Forum Post: This is where the Republicans are coming from.
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 7, 2012, 3:09 p.m. EST by ShubeLMorgan2
(1088)
from New York, NY
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Harvey LeRoy "Lee" Atwater (February 27, 1951 – March 29, 1991) was an American political consultant and strategist to the Republican Party. He was an advisor of U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and Chairman of the Republican National Committee.
This is why I will hold my nose and vote against Romney in the only way that counts. People who come here urging progressives to abstain or vote for Romney by stealth (back a mini third party) are uniting with the ghost of Lee Atwater. http://www.pensitoreview.com/2011/08/17/roves-brain-lee-atwater-in-1981-gop-push-for-budget-cuts-is-stealth-racism/
In 1981 Interview, ‘Rove’s Brain’ Lee Atwater Connects the Dots Between Jim Crow Racist Policies and GOP’s Push for Budget Cuts
Jon Ponder | Aug 17, 2011
Lee Atwater
In 1981, the late Lee Atwater, political mentor to Karl Rove and George W. Bush and one of the originators of today’s Republican propaganda attack machine, was interviewed anonymously by political scientist Alexander P. Lamis for his book, Two-Party South. In the interview, Atwater explained how the GOP, in its appeal to Southern voters starting with Richard Nixon’s Southern Strategy, reconfigured overtly racist policies from the Jim Crow era into Reagan-era economic policies, including particularly budget cuts targeting the poor: LEE ATWATER: As to the whole Southern strategy that [Nixon political strategist] Harry S. Dent, Sr. and others put together in 1968, opposition to the Voting Rights Act would have been a central part of keeping the South. Now [the new Southern Strategy of Ronald Reagan] doesn’t have to do that. All you have to do to keep the South is for Reagan to run in place on the issues he’s campaigned on since 1964 and that’s fiscal conservatism, balancing the budget, cut taxes, you know, the whole cluster.
QUESTIONER: But the fact is, isn’t it, that Reagan does get to the Wallace voter and to the racist side of the Wallace voter by doing away with legal services, by cutting down on food stamps?
ATWATER: You start out in 1954 by saying, “Nigger, nigger, nigger.” By 1968 you can’t say “nigger” — that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, states’ rights and all that stuff. You’re getting so abstract now [that] you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites. And subconsciously maybe that is part of it. I’m not saying that. But I’m saying that if it is getting that abstract, and that coded, that we are doing away with the racial problem one way or the other. You follow me — because obviously sitting around saying, “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “Nigger, nigger.”
(Sources: Hullaballoo, New York Times)
This is where the Republicans are coming from.
Great. Waiting for their departure.
As the repubs continue to alienate one group after another (minority, immigrant, LGBT, women, elderly) and embrace extreme anti science, pro religion, pro war concepts they will become extinct.
Unavoidable, inevitable, it's like......... evolutionary! ;)
And just wait until white demographic falls below 50% in this country, which is projected to happen eventually as indicated here.. That will freak their fearful racists brains out so much they will probably have mass cerebral hemorrhages.
Possible grounds for a GOP/RINO/CorpoRAT governmental supported mandatory white breeding and import program? Is that why they don't complain that the little blue pill is covered by insurance?
The little blue pill as in The Matrix? Yeah, that's the pill they want to take. But their being forced to take the red pill, and they don't like that one damn bit.
Viagra - only they will probably ( if given the opportunity ) try to deny access to men of color and make it mandatory daily use for white men.
Oh, yeah. Big V. I wouldn't be surprised. I think people who are afraid are capable of just about any kind of completely irrational behavior.
Speaking of being afraid and completely irrational behavior, I thought you gave up on life because of your wife and global warming. Good to see you came back.
I never gave up on life. But global warming makes me very depressed, and I don't really think the present course looks promising. But I'm not getting involved in another gw debate. I've said everything I can possibly say about it.
Depression is not fear.
So it wasn't just me? Whew.
Yeah. They know it is comin' and I think they are beginning the freak out cerebral hemoraging now.
We can watch it happen in slow motion over the next 10-20 years.
Ah, good times. ;)
This cartoon clip from Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine says it all.
LMFAO. great clip.
"I loves my gun, loves my gun"
That's what we said after Nixon!
You can't kill what isn't alive.
I don't recall that about nixonian era repubs. Nixon was a moderate campared to these extremist, right wing wacko, theocratic, science deniers.
