Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush has weighed in on the controversial name of the Washington Redskins. In an interview airing tomorrow for the new SiriusXM program The Arena, Jeb reportedly stated:
I don't think it [the team] should change it. But that's again, I don't think politicians ought to have any say in that to be honest with you. I don't find it offensive. Native American tribes generally don't find it offensive. We had a similar kind of flap with FSU if you recall, the Seminoles, and the Seminole tribe itself kind of came to the defense of the university and it subsided. It's just -- it's a sport for crying out loud. It's a football team. I mean it's -- Washington has a huge fan base... I'm missing something here I guess.
(Click here to listen.)
One could easily pick apart nearly everything Jeb said. He notes, "I don't think politicians ought to have any say in that to be honest with you." He then continues provide his "say" on the issue.
He asserts "I don't find it offensive." He may not. Some do and some don't. It is, however, worth noting that the authoritative Webster-dictionary.org defines "Redskin" as an "offensive terms for Native Americans."
He continues, "Native American tribes generally don't find it offensive." That seems counter-intuitive, and contradicted by a California State University poll last year that found 67 percent of Native Americans considered the term to be offensive and racist.
He compares the "Redskin" name to that of the "Seminoles." That comparison is faulty. The former is a controversial racially-charged label and the latter is the name of a tribe. There is no tribe called the "Redskins."
However, the issue here transcends the propriety or impropriety of the name "Redskins." The $100,000 question is why does Jeb hold this opinion?
Jeb's view to keep the name mirrors that of Redskin's owner Daniel Snyder, who has reportedly and emphatically stated "We'll never change the name. It's that simple. NEVER -- you can use caps."
In his statement, Jeb concludes "I'm missing something here I guess."
One thing Jeb didn't miss was Snyder's reported $100,000 contribution to the Right to Rise USA Super PAC, who describe themselves as "the leading independent super PAC supporting Jeb Bush's campaign for President."
Apparently greenbacks carry more weight than Redskins.