« BACK  |  PRINT

RS

EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Maybe Stephanie McCrummen Just Likes Using the N Word

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  October 2nd, 2011 at 11:35 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

This is perhaps the most bizarre attack on Rick Perry to come so far.

Hugh Hewtitt has a very good take down of it. It shows the extent to which the Democrats will go to attack Republicans. Stephanie McCrummen, a Washington Post based reporter formerly stationed in Nairobi has a history of fanning racial flames out of context.

In a move that was genuinely supported by people of all races in North Carolina, McCrummen earlier this year tried to paint tea party backed school board members as racist for restructuring a school busing program in the Raleigh area. Again, there were a large number of black residents supportive of the measure, but McCrummen’s reporting failed to get into that.

Now, she’s out with a story about Rick Perry and his dad using a hunting camp with a big rock on it that has the word “Ni**erhead” on it. Rick Perry’s father painted over the rock. At some point, they turned the rock over so it couldn’t be seen.

The Washington Post story makes clear that Perry didn’t like it, that his dad painted over it, that they weren’t responsible for it, and that all seven people who who saw it remember it in the 80′s, might have seen it in 2008 (but really are not sure), and did not associate it with either Rick Perry or his father.

As Hugh Hewitt notes:

Many, many people were interviewed for the story. Only seven recall seeing the rock, and not one of them connect Rick Perry to it, nor do any of the people –either from among these seven or who knows how many more were contacted for the piece– tie Rick Perry to offensive comments, language or actions. Though a lot of space is devoted to this story, no detailed reporting on what the seven saw and when they saw it is included, which allows for incredible supposition about the ambiguity to take root. Thus a story that could have major implications for the presidential campaign in 2012 is built on anonymous sources whose stories aren’t even detailed.

It is a drive-by slander.

It also seems to be a slander Herman Cain is picking up and running with as a way to get into second place.

But Stephanie McCrummen gets to use the word ni**ger 8 times in the story and connect it to Rick Perry.

Tags: , ,

COMMENTS

POSTING RULES  |  LOGIN TO COMMENT  |  REGISTER TODAY
  • izoneguy
  • freentn

    that the democrat game plan? SICKENING!

  • jjhlh1

    is the best way to describe the Washington Post for publishing this story. Rick Perry and his father should be commended for their steps to get rid of the offensive word.

  • lineholder

    Interesting article. I don’t know that I would go so far as to say it is an attempt by Cain to “get the story out to the brainwashed folks”.

    This is an article by CBS. As a member of the MSM, of course they’re going to use situations like this to challenge conservative credibility. They’ve attacked Perry by delivering a low blow implying racism, and they’re challenging Cain’s credibility as someone who is black. Typical.

  • izoneguy

    As a technical term

    “Ni**erhead” was, among others:
    * a former British term for a black iron post for mooring ships, made from an old cannon partially buried muzzle upward, with a slightly oversize black cannonball covering the hole

    * a former sailors’ term for an isolated coral head, notorious as navigation hazards

    * among some American stonemasons, a term for a large smoothly rounded stone

    * an antiquated term for a large round rock sticking up from the surface of a logging road, used by loggers and log truck drivers in the Pacific Northwest

    * an old U.S. Navy term for a small winch, a Capstan

    * a coal miner’s term for blackish iron disulfide nodular rock occurring at the top of the coal seams, often visible in coal mine roofs. Because of their density, they can fall from the roofs, injuring or killing the miners below

    * an archaic term for the striking weight on a pile driver

    * a term for a steam manifold, fountain, turret or header on a boiler, particularly that of a locomotive

    The rock in question at the Perry Hunting Camp was painted and turned over
    soon after Rick objected to it. That term goes back hundreds of years.
    For Cain to pick up on a drive-ny media story and run with it shows the man
    likes to play fast & loose with the facts. Someone like this cannot be trusted with the Presidency or any position in Federal government. And that is the thanks Rick Perry gets from Herman Cain, the only candidate who was considering him for VP!

  • freentn

    should go into the hood in Atlanta where he will hear the N word used in every other sentence by the gang bangers in his home town, rather than turning over painted rocks in Texas.

  • sayoung80913

    C’mon, Cain! I actually like this guy and he has fallen for the oldest trick in the damn book! Clearly the WAPO put this crap story out there to try and stir up controversy between Cain and Perry. OF COURSE, the media (FOX in this case) calls Cain on it immediately, and without looking into the facts or knowing any details-he opens his yap and allows them to draw him into yet another race fight. Too pathetic! What Cain should have said was something along the lines of ” I haven’t heard about this and don’t know the facts yet – so will refrain from commenting until I do”-too bad, I can abide a lot but the race card is MAXXED out-over and done with. Kind of hard to ding a guy on his view on immigration as being too lax and then to turn around and hint at him being racist-which is it? Complete idiocy.

  • freentn

    simply because of the color of my skin and the Party that I choose to belong too! My Fellow Republicans & I have fought for racial equality in this Nation while Democrats Al Gore and Robert Byrd were Klan members voting against the Civil Rights Act.

  • wonkish1

    And there is nothing we can do about it.

    The crappy thing is that Perry did nothing wrong, but since we are going into a campaign where the incumbent is AA then GOP voters would be smart steering clear of this.

    This may end up being one of those cases where many primary voters decide to that it isn’t worth an issue like this becoming part of the General election and decide to throw Perry under the bus like so many have been over the years.

    What a shame!

  • izoneguy

    This is what the Post is willing to do to keep Obama in office

    The message couldn’t be clearer if the author hit you over the head with a huge rock featuring the word “Ni**erhead” on it.

    And much like “macaca,” one quite imagines the editors of the Post hoping this word sticks to Perry, especially in a race against America’s first African-American president.

    Speaking of Barack Obama, where were the 3000-word, front page hit pieces about him in October 2007 concerning his 20 year association with an America-hating reverend?

    Or his connection to domestic terrorists?

    Or his sparse legislative record as a state or United States senator?

    Yeah, I don’t recall them either.

    But this is campaign 2012 when any piece of dirt about an Obama competitor is going to be dug up and put on front pages to protect the current White House resident.

    The conclusion of this Post piece proves it:

    As recently as this summer, the rock was still there, according to photographs viewed by The Washington Post.

    In the photos, it was to the left of the gate. It was laid down flat. The exposed face was brushed clean of dirt. White paint, dried drippings visible, covered a word across the surface. An N and two G?s were faintly visible.

    This is what the Post is willing to do to keep Obama in office.

    Imagine what’s in store for the eventual Republican nominee.

  • dio55

    I will never vote for him now and he was my first choice ever since perry lost my support. my anger at cain is ten times that of the washington post . so pack your bag race bater you are now a has been on less you go on bended knee and apologise to perry and every other conservative out there andeven then its too late for me your true colors have now been revealed. you are a political oportunist and nothing else

  • jjhlh1

    and his father should be congratulated for getting rid of an offensive word since apparently, according to the story, this rock was seen by lots of people, none of which (besides the Perry’s) did anything about it. This story is drive by slander on a GOP frontrunner and makes me more likely to vote for Perry, not less.

  • freentn

    !

  • Kudzu

    and responded that the term is offensive… he didn’t charge off against Perry saying Perry is a racist. The term is insulting to blacks. Point. Over.

    You fail to recognize that in the same interview this morning Cain also called 2/3rd of black voters who fall in lock-step with the Democrat Party, “brainwashed”.

    Point. Cain.

  • sayoung80913

    I don’t think so- getting some play only makes the stupidness more out in the open. Americans are sick of the race card, and especially sick of those who play it. Cain acted foolishly and jumped the gun-too bad. Perry’s base will not desert him over an over hyped,piecemeal,piece of crap article playing the race card-BTW, the charity that owns that piece of land is HUGE! I mean one of the biggest down there. There must be hundreds of people who run it who would be willing to take this article on and vindicate Perry. This isn’t the first time the press tried this type of story over Abilene’s way- the last time they ended up with egg all over their face. I wonder if they try to take a down a charity for children all for political gain- yeah- how’s that one gonna work out for them with the race card being so over used via the tea party,protesters, or basically anyone who disagrees with Obama? Cain is an AMATEUR for falling for this ploy- too bad his communications director resigned,maybe this whole unfortunate case would have been avoided if he had been there to advise Cain.

  • freentn

    the gang bangers’ mouths out with soap every time they use the N word. I guess he is too cheap to pay for all that soap.

  • izoneguy

    N/T

  • Kudzu

    Sorry, I didn’t mean that to be a response to you

  • wonkish1

    We’ll see how it plays out!

  • Kudzu

    paying attention.

    Cain called it “insensitive” not racist. He isn’t running on the race card and never will. If you’re so quick to dismiss Cain for being factually accurate then you had no intention of supporting him in the first place.

    Mr. Cain in the same interview this morning that Obama was far more insensitive and harmful to blacks and went on to continue a theme Cain developed earlier by calling 2/3rd of the black voting bloc “brainwashed”.

    And so many grammar errors in this that I’m not even going to play the spelling nazi but you obviously weren’t a Cain fan to begin with. This goes for both of you

  • freentn

    Romney tactic is written all over this Wapo Painted Rock story. Cain knew the plan was to paint Perry as a Racist and his response was as contrived as the WaPo story which was his set up to smear Perry for his Pal Romney.

  • jjhlh1

    Chris Wallace, and Fox News for falling for the Washington Post race baiting story. I’ve read the entire story and watched the entire Fox News interview with Herman Cain. Everyone involved painted Rick Perry in a negative light. Shame on them.

