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CNN Scrubs Dobbs’ Racially Charged Comment From Transcript

thinkprogress.org — When asked to respond to Rice ’s remarks on the Situation Room last Friday, CNN host Lou Dobbs became agitated. TPM’s Josh Marshall noted that Dobbs explained “how he’s sick of ‘cotton pickin’ black leaders telling him how he can and can’t talk about race (he catches himself at the last minute — sorta).”

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  • thejoshuablog, on 04/01/2008, -22/+25How his Mexican American wife stays with him is beyond me. Sound like a case of "battered wife syndrome" or something.
    • skealoha86, on 04/01/2008, -13/+17are you ***** serious? because he almost falls back on a term used during segregation that he LIVED through and was exposed to daily? I can't believe you chose to make it personal.
      • gwolf001, on 04/01/2008, -5/+10He was talking about the Secretary of State, and a Presidential candidate. These are highly respectable people and the first thing that came into his head is "cotton-pickin".
        Loads of people have lived though different times. Doesn't mean they go about throwing disgusting terms like that. (Incidentally he was born in 1945. So he was in the middle of the Civil Rights movement when he was in his late teens. He isn't *that* old)
        • hittnrun, on 04/01/2008, -3/+3Now you just wait here a cotton pickin' minute. Is that racist? I never thought so. Nor do I now. Get over your music stealin' selves.
    • rolf, on 04/01/2008, -6/+12I heard it's because he does a real good job going 'south of the border' on her.
      • pintomp3, on 04/01/2008, -4/+7he better, because he seems to be a minuteman.
        • NoStoppingUs, on 04/01/2008, -6/+5yeah yeah. and he can really make her border fence!

          wait. what?
      • rholland356, on 04/01/2008, -1/+1She is his broom.
    • Kautylia, on 04/01/2008, -9/+17Because he isn't as racist as digg would have you believe. He wasn't talking about "black leaders." He was talking about, as he said "politicians, whoever they may be..." . Followed by a poor choice of words; not racially motivated ones. Buried as inaccurate.
    • deanlowe, on 04/01/2008, -6/+2Gay is where Cotton Pickin' is at. http://www.cpfair.org/
    • bearsandbulls, on 04/01/2008, -4/+8I saw this live, and as a Dobbs fan truly disheartened(the only guy i like in the MSM). Before this anything you've heard about Dobbs being racist was completely bs, pushed by pro-illegal immigration idiots. But I am afraid this was racist.

      Without the "cottonpickin" part Dobbs is right that everyone should be able to talk about race.

      His wife probably doesn't have a problem because only stupid people or people with unamerican interests think his immigration stance is racists. You are stupid if you think more people in this country is going to be prosperous, overpopulated countries are always one thing, poor. The when you take into account the extra people are sending money out of the country, turning some of the best educated parts of the country into some of the worst, driving down American wages, costing billions in health care costs............

      God forbid he preaches an immigration stance used by all other first world countries.
      • sunguch, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Hey! wait a cotton pickin' minnit, what's with you are stupid this and you are stoopid that?
        I think different therefore I am stoopid?
    • ElAssoWipo, on 04/01/2008, -4/+6Mexicans can be racist too.

      There's even Mexicans Nazis. They think they're white. Shhh, nobody tell them.
      • WraTH017, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Uh, there are whites in Mexico. Same way there are brown people in Germany, and every race on this earth here in the US... Nationality != race.
        • ElAssoWipo, on 04/01/2008, -1/+2Yeah except, they're not white.

          Look for Creole Pride. (Orgullo Criollo)
  • abgrund901, on 04/01/2008, -13/+10CNN is teh lose.
    • FF9999, on 04/01/2008, -6/+3For letting ONE man talk semi honestly about race? Is that too many?
  • danevahey, on 04/01/2008, -26/+28From the KOs comments:


    This really is one of the most illuminating clips on race you could possibly find. An ignorant, rich, hate filled white person claiming he wants to be "free" to talk about race, accidentally slipping on the very racialized embedded historical language that set up his privileged genetic position in the hierarchy.

