A controversial ad from Michigan Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra (R) that aired during Sunday’s Super Bowl played off of the historical fear of Asians “stealing” American jobs. The commercial features an Asian woman in the backdrop of a field (meant to evoke China) thanking current Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) for spending American money and borrowing from China.
“Your economy get very weak, ours get very good. We take your jobs,” the woman says in broken English. “Thank you, Debbie ‘Spend-it-Now’!”
The Michigan chapter of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote group released a statement condemning Hoekstra for focusing on “harmful and negative stereotypes that intrinsically encourage anti-Asian sentiment.” A group of Detroit black ministers joined in, arguing that the spot is “no different than him having a black person speaking in slave dialect.”
Despite the backlash, Hoekstra remains proud of his ad, saying it is “probably the best of the political season” and their use of the rice field in the video as a “creative element.” Hoekstra is claiming the Democrats are raising the issue of racial insensitivity as effort to duck a discussion on deficit spending.
Republicans’ lack of attention on Asian-American voters could be a critical oversight. According to the 2010 Census, the Asian-American population has grown 46 percent in the last decade, and is considered one of the fastest growing racial groups in America – most notably in swing states like Nevada and Virginia.
The data from the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are 17.3 million U.S. residents of Asian descent, which makes up approximately 6 percent of the nation’s population. In Michigan alone, the Asian American population grew 34 percent in the last decade.
What’s more, over half of all registered Asian American voters said they don’t identify with a particular political party, according to data from the National Asian American Survey.
“The candidates are not being very smart,” says former Delaware Lt. Gov. Shien Biau Woo in an interview with msnbc.com. “The Asian-American vote could really make a difference.” Woo is the co-founder of the 80-20 Initiative, the largest Asian-American PAC in the country. In 2008, 80-20 endorsed Barack Obama and encouraged Asian-American voters to vote for him over John McCain, who did not respond to 80-20’s questionnaire.
This year, none of the Republican candidates have responded.
Of the presidential race, Woo says the GOP field “has never been willing to show they’re concerned about Asian-American issues.” A major issue for the minority group, Woo adds, revolves around equal opportunity in the workplace for Asian Americans to be promoted into management levels-- an issue that Hoekstra and other conservative leaders focus on as a threat, rather than an opportunity.
Sen. Stabenow might need not worry that this line of attack will stick: The senator has a record of opposing trade deals with China and has called for crackdowns on the country’s manufacturing practices.
Watch video of her on The Ed Show in 2010, talking about her proposed legislation to force China to adopt fair trade practices:
Playbook: Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., talks about her proposed legislation, which would prevent the U.S. government from buying Chinese goods until they adopt fair trade practices.
--Traci Lee, msnbc.com
Leave a Comment:
Hell Yes = You Go Debbie Stabenow !!! What I Would Like To Know Is - WHY Isnt The Rest Of America On Board With "EQUALIZED TRADING" ??????? Oh Thats Because The Wealthy Of THIS Country Is Laughing ALL The Way To Their Swiss/Camen Bank Accounts == Thats Rite - Oh OH !!!!!!
pete Hockster == Eat Sh(t !!!!!! == GOMER !!!!!!!
this is just another example of a republican, under the umbrella of "free speech", who thinks he can say, or hire someone to say, anything he wants.
this is very embarassing for the republican party. its a shame that most of them don't see it that way.
Actually the ADD should have named and thanked the Republicans ..... not Senator Debby Stabenow for enriching China and the American investor class, at the expense of America and 99% of Americans.
The ADD should work very well to show how the Republicans working for the wealthy 1%, not for the middle class and poor, have favored tax incentives, policy's that have encouraged and made it easy for our corporations to outsource jobs and industries to foreign countries like China. Wealth has flowed to China that may have gone to revenues here and to American workers. China has gained by this. It has enabled China enough wealth to buy our debt. Some politicians are now looking to down size America. They say we have a spending problem. NO ... We have lost revenues from lost living wage jobs, tax evasion by offshoring of Corporate profits and lost industries due to unfair trade policy's.
We don't have a spending problem. We have a lost revenue problem. This "Supper Bowl Add" cleverly spins the truth 180 degrees. Just replace the words "Senator Debby Stabenow" with "Republicans"..... Replace "spend" with "Policy's of Easy Credit and Deregulation".... See the difference? This mess was created by the Republicans and they want to go back to the same policy's that created it. That is because the few at the top got very Rich and plan on making their money in "Emerging Markets". They only fear paying more for the rest of us growing poorer.
Pete Hoekstra lives on this kind of tripe,
Making fun of an Asian stereotype.
But for Ms. stabenow,
She will use this gaffe now,
So, her election, this bigot won't swipe...
hard to believe this smart (LOL) guy was replace by bachmann on the intelligent committee.
if his brain was gun powder he wouldn't be able to blow his nose.
