Saturday, November 01, 2003
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-democrats-2004,0,1055729.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines
"I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks." -- Howard Dean, in Iowa
This statement is just too hard to swallow for any person like myself who was born, raised and educated in the South. He should know better than to throw the Confederate flag around so glibly. Doesn’t he realize the Confederate flag was (and still is) used a symbol of racial division in the South during the civil rights movement and integration. Don’t believe the line about flying the Confederate flag for Southern pride, as a son-of-the-South, I can attest it is first and foremost a symbol of an earlier time in the South when slavery was a revered part of the culture. Just ask former Sen. Cleland about this, he paid the price for having the Confederate flag removed from the Georgia flag.
Democrats can win the several states in the South, just by being strong on national defense and national security, and not conceding economic issues to the Republicans. We don’t have to pander to the lowest common denominator to win the Presidency.
Sigh, even the majority of NASCAR dads in the South would be ashamed to fly a Confederate flag in this day and age. Talk about open mouth, insert foot… Wonder what Jesse Jackson, Jr. is going to have to say about his “straight shooter” now. Speaking of his soon-to-be endorsement, interesting he picked a governor with almost no record on race over a senator with a lifetime 100% NAACP rating.
Please don't get me wrong. I do not believe Dean is a racist or even meant to be racist. I attribute his screw-up to two factors:
1) His fundamental misunderstanding of racial issues in America, otherwise he would not throw the Confederate flag around so lightly. And I might add how guns and race are tied together, just ask M. Moore. He could have used an example without any negative connotations like "NASCAR stickers on their pickup trucks," but didn't. 2) His need to pander to the NRA vote... Does he really think NRA supporters are going to vote for him in a general election over Bush?
"I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks." -- Howard Dean, in Iowa
This statement is just too hard to swallow for any person like myself who was born, raised and educated in the South. He should know better than to throw the Confederate flag around so glibly. Doesn’t he realize the Confederate flag was (and still is) used a symbol of racial division in the South during the civil rights movement and integration. Don’t believe the line about flying the Confederate flag for Southern pride, as a son-of-the-South, I can attest it is first and foremost a symbol of an earlier time in the South when slavery was a revered part of the culture. Just ask former Sen. Cleland about this, he paid the price for having the Confederate flag removed from the Georgia flag.
Democrats can win the several states in the South, just by being strong on national defense and national security, and not conceding economic issues to the Republicans. We don’t have to pander to the lowest common denominator to win the Presidency.
Sigh, even the majority of NASCAR dads in the South would be ashamed to fly a Confederate flag in this day and age. Talk about open mouth, insert foot… Wonder what Jesse Jackson, Jr. is going to have to say about his “straight shooter” now. Speaking of his soon-to-be endorsement, interesting he picked a governor with almost no record on race over a senator with a lifetime 100% NAACP rating.
Please don't get me wrong. I do not believe Dean is a racist or even meant to be racist. I attribute his screw-up to two factors:
1) His fundamental misunderstanding of racial issues in America, otherwise he would not throw the Confederate flag around so lightly. And I might add how guns and race are tied together, just ask M. Moore. He could have used an example without any negative connotations like "NASCAR stickers on their pickup trucks," but didn't. 2) His need to pander to the NRA vote... Does he really think NRA supporters are going to vote for him in a general election over Bush?
# posted by AB @ 5:20 PM 
