagan? Or maybe the previous president and his GOP controlled congress, 2003-2006? Do you remember Medicare part "D" and how the GOP stood up for an unpaid for new health care law? Neither do I.
groland
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 5:14 p.m.
The ad was completely bogus on the issues. Do you think China became rich by buying US government bonds? Of course not! They became rich by manufacturing. They then used that money to buy US bonds because they have such a huge trade surplus. Our deficits have little to do with the rise of China. Our industrial policies on the other hand have much to do this shift in economic power.
Michael K.
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:32 p.m.
The "we" is probably Fox News and Rush, where the right wing get all of their ideas, code words, and talking points.
Hmm
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:28 p.m.
Who is this "we" you're talking about?
7718
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:01 p.m.
Clark Durant would be a great senator for Michigan.
NonTownie
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:11 p.m.
Another self-described nerd? That would be good for Michigan?
Silly Sally
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 2:23 p.m.
Why is the ad racist? It depicts a Chinese woman in China, most likely of humble origins, (she is in a farming area and riding a bicycle), speaking English. Her grammatical mistake was to say "get very weak" & "get very good" instead of "gets very weak"& "gets very good". Ads are shown all the time with white Americans who make far worse mistakes. Instead of being "racist", it is quite the opposite. It depicts an "average" (whatever that is to mean) Chinese person being able to speak passable English while mist Americans cannot utter a word of Chinese and for most, any foreign language. Why is it that if someone is not white, they have to be depicted in a perfect light? That is what is "racist"
Tesla
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 5:12 p.m.
Yeah accept the commercial was filmed in Grand Rapids and the girl is an actress. You really think this was filed in China, Sally? LOL ahahahaha
scenedujour
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 2:54 p.m.
Based on several of your comments on this board, I am not surprised you can't see the racism in the ad.
Mick52
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 9:18 p.m.
I stand with Sally. When I first saw this I thought it was typically political crap we are getting now, but I do not see it as racist. Maybe because I have seen racism and this just does not rank up there. If this character were Scottish, or Irish, would it be racist? Yesterday, as all the hullabaloo came out on this I was unsubscribing from Mr. Hoekstra's emails, not because of this ad, but because his promotional material is the some old spew we always get, promises of I will do that and I will do this, with no explanation at all of how or why he thinks his ideas will work. It seems as though politicians are back to promising things akin to "a chicken in every pot," without explaining why they think it will work. As for Ms. Ping's decision, wow, I am all broken up over that. Who she supports should not affect anyone's decision.
xyz
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 6:03 p.m.
Well I don't think an average Chinese farmer in rural China could even spell Obama's name correctly, let alone getting involved in local politics in Michigan. So it is perfectly legitimate for Asian Americans to voice their concerns.
shutthefrtdoor
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:24 p.m.
I disagree..."Her grammatical error" was not hers. She is a paid actress and the ad is "scripted" that's where the problem lies. The "white" people aren't the ones that get to call foul...it is the Asian Americans that are in an uproar...and rightfully so.
walker101
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:29 p.m.
Silly Sally you're so wise.
Graz
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 2:20 p.m.
In addition to the lack of judgment shown by having the young woman talk that way, refering to Sen. Stabenow with a schoolyard-type play on her name, "Spenditnow" makes Mr. Hoekstra seem...well, like he's acting like a 10 year old. I don't care which side of the aisle you sit on, you should conduct yourself like a sober, responsible ADULT and work out the issues we face instead of acting like a petulant child throwing tantrums and engaging in name-calling.
groland
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 2:19 p.m.
The racist overtones aside, the add was deceptive. China did not become wealthy by buying US government bonds. China became wealthy by manufacturing and selling us consumer goods. Manufacturing that many US companies moved overseas as a result of free trade, tax, labor, and environmental advantages. Lastly, the great majority of the national debt was accrued under GOP presidents.
groland
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:29 p.m.
@Viking, one last point. I have been concerned about the deficit for years. This is not a Liberal vs.Conservative issue; it is an American issue. What really galls me is the concern for deficits by career GOP politicians has only just now been discovered. Now that we have a Democratic President and we have had the biggest recession since the 1930s. Trying to cut the deficit when the economy has collapsed is a bad idea. Compare this to the 2001, when the GOP would not consider paying down the debt when times were much better.
groland
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:21 p.m.
