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The Democrats' Sorry Lot
Ayn Rand Institute ^ | December 18, 2002 | Robert Tracinski

Posted on 12/24/2002 4:32:03 PM PST by DaveCooper

The Republicans always find a way to do this: just when they have scored a sweeping victory, they find a way to turn it into defeat. And so it was that Trent Lott celebrated his party's mid-term election win with a bizarre endorsement of Strom Thurmond's 1948 pro-segregation presidential campaign.

However much this hurts the Republicans, though, that's nothing compared to how it will hurt the Democrats.

The Democrats? - I hear you ask. Yes, this will hurt the Democrats, in the long run. It will hurt them because it gives them the illusion of having an important political issue to use to their advantage. And thus it will excuse them, for at least another two years, from examining the failed policies that lost them the election.

For the month prior to Lott's remarks, Democrats engaged in half-hearted soul-searching. It was not a terribly productive discussion; polls showed the public had voted to support a vigorous prosecution of the war, yet Democrats reacted by promoting a staunchly antiwar Congresswoman as their House leader. But at least Democrats were discussing what had happened to their party. Now, they aren't discussing anything but Lott's ouster.

Digging up Lott's vaguely pro-segregationist past and trumpeting it to the world puts the Democrats in seemingly safe and cozy territory. For decades, they have used one of the better moments from their past - the battle against segregation - to great political advantage. It established in the public's mind the image of the left as courageous fighters against the regressive forces of bigotry.

There is only one problem with this tactic: racism and segregation are no longer real political issues, as demonstrated when Lott scurried to Black Entertainment Television to make his apologies. Indeed, Lott is now so desperate to prove he is not a racist that he has pledged to work with Democrats to promote their "civil rights" agenda.

But basking in the glow of their civil-rights halo poses a danger to Democrats far greater than even the recent election loss. Their self-image as crusaders for the oppressed blinds them to their real record - a record of turning from advocates of a "color-blind" society to advocates of racial preferences - and, in the process, hurting the very people they promised to help.

Democrats followed their victory over segregation by herding poor blacks into welfare programs and inner-city public housing projects. In doing so, they doomed millions to another generation of poverty. There is a kind of ironic justice to the names given to big public housing projects. They were named after crusading liberals who were supposed to stand for progress and the uplift of the poor - Robert Taylor, Mother Cabrini, etc. - people whose names are now synonymous with environments so hellish, squalid and crime-ridden that cities across America are now literally blowing them up and razing them to the ground.

But even worse damage was done by the left's system of racial favors. Facing discrimination, blacks were forced to be smarter, better educated and harder-working if they wanted to get ahead. Under preferences, they were told that they could be less smart, less educated, and that they did not have to achieve as much as others. The more radical leftists assailed all education and achievement, promoting ignorance, rudeness, and poor grammar as indelible aspects of "black culture."

The disastrous consequences are captured in two eloquent and widely known phrases. The welfare state has been described as a "liberal plantation," in which blacks remained dependents of government rather than independent individuals. And affirmative action has been described as "the soft bigotry of low expectations" - the condescending notion that blacks cannot be asked to live up to the same standards as other people.

In reaction to these spectacular failures, the ideological momentum has shifted to the right, to new black intellectuals who are dissenters from the liberal orthodoxy - people like Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, John McWhorter, and so on.

Republicans see this, and they have begun to pursue black voters. They have a strong incentive to do so: if Republicans had secured even 30 percent of the black vote in the last presidential election, the result would not even have been close. That's why Republicans will take care of the Lott affair, even if it means sacking their Senate leader at their moment of triumph.

Democrats, by contrast, show no signs of reevaluating their policies on race, or on any other issue. Lott says he has learned from his mistakes; the Democrats have committed themselves to refusing to learn from theirs.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: democrats; republicans; trentlott

1 posted on 12/24/2002 4:32:03 PM PST by DaveCooper
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To: DaveCooper
Democrats, having supported the most corrupt presidential administration in American history, have absolutely no moral authority whatsoever. It is their utter immorality that has doomed them.
2 posted on 12/24/2002 4:54:29 PM PST by Savage Beast
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To: DaveCooper
The Democrats always seem to dwell in the past. The way they are operating, the vicious attacks will continue against Republicans.
The answer.... Republicans need to promote the future, push aside the past, argue that everyone on both sides has made mistakes, but only the strong leaders can admit to making mistakes, but move on. Walk away from the intimidators. Tell them the issues have been resolved and there is nothing more to say.

Unfortunately I see Lott's resignation as a sign of weakness. Politicians are so afraid of making mistakes they cast the idea they are accomplishing nothing except preparing for the next election, but forget to represent the people who put them there. We do not need to exhibit weakness by backing down to the attackers.

The small groups who cry out the loudest remind me of a child who crys until given candy. Eventually they realize that if they continue crying, they will get more candy, and eventually graduate from accepting a candy appeasement to more sophisticated forms of extortion to get their way. The NAACP (national association of always complaining people) is polishing their techniques to use a crying affliction agenda to extort the big prize, reparations. Any politician who allies themself with opposing reparations will be the next people accused of racism. Where does the extortion racket stop?
3 posted on 12/24/2002 5:05:04 PM PST by o_zarkman44
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To: DaveCooper
Democrats, by contrast, show no signs of reevaluating their policies on race, or on any other issue. Lott says he has learned from his mistakes; the Democrats have committed themselves to refusing to learn from theirs.

