Last week Sue Lowden, a Republican candidate challenging Majority Leader Harry Reid for his Nevada Senate seat, made the assertion that Americans should consider bartering with their doctors for healthcare services.
"Before we all started having health care, in the olden days, our grandparents, they would bring a chicken to the doctor," Lowden spoke on news show Nevada Newsmakers "They would say I'll paint your house."
The comment immediately drew fire from the democrats and media commentators. Even Jay Leno added his two cents worth on what seemed like a silly idea in the 21st century. One would expect Lowden to back off from the comment and explain why she made it. Instead, Lowden is standing by her recommendation that Americans without healthcare coverage should look to barter with doctors. The criticism poured in. One blogger wrote that it was her “macaca moment.” Her what? I had never heard of this phrase before so I looked it up.
Macaca, according to Wikipedia, is a racial slur meaning monkey. The macaca moment that the blogger was referring to was from the 2006 Virginia Senate race between Democrat Jim Webb and Republican incumbent George Allen. Allen had a comfortable lead over Webb going into August. Then on August 11, 2006 in Breaks, Virginia, Allen pointed out a Webb supporter who was filming the event.
“This fellow here over here with the yellow shirt, Macaca, or whatever his name is. He's with my opponent... Let's give a welcome to Macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia.” Allen said as the camera rolled.
S.R. Sidarth, born and raised in Virginia, is of Indian descent where the phrase is considered a racial slur. The film went viral and Allen issued an apology a few days later.
In November he lost his bid for reelection and many analysts point to this incident as the cause, thus creating the phrase “macaca moment.”
Sue Lowden has a comfortable lead over Harry Reid in test elections. But could her suggestion that Americans try to barter with doctors be her macaca moment?
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