GOP official who sent Obama chimpanzee email: 'I am not a racist'

An Orange County Republican Party official who sent an email that portrays President Obama's face superimposed on a chimpanzee with the words: "Now you know why -- No birth certificate!" apologized for her action but insisted she's not a racist.

The comments of Marilyn Davenport, an elected member of the party's central committee, marks a turnaround for the official, who over the weekend described the controversy as "much to-do about nothing."

County GOP Chairman Scott Baugh has called for Davenport to resign, saying the email was "dripping with racism and is in very poor taste."

"The California Republican Party believes the actions in question are completely unacceptable," California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro added in a statement Sunday.

In an interview with the OC Weekly on Monday, Davenport said: "I wasn't wise in sending the email out. I shouldn't have done it. I really wasn't thinking when I did it. I had poor judgment." She added: I am not a racist, but I do think I need to apologize again with different words."

In a statement over the weekend, Davenport had said "in no way did I even consider the fact he's half black when I sent out the email. In fact, the thought never entered my mind until one or two other people tried to make this about race."

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Comments

[Decent American]

Yes people, she is the "best and the brightest" that the Republican party has to offer!

[Steve]

Yes you ARE a racist.

Your words say you are not, your behavior says you are.

[Terry Bourbeau]

Why are the Republicans doing so many goofy things? What used to be a higher standard employed by the Reublicans has now turned to stupidity and ignorance. If you didn't think the email was racist before sending it out, you outta get out of office-or be removed.

[John De Salvio]

She's not a racist, and some of her best friends are Blacks, and it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime.

[Rocco]

Another Pinochio Republican. Who would have thought ?

[bigbiggityben]

Are you kidding? Now you want to convince me that a significant official in the California Republican Party doesn't recognize images that have been historically used in this nation to demean and dehumanize people? Next she'll be pissing on people and trying to convince them it's just rain. Unfortunately, she appears to have done so, not so much to Obama who has shown a hard shell to these type of racist denials in the past, but she like Bachman, Trump, and Palin may truly believe that it wasn't a big deal. And if some of their tee-tee happens to land on the heads of those in the Republican Party so what, no harm done, it's just raining.

[Tomas H]

If she actually knew what a racist is, she would know she is a racist. I suspect that her definition is that she is a racist only if she calls President Obama the "N" word in public. Racism includes a large number of lesser offenses, though. Having a non-racist reason, "I don't like his policies. He was not born in the U.S." is simply having a pretext to deny being a racist.

[Mike]

Some people will believe anything.

This time, Marilyn Davenport, an elected member of the Republican central committee in Orange County, wants us to believe that she is not a racist after she created and emailed a graphic that depicts our African-American president as a chimpanzee.

Why would she do something like that? A supposed "serious person" in a position of responsibility within a major political party, one would assume that she would have more sense.

She did it because it is the way some Republicans speak of President Obama in private and she probably doesn't have much exposure to people with more moderate and tolerant POVs.

In other words, she spends the bulk of her time watching Fox News and hanging out with other people who are Fox News watchers.

[Art Ghecko]

She shouldn't resign. Her views directly reflect the group to which she belongs. And I don't believe she's any MORE racist than any of the rest of them. She just had the bad luck to get caught. There were plenty of pictures portraying Bush as a chimp, and this is really no different. As the saying goes, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
And I'm an Obama supporter!

[steverafail]

I don't care if you are Christian or Muslim. RESIGN. Show some honor or is the Republican and Tea parties all talk.
I'm Christian was the same talk all those preachers used when caught with prostitutes, sniffing coke and stealing money from other Christians.

Hell, even NPR people resigned even though they were railroaded.

[affableman]

"in no way did I even consider the fact he's half black when I sent out the email. In fact, the thought never entered my mind until one or two other people tried to make this about race."

Yup, another clueless OC Republican. Gee and they wonder why they're pretty much irrelevent in this state.

[sal]

"I am not a racist, but I do think I need to apologize again with different words..." BHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

[runphas7]

I married a white man, (I am black) and his mother use to send us articles on chimps and primates. She even sent me "Planet of the Apes" (book and video).

Now tell me she was not trying to make a point.

[Prairiefire]

Just another brain dead Republican who was toeing the party line with no education at all about what is really important than the mud slinging.

[SocorroV]

Was racism involved when Lincoln was called and caricatured as an ape and a gorilla? How about when Reagon was called an ape? Remember Bonzo? Obama like all other politicians throughout history are fair game. The skin is too thin here. Obama wanted this job. He needs to man up and take the(good)perks and free vacations along with all the bad or the negatives. Where is the picture in question?

[dee]

obviously nothing in this article is surprising....out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks... they can't help it... racism engulfs their life

[Bob Fleming]

Her apollogy merely confirmed the fact that she is a bigot who has no business in a leadearship of eithr political party at any level.

Unfortunately her attitude is the rule rather than the exception to the GOP electorate.

[Johnie]

"I really wasn't thinking when I did it."

And there in lies the problem with too many people these days.....I for one expect more from an elected official.

[Dave Myers]

When they say "I am not a racist..." yeah, they're a racist.

[firstoff]

"in no way did I even consider the fact he's half black when I sent out the email. In fact, the thought never entered my mind until one or two other people tried to make this about race."

Is someone this clueless qualified to lead us?

[Coriolana]

Her 'apology' tells the story better than she thinks: she IS a racist and her mealy-mouthed 'oops' doesn't cut it.

[JC]

LIAR!

[James Banks]

Your apology doesn't seem sincere. And yes grandma, I still think your a racist.

[Nova Yos Galen]

With apologies to Forrest Gump, racist is as racist does.

[FinickyOne]

Umm, so exactly where is the "apology?"

And Ms. Davenport, please do allow me to remind you that any "apology" with an IF qualifier is not, I repeat, NOT, a true apology.