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Dean made a mistake. The confederate flag represents a nation formed exclusively for the maintenance of slavery--the indentured servitude of an entire race. If he wanted to identify Southerner voters, he had a host of far less divisive choices. Why choose a symbol that bitterly divides Democratic voters? I still can't get any good answer to that question.
And before you start twisting yourself in knots to explain his mistake (which Dean has admitted, to his great credit), there is no way that the flag of a nation founded to make slavery permanent can cease to be offensive to blacks. It may mean Southern pride to Southerners, but it symbolizes that abominable institution to blacks. Also the segregation and civil rights movements caused Southern politicians to dust it off to show their opposition, tying it even more to racially charged and divisive symbolic meaning.
So WHY use the stupid thing? Identify Southerners in a way that doesn't offend blacks, and Dean's plan (which is a good one) to win them back to the party with their best interests in mind can proceed. Why cause all this controversy by using a divisive symbol?
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