    This clip should be required viewing for any undergraduate class examining how racism is embedded within the discourse, and how clueless buffoons like Dobbs exhibit willful ignorance because honest appraisals would require a self examination they're unwilling to participate in.
    • EntangledPhysx, on 04/01/2008, -16/+2This is so right and Dobbs needs to be fired Danevahey, you are dead on!!!!. The DFL wing that fires for these hippocrates for these comments will be in action soon to coach CNN (MSNBC). All you DFL losers are just a bunch of douche bag losers and we working class are sick and tired of caring all you lazy non-working people on our tax dollar. Times are changing...we are going to pollute the planet, drill for oil and I hope we can give you all the so called E-85 for your cars so you can fill up twice as much at the higher cost to produce that crap, then you can starve because you are using food we need for fuel. Seriously, what a bunch of douche bags you are. Funny thing, you want E-85 so bad, you got it and now you won't use it because you losers can't afford to fill up twice as much for the dime per gallon you saved that the tax payer subsidized for your worthless idea. I cannot believe how much of a drain on society you all are. You are destroying America and we are tired of it and that's why things will change. We are so done with your "It's not my fault" for your failures in life which leads you to the feet of government to fix your problems because you are actually that dumb. take control and get a job!! Time to stick the straw in Alaska and off the Shores of Georgia. (that's in the south east for you idiots who can't find your own city on a map) Don't study geography either because I know you were looking for your hand out when that class was taught and missed where cities and states are. BTW to those on left, there are 7 continents on the planet (this means there are 7 REALLY BIG pieces of land and some separated by water)
    • NoStoppingUs, on 04/01/2008, -10/+20you know, at what point are we going to stand up to the political correct crowd in this country and tell them to ***** off. this is insanity guys. really. now we're going after people for saying words that they didn't even say? i hate don imus, but calling someone a nappy headed ho and getting fired for it is just absurd. i truly don't understand everyone's outrage. words are just words unless you give them meaning.

      i understand you people want to feel important so you allow yourselves to be offended as much as possible so your asses will be kissed, but come the ***** on. this is nuts. i hate cnn. i dont like lou dobbs, but this country is heading down a dangerous path, and the train doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon.
      • shauncorleone, on 04/01/2008, -6/+6I'm ready when you are. Allowing other people to offend you and get under your skin is an inherent sign of weakness. The problem with an attention economy is you have these race-baiters out there angling for all the exposure they can get, at the price of First Amendment rights.
        "We need to ban political correctness in this country. It causes paralysis. It causes fear. It prevents people from being who they truly are." - Digg's favorite talk radio host -
        • hittnrun, on 04/01/2008, -2/+3No one stifles Freedom of Speech more than an American Liberal...PERIOD.

          If a person makes one slip of the tongue, their career can be over because these liberals are like little children trying to take down the grownups. The children should be ignored.
    • mateo60, on 04/01/2008, -3/+23Up until just now, I never even had thought about the origins of the phrase "cotton picking", and that it had racial connotations. I would've never thought twice about using that phrase in front of a black friend. I'd always just thought of it as a folksy phrase that people don't use much anymore. Often times, Lou tries to come off as folksy. I doubt that he was intending to use "cotton picking" in a racial way.
      I don't really have a lot of love for Lou Dobbs, and when it comes to someone saying something that offends people racially,I usually am on the side of the people who were offended, but in this case I really think that too much is being made of this remark.
      • EntangledPhysx, on 04/01/2008, -14/+3Short of mateo60 not having any concept on life, CNN, real news and people...this shows how the left is so much of a "Do as I say not as I do" viewpoint that you just use and you let this go. Why is it OK for losers like you and Dobbs to say that ***** but if a GOP says it, ***** they are hung and fired and destroyed. Get a job and do us a favor, unplug your ***** computer and get back to school. You clearly are the problem with society...lazy *****.
        • lostarchitect, on 04/01/2008, -0/+6i dunno, you seem to be raging over there. maybe you've got a problem, too. i agree with mateo totally.
        • ilves7, on 04/01/2008, -0/+6wow, talk about going off on a tangent completely unrelated to the comment... get a job, go back to school, and a lazy *****? lol... where the hell in his comments did any of that stuff come up?
        • mateo60, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1lol.....wow.......
    • TriTech, on 04/01/2008, -1/+3I think you just made Dobbs' point for him.
  • Tex, on 07/28/2008, -2/+36I'm sure Lou was just going to say "cotton candy."
  • LegalSatire, on 04/01/2008, -9/+26Wow... the summary provided on Digg set me up to see some fireworks. Instead, a saw a guy choke on a single word, and had to go back to Digg just to see what he was supposedly so "agitated" about. Sure - it does seem like he was about to say something inappropriate, but at the same time, isn't that the cherry-picking he spent the rest of his soundbite talking about?
    • staticneuron, on 04/01/2008, -5/+9He tried to say that america is the most diverse (englands nowhere close huh?) and tries to change the focus on the race issues that have gotten more exposure recently. While he is trying to refocus on how great our melting pot is he ends up slipping out "cotton pickers" in reference to our nations black politicians?

