More On Senate Candidate Webb And The Cartoon
Yesterday we ran this post about a story about Virginia Senate candidate James Webb’s campaign having put out a cartoon that his Jewish opponent considered antisemitic.
Drawing pictures of Jewish people with accentuated hooked noses, and also using the phrase “anti-Christ” is not usually something that would qualify you for an Anti-Defamation League Citizen Of The Year award.
And yes, alas, since our post was done at a Starbucks in the middle of a multi-hundred-mile drive, the image wasn’t available online when we did our search. Some readers and bloggers did find it but hours after our post first ran (in fact we were in the car when they found that link and didn’t get on a computer until about 10:30 pm last night).
Now we’ve seen it and it does not change our opinion (OOPS: here come the emails and posts saying we are on the payroll of Miller’s campaign, have hated Webb all of our life, are trying to make one candidate win in Virginia, and secretly get money from Karl Rove because the whole idea of our post was to help George Allen win).
Captain Ed Morrissey (one of our favorite conservative bloggers) has a post with the image on his site (also read his post where he disagrees with TMV) so here it is:
He also has a comparison of what Miller looks like and the cartoon. The bottom line on offensive Jewish caricatures is that they usually accentuate the nose a bit more than it is and all have a certain “look” to the face. If you run the historical anti-semitic caricatures (we ran a few on the original post) you can see how there is a similar thread going through them.
Years ago on the San Diego Union I did a story mentioning a KKK type group in North San Diego County. I then received at my home address a big, fat envelope with anti-black and anti-semitic pamphlets containing cartoon caricatures. Again, they fit a certain pattern.
Quite a few websites disagreed with TMV on this one. So here are a few different views you should check out.
NOTE: It’s always enlightening to see the people who can disagree with a position and outline why (we think about those later and about their arguments) and those who go on the attack hurling adjectives or coming up with colorful and quaint motives for why you wrote something that even you don’t know existed (we read them, shrug and forget about them, although they do provide fleeting comedy relief). You’ve already read Captain Ed, here are a few more (and most disagree due to a differing perspectives and should be read so you can make up your own minds);
–Glenn Reynolds, aka Instapundit feels it’s a campaign blunder (yes, but Webb could offset it by visiting Jewish voters at Jewish restaurants — in other words, any restaurant that serves Chinese food. Now THAT’S a harmless stereotype…but a true one..)
–James Joyner thinks its a tempest in a teapot (or, rather, a storm in a pot of chicken soup…)
–The Agitator says we “smeared” Webb. He said we had a “goal” to portray Webb a certain way. (And we thought we were only giving you our reaction to the Forbes story. Hey, we learn something NEW every day!)
–Dean Esmay thinks the cartoon doesn’t warrant our reaction.
–Classical Values actually makes the best, most clinical, stand-back argument that the cartoon is not the way we perceive it, concluding with a classic line: “I don’t think James Webb is an antisemitic fascist, but he may be a little stupid.” READ IT IN FULL.
Also, be sure to read comments in the full original post, which mirror some of our hate emails. We especially love people who disagree then go on the attack accusing us of personal motives, a political agenda, and saying this proves yours truly was an awful journalist.
We love you, too. And if you send us an email with your address, we’ll be sure to send you an original Valentine.
But we won’t use James Webb’s artist.
And then there are the people who say this just PROVES we hate James Webb. Actually, as a reporter on the San Diego Union yours truly covered the failed attempt by the city of Oceanside to annex Marine base Camp Pendleton, and also the Reagan amnesty plan. Webb was one of the most dynamic members of the Reagan cabinet. So, sorry, yours truly could care less who wins or loses in Virginia; this is a totally separate issue.
FOOTNOTE: We also get a kick out of the folks in our emails who say “how dare you say it’s a classic antisemitic stereotype” and then say we’re antisemitic because we posted some cartoons showing some what the classic stereotype is.
Yes, there could be Jewish antisemites — probably those who’ve had to do catering for a family doing a bar mitzvah.
And then there are those who say when we ran the other images we didn’t explain that they were classic images (we did) and tried to pass them off as Webb’s artist. Nope. Even our cat understands what we wrote in our post. (A reminder: Webb HAS apologized for this cartoon and in our original post we had some comments about the apology.)
But since we ran the Webb campaign image above, here are a few more classic images and see if you can see a common thread. But this time we’ll spell it out:
T-h-e-s-e a-r-e c-l-a-s-s-i-c g-r-a-p-h-i-c i-m-a-g-e-s and some recent caricatures so you can see what ran over the years (and these are on Google and easily available if you do a search):
There are many others. An Israeli newspaper even had a contest “Kosher anti-semites” to create the best antisemitic cartoon. Here’s one that updated an American piece of art:
UPDATE: A writer on Daily Kos blasts a newspaper for leaving out parts of the flyer (the image we gave you above is that image apparently that ran in the newpspaper; a PDF image linked by Holly on the original post has the original). But the issue here really is not the political content of the ad, which is a different matter for a different debate (which we would not have posted on since we’re not covering the Virginia race). It’s whether this kind of caricature was appropriate.
