One man wrote, "This hurts, but you a Romney lover and you slutting yourself for the white man only proves why no black man would marry u." Another Twitter user said: "She's an indoor slave, you know that, sis." Many tweets expressed disbelief that a woman of African American heritage would vote for anyone but Obama, and some suggested that her account must have been hacked.
The backlash began on Sunday, after Dash tweeted "Vote for Romney: The only choice for your future," along with a provocative photo of herself wearing a red Baywatch-style tank suit standing in front of an American flag. "Kill yourself you old hag…" a Twitter used lashed out. "The only choice for your future." Another wrote, "You're an unemployed black woman endorsing @MittRomney. You're voting against yourself thrice. You poor beautiful idiot."
Some, notably, Obama supporter Sandra Fluke, who was branded a "slut" and "prostitute" by Rush Limbaugh in March, called for the barrage of ugly tweets to desist. Limbaugh used the degrading language after Fluke, a law student and women's rights activist, was in the news for being barred from testifying to a congressional committee on government contraception coverage. "So disappointed to see people attacking @REALStaceyDash for voicing her opinion," Fluke tweeted on Monday. "Disagree politically, but #racist comments are unacceptable."
Dash defended herself to the Twitterverse as well: "My humble opinion…EVERYONE is entitled to one," the actress tweeted in response the controversy. On Tuesday, on Piers Morgan Tonight she elaborated, "I really don't understand the fury...I was shocked, saddened--not angry. Saddened and really shocked. But you know what? You can't expect everyone to agree with you."
Supporters from across party lines have created the hashtag #ISupportStacyDash to defend the actress and also to have conversation about freedom of speech and civility in political discourse during the last weeks before a heated election.
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