Pete Hoekstra just can't get it right,
When the Asian folks perceive a slight.
While the ads make him burn,
You'd think that he'd learn
That two Wongs can outvote a White...
Wow they couldn't even get an actress you looks even a fraction chinese.....what a crappy ad
pete "spend it not" should've spent a few more dollars on that ad
Republicans have NO shame. When you think they can't go any lower, they prove you wrong. And their followers think Prez Obama is bad for this country?? My God, what has to happen before they can see these evil b@st@rds for who they are??!!
Let's hear it, Republicans! You're not the party of racism! It's all a damn lie!
One important fact NOT mentioned at all is the small amount of U.S. debt owned by China. I believe it is around 4%. People probably believe it is about 50% or greater.
China holds 8% of our total debt.
Japan is second with 6.9%, the UK third,,,
The biggest holder of American Debt, all in Treasury Bonds? The Social Security Fund, with 2.6 Trillion... And the Republican Party keeps saying, "They'll cash it all in at once and make our country declare BANKRUPTCY!"
Never happen...
The Largest Holders of US Government Debt
http://davidmjohnston.newsvine.com/_news/2012/02/07/10338858-the-largest-holders-of-the-american-debt
It is ironic that China holds any of our debt! But go to the store and buy some merchandise. Look at where it was produced. Good chance it was produced in China or somewhere other then here. A lot of our money does flow to China and they do buy some of our debt. It's the draw of cheap labor and outsourcing of jobs, I believe has lead to a lose of revenue for both government and American workers. The Chinese government has profited. The investor class has profited from higher Corporate profit margins. That is why most of Americans wealth rests with the top few.
The deception of the ADD in my view is that it is blaming the wrong person/party. The Republican's touted that they were the party of deregulation. Deregulation of the banks allowed way to much credit. But it kept the economy humming for awhile longer, as it subsidized stagnating wages and lower paying jobs. It created a big Housing bubble that as we know finally burst. America needs Americans to have enough money to spend on goods and merchandise and to pay taxes. ... But this income should come from a sound base of living wage jobs, not the easy credit and subsidized wages created by deregulation of banking policy's.
Funny I think the the Republicans want to go back to, continue, their policy's of deregulation. But then they do represent the wealthy and they make money on Wall Street investments which can be Global.
Humm... Just think how much more of our debt China could buy if what is owed to the Social Security Trust Fund could be whipped out.????? Those retirees don't need it... Do they?
Maybe the banks could continue handing out easy credit without any skin in the game.... You know, sell the loans to investment banks tobe cutup and repackaged into investments that can't be traced back to the originating bank. Of course they would have to be rated with a good rating to be highly marketable.... LOL maybe AAA. Then low paying jobs could once again be subsidized with easy credit and the housing market would climb again.
No this is just what we don't need. It should never have happened to begin with.
By the way, those that created the mess should be held accountable. Those that profited can now pay-up. Leave our Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid alone! Leave our Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid alone!
One thing this ADD has done. It has used some truths to turn republican and democratic poitions upsidedown.
It's gotten some Democratic pundits defending China just to attack this Repulican ADD. They call it a racial putdown. I don't buy it. I don't think China is our mortal enemy, nor our best friend. They are a communist country that acts in their own interests. Outsourcing jobs should not be excused. It's not a racial thing.
The problem with the ADD is that the Republican benefactors like outsourceing jobs and are blaming the victims .... Us ....we spend to much? Did they ever hear that spending is what you do when you buy a product. Without it there is no reason to create the product, and there is no demand for the product..... The truth is we don't have to defend buying. The truth is we don't have to defend China or outsourcing jobs. We have to recognize what is happening, who is benifiting by it and who is not. Who is encouging outsourcing jobs and how. We have lost revenue. We need jobs here and trade policy's that promote that.
By the way China does not let their workfource wages rise to high. They have a profitable thing going for their government and their elite, by using their workforce as a sellable commodity. Their was a TV show awhile back that showed how China had a lot of new unoccupied housing. The one person living in the new community said that it was very quiet as he was the only person to buy one of the new condo's. You see the common worker couldn't afford the 70 some thousand dollar price on their $2 and under wages. The workers lived in shanty's on the outskirts of town. Looks like profits are staying with the top % there too.
Interesting thoughts Sheryl first of which is that ADD is like "in school we learn to add and subtract", this is an ad...I'm sure you probably know that but I'm very ocd...I'd be bothered if didn't say that
But onward to the issue I think you made an interesting note about outsourcing and I would just say that although we say they are "taking our jobs" no one in China is taking the jobs from Americans...they're more like accepting the jobs. It's companies that take the jobs and send them over seas so the corporations are to blame, they are the ones taking the jobs from Americans to give to poorly treated foreigners.
