Allen's campaign manager, Dick Wadhams, told me that Allen didn't know the meaning of macaca and credibly argued that no politician -- especially one with presidential aspirations -- would use a racial slur in such a public way.
``Why would he do that, period? It doesn't make any sense. The camera was on him. This wasn't a case where a politician thinks no one is watching. He knew that was going out. Why would he endanger his entire trip by making a comment that would come back to haunt him?''
And so. The macaca mystery is upon us. Did Allen know that macaca means monkey? Did he know it is often used as a slur? Is he a racist? Allen owns a Confederate flag, as nearly everyone has mentioned during this tempest. He also reportedly plastered his high school car with a Confederate bumper sticker and wore a Confederate flag lapel pin in his high school senior picture.
I don't know if Allen is a racist. I do know that owning a Confederate flag is not a damning offense if you're a collector of Southern memorabilia, as Allen is. And high school is, well, high school.
Here's what we may fairly conclude from Allen's macaca meltdown: he was a rude cad. And, despite his Confederate accoutrements, his cowboy boots, his chaw, his good ol' boy persona, Allen is missing the key ingredient in his Southern shtick: you gotta be a gentleman.
The mark of a gentleman -- Southern or otherwise -- is graciousness toward others less fortunate or less powerful. Singling out a young person for ridicule -- a lone Democrat in a crowd of rowdy Republicans -- is behavior unbecoming a gentleman, a senator and certainly a president.
For his sin, Allen should write a sincere note of apology to Sidarth -- the gentlemanly thing to do -- and then chill the hick act. Surely even bubbas are bored with Bubba by now.