One of the more amusing aspects of elections is watching one candidate or another say something completely off the wall and then, rather than admit the mistake, try to spin the statement away. Jennifer Granholm, Democratic candidate for governor here in Michigan, is running unintentionally hilarious advertisements trying to save herself from a major blunder.
Earlier this year, Granholm appeared at an NAACP function where she felt it necessary to say, “For the record, I support reparations as well.” Republicans got hold of a videotape of that event and are running “Granholm: Too Liberal for Michigan”-style ads.
Granholm had a number of options in replying to the ads, but has chosen the silliest one — that when she said she supported reparations, she never meant that she supported any sort of economic restitution to the descendants of slaves. She just meant she supports civil rights, expanded opportunities for African Americans, etc., etc.
I.e., she’s either clueless or lying, and either way not very promising. But she’ll likely win because her Republican is just as bad (if not a little worse), and Michigan is still largely a Democratic state.
Source:
Campaign for Governor: Airwaves crackle as race ads burn. Dawson Bell and Chris Christoff, Detroit Free Press, October 19, 2002.
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