Friday, July 15, 2005
GOP to Blacks...Our Bad!
GOP apologizes for using race card for 40 odd years.
The great GOP southern strategy of course was to capitalize on resentment of southern Democrats who supported civil rights, play up the fear and loathing of the black man and win election after election. This of course worked well. But it is now apparently no longer a viable strategy and the GOP is moving to start picking off segments of the African American vote base of the Democratic party, which would help them hold on to the electoral majority they now enjoy. It's a great idea as the Dems really have taken this segment of their base for granted and have offered them little more than handouts and sympathy for being kept down by 'the man.'
But from an electoral standpoint, Black is not the new Black. Interracial marriages, affirmative action and other wedge issues really don't work as well as they used to, especially in a society where racial barriers in entertainment, sports and culture are blurring. Also from an electoral standpoint, the GOP no longer needs to cultivate fear of the Black Boogey man with the Southern-Redneck...err NASCAR Dad voter. They have a new strategy...blame the gays. We've seen it from Choir Boy Senator Santorum this week (Pedophilia in the Catholic Church is caused by the 'liberal' environment in Massachusetts- despite the fact that priest molestation has occurred across the country.) and of course the use of the anti-gay marriage amendments as part of their electoral strategy in 2004. (Again notice how this issue and FMA has all but vanished from public discourse this year? Expect to see it reemerge in 2006 which is an election year). So, this week is historic in that the GOP has publicly abandoned the racial hijinx of its past, but mainly because they find gays to be a much better scapegoat.
GOP: 'We were wrong' to play racial politics
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-07-14-GOP-racial-politics_x.htm
The great GOP southern strategy of course was to capitalize on resentment of southern Democrats who supported civil rights, play up the fear and loathing of the black man and win election after election. This of course worked well. But it is now apparently no longer a viable strategy and the GOP is moving to start picking off segments of the African American vote base of the Democratic party, which would help them hold on to the electoral majority they now enjoy. It's a great idea as the Dems really have taken this segment of their base for granted and have offered them little more than handouts and sympathy for being kept down by 'the man.'
But from an electoral standpoint, Black is not the new Black. Interracial marriages, affirmative action and other wedge issues really don't work as well as they used to, especially in a society where racial barriers in entertainment, sports and culture are blurring. Also from an electoral standpoint, the GOP no longer needs to cultivate fear of the Black Boogey man with the Southern-Redneck...err NASCAR Dad voter. They have a new strategy...blame the gays. We've seen it from Choir Boy Senator Santorum this week (Pedophilia in the Catholic Church is caused by the 'liberal' environment in Massachusetts- despite the fact that priest molestation has occurred across the country.) and of course the use of the anti-gay marriage amendments as part of their electoral strategy in 2004. (Again notice how this issue and FMA has all but vanished from public discourse this year? Expect to see it reemerge in 2006 which is an election year). So, this week is historic in that the GOP has publicly abandoned the racial hijinx of its past, but mainly because they find gays to be a much better scapegoat.
GOP: 'We were wrong' to play racial politics
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-07-14-GOP-racial-politics_x.htm