    According to the story, the rock was seen by many people, none of whom did anything about it until Rick Perry and his dad got rid of the offensive word. Seems like they are the only ones who showed good judgement and took action to correct a wrong.

  • Scope

    for bringing up the immigration thing. Romney and Cain in particular have been hitting Perry hard as an illegal hispanic lover, and making it appear that he alone is responsible for every illegal that inhabits the nation. Then they try to paint him as a racist against blacks. Yes, this is absolutely a double standard using race issues to foment trouble for Perry.

    I can only hope that this will backfire on both Romney and Cain, and that it will become more and more obvious that they are participating the liberal tactic of the politics of personal destruction. Romney has already overplayed the immigration issue against Perry. Romney’s last ad with Vincente Fox has been seen as over the top, and of poor quality, even by some in the antiPerry camp on Fox.

  • freentn

    No way the breakinf of this WaPo N Word story and Cain’s interview about it happened by coincidence. Romney, Cain & the LSM planned this smear on Perry.

  • lineholder

    Or are you back to conspiracy theories again? If you have evidence that this was done deliberately by Cain, post the link.

  • lineholder

    Conservatives had wised up enough to recognize when the MSM is trying to string them along. Given some of the comments posted above, apparently that isn’t quite the case. Or maybe it’s just due to that political-cutthroat-animalistic tendency that comes around during election season.

    Good luck with this one, Erick. One step forward and two steps back it seems.

  • wonkish1

    He just runs around spewing crap and conspiracy theories everywhere.

    He actually accused me of “push polling”(which he doesn’t know the definition of) because I posted a few polls on the site. And then he accused me of being a Romney fan when I hate the guy!

    It’s getting really annoying to see his name on half of the comments on the list and every single one of the titles is B#!!$hit.

  • freentn

    in his Dirty Tricks Campaign.

  • dio55

    Thats the key term here and you know what?.. I think we have all had enough of those types . Do not tell me what my support is, it is a lot of things mostly it is WARY which after all this country has been through is most important.
    To sum up It is most important that all of our support for ANY candidate be WARY not UNCONDITIONAL

  • lineholder

    I was willing to consider that freentn’s attitude might change, but obviously that doesn’t stand the test of time. Some type of schizophrenia, perhaps?

    It’s a shame, because I just found a comment at another site yesterday praising RS for it’s support of conservatism. Given who the comment was made, I think it is significant because it was directing people this way for more information on conservative positions. This type of incident isn’t helping us one bit. Not as a site and not as Conservatives.

  • runner12

    and I was disapointed by what I read. I am not sure why he fell directly into the trap set before him by the media.

    This is nothing more than a shameless and baseless accusation made against a conservative candidate by the drive-by Leftist media. Unfortunately, Mr. Cain piled on.

  • Scope

    attack the Wapo did to take down George Allen. That was brought up shortly before the election where Allen was leading the Democrat Jim Webb. They had to have posted 20 articles about Allen’s racism right up until Webb won the race.

  • Darin_H

    as when they hit W over James Byrd’s murder. He didn’t support hate crimes legislation because 2/3 already faced the death penalty and the 3rd, life in prison, and that of course was proof that he was a racist.

  • wonkish1

    I’m hoping this doesn’t stick like the Macaca BS did for Allen.

    Its just sickening.

  • freentn

    along with the LSM and the democrats who have been out to destroy all the True Conservatives in the Race from day one. First is was Palin, then Bachmann, now Perry. Any True Conservative that is a threat to the dem favorite Romney will be attacked.

  • traversecityconservative

    Any one of the rest of us would paint over the rock the DAY we leased the property, if not gotten rid of the rock entirely. To think this isn’t going to hurt Perry is wishful thinking. The error in Herman’s comment was that he should have said “for his family to leave it there” (not him) as it wasn’t leased by Perry at that point. So it proves, what, that maybe Rick’s father is a racist – or he is just lazy.

    Yes, Herman jumps to comment (more than I like) before he knows the whole story. I think he should start prefacing what he says with, “from what I understand” and end it with “this could be a mute point as the main stream media is known for inaccuracies…” And those of you who think there is a Cain/Romney conspiracy camp who had this all planned out make me laugh.

    To have true conversations, you have to actually see the weaknesses in your candidate and I know what Herman’s are. But let’s see…what are my choices – someone who is okay with in-state tuition for illegals (Perry) – or someone who’s okay with state mandated health care (Romney) or someone who comments a little too often before he has the whole story? Hm…the last choice doesn’t actually affect MY life in anyway. This sounds selfish but I only care about MYSELF and how the president is going to affect MY life. Why? Because I’ve lost a LOT in the past two years and am not willing to lose anymore – whether that’s money or freedom. You guys are all getting caught in the minutiae (as is Cain). There are bigger, more important things to care about.

  • dio55

    Kudzu. As for gramatical errors ( onless..Unless etc ) i am tuping on a blackberry. you sound so new york timish talking about sarah palin when you go there, is it warm in your mothers basement?

  • jjhlh1

    There “isn’t a more vile, negative word than the N-word, and for him to leave it there as long as he did, until before, I hear, they finally painted over it, is just plain insensitive to a lot of black people in this country,” said Cain, who is running against Perry and a group of others for the Republican presidential nomination.

    So Cain in his remarks is strongly suggesting that Perry is a racist. I disagree. I congratulate Perry and his dad for removing the offensive word. Apparently it had been seen by a lot of people who did nothing about it until the Perry’s took action. I don’t like race baiting. I find it disturbing, to say the least.

  • lineholder

    Post the link or keep the speculation to yourself.

  • wonkish1

    But what kind of business did you own?

  • johnt

    of a supportive media that can’t even begin to defend their childish creation playing with his toys in the WH. The use of the R word will only expand, hate fills the vacuum where mind once was & you can’t defend a failed dream, or failed disgraced hero. Let’s keep our eyes on the pig and the rest of the swinish, mud covered herd, a lot more of this is coming & a counter combining contempt for their spew balanced by issues and their incapacity to deal with them is needed.
    In a rather clear way they know they’ve alreadly lost, their policies, or primal urges, have already fallen.
    And toss the pig a corn cob, metaphorically speaking.

  • http://www.AmericanThinker.com Hammer2008

    Chris Wallace is trying to out maneuver Fox’s Carl Cameron on taking down those on the right of the party.

    Consider Fox News part of the NY/DC elite market trying to get ratings while favoring Romney.

    Chris Wallace teed up the question making it sound like the timeframe of the stupidly named camp was into Perry’s time as governor. Cain reaction
    “My reaction is that’s just very insensitive. There isn’t a much, that isn’t a more vile negate word than the n-word and for him to leave it there as long as he did before I hear they finally painted over it is just plain insensitive to a lot of black people in this country.”

    Pardon the WaPo’s shenanigans of the story but I’m sure once Mr. Cain hears the whole story he won’t give a darn. Just wait though, this WILL BE asked of Gov. Perry at the next debate.

    Sidenote.
    Interestingly on the “brainwash” front, Michael Steel was brought into the mix calling it insulting. Seems the former RNC chair forgets being pelted with Oreos when onstage as a MD Senate candidate.

    Mr. Cain’s economical defense of his 9-9-9 plan was BRILLIANT. I betcha Mitt Romney couldn’t pull that off with his plan.

  • freentn

    that Perry is a “racist.” Nevertheless Cain’s smear of Gov Perry is OFFENSIVE and no different than the democrats who label all Republicans as Racists.

  • David123

    nt

  • lineholder

    I don’t know who you really are or what you are trying to accomplish by this type of divisive approach at RS, but you are NOT helping conservatism any when you spout of this kind of nonsense.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Should we vet Herman Cain’s father now?

  • runner12

    To be honest, I am rather tired of this poster’s nonsense and more than a little suspicious of his/her motivations.

  • wonkish1

    nt

  • joayn

    Wallace would have been, “Obviously, Mr. Cain, you’ve seen the article by the Washington Post this morning regarding Rick Perry, the article clearly implying that Rick Perry and his father tolerated a racial slur (insert rock name) on their leased hunting property back in the 1980′s. What do you think about the liberal media, and clearly in this case it’s really a case of stretching the truth, trying to perpetuate the idea that conservative Republicans are racists?”

    Opening up a genuine discussion on racism and how the left/MSM uses it, has always been one of Cain’s stronger suits.

    If Chris Wallace wanted to do any favors for Herman Cain, this is the kind of question he should have asked. Cain’s answer to Wallace’s original question was very disappointing yet insightful on how far Herman Cain would go to win and how badly he must want it.

  • lineholder

    Want hear a conspiracy theory? I think freentn is actually more than one person. There’s too much inconsistency in this poster’s responses. What’s more, I’m to the point of believing that this poster is someone attempting to undermine conservatism as a whole rather than supporting any single candidate.

    There’s nothing that supports conservative beliefs or policies in the comments this poster makes. It borders on slander to say the least. I’m not sure why the mods have been willing to let this go on as a long they have. They may have their reasons, but it sure doesn’t make a lick of sense to me at this point.

  • freentn

    Whites of being racists for political gain?

    I am SICK of Conservatives Republicans being called Racists by a party full of Racist Klan members like Al Gore and Robert Byrd.

  • runner12

    I guess now we will also vet cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws, third cousins twice-removed, etc.

