Calling Governor Wallace...George Wallace to the Podium Please
In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and I say Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.
Now take out George Wallace and insert Bill Clinton and think about his role in his wife, the esteemed Senator's campaign. Can you see him standing in the doorway of the University of Alabama?
Uncanny, ain't it?
Now, wait. Before you Clinton supporters start hurling things at me because you think I am saying that Mr. Bill is a good ole' boy segregationist...WHICH I AM NOT.
Read this.
And what about Governor Wallace's rise to politcal power and his later redemption?
Uh, huh. Now put the chair down.
It is quite clear to me that President and Senator Clinton are both astute students of history. As well as in the advance class for taking advantage of opportunities.
The slowing escalating sound of "working class white folk won't vote for a black man." has always been hinted at--but now its late in the game. Why not go old school?
Am I saying the Clinton's are racist. No--but there is a certain opportunism that is very much like the opportunism Governor Wallace used in his own rise to political power.
Old school worked for Bush. Harp on the peoples fears. Use the wedge issues to divide and conquer. And watch the bullets fly.
And here we are 8 years later.
But the fear mongering on war and terrorism has been overplayed. So why not reach way down deep and appeal to the basest nature of folks who still believe black folks are to blame for job loss, growing poverty, and the largest proportion of incarcerated individuals in the world.
It worked for Governor Wallace--even if it was more for political gain than anything else. And no one has topped how he did it.
Except for possibly now--in snippets.
I'm just saying.
Now take out George Wallace and insert Bill Clinton and think about his role in his wife, the esteemed Senator's campaign. Can you see him standing in the doorway of the University of Alabama?
Uncanny, ain't it?
Now, wait. Before you Clinton supporters start hurling things at me because you think I am saying that Mr. Bill is a good ole' boy segregationist...WHICH I AM NOT.
Read this.
And what about Governor Wallace's rise to politcal power and his later redemption?
Uh, huh. Now put the chair down.
It is quite clear to me that President and Senator Clinton are both astute students of history. As well as in the advance class for taking advantage of opportunities.
The slowing escalating sound of "working class white folk won't vote for a black man." has always been hinted at--but now its late in the game. Why not go old school?
Am I saying the Clinton's are racist. No--but there is a certain opportunism that is very much like the opportunism Governor Wallace used in his own rise to political power.
Old school worked for Bush. Harp on the peoples fears. Use the wedge issues to divide and conquer. And watch the bullets fly.
And here we are 8 years later.
But the fear mongering on war and terrorism has been overplayed. So why not reach way down deep and appeal to the basest nature of folks who still believe black folks are to blame for job loss, growing poverty, and the largest proportion of incarcerated individuals in the world.
It worked for Governor Wallace--even if it was more for political gain than anything else. And no one has topped how he did it.
Except for possibly now--in snippets.
I'm just saying.
posted by Jonzee @ 4:45 PM
8 Comments:
At 9:12 AM,
Mac Daddy Tribute Blog said…
The Wallace-like race baiting and straight-up racism worked for the Clinton campaign in W.Virginia and Pennsylvania. But in the long run, most people saw it as just pandering: appealing to fears about outsiders, about "those People," to gobble up votes. It has even turned off a lot of white women. That's why superdelegates are now coming out for Obama in droves.
I blogged about race baiting as a part of Clinton's win-at-all-cost mantra at daddyBstrog.blogspot.com Blessings.
At 2:21 PM,
Anonymous said…
LMAO! Sorry but I can not take seriously any black person who would accuse Bill or Hillary Clinton of being racist or of race baiting to any extent. That sounds paranoid, don't you think? Why is it that when Hillary voiced the opinion of the polls,regarding Obama and his inability to connect with the white middle class I assume, the results of the so called pollsters and of all the talking heads she is now race baiting? Please let's move on! .
This is BTW the same race baiting, Bill Clinton, that last year this time was being proclaimed by the vast majority of blacks as the first black president! Remember that? I thought that was just as silly as the now mantra of blacks that Bill is a racist. Why can't black people just vote for OBAMA(who most had not even heard of last year this time) and avoid trying to make such outrageous comments that Bill or Hillary are racist? Using a word when it does not apply makes the word lose some of it's power, don't you think? In our community I think we as is true of all humanity, need to think before we rave and rant and be careful of our words.
Blacks are too often IMO guilty of:
A) Putting all their eggs in one basket
B)Burning all their bridges
C)Allowing our desparation to prove we are relevant(Our ancestors have already done that with much less to work with)
D) Trading in those who have proven to be our friends for a move flashy more shiny model.
E) Drinking the koolaid just because it looks like it is so good and refreshing. Remember Jim Jones
We need to deal with the problems that truly are killing us and our children, crime, drugs, and lack of respect for each other in the inner cities and now moving into
the small towns as well. Obama, Clinton, McCain can't help us unless we take out streets back and reclaim control over our children, especially our boys. I only wish that blacks would expend as much energy in trying to make this world a better place and begin with the neighborhoods where many of our children are dying everyday. Children that are in most cases guilty of nothing more than not having the ability or means to move out of harms way. Every neighborhood should be safe for every child. Only we can make that happen. This problem has gotten worse not better and we can not even blame Bush for that. I admit it would be easy to do so.
I am happy that many blacks have found someone they are excited about. Many of us are equally as excited about the prospect of having a qualified woman as commander in chief.
Can't we all just get along?
