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Tuesday, August 15, 2006
I hope the Republicans nominate George Allen
Not because he would win, of course, but because he can't win. As we've mentioned before, George Allen is an atavism, a throw-back to the days of the Republican party being a bunch of closet racists...oh wait. Well, it hasn't been long enough yet to call it atavistic yet as Mehlmen only apologized for Nixon, Reagan and Bush's "Southern Strategy" about a month ago. The party without a single black representative in congress is still struggling to get away from the bigots like Allen and Trent Lott..wait a minute. Are they? I can't tell, they are talking about Allen like he's a front runner. Hmmm.
Can't seem to find anything really positive to say about Republicans trying to separate themselves from their recent racist past. It just doesn't seem like so long ago that Reagan started his campaign in Philedelphia Miss, or George Bush yanked out Willie Horton to scary whitey. Then they've got this Allen character, making fun of the only non-white guy at one of his rallies by calling him a Macaque? Or was it Macaca? Either way, from a guy who loves the confederate flag, spray painting racist slogans on schools, and decorating his office with nooses, you have to wonder whether his intent was racist. "This fellow here over here with the yellow shirt, Macaca, or whatever his name is. He's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great. We're going to places all over Virginia, and he's having it on film and its great to have you here and you show it to your opponent because he's never been there and probably will never come." The Republicans have found him, the only politician in the country dumber than George W. Bush. I love it. I hope he wins the nomination. He's got enough skeletons in the closet you can guarantee no minorities will vote for him, and only a minority of women (you should hear what his sister has to say about him). So, let's hope George Allen gets the nod from the party, and let's see if they can play that southern strategy one more time. Somehow, I doubt it. I think the only reason they finally apologized for it is they realize it will no longer help them, and that they need the blacks, latinos and women that the strategy doesn't appeal to to win. |
7 Comments:
I like how all the coverage is about what the hell "macaca" is. Basically, we're pretty sure he's being racist, but dude, that's not even a word.
You should let the Minutemen know that George Allen is scretly a horrible foreigner who does not speak our precious English language.
11:31 AM, August 15, 2006
I have to disagree with you on this one. Back in 1980 (or leading up to the 1980 election), the Carter campaign welcomed having Reagan as an opponent. They thought that his views were so out-of-mainstream that he would be repugnant to the majority of Americans. Then came the Iran hostage bit, and Reagan ended up elected, and we all know where that got us. So wanting whackos as opponents isn't always the best strategy...
12:21 PM, August 15, 2006
The point I was trying to make is that the Southern strategy was still effective then. I don't think it is any more, hence Mehlmen apologizing for it.
1:19 PM, August 15, 2006
The southern strategy is still incredibly effective; it's just been modified. Instead of aiming only for the big mass of intolerant bigots in the south (which they're still doing), they're also going for the little pockets of bigots scattered in the churches around the country.
2:05 PM, August 15, 2006
AAP is right, the Southern Strategy is alive and well. It's just that obvious racism is so generally reviled these days that the bigotry has to be directed at a different set of outsiders. Ones with no political clout whatsoever. Voila, the illegal immigrant "crisis".
Allen's comments might be more accurately characterized as xenophobic rather than racist, but the two go hand in hand so often that there's little point quibbling.
4:05 PM, August 15, 2006
Well, sure, if you change the definition of southern strategy to christian wedge politics then it still exists. I think Allen's examples of overt racism (like the confederate flag, the nooses, and vandalism as a youth), which he's had to apologize for are too overt and will be an albatross.
10:02 PM, August 15, 2006
It's really the same "culture war" nonsense underlying both the southern strategy and the modern anti-immigrant strategy. Same themes of alienation, threats to (white) culture, and "they're taking our JEEEEERRRBS." In this climate it's perfectly conceivable that someone could run Jesse Helms' old, infamous "white hands crumpling a pink slip" ad today; just with an anti-immigrant slant rather than anti-black.
(I don't really see what the immigration issue has to do with the "christian" angle either.)
Though you are right that the southern strategy can ultimately cost them dearly in larger society (most of America finally having the courage and numbers to expose and shout down racism when it occurs), the same sentiments still exist. That the rhetoric is more muted now doesn't mean that the bigots can't still pick up on the subtler signals and code words. Like "states' rights" or "border security."
10:23 AM, August 16, 2006
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