
For a real eye opener on how lib/prog pundits think, one can find yourself shocked and stunned by Colbert I. King’s WaPo editorial today, “Memo to the left: Hands off Obama” What is even more stunning is that this is in reponse to Michael Lerner’s WaPo op-ed, pleading with progressives to save Obama’s presidency by putting up a real left loon, thereby making Obama look positively moderate….
But King’s editorial steps over the bounds, and into the racial affirmative action waters. The full pleading brief in defense of Obama comes down to the simplicity of this. Throw the first black American president overboard, and you’ll damage the party for a very long time.
Sabotage the nation’s first black president and the Democratic Party might as well bid farewell to its most loyal base of supporters: African Americans.
In 2008, the turnout of young black eligible voters was higher than that of young eligible voters of any other racial or ethnic group, according to the Pew Research Center. Consider them gone in future congressional and presidential elections if the left dooms Obama in 2012.
The 2 million more blacks who voted in 2008 than in 2004 because of Barack Obama? Say bye-bye to them, too. As for African American women, the group with the highest voter turnout rate in the 2008 presidential election? Don’t even ask.
And why should they stay with a Democratic Party that turns tail on a president who’s trying to lead a fractious country through one of the roughest patches in its history?
King follows up his plea for Obama’s unchallenged status with a laundry list of legislation he says the conservatives would never hand the black community… from health insurance to the damaging, expensive and fruitless meddling by Congress and Obama in the housing market with tax credits.
What King fails to see is his own folly…. blatant affirmative action by promoting a presidential candidate, not on the merits of his performance, but solely on the color of his skin.
Vietnam era Navy wife, indy/conservative, and an official California escapee now residing as a red speck in the sea of Oregon blue.
H.R AND Mata Thanks for your responses.
Re. JFK Any who think he would not be accepted by, and a strong leader in the Dem. Party today, do not know the strong traditions of this family. Both Caroline ( whom I’ve met and is a STRONG supporter of BHO) and JFK Jr. carried the Dem. beliefs of their dad.
As previously mentioned it was his “Ask not—” call of 1961 that led to my joining Marines in 1963. His ” A free society that does not care for the many who are poor cannot protect the few who are rich” still rings true.
Re. Civil Rights Act 1964 Strong support from Northern Repubs.(27-5)and Dems(45-1).Opposition came from the South 19 of 20 Dems and 1 of 1 Repubs. Similar story in House passage.Later in year saw Pres. L.B.J.(Support) defeat Goldwater(R.Ar.Oppose) in a landslide.
As southern blacks now joined the Dem.Party southern Repub. congressmen ( led by racist Yes Racist Strom Thurmond (D.S.C.) switched parties and became Repubs. These new Repubs. now took up the long term political methods of the southern Dems.using racial demogogy to turn impoverished white workers and small farmers to the Repubs.This Repub. control of South helped Nixon to victories in 68 and 72.This continued thru 70’s and 80’s culminating in ’94 when control of House and Senate went Repub. for first time in 40 years.Leadership not suprisingly Gingrich(Ga.), Amey and Delay(Tex.) and Trent Lott(Miss.)
Mata I’ll certainly accept Repubs. not always obstructionists in Furtherance of Human Rights and Minority Rights but I do believe it is the Dems. who push the hardest.As a Californian the protection of our environment is a critical issue to me.
Re the military I stand with Navy Cross winner Jim Webb (D.Va.)
I hope we can all agree on Term Limits for all.
The actual J.F.K. quote at his inauguration Jan 20 1961.
“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor it cannot save the few who are rich.”
@rich wheeler: You said:
I think a more accurate statement would be this:
A modern political Democratic figure who espoused the same platforms in the same manner as JFK would find himself hard pressed to have a leadership role in the present day Democratic Party.
Obviously, were JFK still alive, he would play a key role (if he so chose to) in the Dem Party.
I use Lieberman as an example. He was with them 100% on all issues except the war in Iraq and look what they did to him. So a hawk like JFK would be welcome? Rich, you seem look at this from the perspective of JFK’s presidency. I’m looking at from the perspective of him trying to work his way up the ranks of the dem party. The party has shifted to the far left and those that would dare vote against them aren’t welcome.
JFK would be a moderate Republican from what I’ve seen of his views.
