What Was That, Rick?

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Nigerian!

gttim on March 30, 2012 at 8:53 AM

"Sphincter says what?"

rob! on March 30, 2012 at 8:57 AM

Come on, there are a lot of things Santorum could have been about to say:

"...the anti-war government Nick-at-Nite watcher."

"...the anti-war government Nicaraguan supporter."

"...the anti-war government Nietzsche reader."

"...the anti-war government nicotine smoker."

"...the anti-war government niche crochet artist."

"...the anti-war government New York Knicks hater."

Original-er Andy on March 30, 2012 at 8:57 AM

That's what happens when you don't use a teleprompter.

Julie in Eugene on March 30, 2012 at 8:59 AM

So Rick was calling Obama an "anti-war, government ni***r"? As far as horrible racist epithets go, that's pretty creative.

Lumpmoose on March 30, 2012 at 8:59 AM

He was saying Obama is a "nah."

seatackled on March 30, 2012 at 9:02 AM

I have been trolling Slog waiting for Dan's post on this. I'm greedy. Gimme more.

Puty on March 30, 2012 at 9:03 AM

I think he, like Stan Marsh, was about to say "government nagger". A pretty common mistake, it seems.

ankylosaur on March 30, 2012 at 9:13 AM

Okay, okay, I'll give you some more: the clip is from a public access station's recording of Santorum's March 27 rally in Janesville, Wisconsin. The rally was covered by ABC affiliate WISN, which conspicuously neglected to mention this moment.

Puty on March 30, 2012 at 9:16 AM

Sorry, not enough to be outraged about.

Phoebe in Wallingford on March 30, 2012 at 9:20 AM

holy shit. he even got the g out...most idiots stop at ni.

wow.

Womyn2me on March 30, 2012 at 9:20 AM

@1 Fun-ny!

@3 Could be any of those things, man.

@6 Turn the other cheek, man! Turn the other cheek!

Santorum: Just say it, brother. We all love your genuine sincerity.

floater on March 30, 2012 at 9:20 AM

There's no way, right?

planned barrenhood on March 30, 2012 at 9:21 AM

Government-nik

six shooter on March 30, 2012 at 9:22 AM

not surprising, he's been blowing the racial dog whistle for a while,
offering himself up as something other than just a "lighter shade" of what we already have.

xcowardx on March 30, 2012 at 9:26 AM

@15

Governmentnik was not a word before but it is now. Imagine that. Just like that. New word!

It's funny how progressive conservatives can be when grasping at straws.

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn on March 30, 2012 at 9:27 AM

@16 FTW

vab251 on March 30, 2012 at 9:28 AM

@ 11, no one is outraged, just interested in what may well be a freudian slip. Tool.

Matt from Denver on March 30, 2012 at 9:30 AM

There seems to be a hiccup, almost like someone had creatively edited the video.

I despise Frothy Mix and everything he stands for, but he has said enough genuinely hateful things that we don't need to make stuff up.

TechBear on March 30, 2012 at 9:33 AM

@20: I have no idea what you're talking about.

Phoebe in Wallingford on March 30, 2012 at 9:40 AM

That was definitely "governmentnik." He was trying to compare Obama either to the Soviets or the satellite they launched in 1957.

He only stumbled because he invented a ridiculous word on the spot.

on March 30, 2012 at 9:43 AM

Had he said the N word clearly he would have locked up the GOP nomination right there AND easily carried nearly 50% of the country.

Let's face it kids, the GOP base would LOVE Santorum if he just came out and said it boldly and proudly.

Cato the Younger Younger on March 30, 2012 at 9:47 AM

@9- beat me to the "nagger" joke.

dwightmoodyforgetsthings on March 30, 2012 at 9:49 AM

@20 If he did drop the n, I think it speaks more of his social class growing up. The only white folks I've met who use that word grew up poor. Though I've never hung out with old money southerns, so my theory could be shot.
His lack of even trying to have a token person of color standing behind him during speeches (all thr others seem to be able to do this) speaks louder than that possible slip of the tongue.
@11 this isn't about accusing him of being a racist. It's more about his seemingly inability and/or unwillingness to engage in a third of the American population. Who feel the most disconnected from the government and need a leader who will help bridge that gap of trust. It's not about outrage, it's about putting together pieces to form a larger picture.