@Viking, I am talking about the cumulative spending deficits incurred over time, which really exploded beginning in about 1981. in 2009, it stood at just over 10 trillion. It is now approaching 14 trillion.
1959Viking
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:08 p.m.
"Great majority?" You either define this term differently than mathematicians, or are being selective in your reading of history. In the last three years the gap between Republican debt and Democratic debt has all but been erased.
Tesla
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 2:19 p.m.
Thos ad is totally by design. It is No Mistake. Hoekstra hired the same guy that did the demon sheep commercial and the I am not a witch commercial. Thes candidates (so called) know they are going to lose and take what money they do have and throw it into an ad like this so you....and I, are talking about him. If not for this ad, it would be Pete Hoekstra who? Honestly? The ads have no staying power any more and even though it is scheduled to run in Michigan for the next two weeks, my guess is that by Thursday it will be Pete Hoekstra who again. Poor pete.
amlive
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 2 p.m.
Minor note on word choice - though the intent of the article is clear enough, "throwing her support behind" is generally meant to indicate support of, rather than withdrawal of support. And yes, Hoekstra had to be unbelievably dense to not see this as racist. The question now is, is he really that stupid, or just racist? I suppose the answer could be both. I'd love to see him do a commercial showing his thoughts on Native American casinos, or perhaps "Injun gambling bars" as I suppose he may put it.
amlive
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:41 p.m.
Thanks BRB - I definitely deserve a slap in the forehead for that one. Note to self - read article properly before offering criticism. Sheepishly yours...
shutthefrtdoor
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.
Luv it!!! It's funny you say that about casino's...Mayor Bernero is facing some opposition in Lansing as we speak.
brb11
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 2:21 p.m.
Unless the article was edited, it sounds correct to me. She is "throwing her support behind" his rival because of the commercial.
zeeba
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 1:59 p.m.
Hoeksta suckee big time. You have to wonder why he didn't just repackage some old WWII propaganda posters. I haven't seen anything this blatant since they stopped running Steve Canyon in the funny pages.
xmo
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 1:55 p.m.
Why is it always racist when a Republican hits a Democrat hard? (and it's the truth) Democrats can bring out homeless people and say that they are homeless because of Republicans and that an auto worker lost his job because of the Republicans but when the tables are turned it is always racist, sexist etc! I am fed up with the Democrats lying and the the press that supports them! Way to Go Pete!
Derrick Forshee
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 5:24 a.m.
How exactly is this ad hitting a democrat hard? What has Pete offered to differently? Spend less and cut spending well of course thats what they all say. But enough of that personally I think we aren't spending enough. That's right I said we aren't spending enough and I'm sick of all these cuts the republicans keep trying to push onto us. Should we really be cutting our own throats just to get a balanced budget? I think not ..... not only was this ad racist but it was also ineffective as I want to vote for Debbie Stabenow more than I did before.
bobr
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 3:50 a.m.
The way I read the article, one Republican was withdrawing support from another Republican over a racist ad.
Erocypsi
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:11 a.m.
What commercial with homeless people??? Are you for real?
1bit
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 10:10 p.m.
If you can't see why this ad is racist and despicable, then I don't think I can explain it to you. Making light of the way people speak English is not funny or remotely acceptable for anyone wanting to serve as a Senator from Michigan. Might as well have put black face paint on and white lips and pretended to be black. Maybe you should go up to an Asian American and talk like that to them and see what they say to you. I don't know what's worse - that Hoekstra thought this ad is okay or that he is unapolegetic afterwards. It's an absolute disgrace to the State of Michigan.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 5:12 p.m.
@xmo: Did you miss the part of the article where it is made clear that Ms. Ping is a Republican? Apparently. GN&GL
Richard
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:01 p.m.
Why is it always racist when a Democrat hits a Republican hard? (and it's the truth) Republicans can bring out homeless people and say that they are homeless because of Democrats and that an auto worker lost his job because of the Democrats but when the tables are turned it is always racist, sexist etc! I am fed up with the Republicans lying and the the press that supports them!
shutthefrtdoor
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 2:51 p.m.
