We got this by e-mail from our pal CAFKIA. I gladly post it because I value his opinion.
[Fix and/or Gord, here is an attempt by me to address Fixers post of this morning. If you wish to post it, you may. If you would rather I simply did the comments thing, tell me and I will. I just thought I would give you the option and, make it so that I could find this answer in case it turns out to be pure genius.]
Nothing's quite
that pure, buddy!
[I have some knowledge of the Black experience. From where I sit, the rethugs are blowing a pretty strong opportunity. I suspect that a lot of what I am going to say applies to the Hispanic community as well. I grew up in a poor, church going family. My dad was an AME (African Methodist Episcopal) minister. My mom was a nurse. Dad died when I was 7 and mom was pregnant with the 8th kid. My mom, and apparently just about every other mom/wife in our neighborhood understood the concepts of fiscal conservatism though they might have never heard the term. It is how we lived. No extravagances, if you didn't have the money, it meant you could not afford it. Things that were needed or desired strongly but, were too expensive for right now were put on lay-away. You paid on them but, you did not take delivery until you had paid for them completely. It made it impossible to be "upside-down". The men in the neighborhood all worked and most that I remember, were veterans. There were some pretty flamboyantly feminine men in the 'hood but, they were either not mentioned at all or, you were simply told to stay away from them. Drinking happened but, it was a late night thing or, a Saturday while fixing the car thing or, a when the guys come over to practice our songs thing. We pretty rarely actually saw drunkenness. Grades were important and report cards were scrutinized.
Anything sound familiar? Family, church, monetary responsibility, homophobia/denial? The traditional Black neighborhoods are some of the most conservative spots in the nation. It is where the songs in the republican hymnal are sung. For a Black to be conservative is the most natural thing in the world because there is a hugely strong chance that that is how they were raised. For a Black to be a republican is another thing altogether.
The republicans could have had Blacks and Hispanics almost completely, without any effort. All they would have had to do is not decide that it was open season on us. Blacks who were actually likely to show up at a polling place were in large part as I described above or, took steps to make themselves appear that way. They would have continued to vote the party of Lincoln except that the party was too shortsighted. They could not see the coming demographic shift. They couldn't see the fiscal potential in minorities in general. They deluded themselves into thinking that all minorities were a drain on the system and only wanted to be on welfare. They apparently couldn't even see the proportions of minorities in the military and their increasingly important roles.
So the republicans drove the Blacks away and chased after the southern racist coin. But that was just the party. A goodly percentage of Blacks still believe as they were taught growing up in the basic concepts of conservatism. They may not call it that or think of it that way but that is what it is. So what does one do, ignore what mom and dad taught or, try to not have the same shortsightedness that caused republicans to not see minorities as valuable to their party/nation? Or, do they go where they are wanted and try to maintain their identity. Right now, the larger group has chosen the latter option. But some choose to believe that either the republican party will come back around (with their help) or that with all of it's faults, Gawd is choosing to hang out there anyway and so will they.(it's that homosexuality thing again)
I think the stage at republican party presidential debates is very telling. I hope that party is dead and I hope what ever rises to take it's place has a more realistic grounding. I don't see liberals as tied to party as conservatives. You can be a liberal libertarian, democrat, green, socialist, or whatever and still be liberal. If you are conservative, you are republican (this means you Joe Lieberman).
In a train wreck sort of way, it should be interesting to see just how much more group hatred Black republicans can take. Or, will the republicans try to find a Black they can control as much as they do W and try to fool others into thinking that they have advanced? For some reason, this preachers kid is reminded of a bible verse.
"Be sure your sins will find you out."
CAFKIA]
I think I will add that the Repugs are in a
primary contest against one another, and they think they can clean up these slaps in the face to People Of Other Colors in time for the
general election. The Repugs' only hope is the 'Southern Strategy', which means culturally conservative (racist, homophobic, christofascist, etc.) white men. That strategy is deader'n a carp, but these clowns don't know it yet or are in denial.
They are going to find out that people actually do have memories and do not forgive insults as readily as the candidates think they should when they do the flip-flop and assault them with ads, lies, more lies, and cubic money.
The very last thing in the whole wide world this country needs is another president 'elected' by the 'southern base'. Or the Supremes.
I for one am extremely glad the main Repugs chose to insult a whole bunch of our countrymen. It shows a total lack of judgment. We already have a Current Occupant like that and we don't need another.
CAFKIA is a contributor at
Main and Central and also at
Meanderthal.