National Review Perplexingly Depicts Sotomayor As Asian

Good gravy, have you all seen the cover that the good people from the Journal of Lowered Expectations known as the National Review have put together? Courtesy of Talking Points Memo's Brian Beutler, BEHOLD!

Yes. It seems that the National Review has confused their ethnic stereotypes, or their religions, or maybe they just wanted some sort of two-fer, because their "Wise Latina" cover story presents Sotomayor as an Asian, in some sort of Buddhist pose.

Anyway, the good news is this will surely provide a excellent P.R. opportunity to Puerto Rico's little talked-about Buddhist community.

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Comments

[pjones006]

Question: Does the GOP and their followers really care about this country? I truly think Obama is trying to do what he feels is best and even if he stumbles I hope he does what is best for this country. But I have come to the conclusion that since he isn't a member of the GOP he can do no "right". Do they care about America or is it really about "THEM".

[VirginiaJeff]

Even though I don't like the National Review, their cover concept might have been fair satire. But then they upped the ante with their inexplicable decision to turn Sotomayor's face into an Asian caricature. The result is, what could have simply been a humorous tweaking, instead looks like another bizarre example of race-baiting by conservatives.

[pjones006]

That makes no sense. The satire was the caricature of her as an Asian. It was nothing more then race-baiting as you put it..

[AN2009]

I couldn't agree more.

[Deaninphilly]

Wow, what exactly do you agree with in that post? The post contridicts itself

[rhondadavis28]

Way to go after that Hispanic and Asian vote.

Clueless- like the Rep party

[AN2009]

It's obvious with candidates like John Kerry and John McCain that the Democratic and Republican parties have had a poor record of "going" after the Asian vote.

[shockmagog]

More irrelevance from those who are irrelevant.

[fictioneer]

This is so embarassing for them. What were they thinking? Why jump the shark on racism?

[G FORCE]

RIGHT ON! Sotomayor is the next Budda, mover over old white men!!!!!! YEAH BABY!!

[euripedes923]

This should make Olbermann's WTF segment.

[Lumberjack]

I think it's pretty clear that the Buddha pose has to do with her claim to be "wise".

What concerns me, though, is that she did claim to be a wise Latina. I've never known a wise person who goes around claiming to be wise. Usually it's the wise-pretenders that do that.

[pjones006]

She never said that so get your facts straight. She said "Justice O'Connor has often been cited as saying that a wise old man and wise old woman will reach the same conclusion in deciding cases."

[GeoLee]

Well she and four men definitely were not part of the wise group in the most important case in 2000, so how do we know she would recognize wisdom when she saw it.

[nana4g]

I think all of the brouha ha over the intro sentence of an 8 page speech and this cartoon doesn't indicate these people are very wise at all, so, I tend to agree that, compared to all these folks, a wise old Latina woman is more wise. Clearly, they do not read any more than the first sentence of 8 page statement. They do not expect anyone to read beyond their cover, I suppose.

The National Review, is this the one Wm F Buckley started? He was such a gentrified man.....

[pjones006]

and ""I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion."

Take from it what you will. What you imply is not what she said.

[rowzeer]

She would hope she would reach a better conclusion because of her experiences....I think if the SC (and all other positions of power and influence) had been dominated by minority women and a repressed white male said the same think I doubt there would be such an uproar

[GeoLee]

But I have known many people who jump to conclusions with soundbites rther than reading eitire speeches or listening to them...it is called laziness.

[Wiseronenow]

However, I think the National Review really blew it. Initially, Obama said one of the qualities he wants in a candidate is "empathy". Well, the Rethug's denigrated that and of course Sotomayor took the fall out for it. Empathy is the intellectual identification with the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another. The cover is depicting that she is "wise" which would denote a degree of "empathy" would it not?

[Wiseronenow]

I think the National Review was trying to achieve their cover to mean it in the form of slang as in "get wise to" that she is a fraud.