Be blessed!
At 10:44 AM,
Jonzee said…
Well, krsma. I respectfully disagree. If you read this again, you will note that I went through the steps to say that I did not think either were racist.
I do however, find them to be quite unashamedly opportunistic--and clearly willing to step on the backs of supporters--even if through surrogates like Carville to get to the White House.
While I am perfectly fine with the race going on to June--even the convention if necessary. But just as George Wallace used racism to get ahead and was later very pro-civil rights as a judge and was very personally connected to minorities behind closed doors--he did use race and fear to remind people of "protect your own".
At least I think so.
At 10:57 AM,
Jonzee said…
And one more thing krsms--I love this whole notion that black people are putting "their eggs in one basket"--when many of us go through the painstaking explanation everytime we get accused of voting for him "because he is black"--which in the case of many educated black voters is simply not true.
I also think its interesting that you point to stubborn loyalty and "putting eggs in one basket"--which may be true--but in the same breath mention how the "Clintons have done so much for us" --which seems like eggs in a basket that long ago broke. A) Blacks have overwhelmingly been loyal democratic party--and are constantly taken for granted as the votes who deliver democrats. Yet this election is reminding people how important black turnout is in delivering seats in swing districts. Look at the recent congressional race in Mississippi--black turn out and white working class turn out(to a lesser extent) delivered that seat. B)We were stubbornly loyal to the Clinton's during scandal after scandal, destructive welfare reform which caved to Reublican pressure because we lost the senate during his administration, and NAFTA which now has your state and the surrounding states in deep economic doo-doo. And now are written off for this election by them--when prior to January 31--the woman had a significant percentage of black people in her corner--and she let it slip far away as though it was of no consequence and now expects us to support her--just because of that silly loyalty to which you speak.
So which is it? Be loyal. Or vote smartly so folks know you are not be taken for granted like we have been for political gain (or notoriety) as we have been for 27 years?
And yet this "kool-aid" drinking you are speaking to--could easily be viewed as "stubbornly loyal to a fault" and then say that we should be loyal to the Clintons--so which is it?
At 7:15 PM,
Mac Daddy Tribute Blog said…
Points well taken, Jonzee. To me, whether the Clintons are racist is not the point you were making. What's important to me is that both have played to racists to get votes. Even some of her supporters (Ranger, for example) and told her to knock it off. The fact is: Both Clintons saw black people as eggs in their baskets and the presidency for Hillary in the bag; and, when Obama came on the scene, they didn't even take him seriously. After the race-baiting stuff of Bill Clinton, black people moved toward Obama not because he was black but because they resented race-baiting politics and the sense of entitlement that even Stevie Wonder with braid covering his eyes could see. In fact, many whites, including white women, turned against Hillary and Bill for the same reason.
Good post, Jonzee. Check me out over at daddyBstrong.blogspot.com. Blessings.
At 2:05 PM,
Anonymous said…
Actually I don't give a thought as to whom you may cast your vote. My point was that blacks themselves annointed Bill Clinton as the first *black president*. That I found to be silly as I stated. I find it to be a bit disconcerting that instead of just voting for Obama as they have been doing blacks have find it necessary to make it appear that they are voting for him because they now see Bill and Hillary as anti-black! Do you really think that is true? To accuse someone of race baiting is no prettier than it would be to accuse someone of being anti-semitic.
As I recall it was Oprah's overt support and trip to SC that turned the black community away from thinking that OBAMA was not "black enough" to being acceptable and now the greatest thing since sliced bread. Be blessed!
At 3:28 PM,
Jonzee said…
I think you have over simplified the reason many black folks have decided to vote for Obama.
Is less about "anti-black" and more about "more of the same crappy negative politics and fear mongering". you can take out "race and put in "fear" and you still get "baiting". I think in general, lots of folks are tired of that. Race just has to be the hottest of the "baiting" buttons.
Not to mention the "3 am" commercial and the sniper lie.
Fore 8 years, fear has taken over everything we stand for in this country--except if its about making that money.
The civic pride and duty to one's country has been suppressed by this subversive idea, that to think critically about anything and to voice it, is unpatriotic.
I think, whether you agree or not, the "you must be a fool to hope, believe, work tirelessly to see the world change" is what turns so many off against her...and her supporters.
There is about a dimes worth of difference policy wise, between the two. Yet one, has chosen to try to avoid old school politics and the other has chosen to use, what is clearly an outdated way to campaign--top down. And the rise of young folks interest in this country's future shows that old-school is not working.
Rather, than "finding her voice" early, ridding her campaign of the negative idiots like Mark Penn early, she kept rolling. Rather than, recognize that she might want to look at her money raising strategy--she kept going the same way. Sometime, one has to recognize that perserveing with a strategy that is failing means you need to change it-PDQ.
But that's just me. And about 15 million other votes between 18-65
At 12:41 PM,
Anonymous said…
They both have 15 million votes. Seems that one will need the other equally as much to win in Nov. Obama seems not to remember that. Read the NYT womencount ad today. Many women are quite angry over what they see as the bad treatment of Hillary, a woman. Not good to anger women since we are the most loyal voters for the democrat party and always has been. Seems as though this might just be the year many skip president and move down the ballot.
Must be care how the other side is treated. Hillary's voters are between the age of 18-100. Obama does not own change nor does he own the youth vote. The ultimate change would be from 400 years of male domination to a woman.
Be blessed!
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