Bradley Questions Manager’s Remark on Racial Stereotyping

Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley said Tuesday that published remarks by his campaign chairman that one of Gov. George Deukmejian’s television advertisements used subtle racial stereotypes “may be inappropriate.”

Tom Quinn, Bradley’s campaign chairman, told the San Diego Union in a recent interview that a commercial featuring a white police officer calling Deukmejian tough on crime was “dealing with the stereotypes they hope people have about a black.”

In the ad, a man who says he was a Los Angeles officer for 17 years walks out of a darkened alley and discusses Deukmejian’s past law enforcement actions, including writing the state use-a-gun, go-to-prison bill and the death penalty law.

“It’s all trying to make people feel a little uncomfortable with Tom Bradley,” Quinn said, adding later that he expects “subtle racial messages” to become less subtle as the November election approaches.

Bradley was asked about the remarks at a press session Tuesday in his City Hall office. He had called the session to answer reporters’ inquiries concerning his weekend speech about the effect of his race on the gubernatorial campaign.

In the Saturday speech in Fresno, Bradley confronted the racial question by assuring voters that he would represent fairly all the people of California, showing no favoritism toward any group.

Asked about Quinn’s remarks, Bradley said:

“You know very well there are times when campaign managers, campaign staff people will do things or say things that may be inappropriate, but they are not uttered or concurred in by the candidate himself.

“I am not accusing, nor do I believe, that George Deukmejian, my opponent, has injected racism into this campaign and I don’t think he will,” Bradley added.

Bradley said he has not discussed Quinn’s remarks with him.

The Los Angeles mayor, campaigning to become the state’s first black governor, said it is his belief that some people would consider a black candidate to be softer on crime than a white candidate. But he would not comment on whether the specific commercial to which Quinn objected played to that stereotype.

“I have not seen more than two commercials that the Deukmejian people have run,” Bradley said. “I’m not going to try to comment on something I haven’t even seen.”

Deukmejian campaign officials heatedly denied that the commercial contained any subliminal stereotypes.

“We would never raise the issue of race in this campaign,” said Deukmejian campaign spokeswoman Kristy J. Flynn. “It’s just not an issue.”

Previous Campaign

The issue is a touchy one. In the 1982 governor’s race, Deukmejian fired his campaign manager, Bill Roberts, amid controversy touched off when Roberts suggested that Bradley might be weaker than polls indicated because of what he described as the hidden race factor. Roberts’ comment brought accusations that he was trying inject race into the campaign.

Quinn, in a telephone interview Tuesday, said he never intended to suggest that the Deukmejian campaign is trying to stir up racial fears.

“I would hope that their intent is not at all linked on race,” Quinn said.

“What I’m saying is there’s no question that that ad has the potential to present a racial stereotype to people. . . . It’s an effort to present Tom Bradley as unconcerned about crime in a dramatic nighttime scene.”

Asked what specific racial overtones were included in the commercial, Quinn said, “I don’t want to get into it. Trying to belabor this issue of race is not very helpful.”