Mr Neutron, I read on your number 2, noting about kids not able to pass go in school,
WELL I would not take it on the kids, those young studients need to have their minds stimulate by the efficent teachers, with a brain to find the core of being young and provide the food for their brains,
you find your self superior then what is your solution for getting the AMERICANS YOUNGS,
FEELING PROUD TO ADVANCE THEIR LEARNING POTENTIAL,
SOMEBODY IS NOT DOING THEIR JOBS IN THERE, BECAUSE THE TEACHER IS FOCUS ON
HIMSELF AND A PROJECTION OF THE REALITY ONLY, WHAT IS THE YOUNG TO LEARN WITH THAT TEACHER, EMPTY, VOID, SO THEY PUT THEMSELF ON THE WAITING LIST,
WAITING FOR A INTELLIGENT TEACHER,THAT NEVER COME,
IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU WANT TO STIMULATE THE MINDS OF THE YOUNG,
IT’S TIME TO MOVE YOUR BUTS AND WORK,AS A TEACHER WOULD NOT A DUMMY WHO GET TO QUOTE OLD BIBLE WORDS,OR GERMAN QUOTE SO STUPIDLY, AND COME HERE AT FA TO LECTURE OUR SUPERIOR BRAINS,
Hard Right JFK was a hero on P.T. 109 in WW11
He was not a hawk when pulling back the invasion force at the Bay of Pigs.That mistake was at least partially redeemed by staring down the Russians during the missile crises.
It is widely believed that after re-election in 64 he would not have escalated the Asian ground war as L.B.J. did.
He was ahead of his time on Civil Rights and Human Rights.He made us proud to be Americans and he was beloved in Europe.
“A moderate Republican”No way
@rich wheeler – JFK wasn’t a hawk??? Really?
In response to the Berlin Wall crisis –
He wanted to double the draft call, ordered bombers to the European continent, and he increased the Army from 875,000 to 1 million men.
Not a hawk? He wanted to be ready to bomb the Berlin wall.
Rich, I am here today because JFK blew the Bay of Pigs invasion. That mistake doesn’t erase his other Hawkish moves.
You mention Vietnam, but are behind on recent info that has come up. It has been found that JFK wanted to increase our troops in Vietnam.
So we have someone who served their country in WWII, stared down the Soviets in the missile crisis, launched the Bay of Pigs invasion, got us into Vietnam and planned to escalate, and wanted to take action on the Berlin wall.
That, is a hawk.
@rich wheeler:
Kennedy was in it to win it, appointed Henry Cabot Lodge as Ambassador replacing Nolting who favored mollifying and patiently working with Ngo Dinh Diem as opposed to the tactics Lodge implemented resulting in deeper involvement, or escalation if you prefer.
It was Robert Kennedy that wanted to disengage and not escalate, not brother John who was calling the shots and responsible for who he appointed to speak on behalf of our country as well as advise him as to what direction we should take.
Lodge was instrumental in allowing the second coup to take place where Diem and his brother were murdered, their government replaced by the military leaders that led the coup, some civilians were also appointed. That government was later found not capable of governing or protecting the people from the expanding VC troops our government failed to take note of before the coup.
Lodge, Kennedy’s guy, his appointee, was in contact with the Vietnamese military leadership from the early stages of the planning and on the day of the coup, with both the military and Diem throughout the hours it was taking place. Also, a CAS officer was allowed to sit in the meeting with the generals when they informed other generals the coup was in the works, the officer relayed information back to our embassy throughout the day.
Almost like must see TV, a president and his advisors sit back and wait for the minute by minute while Vietnam’s leader is assasinated and his government overthrown, all the while knowing the when, where, and how it was all planned. Kind of “hawkish” wouldn’t you say?
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/pentagon2/pent6.htm
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/pentagon2/pent11.htm
Folks We can debate what Kennedy would have done in V.N. after 64 re-election.We really don’t know.He was a great leader truly understood the Communist threat and was a smart,tough guy.
We do know he was a Liberal champion of civil rights,believed America should lead on human rights and created the Peace Corps and Alliance For Progress that brought American idealism,aid and assistance to developing nations.He championed the central role of The Arts in our society.For those of us who were fortunate enough to have been there it felt like Camelot.
ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG I still miss him
Semper Fi RJW
I have no problem with you looking at Kennedy thru rose colored glasses Rich. I do take issue with your doing so with today’s “democrats.”
They are not the same thing.
Rich, he also allowed government employees to unionize. How’s that working out? I’m still lol over you bringing up “camelot”. Barf