Chris Stewart admits it!

[pegkerr]

It was in today's Star Tribune. Chris Stewart DID do that web site, a race-baiting parody of Tammy Lee's site.

I listened to those of you who suggested it might be just a smear trying to make him look bad, and I voted for him. Now I'm regretting doing so.

Edited to add: See my account of my telephone conversation with Mr. Stewart here.

Comments

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Well, that'll teach you to listen to us! I went back to your earlier post, and while you asked, "Anyone know anything further about this?" (emphasis mine), all of us who responded just gave you our opinions, except minnehaha K., who gave you David Brauer's opinion. With all due respect to my fellow commenters, I don't think any of us is in general any smarter than you are (I think minnehaha K. is better informed about local politics than just about anyone else I know, but she didn't give you her own opinion).

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

P.S. I've seen at least one place in my wanderings through links on this that Stewart did not intend it to be a public site. If that's true, I don't have any problem with it, except that his carelessness in not keeping it private speaks ill of either his discretion or his technical ability (possibly both).

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I did go out and look for further information on it on Election day, trying to find out more. Nothing on the Pioneer Press or Star Tribune website. I, too, feel that minnehaha K. is a great resource on local politics, and I couldn't have probably hoped to have found out anything more since it was Election Day itself--and since Chris Stewart was NOT making any statement until after the votes were counted. And then, of course, it was too late.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't hurt to email him and tell him exactly how you feel about this.

[naomikritzer]

You know, that's a good idea, and I may do just that with the content of my comment below. I voted for him, because I hadn't even seen this controversy before I cast my vote, and I wish I hadn't, because of this.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I did e-mail (I may post the text of what I e-mailed).

He e-mailed back, asking that I called him, and I am going to do so shortly.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Here's the report of my telephone call with him.

[naomikritzer]

You know, if someone puts something up on the Web without even the most basic sort of password and then says they meant it to be private, they're an idiot. I don't want idiots on my school board.

And even as a private joke, that site was really, really offensive. One of the things I would like my children to learn as part of their education is that intelligent people of good will can reach different conclusions. If a school board member fails, on a fundamental level, to get that, I have a major problem with that.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

I definitely agree with your first paragraph.

As for the second: parody often is offensive (eating Irish babies, for example). One may dislike the entire form for that reason (or others), but Stewart shouldn't be singled out for practicing it.

[naomikritzer]

My issue is not with the use of parody, it's with the point he's trying to make with it.

Swift's point was not that the Irish should actually eat their own children.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

What do you see as the point he's trying to make with it (presuming it was meant to be private)?

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I can imagine that the website felt empowering and quite funny to someone for whom part of every day is spent dealing with white privilege.

K. [me, I found it sad, and not funny at all, but then I have never really been the butt of racism]

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

I found it more clever than funny, but I was also less enchanted with Lee than many people seem to have been.

[leiabelle.livejournal.com]

And even as a private joke, that site was really, really offensive.

I agree. A lot of work went into the "joke" as well. If a person puts that much work into something, he or she isn't just joking around. That much work is trying to make a point.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

What do you see as the point he was trying to make?

[leiabelle.livejournal.com]

At some point, the line was crossed between satirizing Lee's site and expressing personal views. A lot of the stuff on the "parody" site was quite vicious, such as the "quote" from Kathleen Anderson: "I'm voting for Tammy Lee because I'm a drunken hag who can't possibly vote for Mandingo." That's not funny or satirical; it's just mean.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

P.P.S. I didn't vote for him, for other reasons. I tend to distrust anyone who uses the "academic rigor" mantra.