Is the term ‘tar baby’ in any way racist? Although he clearly didn’t mean it as a racial slur Republican representative Doug Lamborn is finding that many people think it is exactly that.
Lamborn was discussing the debt limit crisis on a radio show when he made reference to President Obama and how being associated with him would be like touching a ‘tar baby’ and becoming part of the problem.
Many, especially on the left of politics, have taken this to be a racial slur referencing the color of Obama’s skin, and Lamborn has since apologized to the president for the comments.
I do think this has been blown out of proportions though, and that Lamborn meant ‘tar baby’ in its literal sense of something sticky that you can’t get away from. But that’s just my personal opinion.