There is nothing racist or sexist in pointing out the bad policies of the Repubicans that have helped destroy middle class families by erasing jobs in the name of corporate Wallstreet profits. Poverty has NO color or gender. However...when a politico is partially responsible for shipping our dollars off shore and blames it on the other party while using "race" as a scapegoat...there is a problem.
groland
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 2:21 p.m.
Sorry, but the ad is a complete distortion. Do you think China became wealthy by buying US government bonds? Of course not. They became wealthy by manufacturing. Our national debt has little to do with that. By the way, the debt was accrued mostly under Republican presidents. Those ARE the facts my friend.
Jon Saalberg
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 1:54 p.m.
I think Hoekstra might find himself in the national spotlight - this ad is ripe for Jon Stewart's show.
snoopdog
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:24 a.m.
Who ? Oh, the guy who is on TV at midnight and has maybe several hundred thousand viewers a night. Good Day
hank
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 1:53 p.m.
Hoekstra is a career politician that was instrumental in pushing up the debt to the Chinese and he runs this add. Did he think the voters have forgotten?
groland
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 9:06 p.m.
Unfortunately they likely have forgotten. What I don't understand is how conservatives continued to vote for Republicans who cut taxes, waged wars, and increase spending.
zeeba
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 6:14 p.m.
Actually, the Chinese own very little of our debt - only about 8 percent. And their economy is growing because U.S. corporations are outsourcing jobs to them, not because they're underwriting our government. So the fundamental premise of the ad is wrong to begin with.
shutthefrtdoor
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 2:46 p.m.
Ding-Ding-Ding...We have a winner! Hank, voters DO forget very easily. Fox2 had President Bush touting the auto loans this morning...imagine that!
Adam Jaskiewicz
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 1:29 p.m.
This commercial seems like a parody. I can't believe that he'd run it. Have you seen the website he made for this campaign? It's as hideous as it is racist. The whole campaign seems like a carefully crafted way of shooting himself in the foot.
clownfish
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 1:43 p.m.
I could vote for Stabenow because she supported keeping auto suppliers out of the unemployment lines. I can vote for Levin because he at least tried to control war spending. I can endorse the new health care law for a variety of reasons, opposing health care coverage for millions of people because one is too lazy to read is not a valid argument.
Adam Jaskiewicz
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 11:05 p.m.
Harry, what do Stabinow, Levin, or Obama have to do with what I wrote? I was commenting about the ad and the website, not Pete Hoekstra's politics or those of his opponents.
Harry
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 2 p.m.
How can anyone vote for Stabinow or Levin. How can anyone endorse Obama care, a five thousand page bill, with out even looking at it? Talk about voting party lines. Do you think she is looking out for us? We will never know because she doesnt even know.
smokeblwr
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 1:20 p.m.
If the commercial actually had her speaking Chinese it wouldn't have been offensive. Instead it was as bad as Krusty the Klown's "me rikey the flied lice" bit.
Bill
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 7:35 p.m.
@Mike58 wrote "You have to wonder what Hoekstra was thinking when he ok'd that ad." He wasn't thinking, which is the real problem.
Peter
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 6:47 p.m.
smokeblwr: 1. Not everybody in China is Chinese, and even amongst the people who would call themselves that there is still a great diversity of ethnic groups. 2. Even if you present racist stereotypes about ALL of the people in a particular group, that's still racist. 3. Your little 'typo' is rather childish.
Enso
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 5 p.m.
I'd like to think we hold our politicians to a higher standard than Krusty the Klown.
smokeblwr
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 4:40 p.m.
It's not race baiting if he goes after a whole country that is eating our economic lunch and that just happens to be 100% Chinese. I can agree with the message and we need to take our relationship with China very seriously, we just don't need ridicurous. ads like this one.
Peter
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 3:28 p.m.
Fearmongering race-baiting still wouldn't be ok, even without the ridiculous accent stereotype.
Mike58
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 : 1:26 p.m.
I agree. Even if she had spoken perfect English it would have been fine. You have to wonder what Hoekstra was thinking when he ok'd that ad. Very poor judgement.