Republicans versus Democrats on Race Issues

Bigotry

An African-American Viewpoint on the Republican Party versus a Compassionate Conservative White's Response

Once again, I am indebted to paz y amour, from the wonderful blog the path, for an extensive comment that shows deep consideration on his part. It is a well-thought-out treatise on how Blacks feel about the Republican Party, a response to yesterday's post, Shoulda Been Biden His Time, about Senator Joe Biden's unfortunate and unintentionally racist but revealing remarks about Senator Barack Obama.

Since paz so well communicates one point of view, I am again elevating a paz comment to a post. This time, though, I am including my comments as part of the post, since I am so passionately opposed to paz' view on this. Where does the truth lie? I believe it lies with my viewpoint. Paz believes it lies with his.

Please be advised, while paz' arguments are well presented, he was unaware that I would be posting them. I have his permission from the past to use his comments, when warranted, as posts. Still, he did not have the time in his comments to research, and he therefore is at somewhat of a disadvantage to me. So, this duel is unfair. With time and preparation, paz could have offered further points to advance his thesis, and counter mine. Therefore, don't look upon it as who won or lost the debate. Rather, view it as an expression of two opposing points of view, and learn from both sides.

After all, we're dealing not just with facts, but also with feelings, perceptions, and apperceptions.

Paz on How African-Americans Feel About the Republican Party

Rock's Counter Arguments

The Oops Comment

Ah, the power of the "oops" comment. Apparently your president isn't the only one who says stupid things. I agree that comments like this are unspoken thoughts that slip out from time to time and speak volumes about how some rich White (undercover)racist politicians feel about minorities-





Forgive me paz, but Bush is not just "my" president, he is also "your" president.

It's good, though, that we agree on the nature of Senator Biden's comment.

Ignorance or Racism?

and I loved your line about them being "marveled when they just show up". So true, at least that is how it comes out. As usual, I have to disagree though with your view that it's a demogoguing Democrat issue when in fact it's evidence of individual ignorance- NOT widespread racism on the part of the democrats.

Paz, every time a White Democrat goes into a Black church or speaks to a Black audience and agrees with the audience that there is widespread racism against Blacks, or accepts the plea for a bigger welfare state, or trumpets the view that cops are prejudiced against Blacks, this is pandering and enabling. I realize that Bush has the same tendency, but Democrats on the whole use this strategy as a mainstay.

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Republicans versus Democrats on Pandering

I would argue that Republicans are just as likely as Democrats to have a pandering racist attitude- however your disdain for Dems will surely bias you from seeing that.

My disdain for Dems is based on example after example. Yes, there are Republicans who do this too, but fewer by far.

The True History and Present Reality

Black people have traditionally been distrustful of politicians, regardless of party. You feel that Dems "demagogue" Black people but the point you're missing is that the Republican party offers (and has historically offered) little or no rational alternative. All the recent scandals that have plagued Republicans haven't helped!

Historically, the Republican Party was founded on an anti-slavery platform, as opposed to the slave-holding and pro-slavery Democrats. The rational alternatives now that Republicans offer are: a rising middle class thanks to Bush's tax cuts; the highest level of Black home ownership in history; African-American cabinet members, government appointees, a Supreme Court Justice, and a drive for African-American party membership and power. These are not just talk, but real action.

As far as the scandals go, I concede your point on this issue.

Black Advancement: Greater under Republicans or Democrats?

Consider that over the last century, the U.S. presidents who presided over periods of great strides in Black history were ALL Democrats. FDR- when Blacks were allowed into the military as equals for the first time, LBJ when Blacks gained LEGAL social/political equality, and Clinton when Blacks FINALLY gained economic equality. Black folks LOVE Bill Clinton because so many moved into the middle class bracket during those 8 years. Whatever their motivation for bringing about social change for African Americans, Democrats as a party have been perceived as having a HUGE positive impact on the lives of Black people in this country. The same can't be said for their Republican counterparts- not in the least.

How about the U.S. president who made the greatest stride of all for Blacks, Abraham Lincoln? Blacks love Clinton for their moving into the middle class, when in reality it was Reagan lowering taxes that was responsible for the Clinton prosperity. Yes, Clinton didn't muck it up, like so many Democrats have, so I give him credit for this, but it was Reagan that led to the rise. Under Bush, there are more African-American homeowners than at any time in history, with the biggest African-American middle class in history.