I mean Nixon started the EPA, Earned inc taxcredits, wasn't a religious extremist and didn't deny science! They (Ford) actually appointed a North Eastern "Rockefeller Repub" as VP.
So I think that repub party was in trouble because of watergate but not extremist and exclusionary like todays repub party.
Very different.
Nixon was insane, man.
Any ANY means to an end. Even if the end was not so much.
He probably thought the only thing Hitler did wrong was wear the give away mustache.
He was tied to the Mob and probably put a hit out on JFK ~ he despised the Kennedys.
He was all about New World Order, the social stuff (EPA, ending the war) was trivial cover to him. He could not understand why he could not get anti-war protestors to love him.
He thought ~ no ~ HE KNEW that he was above laws and rules. The Republican Party at that time was completely horrified and ashamed of him. I believe he mentored Rumsfeld and Cheney.
Nixon was a psycho!
Today, the Mob that owns the Republicons, and tries to run everything else, is psycho, and demands parity.
You got it right. I agree with all that. but he wasn't as bad as these current republicans.
The current repub party has moved to Nixons right and have driven off the deep end. They are committing political suicide and good riddance.
The undead don't ever die!
The (truly) unseen, the Power Elite, think Nixon was liberal and weak. And they own the Cons and the media.
LOL. Also correct. We're gonna have shoot 'em in the head!
While I think they will not really die. I think they will lose influence except with a small percent of extremist, racist, homophobic, anti women, religious wacko group.
And a new moderate republican party can grow. Until the cycle repeats.
Remove the notion from your mind. We thought that with Nixon, RayGun, and both Bushes. The power of media and GOP ownership is beyond comprehension. The power that this ownership gives the owners is supernatural. When abject lying is normal, will gas chambers soon become "moderate"?
Now, now Gas chambers might be a little extreme.
I believe the repub party will split. 1 extreme tea party wing, & a moderate wing.
They already did. They are called Republicans and Independents. The better question is, will the Independents split? This would have happened if the system weren't so loaded for two parties and, especially, incumbents of those parties. If that changed, I believe that it is also likely that the Dems would split or a slice would join the left slice of the Independents. The relative sizes of these are open to speculation and guess what, issue driven coalitions would/will form.
I'm not sure what ideology Direct democracy would be, but I think it would be progressive.
You areright to be carful. Minorities always get the short end. Suspicion is required.
I get the impression that anarchists use the term "direct democracy?"
That would be nice. I suppose nothing is ever perfect and the crooks will always be looking fora way to corrupt any system.
We have to be dilligent and watch.
LOL popeil, that's good.
I think representative govt can work. Certainly it must be better. I can see Direct democracy working (with internet for instance) & in fact eventually I believe it is the natural evolution of democracy.
We shall see. I think someone is workin on the new system.
I hope it is one that is truly secure (like quantum encryption). And if it could magically scrape off the effects of money and other inducements, it would be really nice.
They do. I can't speak for them. Nor should you take my perspective as authoritative.
I think direct democracy basically means all people vote for each law directly rather than having a representative voting for a district of constituents.
Thank you. I am of the opinion that there is some benefit for representative government, but like everything, it isn't easy to get it right and you can never "set it and forget it," as Ron Popeil says.
party duopoly is a central part of our problems. real 3rd party access is required for real change.
Repubs may split because they have become more & more extreme. The dems went through their extreme time in the '60's- '70's. As a result they lost elections and moved right. This is also a central part of our problems.
I support a new system, horizontal, ground up, w/ direct democracy. Until that is in place I support replacing pro 1% conservatives w/ pro 99% progressives & protesting for change that benefits the 99% & lays the groundwork for the changes to the new system
The issue I see with direct democracy is the protection of the rights of minorities. The majority is slow to never in taking care of minority rights. They just say, I got mine.
No "reply" tab below.
The facts are biased against them, that's their problem.
I have had that problem myself. But who is the "their problem" folks?
Well yeah there is great concern for the human race. Certainly for America and specifically the republican party. I'm not saying it is conservative/theocratic politics and "leave it at that". You said leave it at that.
I specified replacing conservatives, I support protests against religious wackos.
There is much to do, & much I support.
Are you suggesting a course of action? Or just criticism of me.?
No I didn't intend a personal criticism. There seems to be flavors of democracy tied to ideologies. Anarchists have one conservatives another etc. When somebody brings up "direct democracy" I am not sure where they are coming from, ideologically. Does that make any sense? My concerns about minorities (not because I have spent my lifetime as one, but because we will all be part of one {the aged} someday) is that we have struggled (and are struggling) to reach true equality.
