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Life Imitates Art

There’s a line somewhere in Mel Brooks’ second-best movie, Blazing Saddles, about "horn-swoggling cracker-croakers."

Yesterday in Tennessee Harold Ford, Sr., was caught on tape complaining about "crackers" from the Corker campaign. "Horn-swoggling Corker-crackers" anyone?

Discussions - 13 Comments

Not so fast. A correction has already been issued; it notes that he said "trackers," which is a fair word to use for the new trend of having people w/ videocameras follow candidates around to all of their public appearances (I support them for all candidates) to see what might get said or done during more candid moments. If you listen, it’s fairly clear that he’s saying trackers, not crackers. Nice try, though. Isn’t that HotAir site a Michelle Malkin production? If so, it’s an unusual thing from her to see an apology for a mistake.

Hey, has everyone heard that Ford has a taste for interracial sex?? That’s right - MISCEGENATION!!! Did you see that poor white woman he’s corrupted in Corker’s latest ad?

It doesn’t seem clear to me at all what he said. Reminds me a bit of Farrakhan denying he called Judaism a "gutter religion" in that famous audiotape 10 years ago, where it was hard to make out his slurred pronunciation clearly. Doesn’t matter in one sense; having the old man out stumping for the kid reinforces the Corker theme that the Fords seem to think they have a hereditary entitlement to office. Don’t they know that only Bushes and Kennedys have an entitlement to office?

Allah has confirmed that the guy said "Trackers", not "Crackers".

I’ve listened to it three more times, and it does sound more like "trackers" than "crackers." Still a blunder, though.

There’s a line somewhere in Mel Brooks’ second-best movie, Blazing Saddles, about "horn-swoggling cracker-croakers."

What, pray tell, is MB’s best movie?

Ah--someone bit. The corect answer is "The Producers," of course.

Hmm, I would’ve said "Young Frankenstein," actually.

How is saying "trackers" "still a blunder"?? Would "followers" or "oppositional documentarians" be better? I just don’t see what’s objectionable about the term. Again, I’ve got no qualms with ANY candidate being closely scrutinized when they are in public. One should expect that to come with the campaigning territory.

I would agree with John Moser about "Young Frankenstein," too. I was ready and eager for "Blazing Saddles" to be a cutting-edge laughfest. I finally watched it with my father and we both chuckled lightly maybe 3 or 4 times through the whole film. My father said that it hasn’t aged well. As I was really let down and kind of bored by it, I’d have to agree.

"having the old man out stumping for the kid reinforces the Corker theme that the Fords seem to think they have a hereditary entitlement to office. Don’t they know that only Bushes and Kennedys have an entitlement to office?"

Huh?? I don’t get it. So you start with a serious point and follow it with a very little joke that totally deflates it?

Well, ahem, yes, the Bush/Kennedy line was meant to be a sarcastic joke, but like much humor, meant to convey at least the undertone of a serious point, that I should think wouldn’t be that hard to trace out. Let me be unhumorous: I’m not a fan of the Bush family in politics (though I join Peter in defending W from his enemies or the enemies of his good purposes), and I’ll happily give up the Bush family if liberals will give up the Kennedys. Deal?

Okay, so you’re opposed to hereditary entitlements to office or people thinking they have such. Great.

Having never embraced the Kennedy clan, I’m not in much of a position to give them up as part of a deal now.

But again, how was use of the word "tracker" "still a blunder"??? That was what I really wanted to know.

Yeah, The Producers is good, especially the "Springtime for Hitler" subplot: "Don’t be stupid, be a smarty / Come and join the Nazi Party!" or "Springtime, for Hitler, and Germany / Winter, for Poland and France!" Spaceballs is another good one.

And the link now claims he said "trackers", so that’s cleared up. Craig, I think the reason Steve would claim it’s still a blunder is because "having the old man out stumping for the kid reinforces the Corker theme that the Fords seem to think they have a hereditary entitlement to office" (comment 2). I may be wrong.

Andrew has the right interpretation. It’s not the specific language; it’s being part of the story at all, in any way.

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