Republican Party Depends On Racist Tactics, Editorial Says

Crezth · Oct 8, 2012

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_...thern_voters_bolster_its_chances_.single.html

Slate.com said:
I’ve spent some time putting “truth” claims and false equivalencies in perspective because I want to test the theory that there is one truth in political discourse that the media has almost entirely failed to recognize or fears to utter, one at the heart of presidential campaign reporting: The Republican Party is an institutionally, structurally racist entity. It’s the veritable elephant in the room of campaign coverage.
No, I’m not saying all Republicans are racist. I’m saying that as a party, ever since Goldwater and Nixon concocted the benighted, openly racist “Southern Strategy” in the ’60s, the Republican Party has profited from overt and covert racism.
The Southern Strategy was designed to capitalize on Southern white resentment of court-enforced busing to end school desegregation, of the 1964 Civil Rights Act's prohibition of discrimination in interstate commerce, of enforcement of the 1965 Voting Rights Act to prevent historically racist Southern counties and states from discriminating against blacks who sought to exercise their right to vote where once they'd been effectively barred. By playing on these issues, Nixon and other Republicans of this era won many traditionally Democratic votes in the South. Later, GOP opposition to affirmative action, race-based hiring "quotas" and all other methods of compensating for the debilitating legacy of slavery, Jim Crow and segregation fed into what was one of the momentous shifts, a total turnaround in just more than a decade (1970 to 1984) from a solidly Democratic South to a solidly Republican one.

[...]

Looked at another way, as things stand, there would be no presidential "race" at the moment if it weren't for those ex-confederate states—even if they split their votes. Mitt Romney would have little or no chance of winning and might as well quit the race now. Nor would the GOP have much chance of re-taking the Senate or even winning the House again. They would be dead as a political party if not for the legacy of racism. I think that's a fact.

Alt. Thread Title: "Republicans Are All Literally Nazis, Some Say"

The notion that the GOP is racist or has racist elements in spades is not a new notion, but I've noticed on this forum and elsewhere that it is habitual to dismiss any such cries of Republican racism as apologist whining. Indeed, they say, the Republicans are the ones who aren't racist, because they refuse to get hung up on it!

But without getting overtly preachy, there does seem to be a preponderance of evidence that suggests that Republicans, even if they aren't all literally Klan members, depend on prevailing attitudes of racism to maintain some of their political clout.

In my opinion, the assumptions this article makes are essentially correct. And as a friend put it, "You can make a strong case that promoting a racist party makes you a racist by the transitive property of screw you."

Borachio · Oct 8, 2012

What are you suggesting? That all those who vote Republican are racists? Seems a very large claim likely to alienate some well-meaning individuals. What do you suggest they do? Stop voting Republican or change the party?

Formaldehyde · Oct 8, 2012

Many people claim that Ron Paul must be a racist because so many of his supporters are racists. They also point to a newsletter written by others in his name where many racist comments were made in the past. While I certainly don't think he is a racist based on his own words and deeds, Dr. Paul doesn't seem to have much of a problem with many of his supporters being racists.

The same thing is generally true with the Republican Party. While the Southern Strategy was finally acknowledged less than a decade ago when the head of the party apologized for its use in the past, I certainly don't think it is dead by any means. Many Republican politicians still frequently use dog whistles which are intended to garner support from the many racists in the party.

Perhaps we need a new word to describe those politicians and their supporters who pander to the racists, while doing little or nothing to speak out against racism or distance themselves from these supporters. "Republican" seems overly broad.

Ajidica · Oct 8, 2012

I would hesitate to say the Republical Party's existance depends on racisism.
But, to paraphrase The Simpsons: "Republican Party: Not Racist, but #1 Among Racists".

Cutlass · Oct 8, 2012

Borachio said:
What are you suggesting? That all those who vote Republican are racists? Seems a very large claim likely to alienate some well-meaning individuals. What do you suggest they do? Stop voting Republican or change the party?

Not everyone who votes Republican is racist. But a voting racist is overwhelmingly likely to vote Republican for exactly the same reason that a voting black person is overwhelmingly going to vote against Republicans.

Mark1031 · Oct 8, 2012

There is no truer statement regarding the political dynamics in the US. Also, racism is not a legacy it is a current fact of life.
BTW it is a brilliant and effective strategy. How else do you protect the oligarchy in a democracy? Your life sucks not because of the bankers gambling with your money or the hedge fund chopping up your company and selling it to China but because of the crazy black woman with the Obama phone leeching off the taxpayer.

bugwar · Oct 8, 2012

Gee, looks like Romney is picking up steam.
Or is that just all the racists finally coming out of the woodwork?

http://www.people-press.org/2012/10/08/romneys-strong-debate-performance-erases-obamas-lead/1/

Oruc · Oct 8, 2012

Borachio said:
What are you suggesting? That all those who vote Republican are racists? Seems a very large claim likely to alienate some well-meaning individuals. What do you suggest they do? Stop voting Republican or change the party?

That from now on they never again engage in politics and allow the Democratic party to reign unhindered for a thousand years

GhostWriter16 · Oct 8, 2012

Many people claim that Ron Paul must be a racist because so many of his supporters are racists. They also point to a newsletter written by others in his name where many racist comments were made in the past. While I certainly don't think he is a racist based on his own words and deeds, Dr. Paul doesn't seem to have much of a problem with many of his supporters being racists.

Why should he care? Its another supporter, isn't it? As long as he's not specifically pandering to them, I don't think he should care.

The reality is that racists support him because of his position on the civil rights act, which is really just a pro-property position, but that racists prefer because they can get away with not having to hire blacks, when Ron doesn't support racist hiring procedures, but rather just thinks they should be legal.

The Democrats are more racist than the Republicans considering they support special privleges for minorities while the Republicans support treating everyone equally.

Formaldehyde · Oct 8, 2012

Right. Anybody who is opposed to racism and stands up against actual racists is the real racist yet again. And those who do little or nothing to oppose them in fear of losing their votes are the ones who actually want "equality". How surprising.

useless · Oct 8, 2012

Yeah special priviledges such as

Ahaha "treat everyone equally"

except if you're gay, female, not white, not rich etc

Formaldehyde · Oct 8, 2012

Some people are more equal than others.

useless · Oct 8, 2012

The reality is that racists support him because of his position on the civil rights act, which is really just a pro-property position, but that racists prefer because they can get away with not having to hire blacks, when Ron doesn't support racist hiring procedures, but rather just thinks they should be legal.

...So he supports them by wanting racist hiring procedures to be legal. He's enabling racism, and so apparently are you with your tacit support of such things.

Patroklos · Oct 8, 2012

Are you guys having fun in your echo chamber? Mind staying in here until November?

useless · Oct 8, 2012

Patroklos said:
Are you guys having fun in your echo chamber? Mind staying in here until November?

Is that when you move back to Free Republic?

Patroklos · Oct 8, 2012

It's when your head explodes. I don't want to miss that.

bhsup · Oct 8, 2012

Well I'm racist and proud. I'm voting for Obama cuz I can't stand them crackers.

useless · Oct 8, 2012

I am saddened that you have fallen to such grandiose thoughts. I do not wish to entertain such ideas or enable it.

Well I'm racist and proud. I'm voting for Obama cuz I can't stand them crackers.

crackers

Patroklos · Oct 8, 2012

Says the enabler of birth canal abortions. Moral high ground?

useless · Oct 8, 2012

Tell me more about your desire to let soldiers urinate on the corpses of Afghans and hey, I never claimed the moral high ground, you really should stop projecting your insecurities on others pat, it's rather disconcerting.

Republican Party Depends On Racist Tactics, Editorial Says

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