The Democrats' "Southern strategy"

No doubt about it. The Democrats have a Southern strategy.

Only this Southern strategy doesn't seem to be about winning voters
over to their side. Instead, anything or anyone from south of the
Mason-Dixon line is fair game for ridicule, belittling or outright destruction.

In the judicial nominations battle, one only need be a white Southern
Republican male to win a one-way ticket to obstruction, the "racist"
label and a filibuster. Need examples?

Charles Pickering, a federal judge from Mississippi who was to be elevated
to the circuit court. Despite his record as a champion for civil rights, having
testified against the Grand Wizard of the KKK and fighting for fairness in
sentencing, and appointing the first black staffer for the GOP in Mississippi
and oh, yes, serving on racial reconciliation board.....despite having Charles
Evers, slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers' brother vouch for his fairness
to all races....the Democrats managed to demonize Charles Pickering as
favorable to cross-burning punks.

Please.

Luckily, the President saw fit to defy the slander and the smears and
recess appoint this decent man. He is now retired and fighting to reform
the judicial nominations process. A good man who deserved far better
than he got.

And how about Bill Pryor? Again, a Southern white Catholic male. He
stated his personal beliefs without hesitation in his hearing. "Abortion
is an abomination." It was a stunning statement in light of the usual answer
that is given. There was silence in the room as the Democrats tried to
take in what Pryor was telling them. His personal beliefs would not guide
his decisions on the bench....only the Constitution would play that role.

But good heavens, thought the Democrats. So they set about calling
him an extremist, anti-woman and too influenced by his religion.

Balderdash.

Finally, Pryor was confirmed to the circuit court and guess what? The
sky hasn't cracked in half and fallen, either.

The list goes on and on with Southern male judicial nominees and the
Democrats' attempts to smear them and obstruct their confirmations.

So let's turn to candidates, shall we? Look at any campaign in the South.
Any campaign. And if there is a Southern GOP male in it, chances are
good that the word "racist" will rear its ugly head.

Just ask George Allen. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/26/AR2006092601654.html

He's had a long, long political career, correct? So why is it only when he
gets some traction in the bid for the Presidency and when the Senate
majority hangs in the balance that these ridiculous charges bubble up
from the murky shadows of the political mire? Anyone find that too
convenient by half?

This strategy deployed against George Allen could be called the "Southern
strategy with a Mark Fuhrman twist." If one is truly truthful, there is
probably not a person alive on planet Earth who has not uttered the
so-called "n-word."

They might have been singing along with lyrics to a hip-hop tune. Or
they might have said it in a sociology course. They might have been
in a play. Or a lawyer in a courtroom for OJ Simpson. They might have
been reading aloud from a newspaper or a book and quoted the dreaded
n-bomb. They might have been using the word as an example of what
not to say. Who knows?

But the idea that Democrats are electing a political crucifix for George
Allen based upon hearsay from decades ago when one of their own,
Senator Bobby Byrd, used to LEAD the KKK at the rallies and the
cross-burnings, is soggy with hypocrisy.

And the "macaca" crime that Allen committed? Come off it. I really
seriously doubt that he knows Indian slang words or whatever remote
language this needle in the haystack was drawn from.

Even the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee has had a
turn at the Southern strategy: http://www.cnn.com/2003/
ALLPOLITICS/11/01/elec04.prez.dean.confederate.flag/

May I remind folks that it was the Republican party, not the
Democrats that fought for civil rights? That were the abolishionists?
That voted for women's suffrage? Democrats would like you to forget
that little factoid, but it is God's honest truth. There is a delightful
new film that documents this apparently not-taught and conveniently
forgotten history --
http://www.err-video.com.

This new Southern strategy could have remarkably damaging
consequences for the Democrats. At some point, it will become
tiresome to the millions of good, decent, hard-working Southerners
to constantly have to defend themselves simply because of their
geographical location. Alienating Southerners and playing to
stereotypes would seem to be counterintuitive to a winning strategy.

So maybe I should just let the Democrats continue to fight this new
Civil War. Good luck with that, gentlemen.