      He just proved their arguement. While america is a very diverse nation that speaks nothing about how well we get along with each other and the deep rooted feelings that lie underneath the surface.
    • rhinopig, on 04/01/2008, -4/+15The problem with the summary is that it implies he said ‘cotton pickin’ black leaders. He didn't and I doubt he was going to. He was going to say 'cotton picking politicians'. While it's true what the post above says, that cotton picking is evidence of the very 'birth defect' rice was talking about, he wasn't intentionally using it in a racial sense, but just as a negative modifier for all politicians, and not just 'black leaders' as the summary says. I'm gonna have to mark this submission inaccurate.
      • bruce86, on 04/01/2008, -1/+3I have never heard of someone using the cotton picking in reference to a person in a non-racial term. By its very nature given the historical context of this country it is in reference to race.

        Additionally by your same logic we shouldn't get upset at a person calling another person a "***** politician" because he wasn't intentionally using it in a racial sense, but just as a negative modifier for all politicians.
        • jameskong15, on 04/01/2008, -0/+3Can't compare the two since ***** simply has no other meaning that excludes racial overtones. Cotton picking has been a phrase with no racial overtone for many years, but you could also use it as a racial slur. So when someone says *****, you don't have that second potential meaning to assess. When someone says cotton picking, you do have to assess the comment in context.
          • bruce86, on 04/01/2008, -1/+3http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/niggardly
            nig·gard·ly /ˈnɪgərdli/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[nig-erd-lee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
            –adjective
            1. reluctant to give or spend; stingy; miserly.
            2. meanly or ungenerously small or scanty: a niggardly tip to a waiter.
            –adverb
            3. in the manner of a niggard.
        • jameskong15, on 05/26/2008, -0/+1I'm glad you quoted a reference to the word *****. Oh wait, you didn't.
  • olbap, on 04/01/2008, -10/+4He and Michelle Malkin should do a show together.
  • t3hbagel, on 04/01/2008, -17/+58Are you serious? Lou Dobbs almost saying "cotton pickin'" is worthy of the front page AND people's outrage?

    What a crock. I've been more offended driving down the road and reading license plates.

    So what.
    • budser, on 04/01/2008, -4/+14You have to admit that context of his slip of the tongue is pretty ironic. Come to think of it, Lou Dobbs has basically defined the word irony.
    • FF9999, on 04/01/2008, -7/+12The vast majority of white people are always ready to jump down another white person's throat for any slight insult to another race. Even if they have to build it up out of almost nothing. Death to Political Correctness!
      • bearsandbulls, on 04/01/2008, -2/+4Dugg for Death to Political Correctness!
      • bruce86, on 04/01/2008, -1/+2Political correctness is what is protecting the scientific community from blasting conservatives and the Republican Party in oblivion. So far, all the studies that research individual differences in political orientation have shown republicans to be motivated by guilt, shame and anxiety. That on average republican party holds more people who blindly accept authority to the point of will doing unethical acts just because authority figures told them so (think Nazi Germany), these same people have severely compartmentalize thinking (prone to hypocrisy, to the point of outlawing themselves if asked to), dichotomous thinking (only sees black and white) and sees constant threat in things that are not threatening to the normal person. These are only just the followers. The would be power hungry leaders in the party, have all these characteristics but addition have been shown to willing sacrifice human lives and wellbeing if it is known to get them more money or power. Also, these personality characteristics which are found so prevalently in the conservative Republican Party, is the best know predictor for racism and prejudice attitudes.

        Additional, Science has shown that it is more unlikely in the democratic and liberal parties as the structure or culture of these groups are counter productive for these types of personalities.