However, I think the National Review really blew it. Initially, Obama said one of the qualities he wants in a candidate is "empathy". Well, the Rethug's denigrated that and of course Sotomayor took the fall out for it. Empathy is the intellectual identification with the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another. The cover is depicting that she is "wise" which would denote a degree of "empathy" would it not?

[hmmmmmer]

Go to the National Review and it is really apparent they are obsessed with Obama. It is kind of an Obama mania event over there.

[GeoLee]

The same was true during the Clinton years. The become very obsessive every time a dem is elected.

[Wiseronenow]

I think the National Review meant it more in the form of slang as in "get wise to" that she is a fraud.

[pjones006]

They are not in a position to talk about fraud.

[agandia]

Perhaps if the National Review knew that 133,000 Latinas graduated with college degrees last year (5% of all college grads), are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs of any minority group, and are organizing themselves in remarkable ways they wouldn't have had to rely on a stereotype for their cover.

[MsIrisMG]

I believe it really isn't worth it to raise your blood pressure over these people. Stupid is as stupid does. Plus, the white-owned media have no idea how to deal with a minority-run government. Therefore the parodies that would have worked with White heads of state and government now only serve to embarrass them - and sell magazines. They don't get Judge Sotomayor, and they don't really care that they don't get her.

[dumboldfarmer]

I couldn't agree with you more. Dead on the mark.

[nana4g]

Of course, you are correct. But, I have a question. Doesn't anyone care about civility or about not embarrassing yourself anymore? Do they not care how they look? what they sound like? Where do they live that it is "acceptable" to regurgitate like that in public? We are not talking about everyday people.....we are talking about elite, educated, professionals.......

[atexasdem]

The problem is the republican leadership is so seperated from reality that they truly don't "get it". They think if they do the same old things, say the same old things that with enough campaign money they will get back into power. They just don't want to admit that America truly has changed.
We are a multicultural nation, we are a multi religion nation, we are a multi belief nation bound by a common dream. A dream of equal justice and oppretunity for all. A place where a person is judged by the quality of their charector rather than the color of their skin. A place where everyone has the oppritunity to achieve their full potential. A place where you are not persecuted for your religious beliefs, your political beliefs, where your parents came from or the color of your skin.
Republicans seem to think their problem is deviating from their "core beliefs". Maybe their right, or maybe they haven't really deviated from those "core beliefs" after all. The "core beliefs" that America should be ruled by rich, bald, old, fat, white men.

[goldbry]

I'm trying to understand your comment. Because I think I agree with your principle - which is that this is an idiotic cover. But the "white-owned media" threw me. Isn't the HuffPo a "white-owned media?" I feels like your label lumps all white people together in the category of idiots who would produce such an idiotic cover. Is that what you intended? Do you mean, also, to say that a "minority-run" government is somehow antithetical to white people? Because I really like Obama, and I'm sorta kinda white. It seems to me that Progressive (or, at least, liberal) and Conservative are more useful terms.

[Promise]

Well said, Goldbry!

[robXdion]

Maybe not YOU, but the comment does apply to many whites on average. And yes, even HuffPo does some real stewpid insensitive BS when it comes to minorities with their stories and comment moderat!on. You don't see it because it's not germane to you. And "progressives" certainly can be quite similar to conservatives when it comes to race. For example MSNBC has Pat Buchanan on daily and often has panels of 3-4 whites discussing race with nary a minority face around. It's sad to watch them fumble around with their cluelessness trying to understand others.

[imfedup]

I don't have any problem at all understanding msiris. The media is overwhelmingly white owned. They are used to a bunch of older, rich, white men running the government. They have to adapt to this new reality, and they're not always doing that very well. She's not talking about you.

[fictioneer]

That is the freaking truth!

[Parducci]

This is probably as racist a comment as you'll see anywhere. So much for the dream that people would be judged on the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

[hmmmmmer]

Ronnie Raygun: "Facts are stupid things." Why would Republicans worry about depictions when they feel facts just get in the way of their agenda.

[imfedup]

Yep. He's their hero. They just put a statue of him up in the Capitol building. Go figure.