An Arizona talk show host repeatedly called President Barack Obama a "monkey," said she "voted for the white guy" in 2008, and was cut off as she appeared to be about to call Obama America's "First Monkey President."
Barbara Espinoza, a radio host on KFNX-AM in Phoenix, made her remarks on her daily radio show.
"I call him a monkey," she said, in response to a caller, who had said Obama had "rabbit ears."
"Joe, I don't call him, 'guy with rabbit ears,' I call him a monkey." She continued, "I don't believe in calling him the 'First Black President,' I think he should be called –" before the caller saved her from herself by interrupting.
She continued, "I voted for the white guy, myself."
Espinoza was called out in comments at the Sonoran Alliance, a conservative website whose commenters were nevertheless aghast at Espinoza's statement.
As DailyKos writer The Klute reported, Espinoza said that she was merely responding to racist cartoons that were sent to her, and that she could not be racist because her last name was Espinoza.
Espinoza remained unrepentant in a blog post, in which she said, "I did use the word monkey and Obama in the same sentence. Yes I did say I voted for the white guy. Unless there has been a takeover of America and free speech is no longer allowed and I can be put to death for making a remark, I refuse to take the fifth."
She then continued to defend herself by cutting-and-pasting text from Wikipedia about monkeys, though she did not indicate why that would be relevant.
The Africans-are-Monkeys canard is one of the oldest racist tropes around. Sadly but unsurprisingly, the attack has been used repeatedly against the president and the first lady.
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