        So next time you complain about political correctness think of how much it protect everyone, not just special minorities.
    • MJDub, on 04/01/2008, -2/+1AZZKIKR
  • Orlong, on 04/01/2008, -21/+4Of course if Bill Oreilly wouldve said that it would be all over the media and he wouldve been villified and calls for his firing wouldve been everywhere, but because it was a cotton pickin liberal they remove all existence of it and never even mention it
    • gorgalor, on 04/01/2008, -2/+7Dobbs isn't a "cotton-picking" liberal. He has described himself as a "lifelong Republican", to quote wikipedia, that has since renounced any party affiliation. He's a pissed off Barry Goldwater conservative that is crazy about immigration, and takes every opportunity to rail against it. And, he probably is a bit annoyed that right wing loons -- like you appear to be if we were to read into your comment correctly -- has destroyed his party. Bill O'Reilly pretends to be independent, but has gone the Jerry Springer route and searches for controversy at every turn. His mindless, Rush Limbaugh-esque low-brow, flawed logic persona is the anti-thesis of Dobbs. I respect Dobbs for being a thinker, even if I don't agree with what he has to say. O'Reilly is just an idiot.
  • ClancyBoy, on 04/01/2008, -10/+46My whole life I never knew that "cotton pickin'" was a racial epithet.
    Bugs Bunny says it all the time.
    • mateo60, on 04/01/2008, -2/+13Same here. It makes sense though, and now that I know, I'll stop using the phrase when I'm outsmarted by a rabbit. From now on, use "*****" instead.
    • bxblox, on 04/01/2008, -1/+2bugs bunny was one racist bastard...
    • bruce86, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2A "cotton picking minute" although crude and vaguely racially charge, won't get you into that much trouble. Calling someone a "Cotton picker" that is very racially charged.
  • noself, on 04/01/2008, -6/+14This is kind of stupid. Anyone blowing this out of proportion is doing exactly what he describes in his little monolog. Yes, it is an interesting piece of propaganda, with the flag waving in the background and the talking head pridefully speaking of how progressive and racially mixed America is. It does seem ironic that he almost fouls up his entire speech with a phrase informed by the racist paradigm from which his generation stems.
    • FF9999, on 04/01/2008, -2/+7White people can't talk about race because other white people will attack them.
      • bruce86, on 04/01/2008, -2/+2White people can't talk about race because they would only want to absolve themselves of any guilt and marginalize the struggles of minorities. It comes off really shallow if you only want to talk about the things you didn't do, with out admitting the current problems that minorities face
        • jameskong15, on 04/01/2008, -0/+3I love when minorities tell whites to talk about or “admit” the problems facing minorities, but then complain that we would “marginalize” their struggles and attempt to absolve ourselves of any guilt. Way to be prejudice there bud.
  • Digg90210, on 04/01/2008, -4/+12He also made this statement:
    → "This is the most socially, ethnically, religiously, racially diverse society on the face of the earth."

    Is this true? Sounded good.
    • Updesh, on 04/01/2008, -3/+5Yes only if you are am American and don't know the rest of the world exists. Come to the UK and for all our problems its the most diverse and integrated of societies. I have lived in the US and travelled to over 100 countries and I keep coming back to the UK, because despite the weather (which is awful I admit) as a country we value people and their achievments over their colour and we are a freer society because of it
    • brufleth, on 04/01/2008, -3/+3That's the feel good statement that people like Dobbs like to toss around. I can't think of a good way to measure something like that and considering it wasn't until the last generation or so that black people were acknowledged as full citizens I would have to disagree.

      Considering Dobbs's stance on immigration I can only assume he doesn't really believe the statement either and wants very badly to maintain the status quo.
    • amirman, on 04/01/2008, -1/+1no, it's not.
    • peligro18, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2na
      go to singapore
      or hk
      or uk and u will find people with more awareness of race
      he is full of bs
    • Gunite, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2I don't know how you measure something like that, but I think most would say that Canada has the most diverse society in the world. It has the highest immigration rate (per capita).
  • PseudoThink, on 04/01/2008, -3/+26Similarly, I had honestly never thought about the possible racial connotations to "cotton pickin". The only time I'd ever heard it used like that was in Looney Tunes, and I thought it was just a "random" choice of words that sounded good for emphasizing something. Granted, if there actually are racial connotations to the phrase, pundits, newspeople, and media should probably be aware of them.
    • bruce86, on 04/01/2008, -1/+1In Looney tunes they would only say "cotton pickin" in reference to "WAIT a cotton picking" minute. At least thats what i remember. Think back, have you ever seen them call a person a "Cotton picker"? That is the difference.
  • patpl22391, on 04/01/2008, -12/+4...Thinkprogress.org? Can't you guys at least come up with a site that isn't completely biased? Ask them how that McCain "plagiarism" story is coming along. You all talk about conservatives being sheep and getting all their news from FOX. You get your news from firedoglake, mediamatters, thinkprogress, and the dailykos. All completely pathetic places to get your news.
    • nomadhacker, on 04/01/2008, -1/+1dugg down for being insulting and combative
      • patpl22391, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1Did I call you a name? Who did I insult? All I want is an explanation which no one is able to provide apparently.
  • TortfeasorTO, on 04/01/2008, -3/+6Shows how low an opinion I have of Lou Dobbs that I'm actually impressed he caught himself that fast and didn't say the whole thing.
    Way to go Lou!
    • burnblue, on 04/01/2008, -0/+3I was pretty impressed with that too. Since many people here are saying they've never thought of the words in a racial context, it's good that he realized what it would mean before he got done saying it.
  • Frnnkdlxx, on 04/01/2008, -11/+11Buried for being completely innacurate and consequently anti-thetical of the argument Dobbs was attempting to make. You're provoking the flare of anger over this issue that he was showing disgrace of. For that, YOU are a disgrace.

