One big reason why Chambliss won in Georgia

[Botany]

The state had a mountain carved to honor men who faught for the right to
keep people as slaves.

[DemzRock]

1. Yeah, when so many people are ignorant and proud of evil acts... what do you do? n/t

[onehandle]

2. Ironically, that carving is in the bluest county in Georgia.

The Klan used to have regular picnics and meetings there when I was a kid.

Now they've moved out to the suburbs of Atlanta and beyond.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. I'm a foreigner, but to me such a thing makes as much sense as a monument to Tojo and Yamamoto. -nt

[bunkerbuster1]

9. Confederates were allowed to celebrate their Rebellion.

the concept of "de-Nazification" required, you know, actual Nazis...

[Captain Hilts]

4. Actually, Lee didn't believe in slavery. That's one reason he was offered command of the Union Army

at Blair House across the street from the White House.

[hlthe2b]

10. That's true...

Lee was very conflicted whether to fight with the South, his home state of Virginia, or to accept Union command with his West Point colleagues... The pull of home state loyalties proved too strong, but Lee was not a Confederate ideologue.

[Captain Hilts]

12. And all the more a disappointment for taking command of the Confederate Army. nt

[hlthe2b]

15. Yup.... "the good soldier" even as he sold his soul....

Now who in our times, does that remind me of? ;)

[Captain Hilts]

16. GOOD point!

I don't want Lee or Powell supporting my team.

[bunkerbuster1]

18. Colin Powell IS Robert E. Lee in "Is Our Children Learning?"

Coming to a theater near you.

[sam sarrha]

20. that is required to Join the ReThuglican Party.. no soul allowed

[RoyGBiv]

19. That's highly simplified ...

Certainly he "believed" in it. His family owned slaves. There's a somewhat infamous letter he wrote prior to the Civil War complaining about all the problems of dealing with one but inquiring as to the costs involved as he was finding himself in need of a personal servant.

Lee has been compared to a Jefferson or Washington type, opposed in theory but not actually willing to do anything overt to end it. Lee and others like him are different, however, in that they actively sought its continuance when "earthly" powers sought to interfere with what he saw as divine "Providence." Jefferson, at least, was a part of the generation that tried to put into motion a structural formula whereby slavery would eventually end. That their larger plan failed was due, in part, to the generation to which Lee belonged that found some sort of justification for its continued existence until the African race was "ready" for emancipation, in God's own good time, for whom, Lee noted, a 1000 years is but a day.

Sorry to pick, but these simplifications lead to misunderstandings and the perpetuation of harsh opinions that blame this, that, or another thing for events just because those things make them angry.

The Grimke sisters didn't believe in slavery. They were run out of the South. Lee commanded a major Southern army defending a government that sought to continue the system that resulted in the Grimke sisters being run out of the South.

[BlooInBloo]

5. Pfft. Countdown for white Democrats blaming black folks for losing is at 3 hours.

[BlooInBloo]

7. Ooops. I'm late....

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/12/georgia-senate-runoff-liveblog.html

"There's going to be a temptation in some circles to write this one off to poor African-American turnout or whatever, and that certainly is a large portion of the story"

Remember Rule #1 of losing elections: It's always black folks' fault. When black folks largely vote the wrong way (Prop 8), it's their fault, no matter how *few* of them there are. When black folks largely vote the right way, it's still their fault, no matter how *many* white folks voted poorly.


There's a lesson somewhere in all of this.

[hlthe2b]

11. Nahh... Remanants of Southern Strategy remain in the rural areas

and it continues to work.... Times they are 'a changin, though... Georgia will turn blue sometime in the near future.

[aikoaiko]

6. Is that a reason or correlation?

One of the reasons, and I freely admit this was not the sole reason, is that there are many Georgians who worried about the future status of very popular firearms given the Democratic platform and President Elect's support of reauthorizing a partial gun ban. The possibility of have Republicans filibuster that legislation appealed to many voters.

When I talked to my colleagues where I work (a politically moderate place), this issue came up often even as they said they hated what Saxby did with the sugar refinery hearings and Max.

[bunkerbuster1]

8. The desecration of Stone Mountain took place long before that stupid Confederate memorial

19th-century proto-rednecks climbed up top and found bits and pieces of them old Injun temples, which they proceeded to hurl over the side while drunk.

Probably just as well it's now permanently scarred like that, although I wince every time I see it.

[hlthe2b]

13. The final desecration was when they sold the entire park

Even with the carving, it was a nice State Park with hiking, camping, outdoor music events, and general recreational activities. Now, like everything else the REPUGs control, has been privatized. 'Haven't been there since...

[bunkerbuster1]

17. I was there once.

While I would like to enjoy the hiking trails again some day and probably will, I have no desire whatsoever to pay one red cent for the privilege of absorbing an orgy of Confederate apologia, privatized or not.

[RoyGBiv]

14. How so?

If you want to rag on Stone Mountain, feel free, but merely writing this off as the result of Confederate ancestor worship does little to expose, much less help correct the issues that drove the campaigns or voting behavior.

Did Martin propose its destruction or something?