The CEO's are using their influence and power to redistribute success and properity. These folks are taking American prosperity and sending it to other countries for their own benefit knowing full well this hurts their countrymen....and they don't give a damn. This is in my opinion a kind of economic treason.
More importantly I would note that this ad never talked about outsourcing this had nothing to do with that. This was about federal spending which implied that any spending hurt America and helped China, so this was about spending
ps most Chinese workers don't live in the cities as you noted but I'm not sure it's because they can't afford as to my knowledgy many Japanese and Chinese workers live in small pseudo company towns near their factories. The workers live in make shift dorms near to or connected to the factory they work at, essentially they live in the place they work. So as a part of that these places have hundreds of workers crammed in buildings meant for dozens because the company saves money shoving as many people in there as possible.
Stop economic treason.......and exile Gingrich to space(pass it on)....let us stop corporate greed
Grandiose
Rhetoric
Expousing
Economic
Destruction
CynicalCitizen LOL .... Yes I was speaking of the AD and wanted that to standout... ADD.
I agree with much of what you said. However outsourcing jobs and production being done in China by "our" American corporations partnered up with China, is why we buy so much from China. Outsourcing jobs and industry underlies this AD. It doesn't have to be directly addressed in the AD.
They are reinforcing their talking point.... "we have a spending problem" and blaming it on the Democrates and in this case specifically Debby Stabenow. The concept of spending to much fits into short sound bytes and is an easy concept to sell. People do like to judge and spending by government or other people makes an easy target. In this case they are using it as a quick easy reason to promote their canidate and platform. But the trouble is that our economy does have a "Lost Revenue Problem". It is a little more complex and requires real thinking and solving, which doesn't fit so easily into a quick, non-thinking sound byte.
Actually I think with a few changes this AD has potential for Democrates. With the right wording, (actually accurate wording), It could display how the republicans promote the interests of those invested in Corporations that have sold out America to China.
You know we have lost so many industries that no longer share in much of what is good for America. That is to say once we considered what was good for our largest industries was also good for America, and Americans. Large Corporate interest was in all of our interest before outsourcing jobs. A rising tide lifted all boats..... Is no longer true. Outsourcing jobs and industry changed this relationship. What increases Corporate America's bottom line no longer increases America's, American's bottom line. We have two economies going ... The Global, Wall Street economy and the USA Main Street economy. The challenge is to get them working together, which is in all of our interests. Guess which economy has the most influence with politicians?
I should add ... Guess which economy they want to give the bill to? No not in the form of taxes, but in the form of CUTS....
Senate Candidate "Huckster" fails to mention, as did all commentators on the Ed Show, the low percentage of debt actually owned by China. I believe it is about 4%. The way Chinese owning the U.S. comments get tossed around, I am sure most people think it is much, much higher. Good subject for a poll. So, the ad is just not racist, it is playing to a fear of an unknown that some fact exposure could dispel.
Estevan,
thanks for that very interesting piece of information that i find very informative and valuable.
Estevan you bring up an interesting point but I believe your statistic is in fact false China owns more along the lines of 8% or 9% but still far less than most people probably think this part is true
If they own so little of our debt, why do we have this massive trade imbalance? Why does our government let them get away with it? Currently, we charge them a 2.5% import tax. They charge us 25%.
Why?
Well that 8% roughly that they hold is still in dollar terms in the trillions so that's part of it.....people out there in some form also profit from this arrangement and well money+politics=shenanigins and corruption
Manfacturers moved factory jobs there because it's much cheaper to employ someone in China because there are no real environmental regulations, safety standards, etc.
Also part of why the trade taxes are so different is because lots from China comes here but very little from here goes to China
Thanks. But I think you have cause and effect reversed on the last part. The reason so little from here goes there is because of the 25% tax they charge us. And, conversely, the reason so much from there comes here is because we charge them so little.
Here's a little tid-bit from a newsletter I received:
Information has recently emerged about the conditions in Apple’s factories in China, and it is appalling. Workers work twelve-plus hour days, six days a week with no overtime. Many are routinely exposed to toxic chemicals which attack their nervous systems and forced repetitive motion that wears away their joints until they can no longer function. Workers have collapsed dead on the assembly line after marathon, sixty hour shifts, and suicide is a common problem.
No wonder our companies love it there.
Thats why see what the voters[incldg' Repubs did to Michelle Barkman..when she said:' On my first day in office I will turn the lights off in EPA', then lock the agency!
Well done lady, for solving the country's major problem !
Your repubs voters placed u where u belonged...no less than my favorite' Sarah Pallin...'