    Good day, sir.
  • luet, on 04/01/2008, -6/+26Okay, as much as I think the term "cotton pickin" is quite a racist term (even though I just realized it now), I sincerely think Lou Dobbs or whatever his name is really did not mean it as a racial slur. He is kind of an old guy so he uses old terms. What I remember from my childhood is Bugs Bunny saying "cotton pickin" quite often, and those cartoons are quite old. As bad a term it is, it's quite hard to rid yourself of muscle memory you have been prone to using for a while. Imagine you say "*****" instead of "holy *****" or another term to describe your surprise for your entire life. But ***** turns out to be racist against the people of Dicknipplia. It would be hard for you to stop, especially when it's accepted in everyday conversation except where the conversation has the context of the Dicknipplese.

    This guy on CNN sounded to me like he was about to say cotton pickin' as just an empowering adjective, but then halfway through he thought "HOLY ***** ***** I CAN'T SAY THAT IN THIS CONVERSATION" and tried to cover his mistake up, which could be taken as extremely racist. The way he recuperates from saying "cotton" is very telling. He gets quite flustered, says "I just- I don't know". Don't tell me none of you have ever responded to a speech accident in that fashion.

    Honestly I think this is being blown out of proportion.
    • gorgalor, on 04/01/2008, -1/+1I'm so changing my vocab to ***** from holy *****.
    • Flashman, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2Seriously. Google "Wait just a cotton-pickin' minute" - everyone uses it without being racist.
      • bruce86, on 04/01/2008, -2/+1Look up how "Cotton Picker" is used. Everyone uses it while being racist. Lou dobb wasn't gonna say "WAIT a cotton pickin minute" He was gonna call some politicians "cotton pickers".
        • jameskong15, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1According to you that’s what he was going to say. I say it’s the other way around, but we’re never going to know for sure.
    • brufleth, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2I agree and I really do not like the opinions that Lou Dobbs expresses on his show. The guy might be a jerk but I think he just slipped up and used the wrong phrase at the wrong time. Remember he is limited by not being allowed to swear.

      Maybe it is some sort of sign of underlying racial attitudes but more than likely it was just an unfortunate and accidental use of the phrase.
  • shiv68, on 04/01/2008, -0/+8
    I'm taking it back! Cotton picker 4 life!
    • covaks, on 04/01/2008, -0/+7You know, my grandmother used to call me a cotton picker call the time and she wasn't racist... Then again, she did once refer to a broken bottle as a ***** knife... hmm....
      • gorgalor, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1I've never heard the term, "***** knife". What digg does for my vocab. I'm also changing, "Holy *****" to "***** Dick Nipples" in my everyday vernacular.
    • bearsandbulls, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Now you just have to hope the NAACP doesn't take it away.
  • SantaClauz, on 04/01/2008, -4/+10Wow, you guys are looking into this way too much.

    If you listen closely you can hear someone saying "Hey Lou, whats that shirt made of?" right before he says cotton.
  • synystar, on 04/01/2008, -4/+3I did a bit of phrase research wondering whether he could have been trying to say something else. The only word I found that sounds like cotton is cotton. The only explanation I can come up with for why he would stop himself, sound flustered, and then continue without finishing the thought is that he was about to say "cotton pickin" and then decided it might be a bad thing to say.

