Another interesting view on Dr. Dean's "white Christian party" comment

[Bucky]

from TAPPED :

Contra Howard Dean, if you're a married white woman in this country, a Republican is more likely to be your husband than a perceived "evil"-doer. That may sound like a provocative claim, but think about it -- if the majority of whites marry other whites (and they do), and the majority of white male voters vote Republican, and the married ones are even more conservative than the unmarried ones, well, that means your average married American white woman is probably married to a Republican, right?

Which means that there are probably a lot of homes where our present political debates run more along the lines of a family feud than a pitched battle between fixed and geographically distant camps. And that the arguments that can compel single people to the polls may look a little different inside a political mileau that is more mixed.

Put another way, alienating and saying demeaning and dismissive things about the majority is a great way to remain a permanent minority. I thought Dr. Dean was the right person for the job at DNC. But frankly he seems to be going about it all wrong.

[Melodybe]

1. DUers if your married to a repug, I suggest you cross your legs until they

get some sense.

[reality based]

4. The Lysistrata strategy

I've always wondered if it would really work.

[Igel]

7. Only in a conservative society in which unwed legs were

similarly presumed to be crossed. :-)

[Larkspur]

2. Liberal Oasis disputes the affect of Dean's "controversial" remarks

http://www.liberaloasis.com/archives/060505.htm#060905

PAUL BEGALA: ...ABC News has a new poll out. Here's how they described part of President Bush's support.

The only population groups in which majorities say the president is concentrating on issues important to them are Republicans, Evangelical White Protestants, Conservatives and better off Americans.

That's even more narrow than Dean's characterization. It's just the truth.

DANA BASH: You're talking about the substance, though.

BEGALA: Right.

BASH: But the issue here also is the messenger, right?
-- CNN’s Inside Politics, 6/8/05

and is Dean's remarks really hurting the Dem Party?
..Fox News’ Mara Liasson yesterday:

I’ve spent the day calling state party chairs...to find out whether...there was any disenchantment or disappointment in him from outside the Beltway.

Those are the people who elected him...the congressional wing of the Democratic Party never liked him...

...And I haven’t found it...The people that I talked to today say:

“Look...he’s come out to my state...rural parts of my state. We haven’t seen a DNC chair in these parts for a long time. He says he’s going to pay for X number of staff people...he’s a refreshing voice, he’s honest...”

[Emperor Norton]

3. im white

and cherokee and i dont like howard dean ,
whats so good about him?

[Dr.Phool]

6. First off, he's not trying to appease Republicans.

He recognizes that no matter how far Dems bend over to accomodate them, they'll only push harder. Also, even moderate Repugs who don't tow the line of the party's extremists, find all the funding going to a vary narrow extremist faction, and a wing-nut primary opponent.

The Republican Party is in the grip, of the religious right, and dominionists, and I think Howard said it in as nice a way as possible.

He raises money from the grassroots. Small people like me, instad of the corporate bought-off DLC.

Now why don't you like him?

[KurtNYC]

5. Why are the Republicans saying that being called

White or Christian is an insult??? If the media really was liberal, they would be asking the Pubs "why do feel insulted by the term christian?" But they of course aren't liberal so they are helping with the 'make Dean the issue' strategy.

Dean DIDN'T say "racist", "hypo-christian", "christo-fascist" or anything similarly inflammatory. He said "white christian" which 82% of them claim to be and they are usually pretty damned proud of it.

[Karenina]

9. Really!

Why is anyone insulted? It's simply a statement of FACT.

[Igel]

8. Polls have already shown that a majority of

married couples tend to be republican. No Gedankenexperiment needed.

Married men tend repub; married women tend to become repub. Mothers with kids tend to be repub.

Familes tend to be homogeneous; if not both of the same political persuasion at the beginning, then certainly after 10 years. It may be that heterogeneous families break up more often. Or not.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. I married a conservative, and I am more liberal than the DNC

Go figure, eh?