# Cenk Uygur is running for CA-25 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 13, 2019, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797 "2019-12-13T06:11:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/1 "2019-12-13T06:11:37Z")
Cenk Uygur, from the Young Turks, has announced his candidacy for CA-25, recently vacated by the resignation of Katie Hill. > **[Cenk Uygur](https://ballotpedia.org/Cenk_Uygur)** > > Ballotpedia: The Encyclopedia of American Politics Uygur has made disgusting remarks about women in the past, including saying they are flawed genetically because they don’t want sex often enough, especially not wanting to have sex with him. > **['Young Turks' Founder Cenk Uygur Apologizes for 'Ugly,' 'Insensitive' Old...](https://www.thewrap.com/young-turks-cenk-uygur-blog-breasts-women-flawed/)** > > Liberal host once wrote that women are genetically "flawed" because they don't want to have sex often enough At least seven local or state Democratic groups, including the California National Organization for Women and the LGBT-focused Stonewall Democratic Club, have denounced Uygur’s past remarks, with some calling for him to drop out of the race. > **[Dems Fear ‘Carpetbagger’ Cenk Uygur Will Lose Them California Seat](https://www.thedailybeast.com/democrats-fear-carpetbagger-cenk-uygurs-offensive-past-remarks-will-lose-them-california-congressional-seat)** > > The firebrand Young Turks co-founder is running for former Rep. Katie Hill’s seat—and his controversial reputation is sending shivers through Democrats. Bernie Sanders just endorsed him. > **[Sanders endorses controversial candidate in California congressional race |...](https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/13/politics/bernie-sanders-endorse-cenk-uygur/index.html)** > > Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday endorsed Cenk Uygur, a controversial candidate in the competitive race to replace Katie Hill in California's 25th Congressional District. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/2 "2019-12-13T06:45:52Z")
I’ve been watching the Young Turks for awhile know, and whatever he said in the past it’s obvious he is a different guy now. He totally admits to making those remarks but says he was young and stupid then and he totally refutes those remarks now. He’s been on the Young Turks for quite awhile now and in that time he’s been a far left progressive. Pro LGBTQ rights. Pro women’s rights. Anti big business. I think more interesting is that he’s a far left progressive running in what is considered a purple district. It’ll be interesting to see if he has any success. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/3 "2019-12-13T08:02:40Z")
I know he has repudiated his earlier claims, but at one point he was an Armenian genocide denier. No political argument from me, I just think it’s funny that on the same day Senate passed an unanimous resolution acknowledging the genocide. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/4 "2019-12-13T08:42:20Z")
Chris Cuomo [interviewed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3TGn2p2RRs) (not the original source) Cenk about his run. Some questions Cuomo asked in the interview: Cenk doesn’t live in the district (he plans to move there) The blog post with the misogynistic remarks The Young Turks name of the show Armenian genocide denier The _Daily Beast_ article in the OP needs some cites because some of the examples lack context and it should be easy to pull that footage, but if true, a couple of the remarks in that article make me uncomfortable. Because of the controversy surrounding the misogynistic blog posts from 18 years ago, Cenk resigned a couple years ago from the Justice Democrats, the organization that started Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s political career. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/5 "2019-12-13T10:01:44Z")
The priority is to pack Congress with human beings opposed to the Party of Greed, Hatred and Lies. Whatever his foibles, Uygur is preferable to every.single.Republican. Having said that: Yes, I thought Uygur was something of an asshole when I watched him on YouTube. Here are some links to his old (19 years ago) website, when he was a Republican (though he was sure Nixon’s crimes were worse than Clinton’s). [Armenian genocide?](https://web.archive.org/web/20000310181936/http://youngturk.com/newpage15.htm) [Too much litigation in the U.S.A.](https://web.archive.org/web/20000617080337/http://youngturk.com/newpage2.htm) ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/6 "2019-12-13T11:14:11Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > The _Daily Beast_ article in the OP needs some cites because some of the examples lack context and it should be easy to pull that footage, but if true, a couple of the remarks in that article make me uncomfortable. One of the paradoxes of modern political discourse is everyone demands people change their views, yet insists it doesn’t matter if they do because they’re **still** going to hold their old views against them, forever. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/7 "2019-12-13T12:01:18Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > One of the paradoxes of modern political discourse is everyone demands people change their views, yet insists it doesn’t matter if they do because they’re **still** going to hold their old views against them, forever. I agree. I don’t agree with cancel culture. But these quotes from 2012 from the Daily Beast article in the OP are troubling to me. > [@](#): > > Uygur detractors, for example, have highlighted a 2012 Young Turks clip where Uygur and other Young Turks staffers discussed a mother-daughter porn duo. Uygur quizzed his co-hosts on whether they would have sex with both women at once, leaving aside concerns about incest. > > Uygur said that he certainly would have sex with the mother and daughter together, if given the opportunity. > > “If I was single, no question, I would do it,” Uygur said. Cenk has said that what people do in their personal time is their business, but quizzing other people about what they do in their free time and airing it in public is a little disturbing to me. And this: > [@](#): > > Uygur’s foes in the district have also highlighted past remarks about bisexual women. In 2012, for example, Uygur said he had never been attracted to Sex and the City actress Cynthia Nixon—until she came out as bisexual. > > “When I found out she was bisexual I thought, ‘Cynthia Nixon,’” Uygur said, raising his voice in approval. “All of a sudden… ‘Cynthia Nixon.’” This is objectifying someone. She’s not there for someone to make judgements about her sexuality and then tell others what they think about it. And this: > [@](#): > > In another broadcast on declining rates of sexual activity in Japan, Uygur said he would travel to Japan to take advantage of the opportunity if he were still single. > > “Japan is butter, I’m hot knife,” Uygur said, waving his hand to illustrate the metaphorical knife. “I’d run through those girls!” Ugh, ick and ewww. I’m not easily squicked about these topics generally, but I literally said eww as I read this. As I posted above, these don’t have cites or video clips attached that I could see, so I don’t know context or even if it really happened. But if it did, I’m not liking it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/8 "2019-12-13T13:32:03Z")