    I didn't find any phrases that start with "cotton" which might have otherwise explained his train of thought.
  • aapl2dcore, on 04/01/2008, -3/+4searching for "cotton picking ldt site:transcripts.cnn.com" on Google produces 16 results. He uses the phrase all the time. *Now* it's a big deal?
    • budser, on 04/01/2008, -3/+1Yes, because this time he makes the same cowardly (or wise, as the case may be) retreat that he is speaking out against.
    • pb3623, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1Wrong... maybe 16 results, but in only six does Dobbs use the phrase "cotton-picking..." A viewer email quoted the phrase once, and the other results happened to have the words "cotton" and "picking" in the same document.
  • ReadItAndWeep, on 04/01/2008, -4/+10The fact that some are trying to make a controversy out of this is just proving his point. If you can't see the irony in this situation, you are blind.
  • Lomstradamus, on 04/01/2008, -3/+10"Just a cotton picking minute" Is that a racially charged phrase also? Come on and get over yourselves here. I've Heard Dobbs use the same phrase before and no one jumped all over him for it.
    • bxblox, on 04/01/2008, -1/+1Just the other day i asked this jew to go concentration camping with me and he had the nerve to get upset.... people these days.
      • Lomstradamus, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Your analogy is way off.
        If I mentioned the word "whip" in the same sentence with black person does that make it a racial comment to?
        This is silly...
  • N3M3515, on 04/01/2008, -3/+7Again Lou Dobbs is right on the money, lets not make this presidency race about ethnicity or gender, but lets make it about the most qualified best candidate for the position.
  • Foxcow, on 04/01/2008, -3/+9He did not use it in the same context that the title suggests.
  • giveer, on 04/01/2008, -1/+2In comparison to other limelight foul ups though - as much as this may reveal references in our language that haven't been resolved yet - I will at least give him points for knowing that what he was saying was stupid and knowing that if he actually said it, there'd be massive issues. - It still squeaked in there, which, yes, is an issue in itself - but to start labeling him as completely "hate-filled" just isn't accurate considering some people in America who actually ARE hate filled. (E.g.: Mr. Phelps.)
    When held in a light in comparison to people like that, I'd be content to says that Lou fell privy to the common place expressions in our culture rather than intentionally spewing hate as some are saying he was doing. Just my 2 cents.
  • archivist, on 04/01/2008, -5/+1racism is bad but stereotyping is worse
  • Rwned, on 04/01/2008, -4/+9All of the times I have heard "cotton pickin'" used, it has never had anything to do with race. This is ***** lame. BURIED.
    • bruce86, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Just because I don't find something offensive means that no-one can find it offensive. Full proof reasoning.

      You are clearly the master of logic.
  • jmg703, on 04/01/2008, -0/+7I actually never fully thought out or realized what "cotton-pickin" really meant. When taken into context of slavery and racism it's obvious, but back when I was a child hearing these words in movies, cartoons, and TV shows, it was a simple colorful expression. I almost dismissed it as another phrase that had little logical sense to me like "it's raining cats and dogs". It pretty much stayed buried there in my subconscious memories.

    I'm NOT saying that Dobbs ISN'T a racist, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it was an honest slip of the tongue a an attempt at emotional outburst that accessed an old phrase that in this situation was the absolute wrong phrase to use.

    Ironically, not only did he open the door to questioning his own racism, but he is a living example of what he was talking about.. the fear of talking about racism, which for many is an emotional subject, can be attributed to the backlash he is about to receive. Slips of the tongue, whether indicative of racism or mere misrepresentations of true opinion like this are bound to happen, with both sides looking to point fingers at the other to support their arguments. I bet you Dobbs will a bit stung with fear next time he is asked to talk about racism.
  • jmunjr, on 04/01/2008, -3/+9"Dobbs explained “how he’s sick of ‘cotton pickin’ black leaders telling him"

    NO NO NO, Dobbs did not say "black leaders".. He said "politicians" - talk about twisting the truth.. Ugh, you guys ought to listen to Dobbs more, he makes sense, his message in this video makes sense. Regardless of the "cotton", he is right.
    • Reese268, on 04/01/2008, -0/+3Wow, you're right, he does say politicians. I thought people saying he was racist were retarded before.... now I'm quite certain of it.
    • bruce86, on 04/01/2008, -1/+1That right.