    Added to that, I think the property was quite large so it may have taken some time to actually find said rock. Then you have to determine if you want it removed and if so, how. Then you have to check with local “agencies” to make sure moving said rock will not cause harm or damage to the habitat of a rare species of squirrel. After that headache, you just paint over it as it is the easiest option for removing the offensive message.

    Of course, this is a hypothetical scenario on my part with a heavy dose of satire in it. But you can see where this is going.

    There is nothing in Perry’s past that indicates he is a racist. Having an old rock with an offensive message (that was painted over) that your father leased does not make one racist.

  • http://www.AmericanThinker.com Hammer2008

    This story’s getting legs. If BHO can write about snorting cocaine and get away with it, perhaps Gov. Romney should have an interview at te hunting camp soon and get past this lunacy now.

    On ABC, Mr. Cain did go a baiting step further than on Fox saying, “… it was painted over but how long ago was it painted over? So I’m still saying that it’s a sign of insensitivity.”

    Balls in Gov. Perry’s court. If the Perry camp doesn’t address soon and move passed it, then the media will use his opponents to further the story.

  • runner12

    And I am someone who is favorable towards Perry. He actually is an embarassment for those of us who have Perry on our short list of who they are considering supporting.

  • SoFiMil

    So I’m sure Obama rebuked “Rev.” Wright, and Biden when he called us terrorists, and when other Dem leaders call us Nazis, and when the head of a major union calls us B——s, and when some commedian uses a derogatory slur at a correspondent’s dinner with Obama present.

  • Scope

    everything in his power to make Perry look bad. He used this opportunity to do so again, and Cain was as guilty as Wallace in taking the opportunity to yet again bash Perry. What Wallace did today was far worse than asking Bachmann if she was a flake. I could see him asking Perry if he was a racist for something that Perry obviously had little to nothing to do with.

  • Scope

    these liberal hit pieces are as guilty as the MSM themselves. Cain has a grwing list of statements that he is going to have to walk back, if he can. Doubt he can walk back the blacks are brainwashed statement. I can see the Obama ads being written against Cain as we speak. Cain is not ready for prime time.

  • snowshooze

    And pleased that you have gone to the effort to clarify the meaning.
    Far be it from me to re-name a piece of deck equipment whilst trying to shout out orders to hook the damn line around that — uh…gosh…winch thingy sticking out of the foredeck that will keep this boat from…no…that thingy there…the one that…hurry up dang it!!!!
    ( Nobody I know calls them a capstan, and capstan is a lousy yelling word… and mostly working deck, we are yelling all the time. )
    And them lumps in the swamps…
    This oversensitized race extremism is horse pucky.
    I see this story plastered everywhere and nowhere have I seen a single word of common sense, reality or any in-depth explanation of the word, it’s meaning, and uses. ( Except here! )
    I have NEVER used the term in any sort of racist way, and have never seen a racist connection. Ok…there is the obvious, but I was introduced to the term as a child working on my Father’s commercial fishing boat, it seemed funny at the time I was introduced to it, and that was funny for about 5 seconds because I had to get a line around it and start hauling.
    After that…it is what it is.
    And now… overblown BS
    Thanks Izone.

  • lineholder

    that I’m to the point of seeing this as an effort to undermine conservatism as a whole. As Conservatives, we need to keep our options open and make an objective choice on choosing who our next leader will be for this country. And this type of divisiveness doesn’t help us one bit.

    On the racial element of it, I don’t look at skin color. It’s been too much of obstacle in our society for too long, and it’s time to get past it.

    I’m doing everything I can to stand objective, runner12, but it’s this type of rhetoric that could persuade me to ELIMINATE Perry from consideration. I absolutely despise this type of nonsense.

    With that said, maybe I need to back away and just follow some of my own advice lately about watching the situation unfold.

  • freentn

    .

  • runner12

    It seems that the rock was at the entrance, according to reports and that it was painted over almost two decades ago. If you check the link EE put forth, you will find this info in the Fox piece.

  • dio55

    Doubling down now he’s shot himself in both feet . i cannot believe how wrong i was about mr Cain. I hate Romney and it seems like we conservatives are going to have to hold our noses and vote for him in 2012.. yeesh how did we get here again

  • freentn

    Conservative Republicans. I expect to be defamed by democrats, but “Republicans” defaming True Conservative Republicans is beyond the Pale.

    President Reagan, God Bless Him, must be turning over in his Grave this Sunday Morning.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    nt

  • snowshooze

    There is nothing apparent in his background which would make me believe that he may have ever heard of the term, which is still in daily use. IT IS NOT racist. It is not vile, nor is it profane.
    Possibly, Cain might understand if he did know a bit more.
    Again, thanks Izone.

  • jjhlh1

    You make an excellent point. Isn’t it against EPA regulations to spray paint over a rock without a permit?

    Sarcasm off.

  • freentn

    Radio Talker. The CNN & FOX Interviews were planned and rehearsed. Cain knows exactly what he is doing. And we know exactly why he is doing it, don’t we?

  • http://www.whyromney.com Ryan Larsen

    lineholder,

    My question has nothing to do with the subject being discussed, but there isn’t really a good place to ask this. However you seem like a good person to ask.

    I’m wondering if you know how long it takes to get approval for a diary here at RedState. I have written an open letter to RedState and would like to post it here. For now, I have it posted at intorightfield.com

    I requested a diary yesterday morning. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

    Thanks,

    Ryan

  • freentn

    of the N Word. No doubt that is why Perry’s Dad painted over it and turned the rock over. Their mistake was that they didn’t haul the rock away and sink it in the nearest Lake but I suppose they thought it was better to express their disdain for the N Word by painting over it. Regardless, the actions of the Perry’s was honorable. I can not say the same for Cain and Romney.

  • Carol Tarasewicz

    Thank you for the technical terms, I put a few of them on Fox News Website to correct them. It’s was the lead story on politics page.

  • lineholder

    There’s a tool bar near the top of the page. If you see “Create New Diary”, just click on that link. This should take you to the format where diaries are generated.

    I’m checking out for the rest of the day, I think, because the nonsense going on at RS today is a bit too much for me personally. I just don’t respect the derogatory racial clap-trap junk.

    If you have any other questions, I’m sure there are others who will be glad to help.

  • http://www.WILLisms.com WILLisms

    Forget his support for bailouts, Herman Cain just really crossed the line here. His whole “thing” was that he was FOR ideas. He was FOR someTHING. Now, he’s just AGAINST someONE.

  • renl57

    …and not the week after Perry gets nominated by the GOP, or a few weeks before Election Day 2012.

    We don’t need another “macaca” type story as the general election approaches. (Remember? Allen never recovered from that story and he lost the election.)

    Now we’ll see if Perry can deal with it and put it to rest–or if it continues to dog him like “macaca.”

    If it continues to dog him, then we’ll just have to nominate someone else.

  • paulplantowin

    are u trying to ruin this site?
    I used to love the comments here ’til u began your inflamatory posting. Now u poison almost every series of discussions.
    I really wish u would get a grip – u hate Cain – we get it!

  • renl57

    Cain told the press that he intends and expects to win over a lot of black voters, something no other Republican presidential candidate has done since Nixon in 1960.

    He knows that something like this story can make that job nearly impossible.

    And like his attack on Perry’s immigration policy, Cain is driving a hard bargain just like he used to do in the private sector. He’s telling Perry to get his act together or else Perry is history.

    Good.
    It’s too bad none of Obama’s associates was as bluntly honest with him.

  • freentn

    and Cain together with the LSM set the whole thing up.

  • Scope

    “This oversensitized race extremism is horse pucky.”

    But it’s OK for Cain to call many blacks “brainwashed”, but that isn’t racism in every Obama sense? Cain might just as well as asked them to “take off their bedroom slippers”, and get out and vote for him.

  • reggie182

    Exactly what evidence is there of Romney painting Perry as racist against blacks? Cain obviously spoke injudiciously (which he has a habit of) about this story, but I’ve yet to hear a single comment from the Romney camp about it.

    And as far as interjecting race into the campaign is concerned, I don’t exactly see how Perry gets a pass. He said twice during an answer in the first debate that peoples’ last names shouldn’t be held against them when they seek a college education. He is the one who made the infamous “You don’t have a heart” comment. That is the kind of language we expect from the left

    Romney’s ad against Perry was tough. No doubt about it. But I don’t see it as being inaccurate. The general election campaign is going to be a lot tougher. Better we find out what the candidates are made of now, than when it is too late.

  • ihavehadit

    I’m getting pretty sick of Perry having to defend himself on idiotic charges levied by other so called conservatives, most coming from candidates like Bachman and Santorum, now we have Cain juming in. Why can’t they just tell us what they want to do for America not what someone else may or may not have done. Leave the smut to the LSM or the DNC. Cain has so much baggage himself it’s like the pot calling the kettle black. His stance on gun control, not auditing the FED. , his pro affrimative action position. Supporting the bailout of the banks and on and on. He is now a race baiter and people are demanding Perry answer these ridiculous charges. Reminds me of the man who says “When did you stop beating your wife.” Perry was on my short list along with Cain but now Cain is OFF permanently. We don’t need any more RACE BAITERS in this country, let alone at the top AGAIN.

  • renl57

    Before any of Perry’s supporters get too upset:

    They should remember the elementary fact that an “October Surprise” in October 2011 is nowhere near as bad as an “October Surprise” in October 2012.

  • Scope

    be the president of only the black population. He should try getting off the race thing, whether it’s against hispanics with his tough immigration talk, or for the black’s to go Republican.

