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

[Newman]

This shows how bright our leaders are. All of them.

[Luke]

Please and person with a brain knows putting a picture of a black man on a monkey carries racist overtone. Either California are soo stupid to elect stupid people to run office or this guy is obviously playing the 'RETARD' card. Yes, I said 'RETARD'. Why can white people play fairly without resorting to racist behaviors. So typical of this violent race.

[Joe]

Here is an example of liberal think-speak:

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.

Posted by: Tomas H | April 19, 2011 at 07:08 AM

And here you have it folks, straight from the mouth of a liberal: to oppose Obama's policies is to be a racist. Anybody who opposes Obama is just using a pretext because the real reason must be racism. So much for civil rights in America.

[reasonable citizen]

she's got to go

[robert douglas]

We elect people to represent us that we think are intelligent and able to lead. We also think that they are at least as smart as or smarter. This is just one more example of how wrong we can be. These people should never be allowed to represent us!!!

[driveon]

Yes, politicians are fair game, and Obama should not be spared from such depictions just because he is black. Other political figures have been, and are, lampooned in this fashion. However, this woman should not insult my limited intelligence by saying that she did it without considering the fact that he is black. She knew the connotation of that image. She wanted to depict him as a black monkey, without calling him a black monkey. She's only sorry because she got caught

[surfdogh2o]

She's not racist, she had a black person over at her house for dinner just last month.

Like DL Hughely says, if you know how many black people you have had at your house for dinner, you are racist like a (censored).

[Jean B]

As my mother was prone to say ..... a hit bird flutters. Think about it!

[Al LeFeusch]

This woman needs to go. But, to be fair, I used to superimpose Bush's face over chimpanzees all the time. So, it's possible that this really wasn't a race thing.

Remember this website?
http://bushchimp.homestead.com/

[Richard]

After the stupidity that followed the Watermelon Patch/Garden at the
White House images, ever politician should know better that there is no
longer such a thing as a private email. You need to treat every communication
as if you were saying it on national TV.

The truth is, despite the imagery published of Bush as a chimp, there is still
going to be those who associate Obama as a chimp to be an attack based on
his race rather than his policies. Because some constantly frames things
in terms of race, one needs to be very careful or valid policy ideas will be
associated with negative concepts, ultimately tarnishing them and preventing
progress towards one's goals.

Even if the poor attempt at humor was not intended as racist, it is too easy
an association to make and displays, at a minimum, a lack of foresight and
tact.

[carlos]

why don't the republican put a monkey face on GW Bush? he suit the character! republican hypocrites!

[sitdownandbequiet]

Boy, she's not very gifted with double speak. Even now she comes off like an idiot. I guess more than the 2 or 3 people she referred to initially, were offended by her racism.

[Bedtime for Bonzo]

If you image google "president chimpanzee" you will find there are a lot more "funny" pictures of Bush than Obama. I don't remember anyone being outraged about those.

[mrobvious]

This ranks right up there with "I am not a crook" and "I did not have sex with that woman".

[KidKool]

The republic party is pissed at this lady because she exposed how they all really think. Nothing more nothing less. She should stay with the republics. She represents them so faithfully.

And yes, I found comparing Bush to a monkey was just plain stupid, and never thought President Bush's wife or kids were fair political game and was equally as disturbed and disgusted by those would display that total lack of class, be they republic, Democratic, conservative or liberal.

But, seriously people, this lady did this and sent to her cohorts because this is what they believe and talk about in the back chambers.

[armchair_rest]

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."

SERIOUSLY!!!!?????

[TDR]

I am African American and I don't care about any racial angle regarding this story. The bigger issue to me is why are elected officials behaving like teenagers? This was something I would expect from pimple faced high schoolers. With all the issue going on in our country our elected officials should be expected to act like adults. How many times have duly elected officials sent out dumb emails depicting the President or First Lady in some disrespectful manner? Why do we Americans tolerate such idiodicy from our officials? What's next, are they going to write Michelle Obama's phone number on the bathroom stall in the halls of congress?

[carlos]

this confirms it then that republicans are racist! why can' they put the monkey face on GW Bush. he's character fits, a dumb chim!

[michelle]

The fact that she did not see race as an issue is wonderful! Can’t we all see each other as for what we are, members of the same species, human beings? People are only empowering racism by being sensitive to this picture. Her intentions were to question his birth certificate, not his race!

[Larry Marvin]

That's the problem with the Republican Party; they don't even realize they're racist.

[Jerome]

Condy Rice was portrayed as an Aunt Jemima by liberal cartoonists among other things. Nothing was said about that!!! I guess it's a different kind of racism when liberals are involved.

None of this is appropriate but the filth the left spews is just as disgusting. Stop being hypocrites!!!

[James II]

This is why the Republican Party is fading into irrelevance in California. It has been reduced to the Orange Country/country club/geriatric society, short on brains and clueless about how to frame a real political alternative to the Democrats in this state.

[Diosdado1001]

She should not be given the option to step down. She shoild be fired, PERIOD!!!

[Deela]

Wait, wait, wait. Her behavior is inappropriate and there is no excuse. But I recall many pictures of Bush portrayed as a chimp. The fact that he is white, does that mean that the chimp picture was not racist, yet the fact that Obama is black means the chimp picture meant the picture was racist? I can't get into the mind of this woman anymore than I can get into the mind of the Liberals who drew the chimp picture of Bush, what it symbolized.
Both were wrong.
But to draw a 'racist' conclusion based upon one's own personal opinion with the same evidence only tells me that those drawing the conclusions probably have racist motives themselves.
All are wrong.
Nevertheless, she needs to step down. Liberals need to apologize. And anyone who supports this woman needs to apologize along with her apologizing as well. Enough.

[Windfall]

Move on.