CbytheSea on March 30, 2012 at 9:50 AM

@22- No, you don't.

dwightmoodyforgetsthings on March 30, 2012 at 9:52 AM

No, no, you guys, it's cool, he was going to say the n-word, but he was going for "niggard," not the other way. Because there are totally people who aren't old, British Shakespearean actors who say "niggard" for reasons other than getting away with using the n-word.

balderdash on March 30, 2012 at 9:57 AM

funny, he doesn't look like Slim Pickens.

scary tyler moore on March 30, 2012 at 10:00 AM

Wasn't it Randy Marsh?

seatackled on March 30, 2012 at 10:05 AM

Btw, Jelly Belly is apparently hot for Santorum. The CEO even donates to him.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg…

seatackled on March 30, 2012 at 10:07 AM

@26: Well, okay but I think everybody already has enough to go on to get a picture of Rick Santorum. Actually, I read Slog because, like the rest of you, I enjoy getting outraged at outrageous things in Politics. But lately, it seems that all that gets served up in regard to Santorum and Romney in Slog doesn't have much sizzle.

Phoebe in Wallingford on March 30, 2012 at 10:08 AM

@32 ugh. Thanks for reminding me why I shouldn't reply you.

CbytheSea on March 30, 2012 at 10:11 AM

@11, @20

Thanks for clearing that up, white folks!

on March 30, 2012 at 10:18 AM

@28- A niggard is a cheapskate, which doesn't correspond to the negative stereotypes generally associated with black people. I support the common and correct use of the words niggard and niggardly.

dwightmoodyforgetsthings on March 30, 2012 at 10:28 AM

@23 -- He stumbled because he planned on using Government-nik and someone in his campaign pointed out using Government-nik might be a bad idea.

six shooter on March 30, 2012 at 10:38 AM

So idiots are idiotic? What a surprise.

Corylea on March 30, 2012 at 10:46 AM

I honestly can't tell what he's saying there. The context would seem to be something along the lines of 'believer in the ability of government to solve problems' which doesn't go with an epithet. I can't think of a coherent sentence using "antiwar government nigger" so I'm willing to grant him simple incoherency.

I'm truly more intrigued by the first few seconds, where he's talking about Candidate Obama. The birthers, the Alinskyites, this whole idea that we must revisit the issues of 2008 because dadgummit they are going to find traction this time around! There is a photo of Obama hugging a Harvard law professor! As though the man has done nothing in 3+ years in office on which they would consider campaigning against him.

Or the idea that the good Catholic is appalled Obama was antiwar.

Like 21 said, Rick has gotten enough coherent sentences out to damn him for those.

IPJ on March 30, 2012 at 10:46 AM

35: Fine, words shouldn't be stigmatized simply for sounding similar to racial slurs (otherwise how would we ever talk about Nigeria?).

But you have to admit; there are a lot of people who like to choose words that sound similar to "nigger," but that technically mean something different, as an excuse to get a rise out of people or show how little of a shit they give about political correctness. These people are obnoxious regardless of whether or not they're racist.

Who do you know that would legitimately use the word "niggard" instead of just calling someone a cheapskate like everyone else post-1885?

Bonefish on March 30, 2012 at 10:46 AM

@24 - you are, unfortunately, absolutely correct.

Bugnroolet on March 30, 2012 at 10:50 AM

Have you gone berserk? Can't you that that man is a ni?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQzI3k39C…

Lmlk813 on March 30, 2012 at 10:54 AM

Previously on Slog and the Appropriateness of "Niggardly":

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archive…

Zebes on March 30, 2012 at 10:56 AM

(Also, Santorum is a racist shitbag.)