  • http://www.whyromney.com Ryan Larsen

    Thank you. I don’t see such a link, but does anyone else here have a suggestion?

  • florajo

    I realize where the story originated, but I’m only hearing this story spread through conservative outlets. Maybe we’re messing ourselves up.

  • freentn

    to positions in his administration over the past 10 years. Look for Ads with Blacks for Perry showing Cain for what he is to come out shortly. On the otherhand you won’t see any Blacks coming out to support Cain because he has never done anything to help his fellow Blacks.

  • reggie182

    Do you have evidence of this?

    I get the sense that many people are attributing the woes of the Perry campaign exclusively to the other candidates and the media.

    Perry’s bad performances in the debates are on him. The fact that he was ill-prepared for them is his responsibility. Nobody made him tell many conservatives that “they had no heart”.

  • neukm

    people think twenty year old painted over words on a rock somewhere in Texas is an issue in today’s political/economic climate.

  • Scope

    he would be going after both Romney and Perry with his statements and arguments. He would surely understand that he needs to beat out both of them to get to the top. There is something terribly wrong with Cain willing to go after just Perry, but to not go after Romney with the same zeal.

    I’ve had the feeling that Cain knows he has too much of a hill to climb to win the nom., so has decided to help the Romney camp as he must believe that Romney will be the nom. I am now convinced that Cain is a Romney surrogate, willing to do the dirty work so as to keep Romney smelling like a rose. This whole thing smells like Romney is behind it.

  • freentn

    Romney than Gov Perry. I guess Romney/Cain didn’t learn the lesson that when you falsely point your accusatory finger at someone else, 3 fingers point back at you.

    This smear is backfiring on Cain big time.

  • freentn

    and they are both serving whether knowingly or unknowingly as hatchet men for the LSM and the democrats.

  • Scope

    on conservative outlets because it is what was long thought to be a right leaning site Fox, with Wallace bringing it up as a valid story, and a conservative Cain for interjecting his comments into it. Doubtful if this was the story on Sunday morning on MSNBC it would be given the credibilty that Wallace and Cain have been willing to give it.

  • freentn

    They were concentrating on getting rid of BO so Hillary can replace him.

    I guess they are following the political precept that when your opponents are killing off each other it is best just to stay out of the way.

  • Scope

    that way he doesn’t have time to talk about his successful record, his ideas for the country, and to put a face of optimism on his run. It’s like the liberal idea of overloading the system, and then someone swooping in to save the day. In this case it will be Romney looking to swoop in to save the Republican win in 2012.

    Who would have ever believed that some Republicans would use the same liberal tactics to destroy a candidate with a winning main message, in their quest for power?

  • Scope

    as to who got to Cain to participate in the Perry pile-on. He didn’t start out that way. I liked Cain for his not going after the other candidates.

  • Scope

    Let the Republicans kill off each other. The libs have to be in hysterics at the Republicans doing more damage to one another than they could ever dream of doing.

  • freentn

    running out of money. He knew he couldn’t win and he and Romney made a deal where he would stay in the race to attack Perry. Remember Romney owns Clear Channel Radio Network. Romney can make or break Cain’s radio talk career.

  • Scope

    means that no president in this country should ever have any respect for the president of Mexico? I was of the impression that the US President is supposed to respect and work with the leaders of every country that is willing to be our allies. If you don’t see that you are just blind. Now if the North Koren leader came out in support of Perry I’d have a problem with that. Mexico is our neighbor, and Romney was willing to trash a former Mexican president simply to attack one of his opponents.

  • freentn

    ,

  • snowshooze

    And it is all BS.
    In fact, NH is a piece of deck gear, or a ground projection as noted in Izone’s response.
    Those panty-waist reverse racists are capitalizing on the general ignorance.
    you will not find that the Alaska commercial fishing fleet is ready to go and change our language in order to please anyone.
    It ain’t racist, improper or nothing.
    Non-issue, born of pure ignorance, and being milked completely dry.
    Give them the truth, then tell them to pull their heads out of their back sides.

  • izoneguy

    I am sure the words painted on that rock existed decades before the Perry’s ever
    saw them. The instant Rick Perry saw them – he had something done about it.

  • runner12

    With respect, I am confused. Is it because you believe the story? This was a hit piece by the Leftist media. Up to this point, it has caused me to think twice about Cain, not Perry.

    If it is because of the poster in question, I have my doubts as to whether he is really a conservative.

  • izoneguy

    If this is true than that really does show you the kind of people Romney and Cain are. Do you really want them to run the government after seeing what
    Obama has done?

  • papabear

    I cannot understand how you can post like this freetn.

    What are you trying to accomplish???

  • freentn

    Network. Romney can make or break Cain’s Radio Talk Career.

  • Scope

    citing the fact that Romney’s Bain Capital did in fact buy the media network. Don’t agree with their support of the Fairness Doctrine, but it is proof that Romney has been buying media outlets to advance his presidential aspirations all the way back to 2006.

  • freentn

    unsuccessful bid for President:

    Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-sheffield/2008/02/04/huckabee-hints-clear-channel-conspiring-romney#ixzz1Zf8QOryf

    “Speaking at a news conference in Oklahoma, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee floated the idea that the reason the vast majority of America’s conservative talk radio hosts aren’t endorsing him or John McCain is because Mitt Romney’s investment firm owns a significant share of Clear Channel Communications, the nation’s largest radio syndication company.”

  • freentn

    to endorse you than to own the Networks that broadcast their shows?

  • Scope

    Looking around a little more, Rush Limbaugh’s shows are aired on the Premier Radio Network, which is a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications. Clear channel owns many talk radio stations which include the ones that Beck and Hannity broadcast from.

    Credit to Rush that he has stated that Romney is not a conservative, but, he really doesn’t bring Romney up much that I have heard.

  • snowshooze

    That or Cain may well be actually ignorant of the meaning of
    ” Right of return….”

  • Scope

    in saying that Cain called Perry vile. He did not, he said that the use of the n word is vile. You post some good stuff, and then take back any credibilty you may gain by going way way over the top. Please stop doing that.

  • freentn

    but most Radio Talkers don’t want to cross Clear Channel.

    Rush is to big to be intimidated. If Clear Channel tried to pull the plug on him, his fans would go beserk. Rush is the only one that I listen to regularly these days.

    Rush has praised Perry but he rarely mentions Romney’s name.

  • snowshooze

    As the heyday over this tootoo is still in full swing.
    Otherwise, it would have no news value.
    They are going to milk this cow to dust.

  • acat

    then you need to use the “Request Diary” button under your Profile.

    (it’s one of the new changes – there’s a delay on permission to post, and permission to diary is now by request)

    Mew

  • snowshooze

    As I would suspect there to be a bunch of rocks or protrusions sprouting up from the ground.
    Anybody near there?

  • freentn

    to use the word and then accusing someone of allowing that word to stay printed on a rock outside his lodge for years.

    But I agree it was very cleverly phrased by Cain. It was almost as if he had thought about what he was going to say and how he was going to say it before he said it. You think?

  • freentn

    were asked about a story that had just broken that morning and you hadn’t had time to gather all the facts would you have said what Cain said?

    I wouldn’t. I would have said. “I don’t know the facts and I would rather not comment on it.”

  • snowshooze

    I think Cain is ignorant of the definition of the term, and oversensitive of it. ( Understood )
    Again, I cite his ignorance of ” Right of return”
    Again, if he is aware of the true definition…he is playing a cheap shot.
    But I do not think he is that kind of guy. I actually like him a lot, and I am able to forgive indiscretions born of sincere ignorance.
    I am all for calling him on the phone and telling him what it is, and giving him a chance to either clarify, apologize or run with it.
    I would actually expect that he would listen.

  • http://www.whyromney.com Ryan Larsen

    Thank you for the info. Great to meet you, acat.

  • reggie182

    Mexico is a hugely corrupt nation. A plutocracy. Vincente Fox is part of that system. He supports completely open borders between Mexico and the United States, so they can purge themselves of their excess poor.

    Ally? Why? Simply because they are our neighbor to the south. So what? When was the last time Mexico volunteered one young man or woman in their military to help us with anything?

    Some ally.

  • lineholder

    I despise this type of rhetoric (and I mean gag reflex type of despise it to the point where if I could run my hands through all the connections to the poster making these kinds of comments, a head slap of huge proportions would be coming, if not more) Obviously, it is something I do get emotional about. The emotion prevents me from remaining objective. Realistically, I know myself well enough to recognize that I need some time away to regain a sense of perspective. So that’s what I usually do.

    Perry hasn’t been in the race that long, so he hasn’t much opportunity for voters to become familiar with his position on different issues. I’m willing to be open-minded and hear what he has to say, but I swear…runner12, there are some Perry supporters who really might want to consider how they are responding to things right now. If they keep denigrating every other candidate in the race in the way that they have been, they could put themselves in the position of being identified as “bots” and alienating other people, which isn’t doing Perry any favors at this point. Posters represent the candidate they support. It’s just an automatic mental association that happens on the internet whether we really intend for it to be that way or not. It can end up being the candidate who gets the brunt of it when posters go overboard.

    I think that if conservatives genuinely want to succeed in some of the things we’ve discussed here at RS re: limited government and reducing spending, we need four years to at least lay the foundation for that. We need to present the best side of conservatism that we possibly can to gain enough support from the public so we can get that chance. Otherwise, all we’ll get is two years.

