GWB/NAACP

[ls317]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/18/opinion/18herbert.html

One of President Bush's surrogates went before the N.A.A.C.P. last week and apologized for the Republican Party's reprehensible, decades-long Southern strategy.

The surrogate, Ken Mehlman, is chairman of the Republican National Committee. Perhaps he meant well. But his words were worse than meaningless. They were insulting. The G.O.P.'s Southern strategy, racist at its core, still lives.

"Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization," said Mr. Mehlman. "I am here today as the Republican chairman to tell you we were wrong."

He made his remarks during an appearance in Milwaukee at the annual convention of the N.A.A.C.P., which has a relationship with President Bush reminiscent of the Hatfields' relationship with the McCoys. In a chilling act of political intimidation, the Internal Revenue Service responded to criticism of Mr. Bush by the N.A.A.C.P.'s chairman by launching an investigation of the group's tax-exempt status.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[wildflower]

1. Good article - recommended. n/t

[confludemocrat]

2. That idiot loser Dukakis also went to Philadelphia, MISSISSIPPI

to whit:

While he pledged to ''bring down the barriers to opportunity for all our people,'' he made only passing reference to the problems of American minorities in a speech to an almost entirely white crowd at the Neshoba County Fair, 24 years to the day since the bodies of three slain civil rights workers were found under an earthen dam nine miles from here.

Mr. Dukakis mentioned that he was near the birthplace of Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd, a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox who was born in nearby Meridian. But he did not mention the three young civil rights workers: Andrew Goodman and Michael H. Schwerner , both whites from New York, and James E. Chaney, a black who was born in Meridian. The three were slain on a back road by a gang of Ku Klux Klansmen on the night of June 21, 1964, and found 44 days later, on Aug. 4.

from http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004_06/004116.php

[Mr_Spock]

7. yeah, so are you saying Democrats are no better than Republicans?

Why pick Dukakis after out of an article about Reagan?

[confludemocrat]

8. So Dukakis being a dick means all Demos are? Don't think so.

Remember who his campaign manager was? Susan Estridge, so it figures. But he himself is responsible for going to Mississippi and pointedly ignoring the three slain Civil Rights workers as Reagan did. No Democrat, especially those who lived through that time should do that and not have it recalled. Sickening.

[noiretextatique]

10. it was exactly what reagan did

except not as blatant, so thanks for the reminder. democrats are not immune to stupid race-baiting stunts either.
recall the clinton/sistah souljah episode that some claim was a 'defining moment' in his campaign? i consider it the same type of coded performance art because no few even knew who she was then, and fewer know who she is now.

[Mr_Spock]

12. I just thought it was an odd thing to bring up in a "South Strategy" Repub

thread - that's all. I mean I have no problem with being a devil's advocate, but?

[Moderator]

3. ls317

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[ls317]

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[rosesaylavee]

6. Thanks

for the post. Mehlman was on PBS Newshour tonight. I am paraphrasing here but the gist of what he had the nerve to say was that he went to speak to the NAACP conference while Bush went to another black-focused conference "that was important". And he was such a fool he didn't even flinch or acknowledge that what he said was insulting to NAACP.

Maybe that was his point.

[noiretextatique]

9. right...this is same guy who just yesterday said:

"The NAACP unfortunately in the 2000 campaign likened the president to James Byrd, who was a racist killer in east Texas, who the president brought to justice."
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0507/17/le.01.ht...

Earth to Ken: James Byrd was the victim, not one of the murderer :eyes:

bush and the GOP can't even reach out to black voters without insulting them...so much for that 'apology.'

[rosesaylavee]

11. I heard that and I didn't get it until

you spelled it out for me. It just didn't make sense...

I don't think it is their strategy at work here as mentioned earlier - I think they are just that stupid.

[confludemocrat]

13. What a stupid jerk, how much lower and assinine can they get?!!

They send a hack who is clueless about Civil Rights backsliding and he or his staff cook up such a talking point off the top of their hedas after three drinks in the bar the night before and deliver it without any thought. And they think they can fool African Americans like they trick their "base". God I hate these people.

[Brewman_Jax]

14. Another mealy-mouthed republican apology

that will last only until campaign season. Mr. Bush's* absence 5 times in a row was mentioned in another article. Nothing will change because the "southern strategy" still works. They will NOT alienate their base just to get a few more black and latino votes.

Some blockhead commentator on Marketplace this morning was commenting on how the GOP is "reaching out" to minority voters. He didn't make a big deal of small percentage point change between the "elections" of 2000 and 2004 in attracting black voters. A 2% change was enough for Ohio, another site of voting controversy.

Wow, big change. :eyes: