The Democrats' Race to the Bottom

The Weekly Standard ^ | 12/30/2002 | Stephen F. Hayes

[Pokey78]

There they go again. . .

DEMOCRATS GOT SMART about the Trent Lott controversy too late. A few days before Lott stepped down as majority leader, prominent Democratic politicians and pundits--Rep. John Lewis, Jesse Jackson, James Carville, Lanny Davis--began saying that Lott should remain. They all spoke of forgiveness and redemption and deplored the harsh world of Washington politics.

Even the most casual observer could see that Democrats wanted Lott to keep his official job, as Senate GOP leader, and his unofficial one, as the face of Republican racism. Even as top Democratic partisans were making nice with Lott, former President Bill Clinton was reinforcing the notion that Lott's offensive words were a gaffe that had exposed a Republican agenda "inimical to everything this country stands for."

"How do they think they got a majority in the South anyway?" Clinton asked on CNN. "I think what they are really upset about is that [Lott] made public their strategy." Clinton added: "He just embarrassed them by saying in Washington what they do on the back roads every day."

There you have it--a simple, two-tiered strategy: Keep Trent Lott in power, then portray the Republicans as the party of Trent Lott, neosegregationist. Into the bargain, Democrats would push Lott to abandon the colorblind policies favored by Republicans in Congress, by Republican voters, and by an overwhelming majority of Americans, according to most polls.

Indeed, on that score, Democrats succeeded with respect to Lott himself. Lott told Black Entertainment Television's Ed Gordon that he supports affirmative action "absolutely." What's more, he said, his efforts from now on would be "about actions more than words. As majority leader I can move an agenda that would have things that would be helpful to African Americans and minorities of all kinds and all Americans."

Plainly, Lott, had he retained his leadership job, would have taken his party along on a Repent with Trent tour, trying desperately--a statute here, a preference there--to win the approval of black political leaders. Naturally, any such attempt to fawn his way to favor would have failed. Lott was too valuable to the Democrats. You can hear them now: How can you, Candidate X, oppose affirmative action? Even Trent Lott, who wanted the segregationists to win in 1948, is for affirmative action.

No, the Democrats wanted Lott right where he was--in leadership. They wanted him because they need black voters and high turnouts, or their fragile interest-group coalition falls apart. For them, Republicans reasonable on race and attractive to blacks are a mortal danger.

Think back to the presidential election in 2000. George W. Bush ran as a new, inclusive, "compassionate conservative." He swore he would ban racial profiling. He denounced "the soft bigotry of low expectations." He backed some school choice proposals, strongly favored by most blacks with school-aged children. He was loath to mention racial preferences or affirmative action. His nominating convention was a multicultural wonderland.

Despite all of this, an outsider watching the final days of the Democrats' 2000 campaign could have concluded that George W. Bush was Jefferson Davis and that segregation, lynching, and voting rights were major issues.

At an appearance at a black church in Pittsburgh as part of a last-minute attempt to get black voters to the polls, Al Gore accused Bush of speaking in code on the campaign trail. "When my opponent, Governor Bush, says that he will appoint strict constructionists to the Supreme Court," Gore said, "I often think of the strictly constructionist meaning that was applied when the Constitution was written, how some people were considered three-fifths of a human being."

Later that weekend, Gore joined Louvan Harris, sister of the murdered James Byrd Jr., on stage in Philadelphia. He listened to her describe her brother's horrible killing by Texas racists. "They spray-painted him black, chained him to a truck, dragged him three miles. His head came off, his arms--dismembered his whole body," Harris said. Gore stood by silently as Harris continued, "We have a governor of Texas who doesn't think that's a hate crime. My question to him is, if that isn't hate, what is hate to George Bush? He had an opportunity to do something for our family. He did nothing."

The NAACP memorably turned that repulsive crime into an anti-Bush campaign ad, featuring grainy, black-and-white footage of a pickup truck, chains dragging from the back. Jesse Jackson was asked on CNN, "Is the NAACP going too far in suggesting that Governor Bush is someone who could support the murder of James Byrd?" He gave a direct answer: "No."

Get that? George W. Bush could support the murder of James Byrd.

"The threat is real," Jackson said of Bush that same weekend. "Clarence Thomas, backed by Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms, Orrin Hatch--they'll take us back to 1896 [when the Supreme Court upheld segregation]. We'll go back on organized labor. We'll go back on affirmative action. We'll go back on self-determination."