      Dobbs is sick of all these minorities getting uppity. They should just know their place AMIRIGHT?!
  • IllBeBack, on 04/01/2008, -3/+7Sounds like some people are scratching around to find something to feel angry about for no reason.
  • LoneRanger85, on 04/01/2008, -5/+13Lou Dobbs is not a racist. He has run afoul of left-wing haters because he wants us protected on the borders. "Cotton picking" has become a term that is substituted for profanity that is not to be used in polite society or on TV. Not only black people picked cotton. The term "red neck" that elitist liberals gleefully use to express their contempt for poor, southern people originated from the sunburns that white people got on their necks as they picked cotton.
  • nova6868, on 04/01/2008, -1/+5Seriously, I never thought much about cotton-picking being a racial word. I'm from Missouri, and it's just a part of the natural vocabulary there. And I'm pretty sure I never heard it used towards blacks, since there were no blacks in my town.

    I think it's ironic that Dobbs is being criticized for saying something which I didn't really find offensive... in a speech where he's talking about people being hypersensitive towards racial issues. Maybe we're being a little hypersensitive in this case?
  • dman24752, on 04/01/2008, -1/+2I think he has kind of a point, but the gaffe was pretty funny. People should be able to speak openly about race without fear of retribution and that we do surprisingly well as a country that allows cultural without violence as opposed to countries like France or Turkey with diversity and (relative) peace, but allows no real cultural expression or countries like Iraq or Israel with cultural expression, but a lot of violence. I would say that part of the problem in America with race is that people aren't allowed to make mistakes. Lou Dobbs made a mistake (a pretty funny one at that), but I think he made a fair point.
  • cheerio, on 04/01/2008, -2/+1At lest he didn't say *****.
  • Spoomeister, on 04/01/2008, -1/+1The number of "I only ever heard this on Bugs Bunny" comments in this thread is amusing. The mock outrage over this shows the generation gap.
    In a perverse way, it gives me hope for the future, b/c it means in another generation or two, the origin and real meaning of the phrase (and thus its potentially bad effect) will be gone.
    • Spektr4, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2Keep in mind, a lot of the early Bugs Bunny cartoons *were* actually racist. They won't run some of them on TV anymore because of it.
  • burnblue, on 04/01/2008, -1/+3Obviously he didn't mean it in a racist sense and obviously the summary is inaccurate and sensationalist. But you have to agree -- this is the purest form of irony I have ever seen. Condoleeza Rice implies that racism is a birth defect of the country, a part of the U.S.A. from it was founded until now. Lou Dobbs responds by claiming that he shouldn't have to watch what he says about race. He then almost uses a phrase that would be contextually super-racist because it came from slavery (the birth defect) and so decides to watch what he says? The irony, I can taste it.
    • jameskong15, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Another thing I hope you didn’t miss is that people making a big deal about it are proving the point he was making about people being so oversensitive and trying to control what is said about race issues in America.
  • FF9999, on 04/01/2008, -2/+2Has anyone considered that we have gone TOO far? Now we can't even have an opinion about anything race related for fear of being labeled an evil racist if we happen to be white, and maybe even lose a job or who knows. Lou is absolutely right. White people are not allowed to talk about race in this country, unless they just stick to the PC script and parrot "diversity is our strength" and other brainwash slogans.

    White people having a non-Politically Correct opinion about race is the new blasphemy!
  • copypastry, on 04/01/2008, -6/+4Shame isn't it?

    He (like anyone) is free to complain about people who piss him off. He's free to compartmentalize them into whatever age group, ethnic group, socioeconomic group, or religious sect he sees fit.

    The combination of "cotton-picking" and African-Americans is obviously taken as a slight/racially charged here, but:

    He was probably looking for a non-expletive adjective to put in front of "black leaders", and just happened to land on the wrong one.

    Oh in before Dobbs is labelled the next "michael richards" or something ridiculous like that.
  • LoneRanger85, on 04/01/2008, -3/+5He wasn't talking about black leaders, he was talking about politicians. Cotton picking politicians. If you're going to be outraged about something, at least know what you're being outraged about.
  • LoveWidescreen, on 04/01/2008, -1/+3Okay, this is news to me. The only other place I've ever heard "cotton picking" in this type of usage is in old Bugs Bunny/Warner Bros. cartoons. In how many cartoons does BB say, "Now, just a cotton pickin' minute!" Where the hell is there ANYTHING racially motivated in that?! I'm pretty sure that Daffy and Sylvester used that same phrase in other cartoons as well -- cartoons where race was never an issue.

    As a child with no reference towards anything racially motivated, I *NEVER* associated that phrase with anything other than an adjectival phrase to show emphasis. To me, it was - AT MOST - a gentler replacement for "god damned"! After all, "wait just a cotton pickin' minute" is nowhere near as vulgar (in the strictest term) as "wait just a god damned minute", but the emphasis is still there in both.

