[vbmoneyspender]

"I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either."

Tell me how I defend this statement to friends I have that are black that I want to become Republicans?

[RAY]

For similar reasons, why should they remains Democrates?

[RAY]

For similar reasons, why should they remains Democrates?

[Peach]

You can remind them that Lott was 7 years old at the time Thurmond ran for president, that he wasn't referring to the segregationist policies of the Dixicrat platform (read Democrat platform) but rather to Thurmond's strong policies of defense and immigration - both of which are affecting us today and are problems probably the problems that Lott was referring to. You can remind them that their own party has a former KKK member - Byrd. That Jesse Jackson is an anti semite who constantly urges African Americans to vote Democrat. You can remind them that Clinton gave the Presidential Medal of Honor to Sen. Fulbright - a segregationist and racist - and called Fulbright his "mentor". See my editorial below to the Washington Times regarding that little matter. There's more you could remind your friends of, I'm sure.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

Tell me how I defend this statement to friends I have that are black that I want to become Republicans?

Don't. Of course you believe they are so dumb as to still fall for democrat race-baiting gag, in that case, why even bother with the conversion?

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

It seems ridiculous to believe that he was referring to segregation, even subconciously.

Besides, who says you have to defend him? I, personally, am in the camp that would have wanted him out of the leadership a week ago, but today can't stand the thought of a bunch of race-baiters pushing him out for trying to be nice to a 100 year old man.

[Salvation]

**Tell me how I defend this statement to friends I have that are black that I want to become Republicans?**

Ask them if Lott were a dimocrat what would be said about him? Like Byrd using the "n" word.........nothing happened to him.

Or Hillary kissing Arafat's wife...........nothing happened to her.

Hypocrisy reigns in Washington D. C.

[livius]

One thing that has been left out of this equation is Strom Thurmond himself. I'm sure not a fan of his, but many people in his homestate are (I know this from one of my daughters, who lives in SC), and he's been consistently reelected for many a long year. I doubt that he could be elected only by white votes, because SC has a large black population. But Strom, even though he is known for being a Bill Clinton level letch and sounds personally odious, knew how to bring home the bacon and get pork and jobs for his state. That's what you elect a senator for, folks, and when they stop getting you stuff, you stop voting for them. He got stuff for the state of SC, and that's why they voted for him.

I have no knowledge of Strom Thurmond's current personal views on race, but he does have black staffers and certainly has not said anything to make it seem that he still subscribes to Dixiecrat aims. And in any case, it's pretty obvious that Lott was praising Strom Thurmond as an effective Senator and polititian, and not a racist wannabe. Remember also that Lott was 7 years old at the time of Thurmond's Dixiecrat campaign, and what Lott remembers is the "new reformed Strom Thurmond," and not the old racist one.

I think Strom should have said something, but the fact remains that he's 100 years old. My daughter told me that at the dedication of a Habitat house that she arranged, they had to make sure to get a shovel light enough for him to hold, and take the picture so that it only looked as if he was doing the groundbreaking. And this was before the last time he was reelected. Towards the end of his last term, in fact, folks in SC weren't even entirely sure that he was going to make it through. So I can understand that he may not be up to personal involvement in this fray.

I still think that Lott should have stepped down as majority leader, but that's partly because I don't think he was effective in any case. But in terms of his words about Strom Thurmond, maybe everybody should give another glance to Thurmond's post-Dixiecrat record. There were a lot of people, mostly Dems, with really ugly baggage to shed (look at Byrd). And remember that Republicans voted for the initial Civil Rights Act by 81-86% ( I've forgotten which), while Dems voted for it by just over 60%.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

How many here "converted" to conservatism?

How many voted for Reagan... on the Leftist platform?

[G.Mason]

"Tell me how I defend this statement to friends I have that are black that I want to become Republicans?"

You could read about the "Dixiecrat" Party and ALL it stood for, and against, in 1948. (don't hurt yourself!)

Tell them to talk with blacks that are conservative. (un-hyphenated Americans)

[TLBSHOW]

Tell me how I defend this statement to friends I have that are black that I want to become Republicans?


5 posted on 12/14/2002 12:24 PM EST by vbmoneyspender


I KNOW WHAT YOU SAY

You send them to this (FR) web site because that is where they will get the truth.

and send them here to Jesse Lee Petersons web site.

http://www.bondinfo.org/

[neutrino]

Tell me how I defend this statement to friends I have that are black that I want to become Republicans?

Trent Lott was talking to a sick, 100 year old man that has been a friend over a period of decades. Is it really so wrong to spout meaningless drivel which gives some comfort, and perhaps a smile to a dying man? Thurmond is a spent force, and has been for quite some time. His ideas are at least obsolete. So a few kind words hurt nothing.

There is another issue as well. At least Thurmond was honest about his position. A lot of candidates followed a similar path, but weren't explicit. Do we know what Thurmonds platform was in other areas? Can we compare and contrast it with that of other candidates? If not, how can we trully know which candidate would have been better for the country?

[KQQL]

Tell me how I defend this statement to friends I have that are black that I want to become Republicans

In 1911 Truman (who was 27) wrote to his future wife, Bess: "I think one man is just as good as another so long as he's honest and decent and not a nigger or a Chinaman. Uncle Will [probably Wfiliam Yount, the brother of Truman's mother] says that the Lord made a white man from dust, a nigger from mud, then He threw up what was left and it came down a Chinaman."
Truman continued: "[I] am strongly of the opinion Negroes ought to be in Africa, yellow men in Asia and white men in Europe and America."

http://reformed-theology.org/jbs/html/bipartisan_bigotry.htm

[Mfkmmof4]

Remind them that the Dems refer to Condi and Powell as House Slaves. That the Dem KKT in Maryland chose a white man who had to switch parties to be her funning mate.

The constant criticism that the Republicans do nothing for Blacks and again look who is in Bush's cabinet for starters.

That is all I have to say.

[OKSooner]

Tell me how I defend this statement to friends I have that are black that I want to become Republicans?

You don't. Period. Brought to you courtesy of the STUUUPID party.

[JimRed]

Tell me how I defend this statement to friends I have that are black that I want to become Republicans?

You don't defend the statement. You ask that the entire party not be judged by a dumb statement by a leader who was raised in a different time and place, who knows now that the old attitudes were wrong, but had a momentary relapse.