Who thought THAT was a good idea?
[NOTE: I have posted updates to this ongoing story HERE.]
“Twitter Pete” Hoekstra, the man who wasn’t even smart enough to buy his own domain during his run for Governor of Michigan, ran an ad during this year’s Super Bowl that was so blatantly racist and offensive to Asians that even GOP consultants are flinching.
The portrayal of a young Asian woman speaking broken English in a Super Bowl ad being run by U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra against Michigan incumbent Debbie Stabenow is bringing charges of racial insensitivity.
GOP consultant Nick De Leeuw flat-out scolded the Holland Republican for the ad.
“Stabenow has got to go. But shame on Pete Hoekstra for that appalling new advertisement,” De Leeuw wrote on his Facebook page Sunday morning. “Racism and xenophobia aren’t any way to get things done.”
Here’s the ad:
“Thank you, Michigan Senator Debbie Spenditnow. Debbie spend so much American money. You borrow more and more from us. Your economy get very weak. Ours get very good. We take your jobs. Thank you, Debbie Spenditnow.”
The video is available on Hoekstra’s website www.debbiespenditnow.com, a page festooned with Asian symbols, pots of tea, dragons and paper lanterns.
Understandably, commenting and thumbs up/thumbs down rating have been disabled on the ad’s YouTube page.
Asian-American candidate for Michigan’s 69th state House district Sam Singh, a Democrat, had this official comment on his Facebook page:
As an Asian American working to rebuild Michigan’s fragile economy, I was deeply disappointed in Pete Hoekstra’s Super Bowl ad. Instead of playing to racial stereotypes that divide us, we need leaders that understand Michigan’s role in the global economy. Michigan’s advance manufacturing base is expanding and jobs are coming back. We need to be attracting international investment and talent at the same time as stabilizing trade imbalances. Political ads like this hurt Michigan and don’t move our economy forward. Michigan deserves better.
Asian Pacific Islander American Vote – Michigan released the following statement:
Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote – Michigan is deeply disappointed by Pete Hoekstra’s “Debbie-spend-it-now” campaign ad, which plays on harmful stereotypes of Asians speaking broken English and has stereotypical Chinese music playing in the background. It is very disturbing that Mr. Hoekstra’s campaign chose to use harmful and negative stereotypes that intrinsically encourage anti-Asian sentiment.
From 2000 to 2010, the Asian American community grew at the largest rate (34.9%) of all racial groups and continues to be a major contributor to the economy in Michigan.
No elected official or candidate for office, regardless of political affiliation, should use stereotypical imagery or language. The use of these stereotypes is counter to the progress our country has made over past decades to encourage respect for all communities.
The Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) responded to the ad by creating the website hoekstrahoax.com.
When a politician is trying to tell people he’s the exact opposite of what he really is, that’s an all out hoax–and politician Pete Hoekstra is trying to perpetrate an incredible Hoax on the people of Michigan.
Who is Pete Hoekstra? It’s tough to say. Currently, he’s working at a Washington lobbying firm. Before that, he spent nearly two decades in Washington as a Congressman.
Now Hoekstra says he’s running for US Senate–and says he’s running as a “reformer.” The reality: Hoekstra’s running away from his long record of cozying up to America’s most powerful special interests. Hoekstra supported the Wall Street bailout, and actually voted against putting any limits on the bonuses bailed out executives could pay themselves with taxpayer money. Hoekstra even said that if elected to the Senate, he’ll repeal the Wall Street reforms passed after the financial crisis that hold Wall Street accountable and stop taxpayer bailouts. No wonder- Hoekstra is also on the board of directors at a bank, and his lobbying firm represents all sorts of loaded special interests.
Now, Hoekstra is shamelessly trying to tell you he’s a reformer. But, in reality, that’s the Hoekstra Hoax, and here at HoekstraHoax.com, you can check the facts yourself. Because no matter how Pete “Hoax-tra” tries to cover up the facts, his real record is all right HERE.
A Google search during the Superbowl showed a link to the MDP site as the top search result, a paid ad by MDP.
On his Facebook page, Hoekstra said, “Democrats trying to make this an issue of race demonstrates their total ignorance of job creation policies.”
Actually, I would say Democrats making an issue of this are showing they have far more class than Pete Hoekstra could ever hope to have. Hoekstra’s spokesperson is calling the ad satirical. This means they are satirizing an entire race of people. and they are so self-unaware that they don’t even recognize how offensive that is.
Nice Job, Pete. While the auto companies are running pro-Michigan/pro-Detroit ads to help Michigan’s image around the country, you’re running an offensive, xenophobic, racist ad that gives our state a black eye.
For shame.
By the way, Pete, this is how it should be done:
UPDATES AFTER THE JUMP
Michigan-based civil rights leader Reverend Charles Williams II is holding a press conference tomorrow, demanding an apology from Pete Hoekstra:
Civil Rights leader Rev. Charles Williams II, calls for immediate apology from Pete Hoekstra to Asian Community for racist ad making fun of Asians.
What: Press Conference
Who:
King Solomon Baptist Church
Rhema International Church
Greater Mt. Tabor Baptist Church
National Action Network Michigan
National Council for Community EmpowermentWhen: Monday, February 6th 2012@, 10:30a.m.
Where: 6100 14th Street Detroit, MI
Detroit- 2/6/12 – Republican candidate for U.S Senate Pete Hoekstra endorsed and appeared in a new campaign commercial launched during the Super Bowl last night. The add featured a young woman speaking in broken English in Asian accent. Eclectablog featured the video on www.eclectablog.com.
GOP consultant Nick De Leeuw said:
“Stabenow has got to go. But shame on Pete Hoekstra for that appalling new advertisement,” De Leeuw wrote on his Facebook page Sunday morning. “Racism and xenophobia aren’t any way to get things done.”
Rev. Charles Williams II said: “If Pete Hoekstra does not see any wrong in this commercial, he doesn’t deserve to be in the race. The Asian woman speaking in this video would be no different than him having a black person speaking in slave dialect. He needs to apologize now!”
Rev. Maurice L. Rudds said, “The politics of racial division is alive and well in hoekstra’s campaign. What’s next? A commercial mocking African American hip hoppers.”
The coalition of leaders are calling on a formal apology from Pete Hoekstra and urge him to pull down the add immediately.
Rev. Charles Williams is the pastor of the Historic King Solomon Baptist church, and state director of Rev. Al Sharptons National Action Network. Rev. Maurice L. Rudds is the pastor of Greater Mt. Tabor Baptist church, and president of National Council for Community Empowerment, Michigan Chapter.
For more information contact 313-303-8002