And easily influenced with our terrible CU news media.
I know public news would never be trusted by some (because they only want news slanted to their specifications) but decoupling it from the corporate interests would be enough closer to objectivity that I would value it. That is what NPR is supposed to be and I believe it is somewhat better. But if you consistently hurl false charges at professionals, they are bound to get a little biased against you, especially if you are threatening to cut their funding.
Romney is an embarrassment, but I don't believe this means his supporters should not be allowed to vote.
Vote for whom?
If the chief is an "embarrassment", then who should they vote for?
The Barry Soetoro "Hope & Change"........$. ...........................................................................H. ..............................................................................!. ................................................................................T. ................................................................................... ....................................................................................$. ......................................................................................A. ........................................................................................N. ..........................................................................................D. ............................................................................................W. ...............................................................................................!. ................................................................................................C. ..................................................................................................H. ...................................................................................................... ....................................Hey, all you Obama voters, are you wising up yet ? Don't worry, you will........
The recent example of anti science ignorance amongst tea party/republican caucus is unfortunate but not surprising. His constituents may be low information but I wouldn't say they ain't allowed to vote.
In fact if everyone in the district voted they probably would have gotten a better candidate. The congresspeople who voted to put him on the science committee is also distressing but that has more to with conservative/theocratic politics today.
Replace pro 1% conservatives w/ pro 99% progressives, & protest for change that benefits the 99%
I would sure prefer, "I don't know and I don't care." to I know everything, but can prove nothing, and won't listen to anybody." "As a matter of non fact, I don't believe anything but revelations (recorded in a language I can't read and don't understand by a person I don't know and can't test.) which can often sound contradictory." I can't seem to just say, "Well, that is just conservative/theocratic politics today, and let it go at that." Given the seemingly shrinking share of world population by sane and rational people .there is concern for the race.
The protection of rights in a direct democracy would be no different than in a representative democracy. The same restraints of judicial review would be applied http://occupywallst.org/forum/amendment-for-a-democratic-congress/ .
You mean it gets written into a Constitution by a couple of guys, passes a committee of representatives and gets signed off by a committee in most of each of 1-N states? LeoYo the LieYon?
"low information"? Who decides which citizens are not high information enough to vote?.
Is there a committee? Do we administer a test? I think that is not workable. And let's remember that was the reason white landowners used to keep the vote from everyone else, it is the reason given to attempt to keep freed slaves from voting, and the reason given to prevent women from getting the vote.
We survived all that expansion of voter rights. And the ratio of low informed voters should be similar in any event so have no fear.
Expanding voter rights is the way to go.
Low information is in the eye of the beholder and believe me, it hurts like crazy. Lighten up just a little bit, huh? Can you not observe the rationale for some of the public for their support for candidates to be of the degree of superficiality of a prekindergarten child? We have a chairman of the Science and Technology Committee of the House of Representatives of the USA who believes the earth is 9,000 years old and claims he is a scientist. I can understand his constituents electing him. What I can't understand is a majority of the GOP representatives electing him to that position. Can you?
I agree 100%. I have the same concerns. I kinda prefer mandatory voting for all eligible citizens. I believe big turnout is what the 1% fear the most. Just look at their massive effort at voter suppression.
Some direct democracy people don't like people being forced to vote. but if we don't make it a civic duty minorities WILL be left out.
I suppose we will see when they finally come up with the new system.
Late breaking news: Mitt Romney has just demonstrated that he will say absolutely anything to nearly get elected. And, he is prepared to do it even though he will be damned to some weird planet that astronomers haven't discovered yet. Now that is political courage. He mentioned in passing that "conviction has something to do with criminals" and he "has no intention of getting involved with anything of the sort."
When people are forced the quality is likely to go down. So called "low Information" voters account for half now. "Left out" is a term that requires precise definition. Left out = didn't participate in the process or don't have any rights? "They" is we, I hope.
Yeah, change that to privatized penitentiaries.
There is no free will, diversity, or separate sanctions in a cult.
That's why Dems are so disorganized, like herding cats.
Ok. I'll go for that.
The Prison Industrial complex is a disease used to further oppress minorities, An extension of Jim crow laws.
And Dems do struggle with many opinions which makes it difficult to get things done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIOCwhhQxGQ
Yes music sucks big time these days. The music co's are still hangin on and will survive but man they have lost so much money.
