Shuster's convention notebook: The anatomy of a race story at the RNC

Why is this a racial issue? Some people don't like CNN. If they threw the peanuts at a white male camera person would it be "news worthy"

'Here's how we feed the animals" is not a polite way to address a media person or any person, but you're seeing ghosts. The is no allegation of a racial statement.

Some people don't like Fox News. I hear them call the reporters and On Air Personalities some very rough names. Why am I defending this. Evolutionary teaching has brought this about. Believing the lie that you all came from worms. Sorry if you are insulted, that must be some form of a racial slur.

I note that the identities of the racist "attendees" in question is still being suppressed. Must be money there. Or GOP rank.

“Two attendees tonight exhibited deplorable behavior. Their conduct was inexcusable and unacceptable. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated."

The behavior won't be tolerated, but the mindset... that is highly encouraged.

If it's true that the camerawoman was not filming or working as a cameraperson AT THE TIME, then my comment about waiting for video is obviously withdrawn.It's much less likely such video exists, and the event SHOULD be reported through witnesses - including of course the victim of the hateful incident.

I live in an OCEAN of Republicans - Alabama. I would not call it isolated. Not at all. I would never say it is 100% of them, not at all, but, I wouldn't call it isolated. No way.

It's truly pathetic listening to republicans trying to spin this!! anybody with any common sense and common decenty knows this was racism! If those were two black people throwing anything at a caucasian fux news would have ran that story in the ground! fux would have gotten names addresses social securely numbers and Billo would have milked to story to death blaming it all on Obama! because we all know how Obama has a deep seeded hatred of white people! according to the prophet glen beck

The fact that this happened is worth investigating and reporting (facts) to not only inform but to prevent the same thing from happening to anyone else. The statement made by convention staff regarding not tolerating this kind of behavior was something that should have been announced on the convention floor. How would those in charge get the message to convention attendees unless an announcement was made? If this action wasn't taken then the statement was simply an attempt for squelch CNN... and it worked!

Racism is everywhere but if it's not reported it will always be everywhere!

I am waiting for DNC convention. Put on some fire. DNC has more intresting events line up.

I am glad she is alright. I hope the authorities investigate and bring this out to the public. This is real newsworthy. I believed this is a racist incident. Am i surprise such incident happen in this environment. These people will do whatever to all their Lies.

Absolutely this should be reported. While it may not reflect the entire Republican Party, it is not a completely isolated incident. I heard an interview on NPR with a non-participant in Tampa. When asked about President Obama, her response was, "I hate him. I can't stand to look at him ... or his wife. We need a real President and not someone like him. And we need someone that looks like a real First Lady." First, there is a lot of racism when it comes to how our President is perceived. You see it in the eyes of ignorant people who obviously haven't yet been exposed to society. It is an undercurrent among Mitt Romney and those speaking on his behalf. There is race-baiting going on, pure and simple. And, while Current TV might not speak to those who relish in it, bringing it to the surface might just help create a different message.

After initially reading about the incident yesterday, I was incensed but not surprised by such behavior at a GOP gathering. The GOP seems hell bent on excluding anyone who doesn't fit their mold. Having had a day to calm down and because of the questions raised here by David more information may be needed. Did anyone question the camerawoman involved directly or the two idiots who did the taunting? Did she feel threatened? Did she feel their comments were race based or was it just two knuckleheads who think any media outlet that isn't FOX News is the enemy?

Because it's an RNC event did we, myself included, jump the gun by assuming it was racially motivated? I'm never one to defend Conserblicans; however, there is the slight possibility that we are mistaken and the two morons hate any media that isn't FOX. It's seems highly unlikely but it is possible that the comment was directed at her because she worked for CNN and it had nothing to do with her race.

Benefit of doubt.

Yes, absolutely you should report it. But put it in the context of racism and sexism in America - because no matter how much more socially moral us lefties might think ourselves to be, racism and sexism in all forms pervades this country. So yes, say it was at the RNC - but also use it to raise awareness and discussion of it as a national issue. Don't demonize the Republicans (as much as I vehemently disagree with them on basically everything) because that will do nothing to progress the cause.

