I hate to post this... particularly since I'm not a fan of the Republican platform, ticket, or tactics... but I don't dig Strangler Lewis' hypotheticals. Why don't we argue about the platforms, the spin, the coverage...? Or at least cite some kind of substantiation when making generalizations.

I came down on scaeagles yesterday when I perceived him to be using a similar argument. I don't want to appear to be a "knee-jerk progressive" (even though I might actually be one), so I'm calling shenanigans.

I saw more people of color at the DNC than at the RNC. That goes for speakers and audience members.

I'm talking about the National Enquirer piece on Palin, which, for purposes of discussion, I am assuming will prove true. I also posited a scenario for a black candidate with similar family problems, and I made an assumption about the likely response from the right. What don't you like about any of that?

In fact, I only saw ANY people of color at the RNC after it was widely reported in the press how lily white the convention was.

In all fairness, the Republican Convention is attended primarily by hard-core base members (and, what ya know? They're all white!) ... while the Democrat Convention is attended by a much wider range of practicing democrats. Not merely the base.



Still. It painted an ugly picture. Pictures speak a thousand words. Whites Only.

I could go into many things that I believe about the democrat base but won't. It wouldn't be productive, nor would it be relevant to the conversation at hand.

The whole "If Palin were African American" doesn't hold water with me. If Palin were African American on the republican ticket she'd be branded an Uncle Tom. I do know racists. In my own (extended family). The vast and huge majority of the conservatives I know are not.

We can go through history and talk about racists in each party, or the vote count for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and who opposed and filibustered it, or who in the Senate used to be in the KKK, or who cited segregationist Fulbright as a mentor.....why pretend that racism is only on the conservative side?

I guess we could quote Howard Dean and say the only way the Rpublicans can get minorities in the audience it to bring in the hotel staff.

BTD: Last 8 election results for each state.



04 00 96 92 88 84 80 76
Alabama R R R R R R R D
Alaska R R R R R R R R
Arizona R R D R R R R R
Arkansas R R D D R R R D
California D D D D R R R R
Colorado R R R D R R R R
Connecticut D D D D R R R R
Delaware D D D D R R R D
Florida R R D R R R R D
Georgia R R R D R R D D
Hawaii D D D D D R D D
Idaho R R R R R R R R
Illinois D D D D R R R R
Indiana R R R R R R R R
Iowa R D D D D R R R
Kansas R R R R R R R R
Kentucky R R D D R R R D
Louisiana R R D D R R R D
Maine D D D D R R R R
Maryland D D D D R R D D
Massachusetts D D D D D R R D
Michigan D D D D R R R R
Minnesota D D D D D D D D
Mississippi R R R R R R R D
Missouri R R D D R R R D
Montana R R R D R R R R
Nebraska R R R R R R R R
Nevada R R D D R R R R
New Hampshire D R D D R R R R
New Jersey D D D D R R R R
New Mexico R D D D R R R R
New York D D D D D R R D
North Carolina R R R R R R R D
North Dakota R R R R R R R R
Ohio R R D D R R R D
Oklahoma R R R R R R R R
Oregon D D D D D R R R
Pennsylvania D D D D R R R D
Rhode Island D D D D D R D D
South Carolina R R R R R R R D
South Dakota R R R R R R R R
Tennessee R R D D R R R D
Texas R R R R R R R D
Utah R R R R R R R R
Vermont D D D D R R R R
Virginia R R R R R R R R
Washington D D D D D R R R
Washington, DC D D D D D D D D
West Virginia R R D D D R D D
Wisconsin D D D D D R R D
Wyoming R R R R R R R R

Alex, did you know you rock?

Thanks for the info.

Alex prefers smilies when you agree with him, Sleepyjeff.

So your only example from the last ten years purports to claim that someone who observes the obvious racism of the Republican party is a racist by virtue of uttering said observation?

Robert Byrd lingers on, but I think those old southern Democrat types are now southern Republican types.

Because I believe that elections are in many respects about voting for who 1) makes you feel good about yourself and, even moreso, 2) who makes you feel better than the other guy, I won't call shenanigans if you make generalizations about the Democrat base.

I have explained why government is a devil with two dicks, haven't I?