    And now, many decades later, I'm expected to believe that the term is racially motivated in the 21st century? You have GOT to be kidding me! Didn't the civil war end some 150 years ago?!
    • oseik, on 04/01/2008, -3/+2News flash for you : The expression "cotton picker" when applied to black people is derogatory and a slur. Its equivalent to calling a Hispanic person a wet-back . The fact that you did not make that association growing up does not change the historical context of that word when applied to black people. Its all about the context. Lou Dobbs WAS talking about black people and politicians and he caught himself in the midst of a racial slur ON CAMERA. If it wasn't so offensive he'd have finished his sentence -- AND CNN would not have edited it out. The word cracker could refer to cookies , fireworks or even just the sound -- but when used in reference to white people, its a slur. Lou Dobbs knew what he was about to say ... and everybody familiar with that slur knows it too.
      • Reese268, on 04/01/2008, -0/+3Chances are, if he was talking about white people at the time, he would have still used the phrase, but actually finished it. The only reason he didn't is because right when he said it he realized that people would take it that way. Stupid people, I might add.
        • solid12345, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2I contend the phrase "you got owned" is racist because it implies you want to own someone like a slave....a black slave!
  • thephosphorbox, on 04/01/2008, -2/+2I think this should serve as a glaring example in favour of net neutrality. I love the internet for this very reason.. it keeps other forms of media honest. Chances are, if we didn't have this medium to share these videos, that slip up would have been lost to the archives of oblivion. Now, there's no way Dobbs or CNN can pull out the magic eraser and pretend it didn't happen.
  • TomDigg77, on 04/01/2008, -5/+0Why would the "most trusted news" allow a racists to host a show on their network? Doesn't the American public care anymore?
  • Reese268, on 04/01/2008, -2/+5seriously? he uses a slang term that is probably fairly common among people his age, and it happens that it could in fact be construed as 'racist', never mind the fact that none of the black leaders he was talking about ever has or ever will "pick cotton". You would do well to listen to the rest of what he was saying, his entire point was that you dumbasses need to stop making such a big deal out of race. Seriously, anyone who thinks that was racist is a freaking idiot... the ONLY reason he stopped himself and CNN removed the word from the transcript is BECAUSE of idiots like you.
  • tommy68, on 04/01/2008, -2/+1we should of picked our own cotton, Lou Dobbs is one of the few men who speaks the truth.
    • amirman, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1it wasn't bery true when he said that the U.S.A is the most culturally and ethnically diverse. Canada is much more ethnically diverse than the U.S.A.
  • giddieon, on 04/01/2008, -2/+2He is right... It is sad but he is right and what Rice said was way way way worse...

  • anarcurt, on 04/01/2008, -0/+3From Miriam Webster Online:

    cotton-picking

    Main Entry:
    cot·ton–pick·ing Listen to the pronunciation of cotton–picking
    Pronunciation:
    ˈkä-tən-ˌpi-kiŋ, -ˌpi-kən
    Function:
    adjective
    Date:
    circa 1952

    1 : damned —used as a generalized expression of disapproval 2 : damned —used as an intensive
  • CaptainAmerica1, on 04/01/2008, -1/+3If you believe Rev. Wright's comments were "taken out of context" then you should have no problem believing Dobbs' comments deserve the same consideration.
  • hittnrun, on 04/01/2008, -3/+4OMG. the only people who think that phrase is racist are libs who are upset their idol was caught hanging out with an "in-your-face" racist. Get over yourselves.
  • TriTech, on 04/01/2008, -2/+5Not a racial remark. I notice that earlier in the clip he used the word heck instead of hell. The phrase 'cotton pickin' is sometimes substituted for god damn. I think that is what he was going for then realized it wouldn't be appropriate to refer to a black woman that way.
    • bruce86, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Gosh darn, is quite suitable too. It would be interesting how many times he has used "Darn" instead of cotton picking
    • cyrax04, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Exactly, my area is highly religious so this phrase is commonly used. The pansy liberals are getting their asses whooped in the comments yet this gotten almost 1000 diggs. Ugh.
  • Comanche, on 04/01/2008, -6/+3If you didnt know Dobbs was racist.....where have you been? I discovered it when he had 3 weeks of shows dedicated to non-whites working in the US for lower wages. That was about 2 years ago. Dobbs is a freaking hack.
    • jameskong15, on 04/01/2008, -1/+2I think you've confused illegal immigrants with non-whites, but thanks.
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