Zebes on March 30, 2012 at 10:56 AM

Rick Santorum is a douche, but this is not enough to be outraged over. It's possible, but I can't say without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to say "nigger."

After he corrects himself, he does fumble quite awkwardly to get back on track, so whatever he was going to say was certainly not going to be good, but I can't brand him a racist over that clip.

Daniel_NY on March 30, 2012 at 11:16 AM

@35, I know perfectly well what it means. Have you ever heard anyone use it, though, other than 1) too-big-for-their-britches college students who want to impress you with their erudition, or 2) old racist white guys? 'Cause I haven't. And there's a reason for that: it has the same mouthfeel as the racial slur, which means that people who aren't either deliberately showing it off, or comfortably used to dropping n-bombs, cringe away from using it.

balderdash on March 30, 2012 at 11:17 AM

poor danny doomed to forever follow Rick around looking for things to bitch about........

it's called a "life".

look into it, danny......

on March 30, 2012 at 11:17 AM

I despise Santorum, and wouldn't be surprised if he thought something like what's alleged here, but it sounded to me more like a "nick" than a "nig". I don't have the slightest idea what he might have been starting to say (does anybody say "anti-government-nik", along the lines of "nogoodnik"?), but I think leaping to accuse him of saying "nig" seems a step too far. Gawd knows, with his easily demonstrated record of horrible views and open bigotry against Gay folks, the last thing we need to do is to muddy the waters with poorly substantiated accusations.

Warren Terra on March 30, 2012 at 11:30 AM

I honestly don't think he intended to say "the N word" but dang, this kind of syllable slip makes him look even worse.

theseamster on March 30, 2012 at 11:32 AM

NOW I'm convinced not to vote for him. Before this he was a really nice guy who loved America. But not any more. (snark).

geoz on March 30, 2012 at 11:43 AM

@16 I got it. Blazing Saddles. Nice, nice.

floater on March 30, 2012 at 12:07 PM

@49: A week or two ago the media decided to ignore Santorum, Newt (leader of the civilizing forces), the conspiracy dude, and anyone else still running for the nomination. (Unless Michelle Bachmann does something really crazy, involving teleporting census takers and the like.) When he was surging from behind, sure, his people would have had to come up with something he meant to say here. (I would go with antiwar big-governmentnik, for its commie connotations.) But now that he's always going to be to Mitt's rear, waiting for the act of god, no one cares enough to ask what he was rambling about here.

IPJ on March 30, 2012 at 12:11 PM

Feh. Nothing to this.
Short of "breathing is good" and "kittens are soft" Santorum and I probably agree on nothing. But I've had verbal cramps like that, too. Your brain has the concept you want to say, or even the exact word, then three or four alternate words come to mind and they all try to run out of your mouth at once, jamming in the doorway together like a Three Stooges scene. The syllable that comes out isn't necessarily anything like any of your preferred options. You talk for a living long enough, this sort of thing WILL happen, with the likelihood increasing with extemporaneous talks.

Seriously, this man is a walking affront to decency, compassion, good sense, rationality, Christianity and the American electoral system. To try and hang RACIST! on him because of a doofus verbal slipup is like trying to hang Stalin because he was rude when he woke people up in the middle of the night.

seeker6079 on March 30, 2012 at 12:24 PM

@39: Umm... how do YOU pronounce Nigeria?

Cracker Jack on March 30, 2012 at 12:27 PM

So you're going to force me to defend Santorum, Dan? Gee thanks.

@15 has it right.

Anti-war, peacenik is probably what he was going for (the man is stuck in a 50's mindset isn't he?) but was trying to get the anti-government in there too.

debug on March 30, 2012 at 12:58 PM

he's saying "Booo-urns"

I'm OK, You're OK on March 30, 2012 at 1:08 PM

I don't know what he was saying but I really don't think it was nigger. I hate that wacko as much as the next guy but "anti-war government nigger" just doesn't make any sense. Even by Santorum's standards.