Please, discuss this issue, it is too important to ignore!

This reminds me of an event I went to many years ago.
When I was young and stoopid in the mid-80's, I attended a republican event in California near Oakland. I thought I was a repubican, I voted for Reagan, subscribed to the National Review. I got wind of an event that I was able to attend, so I went. The speeches were typically republican for the time, but some of the other conversations that were going on were definately NOT meant to benefit the masses... pro-big business and pro-elite.
The difference today is those conversations are now mainstream and much more blatent.
I have since grown up and more educated now.
I can't understand how so many that call themselves republicans can subscribe to the flotsam that is spewing from their party leaders... it is cruel, divisive, racist and downright wrong.
The campaigns should be forced to be honest, their facts need to be verifiable and there needs to be penalties for not conforming to those rules... such as being removed from the ballot in regions where untrue ads and campaign statements are released for instance. Perhaps the loss of campaign funds for airing fraudulent ads, etc.. This would force the campaigns (left and right) to be more straighforward with those they seek election from. Campaign reform needs to carry consequences for inaccuracies

And these are the people who want to run our country. Please Mr. Romney and the Republican Party, take your hate, lies, and decisiveness and shove it. The rest of us don't need it. Great post Jopiazza +^d

It's bad enough when Reporters sit there with a deer in the headlights look on their faces and allow Republican pundits or politicians to blatantly lie to your face, and to everyone watching your show, and you say nothing. But when they do this, and you say it is not indicative of the Republican Party, I have to wonder what CNN you are actually from...surely no the one in this country.....please tell me that you haven't been covering politics for this long, in this country, and you still cannot see the racism rampant in their party?

Perhaps you need to go back to school....a good school....you know....a school for the blind.

Isolated incident my butt! The "footage" belongs to CNN and only CNN can release the footage.

Report it when you have VIDEO (with audio) of the actual incident. Until then it's hearsay and reporting a story on a possible story is beneath CURRENTand just sounds desperate.

And "Rufus?" CNN adopted a decided Fox News-level pro corporatist bias about two years ago. It has been a decidedly Right Wing propaganda mill since then.

NOTHING HERE BUT RED NECK CIRCUS

The incident deserves to be reported.

Certainly, few at the convention would express similar feelings, but the fact that it happened, not in a back room over beers, but in the full light of a major convention, to a black woman who was just doing her job to help report the news, must be reported.

This is even more the case since we all know that more than one of the major GOP figures has uttered outright hostility regarding blacks and women, or used well-known "code words" to the same effect.

This should be reported fairly, since to not report it would be a dishonest cover-up.

I think it's important to at least know if this was an act committed by guests or credentialed Republican delegates. It speaks to where we're at both as a country and where Republicans are at as a political party. Yes, there are always rotten apples, and the reaction of both convention floor security and Republican spokespeople was swift and appropriate. That said, it's important to know whether or not this kind of mindset is in any way representative of the party.

Bad people can pop up anywhere.

I'm wondering something: with a place full of people, I'm not listening how other Republicans stopped or detain or something these 2 stupid people throwing the peanuts. So nobody was against this action? they were in fear to do something?

The shame of the matter is that CNN has brought any and all of this upon themselves with their biased reporting. If they were as upright reporting the R news as they are with the D news nothing would have happened. Nevertheless, the actions, if true, were deplorable and those fools got what they deserved, almost!

David, I grew up in the racist south during the time when it was totally out in the open but yet kept hidden by the news services in too many ways. I sat on our front porch at the age of 12 and listened to a man tell about going out on a Saturday night with his "friends" and hanging a "N". He was proud of what he had done with his "friends" of course he was KKK and we never spoke about it as even talking about him being one would or could have gotten us a "lesson".

This was in Georgia and before I moved from there two years ago the racism was resurfacing like it hasn't in many years because we now have a black president. So not reporting on this incident is like saying we will not report about the hanging that took place last Saturday night other than to say "a black man was found hanging from an apparent self inflicted suicide and hung himself from a tree ten feet from the ground."