    So, I was visiting another site last night and RS was mentioned as being a good conservative site to learn about conservative positions and policies. I thought “Hey, what an opportunity to gain more support”. And then today…well, back out of this post, start at the beginning of the diary and read it through all the comments from beginning to end. Liberals present conservatives as being racists (amongst other things), and conservatives try to present themselves as having common sense. If you knew nothing about this site or any of the posters, after reading it all through, who would you say is telling the truth…Liberals or Conservatives?

    It’s like another Republican example of cutting our own throats, unfortunately. I just got irritated with the situation all the way around and needed to get a bit of objectivity back. That’s all.

    But now, I do need to do some studying, so I have to get on it.

  • Scope

    if Cain walks back his Wallace interview statement. If he doesn’t he is guilty of what many have accused him of, race baiting. Cain clearly knew of the story before Wallace prompted him on it, and decided to go with an attack against Perry, rather than bowing out of a charged accusation. Let’s see what he does with it now with the backlash. That will be telling.

  • avgjo

    I guess we’re seeing it in action.

    Just when you think you finally got someone in the media on your side, think again.

    And I am greatly disappointed in Mr. Cain. He had an opportunity to lead on this issue, and instead, he tried to use it to his advantage. I guess the temptation was too great. This misguided action also feeds into the apparent tendency of Mr. Cain to not always be informed when he speaks.

    It’ll be interesting to see how this race-baiting plays with Herman’s supporters. I know he’s lost a lot of respect from me.

  • minister_of_war

    This is a ridiculous & slanderous attack on Rick Perry & should have been nipped in the bud immediately by ALL other Republican contenders. It is truly disturbing that Herman Cain is willing to join the nutty race-warmongering left on this stupid & insidious attack.

    No longer are people judged for their own actions but they are judged by stupid things painted by others on rocks decades ago.

    I don’t like Perry’s stance on illegal immigration AT ALL as I’ve mentioned here numerous times, but this attack against Perry by the nutty left Washington Post & its allies is just plain wrong. But Cain joining this race-baiting bandwagon takes Cain off my list of potential candidates to support completely. Republicans encouraging a race war over nothing is not what the Republican Party needs.

  • intensity

    ….will do or say anything to get the nomination. It’s pathetic.

    What’s even more pathetic is that Romney has convinced Cain and LSM to attack Perry at every opportunity they get.

    Rick Perry is a true conservative who will speak his mind and has right ideas for the nation.

    This all comes down to poilitical history:

    Romney has one 1 campaign after all of his effort and talking

    Perry has never lost an election in his poliitcal career

    Nuff said.

  • freentn

    Romney. He knows that insulting the base and Black voters is not going to win the nomination for him but he and Romney think that they can win it for Romney by doing this. I think they are wrong judging by the comments that I’ve seen today here and on other blogs.

  • explodinghead

    I think Cain needed to say that the words on the rock were very offensive and he was glad that Rick Perry had the good sense to get them painted over as soon as he saw the rock. Or if he didn’t know enough details about the story at that time, he should have said he hadn’t had a chance to fully investigate the story, but would hold his response until he had all the information.
    How would Cain like it ,if the MSM threw a hit-piece out there on him and other Conservative candidates threw him under the bus without the full details.
    We need to stop letting the MSM take over the narrative and take the attention away from the economy and Obamacare. we need to fight back together against the typical MSM narrative that Conservatives are racist. perry painted over the slur and turned the rock over. He took action. we should support him, not throw him under the Obama bus.

  • freentn

    that I have seen are very critical of Cain for playing the race card.

    Alot of posters who were considering or committed to Cain has stated that they will not vote for him.

    We can’t do much about Romney/Cain and the LSM engaging in this smear jobs except stop tuning in to their Channels (including FOX) and stop visiting their sites. I don’t care to listen to or read their BS anymore.

  • minister_of_war

    ?We’ll finish the nomination process earlier & it gives whoever the eventual nominee is a lot more time to recover from the inevitable Primary attacks that our eventual nominee has faced and/or will face from his or her Republican opponents during the Primary contest.

    We’ll have plenty of time to retrain our attacks on Obama. I’m not too worried about it, but Republicans need to be sure that their attacks are valid or they will lose a lot of credibility.

  • windwaker24

    When I saw this story this morning, I became sick to my stomach. This attack on a man’s character is an intolerable offense, and Cain has just scratched himself off my list for consideration. He was a close 2nd behind Perry on my list. Being a black conservative myself, race-baiting and throwing the race-card around are BIG pet-peeves of mine. There are no words to describe how I feel right now. I just want to give Perry a big hug right now and thank him for at least painting over the rock, which is a big risk in itself since it’s not his property. It tells me a lot about his character, and I’m proud to be on his side.

  • circlegranch

    Congr. Doug Lamborn had to repeatedly apologize for using the term ‘tar baby’ because all the ultra-sensitive race baiters got in an uproar. Like the term being discussed here at the hunting camp, tar baby has a very different meaning than the haters assigned to it.

    “Herb” got this one wrong. He automatically assigned blame without doing any fact checking on his own and without bothering to see if the term had multiple meanings. Yes, Chris Wallace and a growing number of talking heads on FOX are joining in the Perry slash fest but we thought more of Cain, or at least I did. He’s all along said Obama is too sensitive about race, but then here he goes down the same path. He should have simply said he’d wait to hear what Gov. Perry had to say and move on. There’s a reason Bachmann still is hitting hard at Perry: she is done in this race but clearly she’s made a deal w/ Romney to help him put Perry away for good and in return, she gets a sweet appt. Maybe Cain is playing that game too just in case he doesn’t pull this off. The trip from the penthouse to the outhouse is quick indeed, so its wise to always be careful of whom you take a cheap shot at along the way.

    One technicality for Redstaters to please note: For those of you that keep writing that you don’t agree with Perry’s position on illegal immigration, understand that he has a very firm position against illegal immigration. He’s done everything within his power as a state to stop it and he’s asked over and over for Washington to do their job. You can find letters he’s written to Obama, Napolitano and Def Secy Gates online. Please start clarifying that what you really hate is the fact that he signed the bill granting instate tuition for children of illegals. That law was started in the business community, gained public support and lawmakers were encouraged to write the bill and pass it. They did and Perry signed it. They opted to educate these kids rather than sign them up for perpetual welfare, and they constitute about 1% of the college population. Check the facts on the other states offering it and the many more that have it as pending legislation. Colorado grants it to children born in the state to illegals, in other words, anchor babies get instate tuition which doesn’t sit well either with alot of taxpayers. There’s a myriad of solutions, all state-specific. Also, check out the Supreme Court case Plyler v Doe that Texas lost. The SCOTUS mandated that Texas and all other states provide a free public education to all kids,no matter immigration or citizenship status.

    Whether you support him or hate him, at least get your facts straight and stop giving ammo to the Dem’s.

  • intensity

    ….how much Romney is providing Cain for these attacks on Perry, who is still the frontrunner in the GOP race.

    I think this is destroying both the image of Cain and Romney and lets voters know that they are not trustworthy and should not be running for the office they are running for.

    Perry ’12

  • freentn

    lost me with that CNN interview where he said he would not support Perry and then the FOX interview today just sealed it for me.

    It is sad because many Republicans wanted to support him if not for President for VP or for a position in the cabinet. He was doing so well staying above the fray like Newt. I guess the deal that Romney offered was one that he couldn’t refuse. He could have been more subtle about it and not resorted to falsely smearing Perry.

    I don’t know if you have ever been around any Gang members but I have when I was practicing criminal law and I have never heard the N Word used so much as I did by the Black Gang members. If Cain wants to stop the use of the N Word, he should start by counseling Gang members, not looking under 28 year old painted over rocks.

    I am glad you spoke up Sir!

  • minister_of_war

    You accused Mitt Romney of spearheading the attack on Perry on this ridiculous issue. And Reggie 182 asked for proof. So, your proof was to throw a slanderous argument up against the wall & then change the topic. This is a typical liberal tactic. Throw up an inflammatory accusation with no proof & then move on to another line of attack when questioned on it.

    I agree that it is a disgusting & terrible attack that the Washington Post has made against Perry because of this. And I agree that Cain was completely wrong to join the race-warmongering on this issue.

    But you can’t just accuse Romney of being part of this without evidence & then try to move on from there when questioned about it. Accusing Romney of that with absolutely zero proof is as disgusting & despicable as what the Washington Post is trying to do to Perry.

  • minister_of_war

    …I can’t believe you would suggest that we just roll over & die on this.

    There is nothing racist at all here & if the left wants to, they can try to associate any of our candidates with anything that they want to. But the important thing is that we have the truth on our side.

    I say we defend Perry as though we were defending our own honor against slanderous accusations.

    We cannot let the left just bully us every time they think they find some random instance of a Republican doing something that is even remotely associated with anything that is politically incorrect.

  • acat

    Research well, write well, and prepare for some disagreement. There’s always disagreement.

    Mew

  • freentn

    Romney’s mo and Romney has a motive for these false smears of Perry. Cain is acting out of character smearing Perry. Heretofore, Cain has been along with Newt the most honorable in following President Reagan’s 11th Commandment. No doubt Cain like Romney has a motive but Romney has a far more evident motive.

  • minister_of_war

    And no, I don’t actually think that anybody’s father should be vetted.

  • minister_of_war

    55555!

  • minister_of_war

    Your previous comments in other posts left many questions as to where you get your evidence, but you keep attacking Romney with no basis in proof. But it doesn’t seem to matter to you.

