Democrat Jim Webb gets it right as he breaks ranks with the fashion of the moment

American Thinker ^ | 06/25/2015 | James Longstreet

[SeekAndFind]

Jim Webb, Reagan’s former Secretary of the Navy, former Virginia Senator and oft mentioned Democrat candidate gets it right regarding the great battle flag issue.

You see, other than his political history, Jim is a historian. I read his book “Born Fighting," a book which gives the history of prominent Scots Irish people in our nation’s history. Ronald Reagan, Andrew Jackson among others. He respects history and he and I exchanged emails after I congratulated him on his work.

Here are some of Mr. Webb’s comments. It is a brave moment for Mr. Webb but also a refreshing one. He is a person standing up for what he believes is correct even though he is out of step with the fashion of the moment. He also happens to be exactly on point.

From the Daily Caller;

“ (we must) respect(s) the complicated history of the Civil War,”

“The Confederate Battle Flag has wrongly been used for racist and other purposes in recent decades. It should not be used in any way as a political symbol that divides us.”

“We should also remember that honorable Americans fought on both sides in the Civil War, including slave holders in the Union Army from states such as Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware, and that many non-slave holders fought for the South. It was in recognition of the character of soldiers on both sides that the federal government authorized the construction of the Confederate Memorial 100 years ago, on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.”

Mr. Webb, being a former Navy Secretary, might have mentioned that Robert E. Lee had a nuclear submarine named after him in 1956, but now they call for his statues to be razed. . Which begs the question, “What changed?”

[celmak]

You or anyone ever heard the GOP mention to the media or the voters that the party of segregation, racism, slavery , and the KKK were Democrats? No me neither.

I agree, it's sickening.

[robowombat]

Yep. There was quite an uproar a few years ago at the University of Washington for allowing a statue of Pappy Boyington to be placed on campus.

[celmak]

It is common knowledge to anyone who knows Civil War military history that the vast majority of the Confederate Army/Navy/Marines was made up of non-slaveholders.

True, and no republican was ever a slaveholder; but they are getting stuck with that perception by the demorats.

The perception needs to be addressed, it cannot be ignored. Until we control the agenda/premise/argument/etc., we are stuck fighting on their terms.

[celmak]

To them, life is like a Disney movie where the bad guys are the bad guys - no nuance, no acceptable alternative perspective.

This is why the argument should be in the simplest terms for them. If we stick to this being just a Demorat/republican issue, they may understand it.

The perception that republicans were the slaveholders and segregationists is growing. To evoke the true history of what was the Party of slaves and segregation can be done by just a hyperbolic slogan - BAN THE DEMORAT PARTY !!!

[rlmorel]

"...There was quite an uproar a few years ago at the University of Washington for allowing a statue of Pappy Boyington to be placed on campus..."

Pfft. THAT is just the standard, run-of-the-mill liberalism. "How DARE anyone put a statue of a warmongering representative of the military-industrial complex on the grounds of a facility dedicated to higher learning."

They wouldn't have an issue with a staute of Che, Mumia, Marx, Lenin, Mao, or Stalin.

But Reagan or Boyington? Nope.

[ek_hornbeck]

Unlike most white Democrats, Webb doesn't feel the need to grovel and apologize for his heritage. This yet another reason why he will never get any traction in the Democratic primaries. The other main reasons are his opposition to gun control and (most importantly) the fact that he isn't Hillary the annointed.

I wish Webb did get some traction, since he represents a type of Democrat that's almost extinct: a Truman or Humphrey style liberal rather than an Obama-style radical. That doesn't sit well with most Democrats because their party organization and ideology is basically totalitarian: deviate from groupthink on any issue and you're out of the game.