23 Responses to “More On Senate Candidate Webb And The Cartoon”
I read through the previous post and comments.
I conclude that it is impossible to criticize someone who is Jewish in a cartoon, without unleashing these accusations of anti-semitism.
If the cartoonist “un-hooked” the nose, and the copy editor dropped the “anti-Christ” quote, would this cartoon actually be making a legitimate point about Miller?
“Miller is a fat-cat rich Washington insider who wants to outsource your jobs, and I, Webb, am a man of the people who will protect your interests.” : Is there any way to make this point without falling into the anti-semitism trap?
Those who wish to be an apologist to webb, by saying that there is no way to make this cartoon without appearing anti-semetic…either buy into anti-semetic stereotypes or are just dense.
This is a calculated cartoon….miller, the rich,hook nosed jew vs webb, the aryan superman.
And yes there is a way to portray that without falling into the anti-semitism trap….dont make the cartoon.
Miller is wrong about outsourcing….say it…show the facts….using a smear cartoon is beneath the candidate and the electorate.
I would certianly call the cartoon ill-advised and a mistake, I’m not clear it was as calculated as you suggest, bacci40.
But you seem to be agreeing with my first point. Jews and cartoons don’t mix, period.
If someone would like to point to cartoons that caricature Jews without being stereotypical, I’d be happy to go look at them.
Clarification, please only point me to relatively recent cartoons that are critical of a Jew or Jews without being stereotypical, or without being authored by a Jew. EDUCATE ME!
Stop digging dude. The cartoon image looks remarkably like Miller, and there is no perceptible “hooking” of the nose other than what is antaomically correct given Mr. Miller’s actual looks.
You did a cheap hitjob, using the most inflammatory accusation. All you accomplish is to further dilute the force of a charge of antisemitism (if it could possibly be further diluted, given todays level of discourse). Pointing out the faults in some of your critics doesnt absolve you of your own screwup.
Just what I was hoping for. More Jewish persecution complex whininess.
You keep stating that Joe screwed up and if you notice some other readers don’t agree with you. Just your repeating it and asserting it doesn’t make it a fact “dude.” It just shows you can assert and repeat an opinion of yours over and over. You can do that just as easy by copying your statement and pasting it about 20 times in a comment. I agree 100 percent with Joe.
Ah, yes, people always say someone “whines” who disagrees with them but we’ll resist the temptation to use the same adjective because it can easily be applied to both sides in an argument if one side chooses to use it. And, just in case you didn’t notice, my reaction to this cartoon has not changed since I saw it. I don’t find it at all less offensive. And if it was 100 percent unobjectionable, and my reaction was so impossible to understand, and if others might not have felt that way, then perhaps you should ask James Webb’s campaign why he felt he had to apologize if he offended anyone. Clearly, it can most certainly be taken and has been by some (read our comments) — and you already have two posts that show you have these caricatures have been used for a long time. And, clearly, your mind won’t chance no matter what we offer up here. So these comments right now are a waste as well…and we’re moving onto other topics.
I agree with Joe also, and I’m not Jewish. I look at that cartoon and its clear that it is quite “ethnic” in look. It should never have been released as a campaign document. The ones who are “whining” are those who are trying to say its being overly sensitive to demand zero tolerance of ethnic stereotyping. Webb is a smart guy and perhaps this simply got by him. Also as Joe notes if this was absolutely not offensive than Webb would not have issued even a partial apology on this. Oh: I love the Jewish persuection complex comment. Yes, you really showed that you are coming from a totally objective spot on this with that comment.
“ask James Webb’s campaign why he felt he had to apologize if he offended anyone”
No need to ask. Obviously it is the only rational response for a political campaign. He is running a serious campaign, takes himself seriously I imagine, and has no intention of letting his opponent make a silly cartoon the focus of the coverage. So, you dont admit at all (and he didnt) the force of the charge, but you express regret that anyone may have possibly been offended, and move on.
I am sure you know enough about politics to have figured that out for yourself Joe.
As to you delightful touch of adding the Nazi cartoons – you remain obstinatly obtuse. You emphasize, yet again, how those are examples of how “those caricatures” have been used in the past. But the whole point of course, is that the Webb cartoon is NOT an example of one of “those caricatures”. And repeating it dont make it so.
I think the bigger issue is whether any of us actually believe Mr. Webb deliberately made an anti-semitic statement with this cartoon.
I would argue that whether Mr. Webb is a genius or not, he is more than smart enough to know that such a move would be disastrous. I simply do not believe Mr. Webb sat down in a staff meeting and directed his people to produce a cartoon for the purpose of playing to an anti-semitic stereotype.
Is it possible that someone in his campaign was that much of a fool? Perhaps. Possible that Mr. Webb was that stupid or evil? Nah.