    Even some of the other biggest Perry supporters on this blog are sick of you & your baseless claims. If you’re going to try to say that Romney called Perry racist on this, back it up. If not, you should really shut it up!

    Your claim that Romney was involved in this somehow is just as bad & slanderous as the horrible accusations that the Washington Post & Herman Cain have made against Rick Perry here.

  • Doc Holliday

    we should be talking about the economy and talking on Obama. Yet, our candidates throw mud, our own side is talking race this and race that, and Obama is on the sidelines with popcorn.

    Of course the media is involved, but we can’t change that fact. The media and Democrats want us distracted. We are calling people brainwashed and we are talking about rocks. point, Obama

  • Doc Holliday

    I don’t agree with Perry on every issue, but he is trying to do something, he is trying to govern. They said this would be the nastiest election in history, this might become the nastiest primary in history.

  • wonkish1

    They are a news organization and they need to act like it.

    I know that may not be pleasant to some folks, but that is reality.

    You want a conservative only network then create one. Fox was never supposed to be that.

    I got a little worried after Colmes ended being an anchor and Beck was picked up that conservatives would start acting like we owned Fox. It was never the case and they are going to shift back to pretty close to 50-50 like they were for most of the 2000′s.

    Like it or not, it is what it is. And you shouldn’t hold anything against Fox for doing it.

  • minister_of_war

    How about you actually show proof instead of just making stupid, baseless accusations against Romney. Otherwise, you really ought to just be a reader of RedState & not a commenter.

    According to your moronic way of thinking, Romney’s a dirty campaigner & the evil genius behind everything that happens bad to his strongest opponents & Romney’s actually the one who during secret conversations in secret bunkers convinced the lesser opponents to run so that they could do his bidding & his dirty work. Yeah right!

    If you ever saw the old Inspector Gadget cartoon, when you talk about Romney, I’d think that you’d be talking about Dr. Claw, the evil genius leader of the M.A.D. crime organization, who is bent on world domination for nefarious purposes of evil doing.

  • freentn

    http://schotline.us/2007/12/09/dirty-tricks-by-the-romney-campaign/

    http://freedomslighthouse.net/2011/09/13/glenn-beck-hammers-mitt-romney-dirty-trick-in-attacking-rick-perry-on-social-security-video-91311/

    http://justinok.blogspot.com/2007/12/romney-campaigns-dirty-tricks-on.html

  • freentn

    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-502443_162-3785841-502443.html

    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-502163_162-3461815-502163.html

  • freentn

    http://www.wdef.com/news/fred_thompson_campaign_accuses_romney_campaign_of_a_cover_up/09/2007

  • minister_of_war

    I’ve never been one to push for banning people on here. But you just make stuff up. Romney owning Clear Channel?

    Now, I understand who you really are after all. You’re one of the displaced Hucakbee supporters who doesn’t know what to do with the anti-Romney, anti-Mormon hate that his candidate spewed in 2008 since Huckabee stayed out of the race this time. Huckabee tried to push the Romney owns Clear Channel conspiracy in 2008 too.

    I knew that you weren’t smart enough to be a real Rick Perry supporter. Most Perry supporters actually have brains.

  • lineholder

    The information you referred to about an upcoming Perry ad, is this just more speculation?

    Or are you someone who is in a position to have inside information about the Perry campaign’s plans?

  • lineholder

    whether or not it is wrong to jump to conclusions, but the second answer fits the scenario of what’s been happening lately on this site in more ways than one.

    So, never mind the question. I just made up my own mind.

  • freentn

    of Romney’s Dirty Trick. I gave you a few. There are plenty more. Just Goggle Huckabee, Thompson, Guiliani or McCain accuse Romney of Dirty Tricks and educate yourself before you misrepresent the Facts about Romney anymore.

    And stop bothering me with your disrespectful defamatory remarks. I am merely reporting the Truth about Romney. I AM DONE WITH YOU.

  • http://jhpruitt.blogtownhall.com/ kipling

    The allegations show a lack of character on the part of Herman Cain. To intentionally smear a fellow Republican as racist to score political points in an “all is fair” type strategy is beyond reprehensible. Cain and his supporters should be ashamed. He will overplay the controversy and go the route of Bachmann.

    I look forward to reading the political epitaph of his campaign. Cain will not be the nominee.

    He has now soured me on ever supporting him again.

  • minister_of_war

    Bain also tried to buy the NHL. What do you think their reason for this was? They were probably trying to get all of the professional hockey players in the US to hit hockey pucks at Romney’s opponents & take them out. Of course, they could easily say it was an accident.

    Wow, Romney is such an amazing evil genius.

    What I really worry about is that if Romney gets elected, we might have to report you to the Secret Service because you obviously have an unhealthy obsession with Mitt Romney & I wouldn’t be surprised if you tried to stop Romney from realizing his evil plots at all costs.

  • http://www.whyromney.com Ryan Larsen

    Ah, yes, disagreement. Disagreement is healthy if both sides are humble.

    I’m hoping it will let me post a diary soon. But yes, I do research well. And I write well. Here’s the diary I’d like to introduce myself with – I have it posted here for now www.intorightfield.com/romney-myths-red-state/

  • freentn

    single digits with the rest of the muckrakers. I hope for Cain that Romney made it worth his while.

  • gherkin

    Cain went out of his way to state that if it took them as long as “I hear” it took them to remove it, was “just plain insensitive”. I don’t read that as Cain going over-the-top negative on Perry. He was just responding to the question and, by the way he answered it admitting that he maybe didn’t have all the facts.

  • freentn

    are distancing themselves from Cain now.

  • tobytucker

    if we had an actual picture of this rock. Apparently the photos the WaPo viewed weren’t worthy of publication. I wonder why.

  • freentn

    on rock. The whole thing is contrived of lies, innuendos, and defamation.

    Perry should sue Cain for defamation. Cain clearly had a malicious disregard for the Truth.

  • freentn

    position to take that tact. He can’t be seen as trying to defend the N Word.

  • lineholder

    of multiple operatives coming in and out of a little room, day in and day out, sitting over a keyboard all that time….At the time that I’m writing this, third shift freentn is trying to catch back up with second shift’s freentn’s posts and hasn’t come across this one yet.

    But hey, this is what politics is all about, right? /sarc

  • minister_of_war

    You still refuse to answer when anybody has asks you for proof of your stupid & unfounded claim that Romney was somehow involved in pushing this ridiculous story of Rick Perry & the “racist” rock.

    Instead you decided to change the subject & post accusations made by opponents of Romney during the last campaign. And they have nothing to do with the accusation you make here about this Perry rock story.

    Freetn, from some of the comments you have made, I have concluded that you work in the legal field. So you must be familiar with the concept of having proof when making an accusation. You must also be familiar with the concepts of slander & libel. Either show us the proof that Romney was involved in pushing this story or shut up about it. What you are trying to do to Romney here is as bad as what the Washington Post is trying to do to Perry.

    Making unfounded accusations that can damage a person’s reputation can be grounds for lawsuits or disbarment in the legal world. I’m guessing that if you were an attorney, you’re obviously not a very good one.

  • snowshooze

    They re-named the mountain in Texas, but TOPO still under USGS mapping recognizes it,I don’t know if the hunting camp is situated near that mountain or not.
    It’s an old word, an old rock, an old camp, and a whole new pack of idiots trying to blow it up…

  • freentn

    Perry.

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/64945.html

  • rightwingmom52

    And I’m not reading what any of the operatives post anymore, much less responding. That goes for a few others here as well.

    I’m not one to push for banning folks (have actually done so only once), and I usually don’t care one way or the other if somebody gets banned, although I typically agree with the mods decisions.

    However, this is one time that I have no doubt at all that the quality of redstate would be vastly improved if freentn were banned, and frankly, I’m looking forward to the day that happens.

  • lineholder

    I think Ryan Larsen is an operative for Romney, but I’ll say this much for him…he’s been honest about who he is representing and why. I can respect that a thousand time over the approach freentn has taken.

    Conservatives aren’t stupid. We know this kind of thing goes on. If any of the candidates or their representatives read this, I hope to goodness they’ll get the message.

  • snowshooze

    Right off the cliff.
    As a conservative, I would think that having Sharpton after you would be almost worth paying for.
    This looks and smells like a trap. The story is full of holes.. if Cain goes all out on this…he will not recover. He will have taken the bait, hook, line and sinker. If Sharpton is on it, it is pure poison. Bachmann will look like a princess compared to him.
    It would be really dumb to blow out over something so inconsequential… but Bachmann did it… she proved to the world that she was A#1 dingbat qualified foaming at the mouth over a dead issue. Pick her to be the Leader of the free world? Um, sorry…no.

  • freentn

    than Bachmann.

  • avgjo

    I don’t want a ‘conservative only’ network. You should know as well as I do that what Ailes said means that they are going to go left.Fox has never been ‘hard right’. They are centrist. So any move away from that would be to the left, which means to left-of-center. The ‘your side’ comment I made was within context of ‘truth’, as in we conservatives make our arguments based on facts, truth, all governed by logic. That’s the only way that a conservative like me could coherently consider a centrist station like FOX on my side.

    Further, I can’t ‘create’ anything. That’s God’s province alone. (Sorry, that word grates on my ears and eyes; it is way too overused now.) I suppose I could ‘construct’, ‘make’, or ‘start’ one, but then I’d not want it to be left or right, but factual.