Bingo! They are doomed. They are giddy with the belief that they have found the Achilles Heel of the Republican jaugernaut. They fool themselves. The are delusional. The clouds of their political bloodlust will hasten them into rocky chores and dead ends. C'est la guerre.

4 posted on 12/24/2002 5:37:07 PM PST by VRW Conspirator
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To: DaveCooper
I wonder how dissapointing this next two-year stretch would have been for Repubs, WITH Lott in place, even if he had not misspoken.

What the Dem senators now face, will be a final stretch, with a Senate led by a man with strong conviction to Republican standards, who won't be in their back pocket, ready to cut last minute, back-room deals, like Lott was.

Sounds like their WORST nightmare......they should have given him a pass for their own sake....but they couldn't resist their own pit-bull mentality!
5 posted on 12/24/2002 5:50:53 PM PST by spoiler2
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To: DaveCooper
Already posted, but worth repeating.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/809494/posts
6 posted on 12/24/2002 6:15:53 PM PST by RJCogburn
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To: DaveCooper
Breaking News. This has to be at least a week old. At any rate the Demoncrats still don't get it. No reason to clue them in.
7 posted on 12/24/2002 6:17:01 PM PST by The Real Deal
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To: DaveCooper
Republicans see this, and they have begun to pursue black voters.

Black leaders rather should recognize that Republicans will vote on a candidate's potential, not their color and that the first Black President will be a Republican. Others should also note that the first Woman President will also be a Republican.

Of course, both candidates could be the same person.

8 posted on 12/24/2002 6:27:27 PM PST by NJJ
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To: DaveCooper
For decades, they (the RATS) have used one of the better moments from their past - the battle against segregation - to great political advantage.

Once again, it must be pointed out that more Republicans voted for Civil Rights legislation than RATS. And it was RATS like J. William Fulbright, Al Gore, Sr., Fritz Hollings, Robert Byrd who staunchly opposed desegregation.

It was Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower who ordered the University of Arkansas to allow black students to enter. Sooner or later this is going to sink in.

9 posted on 12/24/2002 8:01:43 PM PST by Texas Eagle
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To: DaveCooper
"Republicans see this, and they have begun to pursue black voters. They have a strong incentive to do so: if Republicans had secured even 30 percent of the black vote in the last presidential election, the result would not even have been close." Half of the freepers miss this point.
10 posted on 12/24/2002 9:17:53 PM PST by Kay Soze
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To: DaveCooper
The sorry A$$ Bill is on C-SPAN right now in a re-play of him with children and he's talking about the homeless and "there are more this year because the economy isn't as good."

What a jerk!

11 posted on 12/24/2002 9:21:05 PM PST by lonestar
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To: DaveCooper
How do Hispanics and Asians feel about Blacks, and I'm talking big picture? One wonders if the former groups would rather be in the other party. One could say that the Hispanics and Asians are just as entitled to piss and moan as liberal African Americans, but they don't.

IMHO, the GOP wastes its breath trying to make inroads with the NAACP crowd and its voters. These blacks believe that the Govt is the only thing that has ever taken care of them. They WANT big govt, that's where most of them are employed.

12 posted on 12/24/2002 9:28:20 PM PST by Professional
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To: Texas Eagle
Once again, it must be pointed out that more Republicans voted for Civil Rights legislation than RATS. And it was RATS like J. William Fulbright, Al Gore, Sr., Fritz Hollings, Robert Byrd who staunchly opposed desegregation. It was Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower who ordered the University of Arkansas to allow black students to enter. Sooner or later this is going to sink in.

And this is going to sink in how? Do you think this is taught in public education? Hah! And of course in the inner city, 95% black, rotten schools - do you think this is taught? Hah again!

13 posted on 12/24/2002 11:35:21 PM PST by dark_lord
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To: DaveCooper
That's alright. All the Demoncrats have to do to compensate for their failure on racial issues, is run a few adds showing black churches burning and James Byrd chained to the back of a pick-up truck...and the NAACP and Jesse Jackass will praise them as saviors of the black race.
Pathetic.
14 posted on 12/24/2002 11:47:14 PM PST by Jorge
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To: DaveCooper
The title says it all. The Dems are the sorriest lot.
15 posted on 12/25/2002 12:04:24 AM PST by starboardside
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To: DaveCooper
The Democrats are digging themselves into a hole. They may succeed in keeping the blacks on the Liberal Plantation but in the process they'll lose what little's left of their soul and the country.
16 posted on 12/25/2002 12:17:00 AM PST by goldstategop
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To: dark_lord
And this is going to sink in how? Do you think this is taught in public education? Hah! And of course in the inner city, 95% black, rotten schools - do you think this is taught? Hah again!

Well, at least your nick matches your outlook.

17 posted on 12/25/2002 9:50:28 AM PST by Texas Eagle
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To: Texas Eagle
:-)
18 posted on 12/25/2002 12:22:53 PM PST by dark_lord
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