Well, if this doesn’t just take the cake!
So, I was busy playing piano around the County today, which meant all the usual suspects beat me to writing about this. I’ll link to OC Watch, the Voice of OC, and Buzzfeed in a minute. But just think…
What kind of archaic racism, and what kind of wandering, unmoored mind, would make a County’s top lawman think it’s appropriate to inquire into if a black suspect’s previous girlfriends were WHITE, when deciding whether to pursue the death penalty?
What kind of dingbat straight out of the 50’s claims that black men go out with white women to “get themselves out of bad situations and circumstances,” and backs up that stereotype with the anecdote that he once knew a black guy in college who DEFINITELY did that?
What kind of pall fell over the faces of the assembled prosecutors, including the now-famous Brahim Baytieh – conservative men whom we generally consider oppressive themselves – when they heard Spitzer not only pitching this illegal approach but insisting on it?
And isn’t the fact that Baytieh continued to bring attention to this embarrassing racist episode from Spitzer a much better explanation of his firing than Todd’s excuse that Baytieh cheated on a case eleven years ago?
Now read these other thorough pieces on this crazy development:
OC Watch: Leaked Memos Quote DA Todd Spitzer on Why Black Men Date White Women.
and Voice of OC: OC Prosecutors Challenge DA Spitzer for Bringing Race into Death Penalty Decision
So, how do you-all like THEM apples?
How Many Africa-American’s Are In ‘Upper Ranks’ of the O.C. District Attorney’s office?
Probably none. But still, even all the old-school white conservatives in the room could see that Todd had jumped the shark.
(And I don’t think Baytieh counts as white.)
Have you ever heard the notion before, from a cracked conservative perspective or otherwise, that Black men date white women “to get themselves out of trouble”? Traditionally, dating a white Woman was a way that Black men would get themselves INTO trouble — with violent racists out to protect “white female virtue.” (Black women had their own critique.) But I have never even heard of this theory before. Has anyone else? It seems more “ignorant-to-insane” than typically racist.
Using it as an aggravating factor in death penalty considerations, though — THAT is racist!
I was thinking of that too… the cops scene in Jungle Fever, and other movies, and real life…
First Todd said it as a general fact. Then he backs it up because he KNEW ONE GUY IN COLLEGE who (allegedly) did that. What kind of child makes a conclusion about millions and millions of people by one guy you knew in college?
And yeah to the rest.
Eldridge Cleaver will tell Todd all he needs to know in “Soul on Ice,” in the section entitled “White Woman, Black Man.”
It’s not a fucking THING any more in 2022. People just like or love each other and sometimes they’re different races.
OK, that’s a great catch. I was going with Wesley and Annabella in a certain Spike Lee Joint, but yours is more erudite. If memory serves, Black actress Lorrie Davis from Hair had done tart observations on the topic in her tell-all memoir “Letting Down My Hair,” but it’s been 40 maybe years since I read it.
Vern, I don’t think that race (to the extent it’s a clear category) is no longer an factor at all in what social scientists call “assortment,” Vern, but clearly societal taboos have been weakened. As an attorney, what strikes me is that the only use I can see here for such evidence would be to provoke prejudice against the accused — and I’d hope that a judge would not let it in.
OC Watch would be a lot more effective if it could restrain itself from reiterating the entire litany of Spitzer’s previous issues in every article where a new issue came up. It’s like taking a legitimate story and then in the last third informing the reader “and if you had any doubt that this is part of a hit job, read on!”
The county’s #2 public defender Darren Thompson – my class mate along with Ebrahim – is African American. You should ask him what he thinks of Ebrahim, Todd and this mishegas. Why didn’t Ehbrahim go public with this before he got canned. Is racism acceptable in the halls of power until you are shown the door? I dunno but Ebrahim is a political animal. Has been since he ran and won class President at western state university 25+ years ago. For claiming to know so much, you folks Vern and Greg looking at you, know little.
Mark asked about African Americans in the DA’s office; me and Greg don’t know of any. You come up with a black Public Defender and act like we’re dumb. Maybe it’s you who needs to brush up on your reading comprehension.
Another Western State goober. OC is lousy with them.
Newport Beach police involved in the Buggs case were also concerned that Spitzer would ditch the death penalty effort in an effort to cover up his racist comments:
https://www.ocregister.com/2022/02/17/newport-beach-police-feared-cover-up-by-da-todd-spitzer-letter-to-judge-shows/
And Baytieh has amended his version of what Spitzer said – it was more that many black men, including the guy Spitzer knew in college, date only white women “to enhance their status.”
The term I heard used was actually way worse.
What term, when and where, from whom, and in what circumstances?
(See, Vern? I know how to do real reporting too! Lol)
While what DA Spitzer said was racial, it is not necessarily “racist”. I realize that sentiment is unpopular here. But it’s reality.
To the degree that a previous commenter noted the diploma mill law school could be considered meaning, Lazy, poor, dumb fuck. At least when comparing to Spitzers Hastings education.
Whatever you say smarty-pants. I wonder what else you don’t consider racist.