It's worth noting here that Jackson's disgusting remarks--Clarence Thomas would like to return to an America where segregation is legal?--elicited none of the media response that greeted Trent Lott's comments. Three reasons: One, Jackson isn't the Senate majority leader. Two, Jackson has a long history of outrageous pronouncements. Three, there is a media double standard on race. In Lott's case, most journalists showed up late to the controversy and then piled on. With Jackson, there was no outrage at all. Reporter Greg Bolt of the Eugene, Oregon, Register-Guard even gave Jackson's comments a sycophantic introduction: "The man known sometimes as the great unifier and the conscience of the nation hammered home the need to vote."

The Clinton administration, never content to leave politics to the political realm, sent Attorney General Janet Reno in front of the cameras to warn against voter intimidation. Five days before the election, Reno warned that federal law contains "special protections for the rights of minority voters and guarantees that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them." She continued: "For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places located in minority areas by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law and will not be tolerated."

Reno was essentially updating the words her boss had spoken in 1998, days before a record minority turnout helped Democrats pick up congressional seats against historical precedent. Clinton, speaking specifically to Republicans, had urged them to "stand up and put a stop" to their alleged intimidation of minorities. "For the last several elections there have been examples in various states of Republicans either actually or threatening to try to intimidate or try to invalidate the votes of African Americans in precincts that are overwhelmingly African-American--mostly places where they think it might change the outcome of the election." Despite several attempts by Republicans and at least one reporter to substantiate these charges, the Clinton administration could provide no evidence.

The attacks throughout the 2000 election cycle came despite the virtual absence of race as a policy issue. Shortly before the election, a think tank that focuses on race, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, polled black voters. Only 2percent polled said "race relations/ racism" was the top issue. Even President Clinton, who had spent much of the fall appealing to blacks on behalf of his party, allowed that the election was "not fundamentally about race."

Yet Democrats had a reason for race-baiting: "I think there's no question that the African-American community, no doubt about it, is the base of the Democratic party," Gore campaign chairman Bill Daley said on CNN just before the election. "So we're going to be working very hard to get that base out."

Gore's efforts to get the base excited were tireless. Shortly after Bush selected Dick Cheney as his running mate, a "Democratic strategist" told the New York Times about well-developed plans to go after Cheney for a 1986 vote he cast "against Nelson Mandela." The suggestion was that this was a vote for apartheid. The Democrats' opposition research was effective but dishonest. Cheney had voted against the resolution in question for complicated reasons, most having to do with the Communist leadership of Mandela's African National Congress. Cheney was hardly alone in casting the vote--145 Republicans and 31 Democrats had voted with him. Still, he was forced to explain the vote--one of thousands he'd cast--on numerous occasions during the campaign. Democrats had radio ads in the can. And a media frenzy seemed imminent, especially if Democrats could come up with the right person to make the accusation.

Who better than Bill Clinton? "Now, all the big publicity is about, in the last few days, an amazing vote cast by their vice-presidential nominee when he was in Congress against letting Nelson Mandela out of jail," Clinton said. "That takes your breath away."

But Clinton's effort failed, and the Democratic campaign had to be shelved. This had nothing to do with a sudden emergence of conscience. Rather, it was a product of poor planning. Clinton unveiled his attack on Cheney's vote in speeches at three fundraisers for Democrat Bill Nelson, now the junior senator from Florida. The problem was, Nelson had been in Congress with Cheney, and he had voted the same way. As a spokesman for Nelson explained at the time: "Bottom line is that Nelson strongly supported two components of the measure, and he considers Mandela one of the century's great leaders. He could not support the third, recognizing the ANC, because it was dominated by the Communist party. This vote should be looked at in context."

There were similar efforts to paint Republicans as racists throughout the country. Democrats were behind some of them. Their allies in the NAACP and the civil rights establishment were responsible for others. In a 2000 campaign that even Bill Clinton conceded had little to do with race, race was everywhere.

It would have been again in 2004 had the Democrats had Trent Lott to kick around. They don't, so it won't be as easy for Democrats to play the race card, but Lott's absence won't cause them to stop trying.

[chachacha]

There you have it--a simple, two-tiered strategy: Keep Trent Lott in power, then portray the Republicans as the party of Trent Lott, neosegregationist. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

This is hilarious! So we kick LOTT out and we still are the party of neosegregationist. Have you folks been watching your Liberal friends on TV lately! Gees!

What does it take to wake republicans up. This is only starting!

[gaspar]

Missing in this analysis is the fact that most conservatives felt Lott was a loser and so the Democrats did the Republican Party a favor. It also may have made a terrible blunder if Frist shines as majority leader. They may have created the monster that will kill Dr. Hillary Frankenstein in 2008.

