In 2006 I wrote the first of many posts here on SM about then would-be Virginia Senator George Allen and his use of the term “Macaca” to describe S.R. Sidarth, a young volunteer for the current Senator Webb’s campaign who followed and documented his opponent’s public gatherings (a very common practice now). All the main players involved are probably happy to bury the Macaca Incident. Allen certainly wants to forget about it given that he running again. The “macaca moment” is widely credited for sinking his first political career and haunts him in every article about him still. When I met S.R. Sidarth at the Democratic National Convention in 2008 I was told by others that he doesn’t like talking about the incident either and wanted to move on. Given that Webb is not running for re-election it doesn’t hurt him to move on either.

But George Allen is working hard to resurrect his career and win office again. We pick up the story at the annual Shad Planking in the Real Virginia:

As the front-runner in the GOP nominating contest to succeed retiring Sen. James Webb (D), former senator George Allen swamped his opponents at the annual Shad Planking festival, offering more of everything: signs, stickers, hats, volunteers and — crucially, given the hot, sticky weather — cold beer.

Jamie Radtke, Allen’s best-known foe and former head of the Virginia Federation of Tea Party Patriots, went to the Wakefield Ruritan Club southeast of Richmond with a smaller financial war chest but armed with an argument — that Allen isn’t conservative enough to deserve the Republican nomination — that she hopes will be enough to fuel an upset.

“People are looking for an alternative. They really are,” Radtke said.

Radtke’s booth at the gathering featured a large sign contrasting her views with Allen’s record in the Senate — including votes to raise the debt ceiling and for the No Child Left Behind law. [Link]

The winner will meet Kaine. I still believe that if not for the Macaca moment the 2008 election would have been Allen vs. Obama and that contest would have been much closer. I also believe that times have changed and Allen might not be nutty enough for the Republican base this time around. But I also want to go back to the title of my post from five years ago. What did Allen think “macaca” meant when he used the term? We may never know for sure but Slate’s Chris Wilson pointed out on Tuesday that what we think he meant was largely influenced by Wikipedia: Continue reading →

Canadians vote in a federal election on May 2 and one of the most interesting races is in Brampton-Springdale, just outside Toronto. One out of three people in Brampton is South Asian, the highest proportion among all municipalities in Canada, and residents are not asking whether a South Asian will represent them in Parliament — they are asking which South Asian will represent them in Parliament. Will it be Ruby, Parm or Manjit?

All three of the major party candidates are Punjabi (just as in the neighboring riding of Bramalea-Gore-Malton). Ruby Dhalla, the Liberal incumbent, a former actress and chiropractor, has held the seat since 2004. She and Nina Grewal, a Conservative from British Columbia, were the first Sikh women to serve in the Canadian House of Commons and have twice defended their seats.

Dhalla’s chief rival is Parm Gill, the Conservative candidate, whom she defeated by less than 800 votes in 2008, and whom she accuses of inappropriate access to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

The third major candidate is Manjit Grewal, nominee of the New Democratic Party (NDP). He doesn’t appear to have much of a chance, aside from the fact that he co-owns a taxi company and will have no trouble giving voters free rides to the polls.

Continue reading →