    I never said I hold anything against FOX for it. I merely pointed out that their overinflation of ridiculous things like this Perry non-story puts them in the same camp as the rest of the joke that passes for media in this country.

    Wonkish, I know you’re a very smart guy. But you read too much into this, and you extrapolated things that weren’t there. I’m frankly surprised.

  • wonkish1

    First of all, I probably shouldn’t have used the word “you” at all in that comment. I’ve just been noticing a lot more outrage at Fox on here and so you were the unlucky one that got my comment. I apologize if for that reason it seemed like I was “reading to much into it”.

    I wouldn’t ever call Fox “hard right” either. I would say that for the last couple years they were a center right network where as before that they were a pretty evenly centrist network. At least I think that is also what Ailes thinks. 5 years ago Ailes would run around saying “Fox is the fair and balanced network” over the last 2 years he was telling people that Fox “Is the balance to everybody else”(me giggling). Ultimately the opinion is pretty subjective so there is no point in going down that road.

    Personally I don’t think we ever have to worry about Fox becoming a center left network. That would necessitate picking up 2 leftist prime time anchors for it be one. That isn’t going to happen.

    It does seem that Fox is on an all out vendetta to find any controversy or sensationalism they can get(whoever it ends up affecting) to boost ratings and cash in on. I only see that getting worse not better.

  • Kudzu

    On serious subjects deserves to be called out for it speaks to the intelligence of the poster.

    This site prohibits personal attacks, suggest you remember that when you:
    A) imply I’m a Palinista
    B) elude to where my residence is.
    C) call me a Yankee when my name clearly suggest otherwise

    My boots have seen more sand than my momma’s doorstep over the last few years and we dont have basements in this part of Dixie.

    Lastly, if you can’t take the sarcasm here then seek professional help. You’re still wrong on Cain though.

  • avgjo

    I just wanted to clear the air. On my side, I should have probably more clearly articulated what I meant. I’m sorry for that.

    As for your last paragraph, I sadly nod in agreement. It sure is nice when you have an adult news agency; even when you don’t like what they’re running, you can trust them to focus on what’s important and do so in a fair way. I hope FOX gets off this tangent.

  • davesinsanantonio

    He has been contemplating this run for the presidency for a long time, and he has been an actual candidate for a long time. Therefore, he should have put together a staff of experts on foreign policy, domestic policy, fiscal policy, etc. and had them brief and coach him on current events, likely questions, and policy issues and possible solutions. He did not. That tells me he doesn’t really understand the complexity of the office he is running for. In addition, he should have dodged the question on the camp name by saying he didn’t yet have all the facts and then make some general statement about gratuitous insults, sensitivity, ways to better race relations, or some such. But, instead he took it as an opportunity to attack a member of his political party in a way to make Perry seems way worse than what the reported facts would warrant. He is an opportunist, and I have lost a lot of respect for him, and I think I am no longer willing to trust him with the presidency. I will reserve final judgement until I see whether he attempts to correct this.

  • davesinsanantonio

    How many times has he produced any?

    It is time to totally ignore him.

  • davesinsanantonio

    nt

  • porkandcheese

    But Cain and Bachmann apparently think they’re brainless.

  • porkandcheese

    I was surprised, because the northeast can’t be racist.

  • porkandcheese

    Republicans knew the Democrats were going to play the race card against the nominee, even during the primary and especially if the candidate is Southern. But I’m sure Cain supporters are surprised to see it from their candidate. Maybe they are pleased. Who knows? We’ll see in upcoming polls.

  • porkandcheese

    How can Cain talk about the insensitivity of the N word — which Perry never used and Cain has yet to admit — but overlook the landmark achievement of the 1964 Civil Rights Voting Act?

  • porkandcheese

    Cain was supposed to be a strong candidate without relying on affirmative action, and he was supposed to bring a fresh voice to race relations. Apparently, enough conservatives wanted to have that discussion. Obama’s beer summit went better than Cain’s campaign so far.

  • porkandcheese

    But he might have had some parking tickets.

  • porkandcheese

    This is what the general would be like, if Perry were the nominee. The primary is gonna be like Whack-a-Mole.

  • porkandcheese

    I just looked it up. Romney bought the station in 2006.

  • lineholder

    The person posting under the moniker of freentn yesterday afternoon blew it when they posted the following comment:

    Perry has appointed Plenty of Blacks to
    freentn Sunday, October 2nd at 3:27PM EDT (link)
    to positions in his administration over the past 10 years. Look for Ads with Blacks for Perry showing Cain for what he is to come out shortly. On the otherhand you won?t see any Blacks coming out to support Cain because he has never done anything to help his fellow Blacks.

    Obviously, the person making that statement has access to inside information pertaining to an ad that has yet to be released by the Perry campaign. The most likely and probable means by which this would be true is if freentn is an operative for the Perry campaign. In other words, as far as appearances go, you?re busted, freentn!

    Politics is what it is, and we?ve all heard stories and seen evidence of the kind of situations where dirty politics can take place?where there is so much lying, dishonesty, deceitfulness, and maligning propaganda that occurs that it can be difficult to determine exactly what is true and what isn?t true.

    These are exactly the kind of methods that have been applied in this situation.

    To quote your own words, that?s been the ?modus operandi?.

    I just wanted to let you know that we know.

  • lineholder

    If freentn?s pattern of posting holds true, he/she will be in around 10-11 a.m. Then again, this was supposed to be something of an undercover operation, wasn?t it? Where the operative for a candidate conceals their identity as an operative yet produces the type of rhetoric that tears down everyone else in an effort to make their own candidate look good by comparison? That?s cover been blown to bits now, so we might be seeing a change in tactics today.

    I wanted to get this posted before then so you guys could have a chance to think about it. And I hope you will.

    Those of us who are regulars are not na?ve or stupid. We know that there could be an influx of operatives coming onto the site between now and the election. However, if every operative is allowed the leeway that freentn has been allowed, this is going to get old in a hurry. Let?s be realistic about this, okay? If we wanted empty, shallow, vicious rhetoric 24/7, we?d go to Daily Kos.

    You guys can continue to allow that much leeway if you want to, but don?t be surprised if the quality of content at the site decreases due to the regulars simply backing away and letting themselves verbally beat each other black and blue.

  • freentn

    Both use the Alinsky tactic of personal attacks when they are losing arguments. It looks like RomneyBots and democrats are reading the same talking points from the same Alinsky playbook.

  • freentn

    I am not so sure, not because I am swayed by the Romney/Cain false smears but because I was not impressed with Perry’s performance in the debates. If Newt were to get some traction in the polls I would gladly support him. The MittBots using Alinsky tactics want to smear me as a Perry “operative” because I have provided proof of Romney’s Dirty Campaign tactics that they can not refute. They know Mitt is a terribly flawed candidate and all the Alinskyites know how to do now is engage in personal attacks on the candidates like Gov Perry that they fear the most and the Conservatives here who simply what a Conservative Nominee, i.e., Anybody But Romney!

  • freentn

    on my list now.

  • freentn

    to the Republican Party. I never dreamed I would see “republicans” engaging in democRat Alinsky tactics. Romney’s Dirty Tricks in 2008 were bad enough but the recent false smears of Gov Perry are beyond the pale.

  • gekster

  • gekster

  • blooch

    Lord help Perry if he likes Brazil nuts.

  • Justin Spagnolo (standardcandle)

    Romney may have purchased Clear Channel Radio…

    Herman Cain was a show host on WSB Radio, a subsidiary of Cox Entertainment…

    Erick Erickson is also a show host at WSB Radio… using your logic..

    Erick Erickson and Herman Cain are in the tank for Romney due to their radio careers because Romney purchased a competing radio broadcasting network.

    As for your wavering support of Perry… I think you’re an operative for Perry… I also think you’re hurting Perry… I wish sometime you’d cut down on your crazy tones… but now I realize, you’re just a bot… probably a paid bot.

    I support Rick Perry for President, I think he can win the nomination without your help.

  • Justin Spagnolo (standardcandle)

    HAHAHAHA nt.

  • gekster

    you see a conspiricy theory under every rock, or in his case, under your bed.

  • funwithknives

    “DamBusters” Squadron, had a black retriever named Ni—-. So I am supposed to denigrate/deny/shred him, too? Not gonna happen, now or ever. Over time, Things change, and terminology/phrasing/slang is one of them.

    Please, look up his history and discover what real sacrifice can be. Hero is not too strong a word, even now.

  • blooch

    I’d second the motion just for the potential debate awesomeness.

  • funwithknives

    but now you gotta “watch it”. Every time I see a can of mixed nuts I can still hear the term, so what does that make me? E V I L ??
    Give me 15 minutes of The Winston Smith treatment and make me all better,Please? {“Rats!..RATS!…”}

  • funwithknives

    NT

  • http://www.fpcr.org balloonjuice

    a flap back in 2007 in which an aide to Anthony Williams (then mayor of Washington, DC) was fired because he used the word “niggardly” in a sentence? The word means cheap or frugal to the point of meanness, but has nothing to do with black, race, or racial slurs.

    True enough, it arose out of ignorance. But it still cost a man his job. Don’t the progressives love the fact that they have educated the children of this nation to the point that they no longer know how to use a dictionary.