[dwilli]

Who cares what Lott said? He was a lousy SML...I never say anything bad about the departed. Lott has departed, that's good.

[randita]

There you have it--a simple, two-tiered strategy: Keep Trent Lott in power, then portray the Republicans as the party of Trent Lott, neosegregationist.

I honestly don't think the Democrats wanted Lott to stay as ML. The proof of their power and control was that they were able to make such a fuss that Republicans tossed him over. They were going to portray Republicans as the party of segregationists whether Lott stayed or went.

[JustPiper]

From rushlimbaugh.com

Democrats Lick Their Chops - December 19, 2002

Ladies and gentlemen, I offer the following AP story to prove my point that this isn't about Trent Lott anymore and hasn't been for the longest time, and to answer the question, "If Lott goes that ends it, doesn't it?" No, because it's not about Lott.

As evidence, I present this Associated Press story by Jesse Holland, headlined in the Chicago Sun-Times: "Democrats Lick Chops, Eye Civil Rights Agenda." Have you ever watched your dog or cat lick their chops after eating? I have two cats that do it all the time, cute little things. Can you just see Tom Daschle licking his chops? This is a phrase we use all the time, but try visualize Fritz Hollings licking his chops. Read the opening of this story:

"Whether Trent Lott stays or goes, Democrats and black groups see his apparent nostalgia for a segregated past as a golden opportunity to revive a hate crimes bill, push a minimum wage increase and force the White House to tilt new tax cuts toward minorities and the poor.

They predict the sudden Republican sensitivity to racial issues will continue whether or not Lott stays on as GOP Senate leader in the next Congress, when the party controls both houses."

This stuff like "sudden Republican sensitivity to racial issues" has to be dealt with or it will continue to be cemented in stone. Let me tell you who's not sensitive to racial progress, and that's the Democrats. The Democrats need their voters dumb, stupid, uneducated, and mildly hungry. They need as many of them in that state as possible because that's how you define need and inability. The worst thing in the world for a liberal Democrat politician is a self-starter, somebody with confidence, somebody who doesn't need somebody else for his needs, somebody who doesn't look to Washington for the answer to every problem, somebody who doesn't want to be a member of a group.

Look at who's keeping racial hatred burning in this country. It's not Trent Lott. It's people like Democrats who force busing in Boston on people who don't want it, blacks, as well as whites. It is Democrats standing figuratively in the schoolhouse door, preventing poor blacks from getting into decent schools. Affirmative action is another example – it's gone way beyond its original intentions and become an insult and reverse discrimination.

It's time for this battle on race to be joined by our side, folks. It can no longer be avoided. The Democrats see an episode like this Lott situation as another way to divide the nation and paint all conservatives as racists. We can't let them do it.

[pabianice]

We must never forget how vile are the professional liars and race-baiters of the Democratic Party.

[norton]

"This is only starting"

Hardly.

Race, and division of society into specific (interest) groups for control, has been at the bottom of Democrat strategy since the thirties and it will continue to be there into the next thirties.

Point of the article seems to be that Lott's idiotic comments gave us a chance to dump someone that most wanted out anyway - and a sign that his alleged underlying racism was not to be tolerated on the right.

That MIGHT be a good thing, it SHOULD be a good thing, but it won't hinder the left from continuing on it's hateful little way.

[San Jacinto]

I honestly don't think the Democrats wanted Lott to stay as ML.

Oh, I think they wanted him to stay. It started with John Lewis "forgiving" Lott. Then Carville chimed in that he was so moved by John Lewis' statement that he "forgave" Lott as well. Carville said we must have tolerance for the shortcomings of others and hope they could redeem themselves. As this article states, the Dems were going to use the Lott issue as a wedge to drive the political agenda to the left and paint the Republican party as racist at the same time.

While it is true the 'Rats won't stop now, it would have been so much easier with Lott as the face of the party at every press briefing. Now, Lott is perceived by many people as having acted in the best interest of the country by stepping down, while the 'Rats continue to pile on for political gain. With Frist as the new leader, the 'Rats will appear as even more transparent and desperate. Where was Hillary when "racist Republican" Bill Frist was in Africa helping bring medical care to those without?

[folklore]

Well done. I am with you 100%!!!!

[expatpat]

The black vote is critical to the Democrap Party -- they have to get a high turn-out there, and that's what all the race-baiting is about. Unfortunately for them, the blacks are finally becoming smart, and starting to demand real leadership positions in the Party, so the current white leaders are going to either p*ss them off or lose much of their own power.