Racism should be shown the light of day. Think about this, if it had happened at the DNC what kind of lies would Fox have turned it into? How would their reporting of the incident would have been spun against the Democrats? No, I am not saying you should do what they would do but not reporting this to the fullest extent is like letting Fox give their version of an incident at the DNC.

By the other news services not reporting it is hiding it against the light of day and being led by the nose by the RNC. Think the RNC would let something like this go if it happened at the DNC? No it would not have or would be allowed to disappear. They would have TV ads about it out as soon as they could put them on disk and on Fox before the officials could escort the ones who did it out the door.

I'm not saying be mean or anything like that but what would Walter Cronkite have done? Of course he would handle it with decorum as he always did but it would not be hidden that I know of.

Don't let it be buried.

The theme was supposed to be "We built that". But what I heard is we hate Obama and the Democrats. I'm not suprised that something like this occured. What I am surprised about is that I'm hearing about it at all.

Thanks David for reporting the real news. Unfortunately, this behavior is not as isolated as we would like to think. Give people an audience and you will be surprised at what comes out. This incident is indicative of the apologists of the majority community who make it possible for more escalated and horrible behavior by not reporting it. This is why we can't have legitimate discussions about race. The only time the news media wants to talk about race is when some young black man has been killed. Nothing else rates discussion.

Yes, this deserves the light of day! After witnessing the shout down of the Puerto Rican representative, I believe it is indicative of a large percentage of those attending this convention. This convention is starting to look like a KKK rally.

Have you also reported on the representative from Puerto Rico who was tauted on stage by USA and GO back home? Prebus had to come out and ask that they give her some respect where was Krispy Creme Christy Mr.respect?

Run the story - Expose the racist bastards! Sunlight is the best disinfectant!

How many of you would standby while a female was being harassed, taunted and treated as being subhuman? What is most telling is that CNN had to take action. I would have expected one of the many people in the center to have told the a-holes to shut up or would have called security themselves. So no I don't think the blame should go only on the two perpetrators.

Mr. Shuster, one person's "isolated" is another's "symbolic." I may very well scream if someone uses the "few bad apples" metaphor. But I can't help thinking the incident must contain some context that somehow softens the horror of it. Was it perhaps kids? Did the camera woman somehow misbehave (this couldn't warrant such words but perhaps could give a non-racial perspective to them)? Were the nuts perhaps tossed at her feet rather than her being "pelted" by them, as TPM viewed your words "throw at?" I am NOT defending the person or persons, I'm saying my mind is boggled by the terribleness of it. With the low level of detail that exists now, I would think that Current TV should mention the story briefly, but if it turns out as bad as it sounds, and delegate(s) or other official(s) or government employee(s) was or were the perpetrator(s), it should report the heck out of it, with all possible consideration to the feelings and perhaps privacy of the camera woman.

[edited to remove not-really-related VP Gore video I stuck in accidentally]

This incident may have involved only two convention attendees, and although it is shockinig, it is not surprising.. The Right Wing has created a climate in which these kinds of incidents are almost encouraged . From the many horrible things Right Wingers have said about President Obama, it is reasonable to assume that these two aren't the only ones who are racists opinions. The one thing that surprises me is they chose to taunt the camera woman with so many witnesses around. Usually this type of behavior is carried out when there is no one else to see what happened.

I think it should be reported but not if the camera woman does not want it to be. I say this because she is on assignment down there, and reporting the story could make her a target. .

That wasn't much help, was it?

This type of ugliness cannot thrive in the light of day. This, most definitely, should be covered fairly and completely by the Press.

It is unfortunate that this incident ever happened, let alone at the RNC. However, it goes to show that all the GOP "jokes" about President Obama and his policies which play to stereotypical racial fears, subtly encourages/tacitly approves this type of behavior.

First there is no evidence that this is an isolated incident, these two may have just been the dumb asses who decided to make a comment like that. A comment and action like that is not taken in a vacuum. Racists will often remain quiet about their racism unless they feel they are in the company of others that share and support their views. Therefor it should definitely be aired on TV that this sort of behavior was once again taking place at a GOP event.

I smell a coverup.Do you have the cojones to follow through?