Root on March 30, 2012 at 1:12 PM

Look, I would not urinate on Santorum if he was burning to death in front of me, but anyone who hears a racial epithet in this needs to get off of the crack.

Kylere on March 30, 2012 at 1:24 PM

Ugh. These were prepared remarks, people. He clearly said "governmentnik." He didn't even stumble over it, it just sounds weird. I agree with Kylere @58: get a grip, folks.

Belle Starr on March 30, 2012 at 1:44 PM

Yeah, as has been pointed out, there's a bit of an issue with respect to the 'sentence' not making sense, period. "We know, we know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like, the anti-war government nig-, uh, the, uh, America was a source for division around the world..."

That's incoherent, which makes it difficult to figure out what he might have been about to say using any sort of standard English grammar.

John Horstman on March 30, 2012 at 1:47 PM

The fact that we're still paying attention to Santorum makes me really sad. Then again, I guess the days of Phill Gramm, Strom Thurmond, and even David Duke weren't all that long ago, were they? Man, this country is fucked up.

balderdash on March 30, 2012 at 2:12 PM

@39,45- I've never heard anyone use "niggard" when they meant "nigger". Yes, it's a word commonly used by people showing off their vocabulary, but I'm a fan of that. Should I always say "lack" instead of "paucity" or "dearth" just because they sound like poverty and dirt? Fuck that noise.

dwightmoodyforgetsthings on March 30, 2012 at 2:21 PM

Sorry, @16 ended all discussion for me. I can't stop laughing

In2ishn on March 30, 2012 at 3:21 PM

@ 49 Yep. this is just fun.

agony on March 30, 2012 at 3:23 PM

I might be tempted to give him the benefit of the doubt, it really isn't clear what he's trying to say, but after the whole "don't want to make bla- people's lives better" thing I just think he's a racist and wouldn't put "nigger" past him. Such a hateful, ugly, self-important piece of shit shouldn't be ashamed of using a hateful, ugly word. I wish he'd be as open and honest about his racism as he is about his sexism and christian elitism.

stirwise on March 30, 2012 at 4:39 PM

62: At no point in my post do I advocate for completely dumping words that rhyme with slurs. I'm pointing out that a lot of people who use "niggard" are trying for a reaction (not just showing off their vocabulary), and that this is obnoxious.

Knowing what a niggard is doesn't make it any less irritating to watch some asshole just WAITING for someone to call him a racist so he can educate them on the meaning of "niggard." If anything, it makes it more so. This is the bulk of the word's modern-day use in my experience.

It's not offensive so much as lame; it's on par with that whole "loserssaywhat" joke. Anyone older than 12 who does this is annoying, and really doesn't need to be defended.

Bonefish on March 30, 2012 at 6:23 PM

I can't believe there are people stupid enough to not see he was saying nigger.
Amazing.

Mattyx on March 30, 2012 at 6:24 PM

When you're nervous about a speech, you sometimes end up blurting out a word that you are afraid of saying, it's just our brain's cute little way of making our nightmares come true.

Just like "don't think of a pink elephant" makes you think of a pink elephant. "don't say the n-word" makes you say the "n-word"

doloresdaphne on March 30, 2012 at 9:57 PM

Everyone who says that using the word nigger doesn't make sense "contextually", or it's a nonsensical thing that can't possibly be a slur...

Did you try googling the phrase "government nigger"? You should do that. Or just click on the link below, which specifically filters out any hits that contain the word Santorum.

http://goo.gl/s1NSA

haunted leg on March 31, 2012 at 12:59 AM

We are the candidates who say 'ni'!

James Hutchings on March 31, 2012 at 8:11 AM

@69 -- That's kinda what I thought, too. I don't know if it's what he was going to say, or not, but "government nigger" wouldn't be completely nonsensical. People used to call slaves "house niggers" and "field niggers." "Government nigger" would make perfect sense from a racist douchebag.