And music must grow and spread outside of the music co's. The internet must become the place where good music can be made and distributed without paying the greedy music co's.
That reality has not materialized, but I think it will.
Greedy Bastards! And now the music co's are on their death beds. Poetic justice perhaps.
Oh really, Justin Bieber is poor.
The music industry twisted the punk movement into "new wave" bubble gum crap.
Music companies have no love for music, only profit. I worked in the industry (computer tech side) from '84 'till '97. Very demoralizing. But lucrative.! LOL
Peace
Yes, it, punk, was "unacceptable" as it was, so they coopted it, like Coke did with hippies, to defuse and make money.
Well the Clash may have sold out but they were great! And they were founders of the punk movement as well. In fact while they are of course reponsible for their "selling out" I put much blame on the music industry as well as societal pressure as well. And I think the clash disbanded fairly soon after the alleged sell out.
I prefer to focus on the positive rather than the negative.
And of course as you can see I am a big Clash fan.
;)
The Clash were great.
The Music Industry was entirely to blame. The corruption of massive amounts of money. Punk was too unruly. Too dangerous. Too political.
Focus on the truth, justice and the American way!
And why Republicons must go: http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_voter_registration.html?source=rtv.com-homegraphic
Well that was cool. Reminds me of the Clash a bit. can't say I remember Sham 69 though.
Who are they.?
One of many punk bands that didn't sell out, like the Clash did, and disappeared.
Romney said we had only two choices
And?
we can vote for a third party
the sense of 2 party entitlement is problematic
Matt, you have to get that third party into all of the states. Have to.
This means that if you are one of those that is truly for Rocky Anderson then you guys need to start looking for funding to go to court (s).
Yes. The simple fact is that political involvement and the transformation of the Democratic party to once again the party of the people, the 'demos", is our ONLY mechanism for transforming society.
I don't like that fact, but it has now clearly been revealed as a fact by the events (police brutality) of OWS in 2011 and 2012.
I don't imagine that the Democratic Party can be turned into a true working people's party and I don't imagine that the ills of the masses are going to be addressed effectively by voting. I've tried to explain why I am voting against the Republicans and it's not because I think Obama is my friend. I don't and he's not likely ever to be so. A victory for the Reps will give steam and momentun to a right wing surge and more and more war. A loss for them slows down the rightward tide. We still have to figure out how to make a revolution.
That is acceptable
State by State taking over local politics and continuing to spread out and unite - this process takes it national cohesively. Pushing issues and tying our representatives to the issues. Direct Democracy at work - the people getting informed, involved and remaining that way.
When push comes to shove they meet and agree to bomb innocents- they conceal many truths and they offer no real answers to the problems confronting the majorities of the people of this country and the world. They let someone like Kucinich emerge to give people like you hope but Denis couldn't get himself arrested in Times Square. When Cynthia McKinney refused to buckle to the Israeli Lobby and refused to shut up about the need for a true investigation of 9/11 they took her out of the equation. And they're good at arranging "tragic accidents"- refer to the Wellstone matter.
No one said this process of retaking and then keeping control of government would be quick easy painless or bloodless. But the People coming together getting involved and staying involved is the only way that it will happen.
More Alan Graysons and NO MORE Republicons, that will make everything easier. And don't go back to sleep, the struggle never ends.
Good or bad, most pols have to represent their constituency. With our lowest Voter turnout and highest Big$ turnout, Big$ gets the representation. This "fact" is our negligent fault, but we can turn it around if WE TURNOUT! This is why they spend so much CU money to suppress our vote.
Peeps, fight the power: http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_voter_registration.html?source=rtv.com-homegraphic
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I am reluctant to use labels and the label "EVIL" is particularly atrocious -
but I would have to put atwater, rove and cheney in this category.
..................................................................................................... EXACTLY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDTT1yRNsFE&feature=player_embedded
Hell yeah!!!
Old GOP campaign tactic to suppress the Vote.
Don't be suppressed: http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_voter_registration.html?source=rtv.com-homegraphic
Obama helps the World's richest man to get even more richer by supplying the poor with obamaphones
http://tinyurl.com/ck3dxds
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There was no Republican GOP in the South prior to 1964, only old segregationist Democrats and "New Democrats." I remember this distinctly, wondering as a kid, why there were those who felt it necessary to attempt inroads... why inroads? Why were there no Republicans in the South?