If it were a Dem event and the tables were reversed, the media would be all over this like green on a leaf.

1) Were the peanuts only thrown at the african-american woman? Were the peanuts thrown at any of the white crew?

2) Were the "attendees" convention delegate, alternates, spectators? What the blazes is an "attendee" I don't recall electing any "attendees" to any convention of either party.

3) CNN intends on stonewalling the incident? And we let that pass?

If we do not report it in some measure, are we not derelict in our duty? It would be an interesting experiment if for nothing else than to see who tries to clamp you shut for doing so.

No racist GOP elephant in the room, just ignore it, nothing to see here. CNN is really betraying their employee, who had to endure this horrid hateful attack. Who cut off CNN's cojones? They are being completely spineless.

I commend the Convention officials for removing them and denouncing their actions.

Kimura, these negative attitudes towards African Americans, especially in Florida, should not surprise you. President Obama has not received the respect as being the leader of this country from several different congressmen/women, and you can trust that their blatant disrespect has very little to do with their political agendas. We have federal court judges as well as state representatives sending, vile racist emails about the president. The lie began in 2008 when the media began to report that American society is now post-racial because an African/American (a misnomer because the man is bi-racial and few acknowledge he is also white) was elected president. If anything, racism and racist sentiments have increased dramatically since 2008. The Republicans, although you can trust that there are Democrat/Progressives who are also guilty of laughingly engaging in racism, are largely responsible for the widening social divide in our nation. Racism has always been troubling but it is even more so today because so many in our nation are in an emotional way-back machine, spurred on by hate speech and by their hopes of regaining their lost security sch as jobs and economic security in a nation where corporations are now recognized as individuals and individuals are demonized for not being able to compete for the American Dream because the dream has been co-opted by multinational corporations! Hatreds are born and intensify because of fear and the lack of opportunities. Our country is marching towards a perfect storm of events that will pit the rich against the rest of us. Sound familiar?

I guess I missed the "racist" part. Was the peanut throwing a racist gesture or was it a statement about media and CNN? Main stream media acts like animals... What do the people ejected have to say?

If this happened at the DNC, would there be any doubt that many of the news outlets would be covering tis shocking story?

Therefore, please continue your coverage and investigate further to find out where the two attendees were from, and of course, talk with the cameraperson who was insulted by this racist remark and action.

Thank you for Tweeting about this terrible event. But do not simply sweep it under a rug at this point.

Aug 29
Hello.
I got the real news story here:
A professaional, accomplished black American female
CNN News Camerawoman was taunted at the GOP Cconvention.

Here is what the news story has been turned into:

GOP Convention guests were asked to leave.

GOP officials quickly say "Oooops."

Gee, did CNN handle this properly.

Maybe the GOP Convention guests were really
Dem trouble makers who learned political "Dirty Tricks"
from President Nixon.

An "isolated incident" happened sometime somewhere.

I say the real news story is:
A female black American was taunted at the GOP Convention.

Follow Up News Questions:
Are any Black or Brown Americans being taunted
in America in 2012?

Is President Obama just about the only black American
being dissed by lots of folks in America in 2012?

JOHN LONGENECKER

Sadly this exposes the base ugliness this election has come to. This is as much a part of the story of this country and our issue with race and racism as was Barack Obama's speech about race in 2008. We can't pretend this isn't part of us and a particularly relevant story about this election.

This isn't the story of the entire Republican Party, this is, however, a story about two official Republican Party representatives who believed it was appropriate and acceptable to humiliate and ridicule a black female employee of a news network using racism to sharpen the blow. Why have we come this far, this low? How has this race become so poisoned and coarsened that two party delegates thought they could do this without any consequences.

Not reporting it is pretending it didn't happen and it doesn't matter. This is an opportunity to look at if and how racism has become an acceptable part of the tactics of winning a Presidential race. There is a larger story here than just the two (racist idiots). A story of consequence for who we are as a nation. What we aspire to, how we live.

Thanks for reporting this via Twitter, and for staying with it.

keithPonder, a member or our community made a good point that this guy would have not done this at an NBA game. So we have to consider there is tolerance for this action at the RNC convention.