I agree with you in a comment above that the bizarre racial generalization about Black men dating (or marrying) white women “to protect themselves” is more crackpot than racist, akin to the innocent belief I encountered once in the cafeteria of the rural red state college where I was teaching that Jews have horns. That was best met with a gentle correction, given that I was probably the first Jew this student had met and that it was uttered in an offhand rather than an invidious fashion. The belief that black man date white women to enhance their status may be true LBJ but even if true it would be no more remarkable than older men dating much younger women or women dating tall and muscular men for the same reason. (I’m limiting myself to heterosexual relationships here.)
The real problem is that this discussion, if it did exist, had no place in a workplace discussion — especially with subordinate! And if it really was part of a discussion about whether or not to seek a death penalty, which I don’t (yet) take as a given, then that’s beyond the pale. Like that Russian skater’s blood test, though, I doubt that we’ll know the truth before the medal ceremony is due to make place.
The pile on notwithstanding (NBPB Shill and now Tammy) Spitzer lives for this shit. He did not use the N word, made what he thought was a useful observation based on personal experiences (His words not mine). An experience mind you that any “law and order” white OC voter will relate to (right or wrong).
Look for “Law and Order” Todd. To explain how he followed the LAW to the extent required. Making RACE the theme in a still pro law enforcement OC. If by chance, he doesn’t take 51% in June you can expect blowback on Ada’s false flag (could that lady virtue signal any more sheesh) dragging the ancient NAACP stalwarts (Does she still FAX too??) out next to Pete, who already distanced himself from progressives at the Kim Carr event.
Todd is as crazy (and calculated) as Vladimir Putin. Be careful what you wish for.
You’d be more clear if you didn’t try so hard to be clever.
I really should have chosen a different title. The worst thing Todd did was not to make stupid stereotypes on why black men date white women, but to make this an important issue in whether or not to pursue the death penalty. And his doing that resulted in a lot more fuckups – firing Baytieh for phony reasons, having to ditch the death penalty and then not telling the victims’ families in contravention of his own Marsy’s Law, and more.
Clever, how exactly? Pray tell Vern, why Pete Hardin openly and forcefully disassociate himself from this blog?
I think that he meant “clever for you.” Grading on a curve.
I’m fine with Hardin disavowing this blog, if that’s what he’s done, and by the way you’re among the least credible sources around as to those sorts of facts.
Both the worst parts of the Republican Party (that includes you, skallywag) and the worst parts of the Democratic Party (the ones you support, junior) do so — and he especially needs the latter in an election. Politically, sometimes you have to cater to the most petty assholes to win. I’m fine with any decent Dem distancing themselves from us — so long as all we’ve done to deserve it is to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted, as good journalism is suppose to do.
Enjoy your temporary stay here.
Pete and I have agreed to keep my support behind the scenes, since I am often a magnet for controversy, and Todd will certainly use anything against him as he gets more desperate. So… Pete? I don’t know any Pete.
Still, everyone should vote for him.
Are you pretending to be related to Mike “Junior” “Skallywag” “Sheet Metal Guy” Tardif?
(Greg, there’s no reason to think this is Mike Tardif. If he wanted us to know it was him, he wouldn’t spell his last name wrong. It’s probably one of those Mardahl people, who like to create names suggestive of OC blogosphere history, cannot construct sentences, and are often incomprehensible. Mike would just write a simple short anti-Democrat insult.)
My apologies to Tardif and to Dr. Who.
Baytieh withheld evidence. The problem was not that he was canned. But, that he was not canned sooner. To say he was fired for a ‘phony’ reason shows myopia on your part Vern or just pure disingenuouness.
https://mynewsla.com/orange-county/2017/09/13/bad-news-for-orange-county-da-your-office-is-worst-in-california/
https://www.law.com/therecorder/2021/09/20/california-state-judges-recusal-highlights-complexities-of-judicial-endorsements/?slreturn=20220123181950
Nope. The timing of the firing makes me wisely suspicious, as are many, that that was only a pretext, not the real reason.
NOW the Democrats (and Hardin) are making a big deal about a video of Todd using the N-word 3 times in 20 seconds at some gathering.
Turns out he’s telling a story and QUOTING some vicious asshole. Most of us woulda said “N-word” instead, but whatever. I don’t think such a big deal should be made of this, it’s kinda snowflaky.
https://twitter.com/oc_watch/status/1496307056617439238
I agree. The social mores on using that word aloud even in quotes have changed in the past two years, but it wasn’t that unusual at the time.
To be fair, Spitzer hasn’t even substantiated his attacks on Hardin, which seem to be on a similar level of unfairness, so it’s hard to feel too sympathetic.
By the way: do we know who the hell “OC Watch” is yet? Is it Ada’s group? Hardin’s? Rackauckas’s? I find myself having to take what they say with way too much salt; if it weren’t for their overreaches I’d consider them safely credible. They should guard their credibility better — if they care about it.
“To be fair?” Spitzer has been lying left and right about Hardin for half a year. His respect for truth is Trump-level.
Well, I challenged him to back them up — I presume that he read it because he’s him — and I don’t see the “personal history” attacks being emphasized anymore. But maybe I can’t see them for the massive numbers of orange watches being hurled at my eyes.
P.S. Vern, thanks for the space at the bar. Awfully, neighbourly of ya.