Just out of curiosity, how many people here who found "the GOP outsourced their response" offensive

[Smith_3]

found it perfectly fine to call for the termination of guestworker visas?

I'm asking because I was quite offended of how natural it seemed to many people here that kicking out foreigners would be some sort of stimulus to the economy (as in "American jobs for Americans") but if someone makes a crack about the whole outsourcing thing, then suddenly that is racist.

Allright so shoot me, I actually thought that line "the GOP outsourced their response" was funny. I think they were more than asking for it by letting an Indian dude give their response, when they are commonly the people who bitch about Indian phone company employees and at the same time are the ones pushing for global deregulation. I didn't think it was directed at Jindal as a person as much as it was directed at the whole practise of outsourcing.

Now, I do think making fun of the guys first name is juvenile and inappropriate. But that joke I think was fine. At least in my view, it was ages away from some of the stuff I read here on guestworkers, that seemed to pass naturally as the proper response to Americans losing jobs.

[MadBadger]

1. More RW Faux Outrage.

[zbdent]

11. I can't see Jindal's flag pin ...

how can he be a real American???

[Why Syzygy]

2. The reference,

as sticky wicket as it is, was reference to him being a Governor as opposed to a House member.

[tavalon]

3. Actually, I was quite enraged until I heard the whole conversation

in context. He was talking about outsourcing from the Congress because no one who lived there wasn't tainted.

[Lost in CT]

23. Same here. I finally caught the comments on youtube and it was clear

they were taken out of context.

[radfringe]

4. depends on how you interpret it

if by outsourcing it was meant to imply the job of rebutting is linked to outsourcing jobs to other countries - then yes it is offensive, since Jindal is US born.

however, the way I interpreted it was that Jindal isn't in the congress, he's outside of the DC blather. Normally, rebuttals of this nature are assigned to a sitting senator/congress critter and not to a governor. They are also used to "spotlight" some up and coming star of the opposition party.

That being said - the selection of Jindal served two purposes, it gave cover to the congressional NOPers to not appear as being NOPers. Jindal is also a minority - and that accounts for his face time in front of cameras more than his abilities as a NOPer representative. He's the NOPer answer to Obama, and to most Americans he's a new face. Sorry if that sounds bigoted - it's not, it's an observation and logical conclusion based on NOPers past record of a lack of sincerity and fondness of polical stunts to create divisiness.

The NOPers are scrambly at the moment, they are looking for leadership, someone to appeal to the masses and rebrand themselves without losing their base. Jindal was given a chance to "audition" for that role, I think he blew it. However, don't be surprised when you see more of him blathering on the teevee - the NOPers are scrambling for any thread to hang on to and avoid complete disintergration.

[opihimoimoi]

8. If the NOPers cannot figure this out...they are "Dinosaurs"

Obsolete, Obstinate, Obstructionists, they should be allowed a final death spasm....

[Smith_3]

17. Why does him being US born impact the offensiveness of such a statement?

Is being US born an accomplishment that deserves some sort of respect?

[malaise]

5. Context is important

Tweety was discussing the fact that the Rushicans did not select a Senator or Congressperson but opted for a junior Governor - hence they outsourced the response. If he had used the same phrase for Sarah Palin, I doubt anyone would have been offended by the use of 'outsourced'. Of course we would have been offended by her rubbish comments.

[blue cat]

6. Not me

because I heard it live and understood the context. It's crazy to assume otherwise.

[LostinVA]

7. Outsourcing = Indian = Jindal = Racism & Xenophobia

I hate outsourcing and think the Tech Visa program should be frozen, but this would NOT have been said if Jindal's last name was Smith and his ethnic background was English.

[LynnTheDem]

14. Try listening to what he actually said. Ie context.

He said "outsourced" as in outside the DC politician pit.

[Smith_3]

16. But how is making such a comment more xenophobic than being against tech visas?

One is just a joke and has no other consequence. The other affects people's lives and makes it harder for third world people to get a better standing in the world. :shrug: Kind of makes me think of "I have nothing against foreigners. I don't make jokes about them. But I think its better when they stay where they are."

[lumberjack_jeff]

21. defense of labor does not equal nationalism does not equal xenophobia does not equal racism

It is an extremely lazy argument to conflate the issues by rolling them all into one default cry of racism.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

22. see, had you stated this in your op. i would understand what you mean by your post

i think the joke out of context is irritating. in context he probably didnt mean it as racist/xenophobic

nationalism is always xenophobic and always occurs when resources get limited (ex: recession/depressions etc). in this climate, protect one's own is an expected response.

[radfringe]

9. regarding the "oh God" comment

I had the same reaction when I saw Jindal appear.

I was expecting a simple backdrop with flags, and other patriotic decorations, and for Jindal to be in front of the cameras - certainly not the "grand entrance" with all the fanfare of a Ziegfield folly.

I also expected the rebuttal to have some oomf to it, not a recitation of an autobiography followed by scary bedtime stories.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

13. i think "oh god" was a perfectly appropriate response to jindal.

i would say it for ANY gop politicians response

[conscious evolution]

10. I thought it was rascist

but I also laughed my ass off at it.
Go figure.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. jindal is american. the fact that you see outsourcing when you see a indian american on television

says a lot about you.

the problem with your analogy is jindal isnt foreign.

[Smith_3]

15. What it says about me...

...is that I commonly don't give a rats ass about what citizenship a person has. :shrug:

[TommyO]

20. In current right-wing parlance, he's an "anchor baby"

[11 Bravo]

25. Just like Michelle Malkin (nee Maglalang), who makes her fucking living ...

ranting about immigrants.

[CBGLuthier]

18. Indian Dude?

I never, ever seen, heard or met anyone born in India that sounds like that man.

Making fun of one's ethnic backgrounds is not really a progressive value.

[lumberjack_jeff]

19. Jindal is a citizen. Guest workers are not.

If I had one wish, it would be for DU'ers to stop conflating racism and nationalism.

[mitchum]

24. I find neither to be offensive