When Sharpton tries for the Democrap nomination and gets screwed, the Democraps are going to have major problems.

[sweetliberty]

"He just embarrassed them by saying in Washington what they do on the back roads every day."

GOD! That man is SUCH a liar! And just what the h*ll would HE know about what America stands for. I guess it depends on what the meaning of "stands" is.

[sweetliberty]

"Reno warned that federal law contains "special protections for the rights of minority voters and guarantees that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them." She continued: "For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places located in minority areas by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law and will not be tolerated."

The only thing the democRATS are trying to prevent is the thwarting of their sleazy fraudulent voting campaigns.

Why is it that the democRATS fight every attempt to uncover voter fraud that would restore integrity to the election process? Short answer, because they would LOSE much more frequently and they don't like to lose.

[Route66]

I think they wanted him to stay, too. The Dems use blacks but have a hard time controlling the action when they try to pull off something like this. The 'Maxine Waters' end winds up going over the edge and spouts things beyond the talking points. It starts a firestorm they can't readily back away from and eventually they go too far.

Daschle immediately tried to hold up Lott's leadership in the senate knowing full well Lott was their best friend among the republicans and their ticket to the concessions he would need in the coming session. He was quickly overpowered by the far left wing as the thing snowballed.

Daschle is the one who knows best what the Dems have lost in Lott. He knows the deals that were cut between him and Lott before the election and how much Lott has conceded away over all these years as our leader in the senate. Tommy is quaking in his boots at facing a new leader.

I just pray whoever is finally selected as majority leader will really BE one this time. We might just find out what it's like to actually advance our agenda. [What a concept.]

[sweetliberty]

" "I think there's no question that the African-American community, no doubt about it, is the base of the Democratic party," Gore campaign chairman Bill Daley said on CNN just before the election."

Translation: If blacks get better educated, wise up and start thinking for themselves and taking responsibility for themselves instead of being the perpetual victims, we're screwed!

[sweetliberty]

"What does it take to wake republicans up. This is only starting!"

And it will continue as long as republicans continue to play to it and kiss their butts. It needs to be ignored, other than an occasional statement aimed at revealing the RATS for the mean-spirited, racebaiting hatemongers that they are. Beyond that we should just be focusing on relevant issues leaving them to stew in their own juices.

[sweetliberty]

"They may have created the monster that will kill Dr. Hillary Frankenstein in 2008."

What a dream come true that would be...the orc queen falls due to the relentless conspiracy of truth launched by the republicans. Nearly perfect!

[GraniteStateConservative]

Do you see Newt Gingrich commercials anymore against Republicans? No. It's not because he's not in Congress-- it's because he's not the Speaker, or otherwise in leadership and in the spotlight as a spokesman.

The Dems know that booting Lott made their ranting moot. If they bring up Lott in 2004, it'll backfire bigtime because the voters will say, "That's all you have for a reason to vote Democrat?"

[sweetliberty]

"We must never forget how vile are the professional liars and race-baiters of the Democratic Party."

"Vile" doesn't even begin to cover it. I couldn't believe the bold-faced lie in Hillary CLINTON's statement about the republicans exploiting race! That statement alone shows how truly stupid they believe their black constituents to be. If it wasn't for exploitation of blacks, the Rats wouldn't have a party, and they know it. God help them when blacks wake up and realize that not only have they been lied to and played for fools by the Rats, but also that they are being called morons with every hypocritical statement made by a prominenet RAT in "their interests".

[Sal]

The Dems use blacks but have a hard time controlling the action when they try to pull off something like this. The 'Maxine Waters' end winds up going over the edge and spouts things beyond the talking points. It starts a firestorm they can't readily back away from and eventually they go too far.

Well said--you've NAILED it!

IMO we are seeing the Clintons careening from mistake to mistake and making their position a little worse as they go. Remember they got caught refusing money to Carl McCall in order to funnel it to Florida in a horribly failed attempt at pure Clintonian revenge.

Most of us wondered at the time if black voters would hold them accountable. Hillary MUST have, not just the black vote, but a HUGE black vote turnout for her in '04 if she goes for it, '06 for re-election, and/or '08. What's a girl to do?

She HAD to distract black voters from their dawning realization about the nature of their exact value to the Clintons. Not just Rats--specifically the Clintons. Unfortunately for the Rats, the Clintons are still writing the scripts for the whole Rat party.

Unfortunately for the Clintons, they can't control their scriptreaders--at least not all the time. This really blew up in their faces and they're scrambling to pick any little scrap of success from the ashes. Hahahahahaha.