PAUL KRUGMAN: Republicans and Race

[Wetzelbill]

PAUL KRUGMAN: Republicans and Race
NYT

Over the past few weeks there have been a number of commentaries about Ronald Reagan’s legacy, specifically about whether he exploited the white backlash against the civil rights movement.

The controversy unfortunately obscures the larger point, which should be undeniable: the central role of this backlash in the rise of the modern conservative movement.

The centrality of race — and, in particular, of the switch of Southern whites from overwhelming support of Democrats to overwhelming support of Republicans — is obvious from voting data.

For example, everyone knows that white men have turned away from the Democrats over God, guns, national security and so on. But what everyone knows isn’t true once you exclude the South from the picture. As the political scientist Larry Bartels points out, in the 1952 presidential election 40 percent of non-Southern white men voted Democratic; in 2004, that figure was virtually unchanged, at 39 percent.


http://freedemocracy.blogspot.com/2007/11/paul-krugman-republicans-and-race.html

[RufusTFirefly]

1. That's why voting irregularities are so important to the Rethugs

Excellent column. The Rethugs know that as the country grows more diverse that they will become increasingly marginalized. Something needs to be done. Caging lists, voter intimidation, and electronic voting to the rescue!

[hedgehog]

2. That's the internet's gift to politics. Reagen wouldn't have lasted

two days if he'd used that "strapping young buck" line these days!

[Wetzelbill]

3. oh yeah, he was a Macaca waiting to happen a million times over

for sure.

[wicket]

9. Yep, remember when he told the Israeli PM that he helped liberate the concentration camps?

Turns out all he did was EDIT FILMS of the liberation. Freakin' lying asshole.

[Wetzelbill]

14. oh wow, I never knew that

that is despicable.

[wicket]

16. He used the line several times

I think someone finally told him to stop using it since it was so obviously not the truth. Reagan could lie with impunity & never get called on it.

[EFerrari]

15. He was a piece of work, St. Ronnie. n/t

[NewJeffCT]

4. Krugman is always a good read

thanks for posting. Recommended.

[Wetzelbill]

5. oh yeah he's great

You're welcome too, Jeff.

[SoCalDem]

6. republicans are racists.. pure and simple...ALL of them,,even the rich ones

who are not religious zealots..the "big-biddness" ones. If they were NOT, we would no longer have an undeclass of underemployed, under-educated non-whites in this country, and there would not be PRIVATE prisons all over the place , full of the poor non-white males that currently live there.

Every so often they feel the need to DIVERT attention from their racism, by dragging out their other bloody shirts:

guns
abortion
gay marriage

but they always get around to their pet issue.. racism.. and since laws were put into place to protect the descendants of the non-whites we eagerly "imported" all those years ago, the republicans found a way to still discriminate...by attacking the non-whites who sneaked into the country to wash their cars, pick their vegetables, work for pennies on the dollar in their corporations,wipe their babies butts, and groom their lawns..

By callinig them ILLEEEEEEEgals, they can avoid the touchy part about their "non-whitenes"..and they can still pretend to NOT be racists..when they obviously ARE..and always HAVE been

[Tatiana]

10. I wish I could nominate this reply. Spot on analysis, SolCalDem. n/t

[RufusTFirefly]

11. Indeed, the Religious Right was in reaction to affirmative action not Roe

The myth the Falwell and Co. grew up in reaction to Roe is just that: a myth. It was the mandate to integrate all-white institutions or face the prospect of losing federal funding that truly mobilized the Right.

[jeffrey_X]

12. Agreed. I have also come to this same determination.

If a conservative republican is not religious, they will 99% of the time be a racist bigot. This has been concluded from my unofficial research.

[Jim__]

7. Krugman is one of the few columnists out there who will tell the truth.

The republican Southern Strategy was no secret. But, it's almost never mentioned when republican sucesses are discussed.

[izzie]

8. My own thinking is that the whole world is getting progressive and

even our South will be dragged into it. I do think that people who wish to rule from an elite seat will always play these games but they are getting old and times will move on in a new way. It always has. If one looks at the 'liberals' of the mid 1800's one would hardly know them as the 'liberals or progressives' of our days. Things just move on and groups either move on with it or get put to the side line. Just look at what happened to the ruling houses of Europe to see what happens. The race card will have to be put on the side line if the GOP wants to stay in the ring. It will not be easy I am sure as many like to use it and will give in very slow on such thinking which is carried over from father to son for years.

[applegrove]

13. Krugman is always spot on.