She never heard of Hooker Chemical in Buggalo which davstated a major portion of residents in Love Canal area. The people HAD o be taken outa there permanently...s even if Hooker was fined or EPA cleaned, you cannot do anything for those died, had abortions, and disease which couldnot be diagnosed and treated.
The other clown Perry...'I will shut the Deptt of Education...and oh yes the third one...' whats that, Senator..Paul ?, [Perry needed help to "THINK".]
"We are great people and can compete with anyone in the world', what we need to do to improve our worker skill and education and be competitive is to 'Close the Deptt of Education' ! Wow...!!,
wonder if that was something suggested to GOP by O'Reilley.
te
Of course it is a racist ad; broken English, vaguely asian looking woman ... on a bicycle ... in a rice paddy. That calls to mind two questions: 1) why would anyone use these guys for a campaign ad? Didn't he see the knucke-headed ads they did (e.g., the "demon eye" sheep ad); and 2) does he mean to imply that Sen. Stabenow played a role in sending all the MICHIGAN rice-growing jobs overseas? Sorry for the folks in Michigan who have to put up with this clown even if it's just until November.
As far as I can find out, rice isn't grown in Michigan.
It's grown in Arkansas, California, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Florida.
Real rice is grown in MN so if it grow in MN it could grow Michigan, this ad is uncalled for just racist. The ad was produces on a blue back ground and picture was put in, the actress need other work because she is done as and actress.
No, but apparently politicians willing to manipulate racial stereotypes to get elected are.......it's a shame we can't export them....such a shame
Oh come on; who would take them? We'd have to pay them.
I don't think it is racist. It's just wrong or deceptive on who sold us out to China. Who profited by the lose of whole industries going to places like China.... Who created policy's that do nothing to discourage outsourcing of jobs. Remember they and the very wealthy make money on Corporations with high profit margins that are American in name only. The trouble is in the quest for higher profit margins the working middle class American has been left with stagnate wages, lower wage jobs, or no jobs.
What worries me is how many of our industries are not here, not only the good paying jobs we need... Do we have to many of our eggs in a foreign basket? so to speak. Will we lose the ability to re-tool in many of these industries should we need to? Have we given away power along with our industries?
Hoekstra is quoted on his campaign site as saying, "What these folks are angry about is the message that we are actually confronting Debbie Stabenow...". I claim no political affiliation and have not followed these two politicians at all. I think this commercial is blantantly disprespectful, racist, rude, ignorant, and childish. Any respectable politician (I know, I know... but stay with me) should not stoop so low. Then again, isn't this degree of mudslinging, disrespectful, and slanted form of campaigning becoming more prominent. Politicians are really starting to live up to the stereotype of being liars, cheats, thieving and immoral dispicable beings.
Welcome to election 2012...sit pour yourself a drink......'cuz Newt plans to stay in it til the convention so you better believe it's gonna get much, much uglier in here
expect a lot more for future......superpacs
Corporate America takes billions to China to invest, import and sometimes to Bribe, NOT Debbie...
Mr Hoekster lives in darkness,not knowing how unfair the trade has become with China,and who is responsible for it...
Worse see what the ad maker did for Christie O' Donnel..' I am not a witch...'remember that...
Thats the guy who very nicely framed this ad for Hoekster..or hookstir whatever
Wake up America..!!
China has eaten our Bk'fast...eating our lunch now and has eyes on our supper...!
This is a reality...NOT something to get 'commercial making' out of it, for political ends.
What else do you expect from the Rethuglicans.
They are shooting real low.
I would say..seeds of losing, and losing bi against Obama are being sown,intentionally or foolishly..!
Examples; 'By the end of my first term, Ill ve a colny on the moon', 'Within a week of my innaugration I will ve US embassy in Jerusalem'. I really don't worry about poor people'...
'Economy has improved now, but that s what always happens after a slowdown..'Mitt. Even a Fox host asked him' Then how re you going to arue against Obama.in the debate' ? Answer ..made many laugh, and a smart one said: "Here is the perfect material for Dems Campaign Ad'!.How true !!
But Repuke's action, as above, have done their job...
Look a the polls separating Obama from Mitty...by a good plus margin,particularly after the job data...wich stunned Mitty and Gingy..I bet !
Watch that super pac contributer from Vegas writing a check of $5 mil, and then another one of $ 5 mil to a superpac for Gingry...
Now he will be writing a check for Mitty....realizing wasted previous money. The only thing it got him[the Vegas man], was a comment from Gingy :'Palestinians are invented people'...and an accelerated schedule for embassy construction in Jerusalem !
I bet Gingy will never dare say that now...cause it shows ignorance in a man otherwise considered reasonably smart!...and historian.
Europe has serious problem with people like gingy within US administration...and so did the repubs...when they 'd to let him go !
Talk to Bob Dole !..it was driving the Repubs in congress...then 'Doly', also called 'bannanas'!