  • http://www.fpcr.org balloonjuice

    for pointing these matters out. I’ve been recommending people read a 182 page report that Texas has done through the Ag Commissioner’s office on how to fight immigration and the drug cartels on the Texas border. Texas is not soft on immigration. But the folks at the Texas GOP Vote website have done an admirable job of boiling this lengthy and technical paper down to the essentials. You can read that online at:

    http://www.texasgopvote.com/agriculture-commissioner/texas-border-security-strategic-military-assessment-tx-ag-commissioner-todd-stap-003353

  • Justin Spagnolo (standardcandle)

    nt

  • mspector

    was that there was no excuse for that language on the rock (forget whether the full word has some acceptable usage), but that he understands that Perry and his dad covered it up and in any event, he cannot believe that a man like Perry would indulge racist slander. Make your point, do not unnecessarily divide the party.

  • freentn

    don’t know the facts.” and left it at that.

  • carolynr

    This has me very upset. I am a Perry supporter. Of all the candidates… he is the one that will change DC. NOT ROMNEY. As far as Herman is concerned…I am very, very disappointed. Jump on something and run with it..WITHOUT MORE INFO. Do we want that for a POTUS?

    About this area. It is known by the Perry family, when they “leased” it as the “North Pasture”. They never owned the property. Supposedly, it is owned by the Hendricks Family Home according to a blogger who lives in Texas that was livid at the story in WaPo. The story in the Post goes on to say that this area of X amount of areas has been known by that N name for years…before Perry was even involved in anything and before his family leased it. Read the article.

    This just goes to show you how far they (?) will go to get Perry out. Why…because HE WILL MAKE BOLD CHANGES AND SAVE THIS NATION.

    Erick said something very interesting on his radio show the other night. He said that Romney was running a campaign identical to McCain. Well, McCain used Huckabee as his go to guy…and noW Romney is using Cain as his go to guy. It’s almost too perfect. I almost want to say that either the RNC or Romney’s camp had something to do with this. Obama is too busy fomenting uprising throughout the USA (see Drudge). Romney = failed against Kennedy, Romney = failed in second bid for Gov of Ma., Romney = failed in bid against McCain. And…who better to “plant” a story about something racial and have a Black man reply? Think about it…it’s almost too perfect.

    It is obvious that FOX has gone to the middle or even Left, while the rest of the country is Center Right. Want to run the country correctly? Get a candidate that is Right…counter-balance it with Obama…Off the cliff Left and you come out center right. If you put Romney in there as a counter-balance..we wind up center left…IS THAT WHAT YOU ALL WANT.

    Another thing…Fox is leaving our valuable information concerning Perry and only telling half of the story. They are steering us towards a candidate…THEY ARE AS BAD AS THE ONES THEY POINT THE FINGER AT.

    So…Cavuto…instead of having Ron Paul as a guest every other day…how about Perry. How about you Dobbs…want Perry…ask him. FNS…where are you…front page of Time and you can’t have him as a guest. They go on about how bad it is to shut out employees of Boeing in SC….but here they are shutting out Perry. Hey…maybe they have caught onto the thuggery.

  • carolynr

    We get Romney in there…we will have the SOS all over again…with even BIGGER GOVERNMENT.

  • hairbaggs

    If some one hates me or does not like me I want to know. If I was a black person I would rather be called a n****r than have that person smile, shake my hand and then wait for me to turn my back. The most dangerous adversary is the person you think is your friend. When prejudice is driven underground it does not diminish its evil it just makes it impossible to deal with.

  • gritsandall

    to black people as “the N word.” Just the saying of the word is now considered an insult even when quoting someone. It is insulting to black people to think they can be demeaned by a word. They are demeaned daily by liberalism gone wild and Black leaders feeding off te minority experience. Both liberals and black leaders would faint away if minority black people said enough and began to rise to their potential. How could they be exploited if they stopped buying the lies they’ve been fed since the sixties? Nothing stops black youth from succeeding except the ceiling placed over them by the very people they believe are their friends. I am especially disappointed that Herman Cain should have been taken in by this “pseudo” story of racism.

  • minister_of_war

    If anyone has any question why, just go back & read the comment.

  • freentn

    because they use it all the time. Gang Members use it almost and most people use the word, “and.”

    Al Sharpton and Herman Cain need to clean up their own backyards.

  • tex41lb

    I like Cain for his experience in business and up to now his direct approach to the problems in our country.

    He started to lose me when he did a 180 on Islamist being put into sensitive positions in his administration were he to be elected. Strike One.

    Strike two was his stupid remarks about Perry. Very short sided and simply wrong.

    Strike Three The liberal style attack on Perry and what any degree of verification of facts would have showed the issue of racism to not be factual.

    I can no longer trust him.

    As a white I am tired of endless knee-jerk attacks on anyone like me being racist, no matter what position taken on any serious issue of the moment.

    Cain damaged himself by swimming in the filth of the progressives.

    Enough is enough, America must do better then this in 2012.

  • freentn

    Strike 2 was the Fox Wallace Interview. Although I disagree, some might say that was a screwball question that he didn’t see coming.

    But Strike 3 was a soft ball down the center of the plate by his favorite most familiar pitcher and he didn’t even try to hit it.

  • freentn

    the very least.

  • hairbaggs

    The only thing inappropriate is you trying to censor free speech. I will say the word n****r any time and any place I want. I will say any word I want. When the time comes when I can not say certain words by law it is all over. All speech is nothing more than structured sound. People like you are the reason this country is spiraling into the toilet. I have never in my 75 years judged somebody by their skin color. I spent 9 years as a rent collector in the black ghettos of Houston and never once was I referred to as a bigot. I am a racist. I believe that there is a difference in the races a physical difference and it stops there. From your comment I would refer to you as an arrogant bigot.

  • rightwingmom52

    so your free speech is limited by the rules a privately owned site sees fit to enforce. You certainly cannot say anything you want, anytime you want here unless the moderators allow you to do so, not to mention the fact that there is such a thing as common decency.

  • traversecityconservative

    I’m sure you’re trying to make some kind of sarcastic point but I don’t know what you’re getting at. Hmmmm….yes, I owned a rock business and now I’m a little ticked off that people are trying to hide my product. How do you come up with “what kind of business did you own” from my post?

  • traversecityconservative

    n/t

  • hairbaggs

    Profanity and common Common decency are in the eyes of the beholder as is who’s God is the true God. A statement of fact is just that and does not fall under personal bias. In the eyes of Islam Christianity is an abomination and should be dealt with in a harsh manner. In the eyes of Christianity all who do not follow are condemned to hell. Who is authorized to make these decisions? You? or the owner of the book or in this case the owner of the web site. It seems in your case anything that offends your personal bias is profane or indecent. That in its self could be construed to be profane or indecent. I will say what I wish but I will exercise discretion and consideration but under our form of government I am not required to and no matter what, I want it to remain that way. Do you wish to change this???

  • rightwingmom52

    . . .

  • hairbaggs

    You apparently are familiar with the realities of life. If more people had the intellect to cut through the BS things could rapidly improve. The most over rated commodity on this planet is human intelligence.

  • hairbaggs

    Nazi Germany , Stalinist Russia and all oppressive regimes have strict rules on speech. Why do you think it is your duty to explain to me what I may or may not say? I have not said anything profane or indecent. Your lecturing me on this matter could be considered offensive and rude. I bet you never thought about it in that frame of reference. I will graciously accept your apology which I am sure will not be forth coming.

  • rightwingmom52

    Neither am I lecturing. I merely pointed out that this site has rules. We are all guests here, and as such, it is incumbent upon us to respect the rules that redstate has put forth which are here, particularly #1 and #7.

    You might also note this comment from a moderator here

    You’re correct that it never occurred to me to think that pointing out the rules would be offensive or rude. Also, that no apology will be forthcoming.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    ..

  • rightwingmom52

    .
    .
    .

  • streiff

    we haven’t had a self-avowed racist around for a while.

  • Bill S

    A) I edited your words
    B) streiff whacked you.. I was gonna, but he beat me to it
    C) No, you can’t say it any time and any place you want, because you sure won’t do it here. Private property and all…

  • conservativemusician

    Do you mean hairbaggs is now in the past tense? Can I make the assumption that you and the other mods don’t take kindly to the accusation that you all are curtailing free speech in the manner of the Nazis and Stalin?

  • conservativemusician

    Didn’t see Bill’s post re: hairbaggs demise.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    And in the world of overreaction, this one was at least a Prince of not the King. That’s why I flagged it for Neil and it looks like streiff stood in admirably.

  • Bill S

    .

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    whiners about “First Amendment” stuff have no clue about how it actually works.

  • lineholder

    If and when we see someone going off the deep end like this, is there no other way to give you guys a head’s up? Can we use the contact moderator link? Or do we just keep trying to make pointed comments in the title block?

  • Bill S

    Send a note to the Contact link. Usually those get handled pretty quickly.

  • earlgrey

    A person does not even have to be all that politically aware to notice that. People look so stupid when they spout off about the First Amendment and imply that they should be absolutely no consequences for saying whatever they say.

    It is yet another of the many things that conservatives and politcally aware people have let go unchallenged for too long. I don’t know if it is out of politeness or wanting to avoid an argument, but it makes these idiots think they are making a valid point. The person is then more emboldened to do the same thing again.

  • lineholder

    0

  • rightwingmom52

    Probably what I should have done in the first place instead of trying to draw attention through my comment title, but having used the contact page method not too long ago about another commenter, I didn’t want to appear as if I were just trying to get folks banned (and for those wondering, it wasn’t freentn).

    Next time I’ll go ahead and trust my gut.