I’m not gonna be in a position to vote in the special election, but I wonder what Mrs. Uygur thought about it whenever he would include “if I were still single” into one of his evaluations of women’s desirability. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/9 "2019-12-13T14:00:28Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > One of the paradoxes of modern political discourse is everyone demands people change their views, yet insists it doesn’t matter if they do because they’re **still** going to hold their old views against them, forever. That’s right, only perfect people can represent us, make one mistake and you are worthless for the rest of your life. Luckily, all of our representatives are flawless people who have never made a mistake, just like all those people who criticize Uygur. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/10 "2019-12-13T14:30:34Z")
I guess his progressive political views align with mine. He’s still a juvenile twat, tho. Surely Dems can do better in CA-25, right? ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/11 "2019-12-13T15:18:59Z")
What is troubling to me is that somehow the notion of public service, through elected office, has turned into a circus act. Trump certainly did not cause this to happen, but is simply the most visible symptom. It is telling that this is happening world-wide. So, any joker with a twitter following thinks they can (and should) run for office. Of course their past outrageous remarks will be fodder for discussion, they should be. But as we have seen, the public has shown that all of that is just part of the circus. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/12 "2019-12-13T15:30:33Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I know he has repudiated his earlier claims, but at one point he was an Armenian genocide denier. No political argument from me, I just think it’s funny that on the same day Senate passed an unanimous resolution acknowledging the genocide. When did he repudiate them-before, or after, he decided to run? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/13 "2019-12-13T17:42:50Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I guess his progressive political views align with mine. He’s still a juvenile twat, tho. Surely Dems can do better in CA-25, right? He is currently one of five declared Democratic Party candidates( there are six Republicans ). Someone like [Christy Smith](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christy_Smith_(politician)) is far more likely to get the nod than Uygur. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/14 "2019-12-13T21:12:08Z")
Shitbag Sanders has weaseled back his endorsement. > Fuck you, Bernie and fuck you, Cenk. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/15 "2019-12-13T21:26:01Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > When did he repudiate them-before, or after, he decided to run? 2016 was the first time he explicitly said so it looks like, but the last time he publicly engaged in denialism was 1999, so it’s not clear when he changed his mind. ---
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/16 "2019-12-13T21:40:56Z")
Cenk is not a journalist. He is a commentator. He is like Hannity, Ingraham, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/17 "2019-12-13T23:32:28Z")
I have watched the Young Turks (no, that name shouldn’t be problematic, except maybe the “young” part) off and on going back to when the show was on Air America. If you want a guy who can explain an issue clearly and concisely, who respects his audience’s ability to absorb complexity and who _gets to the point_ (unlike Rachel), Cenk is your guy. But there’s this frat boy lurking inside him, and he just can’t seem to resist blurting out his worst tendencies, then saying “oops, did I just do that”? I have a strong feeling his political ambitions are soon to be squelched. \*Quote: Shitbag Sanders has weaseled back his endorsement. [https://twitter.com/berniesanders/st...90453351006208](https://twitter.com/berniesanders/st...90453351006208) Fuck you, Bernie and fuck you, Cenk. \* Easy now! Where did _ **that** _ come from? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/18 "2019-12-14T00:52:10Z")
Cenk was raised Turkish. He was taught to dismiss the Armenian Genocide as a young person, & it took him a long time to come around. Credit must be given to his TYT employee/co-host Ana Kasparian (who is of Armenian descent) for her patience with him. Some of the stuff he’s said about sex is a little weird. The stuff in the OP was meant as a joke. I guess politics doesn’t know what to do with sardonic or self-mocking humor. Overall, Cenk’s a pretty good guy, & a _vocal_ enemy of corruption. CA-25 could do a lot worse. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/19 "2019-12-14T01:15:21Z")
It’s not my district, but I’ll tell ya. With Cenk it’s not too hard to see what you’re going to get. He has been a media figure for a long time. So, yeah, I can get behind this candidacy. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797/20 "2019-12-14T01:20:57Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Cenk was raised Turkish. He was taught to dismiss the Armenian Genocide as a young person, & it took him a long time to come around. Credit must be given to his TYT employee/co-host Ana Kasparian (who is of Armenian descent) for her patience with him. > > Some of the stuff he’s said about sex is a little weird. The stuff in the OP was meant as a joke. I guess politics doesn’t know what to do with sardonic or self-mocking humor. > > Overall, Cenk’s a pretty good guy, & a _vocal_ enemy of corruption. CA-25 could do a lot worse. It was a joke? It seems like Rs are gtting on his ass for a David Duke interview that the republicans are using to say that he is sympathetic to the man, or whatever. By all reports though, it was a good interview. That’s not a joke AFAIK. Cenk is as scary to them as a young girl is. That’s scary. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cenk-uygur-is-running-for-ca-25/844797.md?page=2)