Sarah Palin: "So Sambo Beat the Bitch"

At least according to this story, that quote was Sarah Palin's response to Obama winning the Democratic nomination. This is a pretty extreme story. The evidence base is not as deep as one might hope and a few people willing to give their names would certainly make the story stronger. But Charley James has put together a not unconvincing case that Palin is a racist and just generally awful person. Given my knowledge of the rural West, these kinds of quotes do not surprise me in the least. Rural westerners can be as virulently racist and sexist as the biggest southern redneck stereotype you can think of. She grew up in this culture and came of power in a political party that has done little to disguise its racism over the last 40 years, particularly on the local level.

Certainly these charges need to be investigated more fully and deserve attention from the larger media.

Via Helmut.