Eisenhower

Think about the Eisenhower days when Black soldiers went to
Korea thinking it would help with social change only to return as second-class citizens under segregation and Jim Crow.

Soldiers sent by Eisenhower to protect Black students in Little Rock, Arkansas, 1957

Au contraire. The worst of the bigotry and segregation at that time occurred in the South, under universal Democratic Party rule. Eisenhower inherited FDR and Truman's policies on the armed forces, and also the Black soldiers' treatment when they returned from war. Much of the Korean War was under Truman. Eisenhower was not happy with the treatment of Blacks. He took action. Eisenhower was the first modern president to pass and enforce civil rights legislation.Under this Republican president, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its historic Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483, on May 17, 1954. The decision declared all laws establishing segregated schools to be unconstitutional, and it called for the desegregation of all schools in the nation. Eisenhower sent U.S. troops to enforce the Supreme Courts' historic decision. Opposing Eisenhower was Orval Eugene Faubus (7 January 1910–14 December 1994), a six-term Democratic Governor of Arkansas, infamous for his 1957 stand against integration of Little Rock, Arkansas, schools in defiance of U.S. Supreme Court rulings

Eisenhower also took steps to end segregation in federal jurisdiction, and hired African-Americans to work at the White House. Growing awareness of racial injustice in the South prompted the Eisenhower administration to draft legislation leading to the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first civil rights legislation enacted in the United States since Reconstruction. The new law was a building block for the sweeping Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. LBJ was the beneficiary of Eisenhower's groundbreaking work.

Reagan

Think about the Reagan days when "trickle-down Reaganomics" basically kept Blacks OUT of the Middle Class.

Again, "trickle-down Reaganomics" did work, as evidenced in the Clinton years, when Clinton, unlike past Democrats, did not dismantle the Reagan Revolution, and in fact was distinctly conservative on economics, much like Republicans. Clinton, you remember, enacted welfare reform, a Republican idea.

Katrina

Think about a year and a half ago when GWB simply flew over flooded New Orleans and returned to his ranch without doing a thing- while thousands were stranded.

This was not a race thing, paz. This was an incompetence thing. You can't keep pummeling Bush that he is incompetent on a whole host of issues and then suddenly say that he could have been competent on New Orleans but chose not to be because of race.

Republican versus Democratic Track Record with Blacks

In other words, Republican leaders (besides Lincoln of course) have a bad track record as far a Black people are concerned and it's gonna take A LOT to change the negative view. In other words, Dems are the lesser of two evils- and isn't that how we usually vote anyway?

Lincoln, Eisenhower, and Bush are three presidents who have made great contributions to Black advancement. Lincoln freed the slaves and was loved by Blacks. Eisenhower sent in troops to enforce civil rights, and appointed Blacks, for the first time, to positions in government. Bush has appointed more Blacks to positions of high power than any other president, bar none. You have proven my point. You seem blind to these contributions. Why? Because you've heard so often that Republicans are against Blacks. It simply isn't true. It may have been true at one time, just as with Democrats. Dems still have an ex Ku Klux Klan Exalted Cyclops as a Democratic Senator, Robert Byrd.

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Trickery, Demagoguery, or Loyalty?

So my dear Rock, you view Black support of the Democrats as a result of severe trickery, when in fact, it's the result of severe loyalty. Though you think the Dems are insulting in their "pandering" of Black people, there is nothing more insulting than the lack of political support Blacks have gotten from Republicans over the years. Will it change? Maybe. But for now, you'll have to continue to wonder why Blacks are "blind" in their support, when in fact, we are not so blind. History is a bit hard to forget....

Paz, you obviously are sincere. I believe, though, that not only does the Republican Party hold the key to the Black middle class for the future, but that history does show a great devotion to civil rights from the Republicans. Yes, it took a long time to develop, but those growing pains are over. In truth, the most virulent bigots in our history have been Democrats, with their pro-slavery stance at the beginning, their support of the Ku Klux Klan after that, their bigotry in the South in the fifties (which Eisenhower fought), and their soft bigotry and pandering now.

My Conclusion

If Blacks want to continue looking to the past, fine—Republicans have the best record, on everything from civil rights to economics, that can lift the Blacks into the middle class. As for the present, just look at the pictures of Bush's previous and present cabinet, and power brokers. Peruse the photos of the Supreme Court. This is unacknowledged groundbreaking advancement on all fronts, under a Republican, again.

Rock

(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)


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