© 2024 All Rights reserved WUSF
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
LIVE BLOG: Updates on Hurricane Milton

Bill Young's "Macaca" Moment?

In 2006, Virginia Senator George Allen used an obscure racial slur -- Macaca -- when referring to somebody at a campaign rally.

That man was following Allen around with a video camera and captured the moment on tape. The tape hit the internet and some say that moment cost Allen the election.

On the Fourth of July, Congressman Bill Young was at a campaign event and told someone to "get a job" when that person asked Young about a Jesse Jackson-backed proposal to raise the minimum wage. 

That man was also following Young around with a video camera and the "get a job" moment (view video) went viral.

Young now claims that he misunderstood the question.

Was this a "macaca" moment for the seemingly unbeatable Young?

Political consultant and creator of "Saint Petersblog", Peter Schorsch, doesn't think so.

"There is going to be a little more focus on this race but, that said, Bill Young's campaign is a machine... When he ran against the popular local politician Charlie Justice, it was still a 65 to 35 per cent victory for Young.  If I'm Bill Young, though, I stay away from the iPhones, I stay away from YouTube. I just do some door-to-door campaigning."

Schorsch says the "get a job" incident may just be a reflection of a generation gap with Bill Young when it comes to technology. 

He says Young just isn't up to speed on new technology and the possibility of being caught on tape at any moment.

Schorsch claims Young shut down his Facebook page recently because he didn't like all the negative comments that showed up there.

 

You Count on Us, We Count on You: Donate to WUSF to support free, accessible journalism for yourself and the community.