It was the Democrats who filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The "Dixiecrat" myth...:
http://www.black-and-right.com/2010/03/19/the-dixiecrat-myth/
http://tinyurl.com/9lhj96k because there comes a time when enough lying mormon and racist apologetic bullshit is enough. You get no more dialogue with ShubeLMorgan2. You've said enough.
Hard to say if that is evolution or devolution, I'll go with the latter.
Because could not bring themselves to vote for the party of Lincoln. You didn't know that?
Study some basic history.
These days the repubs have become the home for the southern racists. Right?
I don't know, I just remember wondering about that - why the South had no Republicans.
I've never pictured the Reps as being popular in the South; while many point to them as the party of small business, this is but conservative bias - the reality is that the working class has always seen them as the party of Big Business. And for that reason, heretofore less popular in the South. The South then was divided into Old Dems and New Dems in the form of a Clinton.
I can tell you exactly why the South had no (R)s. They all went Dem after the civil war because Lincoln was the 1st R President, and thus carried all of the historical baggage they associated with Reconstruction. Then Democrat LBJ got the Civil Rights Act passed and signed into law in 1964. The southern Dems viewed that as the ultimate betrayal of their party, and they fled to the (R)s like coons from coon dogs. Then, as a follow-up in 70s and 80s, the Christian Conservative movement went political and (R)ight as revolt against liberal activities that were gaining ground (abortion, gay, women's rights, etc...) and, thus (R)s gained HUGE voting block of Christian (R)ight that voted values versus common sense about the (R) Big Business agenda.
So that is how it all happened.
The repubs control the old confederate south now just look at an electoral map.
But before Nixons racist "southern strategy" that every repub uses now, the South didn't want to vote for the repub party cause it was the party of Lincoln.
Hillbilly Taliban
LOL. Saw a good scene on HBO "newsroom" season finally on the American Taliban.
Right wing wacho, science denying, exclusionary, extremists, theocratic, religious fundamental cases, who live in the deep southern area henceforth known as "dumbasfuckistan"
;) Sorry for the mini rant.
It seems like all the sites for Teabagastan have been taken down.
Really.? I suppose I never made a great effort to find any but I assumed they were around.
Our search engines are controlled. I went there many times, you may still have access.
Which one should I try?
They are customized to your usage. As they all came out, I found Google to be the best. But my Google gets far less than what it used to get 5 years ago. A lot of sites have there own engines. Here's an idea, search through your account through your local library.
I mean which tea party site would you recommend trying?
I have no idea, never really been into one. Who on this site goes to Con or Bag sites?? Why?? I think I have tried years ago and they required some creepy ID. Years ago some friends put me on emailing lists as a joke, and I got to see what they were talking about. But it was so creepy and vile I never renewed when my computers seized or died. Google them and let me know what you find. Safe journey.
Tea Bagistan was a parody site on teabagers (mandatory guns, no taxes, no government, no teachers, etc.) Seems to be gone. Try different spelling.
Cool. thanks. I may go only to annoy them. Maybe convince them not to vote Romney.
See Frontline tonight!! "The Choice" about Obama V Romney, pass it around
There is so much at stake. People have to get excited. The right wing must be defeated.
get out the vote definitely.
This election is most important regarding scotus. Affimative action, LGBT rights, abortion rights, & more will be important decisions and there's a couple of elderly justices that will be replaced.
Yes. We have to get out the Vote. That's what we do. If we don't and the Cons re-occupy, we will all lose parts of our souls that we'll never get back.
Keep up the good work.
U-2!
Now the SCOTUS is going after Affirmative Action!
I think most registration is over now. Some critical swing states just ended.
It is getting close. People have to get excited. young people are less excited, hispanics as well.
So that is what must be address in the next few weeks.
Still time, some states go all the way to election day. Every last vote counts.
http://www.gottavote.org/en/?choose-state=true
If repubs had their way they would cut money from PBS and we would lose even more of these great shows.
They are not called RepubliCons for nothing! 28 days! Time is running out to register! Post ~ http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_voter_registration.html?source=rtv.com-homegraphic ~ on local Craigslist/Politics and everything else you can think of.
Thx great show. Frontline is an excellent .news show.
Shows like this one are nearly extinct.
I just finished watching it and it was very good.
When Frontline is good, it's the best. This one was very good and I hope everyone sees it. It truly clarified the various aspects and informed of primarily the Presidential, and secondarily the Congressional, decisions we face next month.
PBS news hour was also very good today.
Maybe Romney's threat to cut funding for PBS has woken them up over there.