I'm not saying that's what he was going to say (although the stumble and complete direction-change after sure make it seem like he was about to say something really bad), but it wouldn't be nonsensical, if it was. Horrible, but not nonsensical.

krista1203 on March 31, 2012 at 9:07 AM

I really like how his whole sentence becomes completely derailed after he stops himself. Like he was going "Holy FUCK! What did I just almost say?! Quick, say something else!"

jackdee on March 31, 2012 at 9:24 AM

I'm with 38 and all who say he wasn't going to say "nigger" there. It just makes no sense in context. Can't imagine what he was going to say, but the link between our brains and our mouths isn't perfect, so it could be anything.

idaho on March 31, 2012 at 10:33 AM

@58 "anyone who hears a racial epithet in this needs to get off of the crack."

Funny, that crack is considered a "black" drug.

on March 31, 2012 at 10:56 AM

Even govenment-nik is a bizarre word choice. I'm guessing he (or his writer) chose the term as a dog-whistle type device.

dak7e on March 31, 2012 at 11:39 AM

@6 and @13:

Matthew 10:34: "I come not to bring peace, but to bring a sword" --Jesus the Peacenick

HellboundAlleee on March 31, 2012 at 12:47 PM

No no no. He _was_ going to use the N-word, but _not_ in a racist way.

I've been in Texas for a couple of years now and I have learned that white Texans can use the N-word without negative meaning. E.G., one of my house-mates the other day saying proudly: "Yeah, I found out that I'm part nigger."

Or maybe that's just in Texas....

Ophian on March 31, 2012 at 12:47 PM

Let's also not forget people that Dan Savage is racist and blamed the entire passing of prop 8 on African American voters in the state of CA. Can you say Hypocrite?

on March 31, 2012 at 3:04 PM

Inconclusive, but mighty suspicious.

laurelgardner on March 31, 2012 at 9:44 PM

@53
You've reassured me. He has not been proven to be a racist. He just has the brain power of the Three Stooges. That makes him qualified for the Presidency, don't ya think?

Rmis on April 1, 2012 at 9:35 AM

@56 - bravo, and @9, 30, it was randy. great references, both

Jareth Cutestory on April 1, 2012 at 10:42 AM

@70 - brilliant

Jareth Cutestory on April 1, 2012 at 1:14 PM

It actually does sound like Government-Nik to me. I don't know that this morpheme is that productive nowadays; it's mathematically impossible he'll get the nom anyway.

Portia27 on April 1, 2012 at 7:25 PM

Damn there aren't too many words that begin with 'nig'. Niggardly, niggler, niggliite, nigget... none of which make sense in context.

shurenka on April 1, 2012 at 11:47 PM

Wow, I am ashamed of how many of the people here, who are overwhelmingly liberal, are taking this seriously. Come on people, if you are dumb enough to fall for Fox news style stunts you may as well vote conservative too.

Kylere on April 2, 2012 at 5:56 AM

Can any reference anyone else using the term "governmentnik" ever?

Rob in Baltimore on April 2, 2012 at 9:58 AM

Seriously, folks, what was Santorum going to say? It was something he was embarrassed to say (as you can see from his face)--would he be embarrased to say government-nik?

The sentence becomes incoherent after he catches himself because he caught himself. Up to that point, it's a list of nasty names for Obama--a set of names, including government nigga, that you can easily find on racist sites, btw.

redlegtarantula on April 2, 2012 at 11:17 AM

Inconclusive clip. Ask him about it and the truth will out.

Mr. J on April 2, 2012 at 1:47 PM

Can any reference Santorum using the term "nigger" ever?

on April 2, 2012 at 3:58 PM

sorry danny.
no matter how much you stalk rick he is not going to fuck you.

on April 2, 2012 at 4:00 PM

LOL. Ricky-poo has been memed!
http://dariuswhiteplume.tumblr.com/post/…

Skye Blu on April 2, 2012 at 4:05 PM

@15 that's what I heard too. There are so many important reasons to hate Santorum that to dwell on this probably plays into his persecution-complexin' hand.

on April 4, 2012 at 12:34 PM

What Was That, Rick?

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