It's nice to see a journalist hold off until the facts were in hand. I would like to hear more about this story as it becomes available.

Thank u David for not reporting this on prime time until u were sure.

The "attendees" were just demonstrating "trickle-down economics".

This story should absolutely be reported by all media outlets. In addition to this, there was a speaker from Puerto Rico who began speaking and was drowned out by chants of "USA USA" Many in the GOP are not showing any restraint in exhibiting blatant bigotry and not reporting this would be denying your viewers the opportunity of being fully informed of the behavior and viewpoints behind GOP policy proposals.

I feel it is journalistic malpractice for CNN to bury this story.

Why are you asking if this was news? If a similar thing happens at the Dem convention, will you hesitate to fully report what happens and what the response is?
Report the news and let the people decide the significance. Please.

You absolutely should report it. Yes it is an isolated event but it gives a window into the mindset of the overall culture in this group of people, that these delegates felt perfectly at ease in this setting to behave this way and believe that their peer group will protect them and back them up. This is an isolated event, but it will not be the only racist, misogynist, or homophobic slur or attack that takes place during this fiasco. How many will be reported? That is up to the embedded media, and it is your responsibility to bring them to light when you can confirm them.

Sorry David, I think that racism is at the core of the New Republican Party, and will be the entire Romney/Ryan Campaign. I live among so called conservative Republicans, their racism has always been bubbling just below the surface, now they feel empowered to go public with it. I spent 40 years working for Republican elected officials at the local level, what I see going on in the New Republican Party is merely the public acceptance of every despicable word or deed that they privately held. If humans cannot control their basest instincts then there is no hope for the future of civilization.

I saw your tweet David and I also saw the article on TPM. To be honest, I am amazed that this story has not received any coverage (as far as i've seen) on any major networks. This incident was concerning to me, but not simply because of the awful behavior of the two individuals who were removed. Yes, we can all understand that there are idiots in every political party and at every event. However, what really concerns me is what seems to a viewer like me to be an effort by broadcast journalism to "cover it up" so to speak. I suspect that CNN, NBC, Fox and other networks are declining to cover this story because they are trying to be "cool" with the RNC and continue to get the best interviews and access to the politicians. What kind of journalism is this, when reporters have to play games with politicians and be friendly with them in order to get access? Why don't they simply report the facts and let the viewers draw their own conclusions?

I don't think anyone on these networks needs to do an in depth expose on whether or not racism is spread throughout the GOP convention. We can give the convention organizers the benefit of the doubt that this was just an isolated incident, but it still was an incident and it needs to be reported. The fact is, I as a viewer have no idea who these two individuals were or how they got into the convention hall. Are they government officials? Are they representatives from any particular state? Are they involved with any particular group? The public has a right to know these facts. We don't need commentary from pundits on what this all means for the RNC. We can make that decision on our own. However, by covering the story up, CNN and other networks are really betraying their viewers by catering to the whims of politicians who ALWAYS have an interest in keeping things covered up. Journalists are supposed to be our advocates. They are supposed to seek the truth and expose it, not hide it because it is politically expedient or it might embarrass someone they are trying to cultivate a relationship with.

I think it is time for us (the viewing public) to simply know the truth about what happened. If it was nothing more than a few knuckleheads trying to make trouble, we will recognize that. The audience is smart enough to figure that out. Trying to keep the truth from us so that RNC officials can avoid potential embarrassment is, in my humble opinion, a journalistic failure. I hope the networks will change their minds about this, and thank you David for doing what you did to at least put the story out there with your tweet.

These people were not just random people attending some trade show type convention. These are DELEGATES (or alternates) who have been ELECTED by their local Republican party to represent their community. You should be finding out WHO these people are and you should be trying to get them and their respective local party officials to comment. If this situation were reversed with black delegates at the DNC convention heckling a white person with racist remarks, so-called "conservative" news outlets would be reporting on this incessantly and they'd asking for Obama, Biden, and every other prominent elected Democrat to comment on camera.

Wouldn't it be a dereliction of journalistic duty not to report to the fullest extent possible given the subtext of race surrounding the 2012 campaign?