I think this was a simple campaign screw-up. Mr. Webb has evidently apologized and for me, as a quasi-Jew, that’s enough.
This is absurd. Must we eliminate all traces of ethnicity in cartoons? No, Jews, no Italians, no Blacks, no Indians, no native Americans etc. Once you have done all that you end up with one acceptable stereotype to lampoon. Who is it!
Joe mentioned the apology. I think from his posts that his issue is people saying that, why, there is nothing wrong with this cartoon (all Jews DO have hooked noses…and maybe they are the anti-christ on specific issues..) It’s people defending Webb by insisting the cartoon is not offensive that’s most interesting.
Joe-
As one of your most loyal readers, I respectfully submit to you that you over-reacted on this one pure and simple.
I’m not Jewish, and may be missing something, but I don’t see any anti-semitism here, I just don’t.
I agree with Michael Reynolds that I don’t think Webb is anti-semitic, it just doesn’t make sense.
We now have the Jewish equivalient of the Muhammed cartoon with this? Ok, so no rioting, or death decrees.
If anything the cartoon made Webb look too cutesy, in a weird superboy way. Miller looked like, well, Miller in the cartoon, and that’s somehow anti-semitic?
If you look hard enough, anyone can read something into anything, and if you listen long enough you’ll find someone somewhere that hates your ethinic group/ religious group, Thats called being an earthling unfortunately.
Yeah you might find that cartoon to be somehow anti-something, But I hope we aren’t that damn PC that we over-censor ourselves to the point that everything becomes suspect. If we do, or have the desire to skewer anyone that we percieve to be crossing the line, we run the risk of diluting the real offenders in time.
With that said, Miller is an outsourcing, lobbyist corporate approved canidate, and exactly what I don’t want to see in DC.
Hey Joe,
I just came a cross a web site just FILLED with anti-Semitic drawings:
Oh, and thanks for perpetuating the anti-Semitic stereotype that Jews are a bunch hyper-senstive whiners.
Ooops. I found the missing link:
Well, I’m half-Jewish, and married to a Jewish man, and the cartoon is not really that offensive to me. The posted examples, however, are totally offensive.
I don’t think Joe is being whiny, and I don’t think he’s perpetuating a steroetype of Jews as being hyper-sensitive. He voiced an opinion. He didn’t ram it down anyone’s throat, on the contrary he signaled that he had some doubts and pointedly displayed links to people with differing points of view. Isn’t that exactly what n honest blogger should do?
bacci40,
One of my best friends that lives in george w bush’s home state, Connecicut is a Jew.
And of course he is pro Israel. But even he admits that the Jews have become objects of hatred in every society they’ve lived in. Neither of us can reason out why or even if its fact.
He bowled me over laughing one day while we were talking about Moses coming down from the mountain with the ten commandments and finding “the people” in debauchery and making a golden idol…my friend said “It appears that the Jews had to be the chosen children of God, because being chosen was the only way they could get into heaven.”
If my Jewish friend can say that and live with it anyone can.
Be not too afraid of having labels placed on you by mere humans…in the end only God can punish should he desire.
(link)Michael:
This is absurd. Must we eliminate all traces of ethnicity in cartoons? No, Jews, no Italians, no Blacks, no Indians, no native Americans etc. Once you have done all that you end up with one acceptable stereotype to lampoon. Who is it!****************************************************
Michael I hope people make an abasing cartoon of me and keep it up…I figure while they are doing it…it keeps them off everyone elses back.
Uhhhhh they use my skin as armor plate for battleships.
Again, this is a last minute hit by the Republicans on Webb, who fear him more than Miller. Allen will easily beat Miller.
If nothing else, the link from Instapundit, a Republican cyber-Goebbels, tips you off on that. (since Godwin’s law became operative at the birth of this piece, no problem here in the Nazi comparison again.)
I guess the broader questions are:
Can you only caricature a person if they lack all of the genotypical features of the ethnic group, or in such a way that all ethnic features are removed and the person is unrecognizable in the cartoon?
Jews can only be drawn with button noses, Black people with thin lips, Irish cannot have red hair, no Mexicans with moustaches?
No traits which conform to stereotype can be portrayed, e.g. if an Irish politican is a drunkard, it can never be mentioned?
I also don’t see how the American Gothic parody is “anti-semitic.”
As an observant Jew I would like to say…there are subtlties to the use of anti-semitism for political purposes. Books have been written about this documenting it in the US (ex. The Jew and the State). Political cartoons use exaggeration to make a point. The cartoon depicted by itself could pass without being called anti-semitic. Having said that, society just has to get used to the idea that each group has legitimate sensitivities that should be respected. Calling a Jew an anti-Christ is the same as calling an African-American a black sambo or an Hispanic a wetback. That is the historical legacy Christianity bequeathed us. My suggestion is to decry the label, not the cartoon.