Mitt Gets It, While The GOP Continues To Stumble...
Rational Nation USA
Purveyor of Truth
As the shrinking "big tent republican" party struggles with doing the right thing as a party with respect to the confederate flag Governor Mitt Romney, the failed 2012 republican standard bearer came out loud and clear. It is time to take that flag down!
POLITICO - After letting a White House win slip through their fingers in 2012, Republicans made a commitment: It was time to broaden the conservative tent, to bring in the minority voters and the younger voters who have often felt alienated by hard-line social stances.
The past week showed that following through is a work in progress.
As debate raged about the Confederate flag boldly flying in front of South Carolina’s Capitol building, even as the nation reeled from the vicious gunning down of nine black parishioners at the hands of a white supremacist fond of posing with the rebel flag, the Republican candidates consistently failed to strongly come out against the divisive symbol.
They struggled, again and again, to follow through on the basic tenet of the post-2012, post-Mitt-Romney-face-flop autopsy — stop pissing off minorities in America.
Notably, it was Romney who cast the harshest light on the candidates’ unwillingness to take a stand over the weekend, stating, in no uncertain terms, that it was time to take that flag down.
Republican strategists, however, are defending the wobbles and hedges as awkward but probably necessary for a crowded field of candidates afraid to botch their chances in South Carolina, the first-in-the-South primary state.
“It’s been no profile in courage, but they all realize you’ve got to win the nomination first,” said David Mowery, an Alabama-based strategist. “Sometimes in the modern 24-hour-a-day news cycle, it’s better to take a step back rather than stepping out onto a limb and then have the limb get hacked off.”
The conversation about the rebel flag — long honored by Southern conservatives as a symbol of historic pride and long derided by others as a symbol of racism and hatred — gained unexpected momentum at the end of last week.
Kudos and hats off too Mitt Romney, he gets it. As for the rest of the wobbly squishy spineless fake leaders... You and your party will ultimately pay for your lack of integrity and courage.
Now, for the REST OF THE STORY.
Via: Memeorandum
Purveyor of Truth
As the shrinking "big tent republican" party struggles with doing the right thing as a party with respect to the confederate flag Governor Mitt Romney, the failed 2012 republican standard bearer came out loud and clear. It is time to take that flag down!
POLITICO - After letting a White House win slip through their fingers in 2012, Republicans made a commitment: It was time to broaden the conservative tent, to bring in the minority voters and the younger voters who have often felt alienated by hard-line social stances.
The past week showed that following through is a work in progress.
As debate raged about the Confederate flag boldly flying in front of South Carolina’s Capitol building, even as the nation reeled from the vicious gunning down of nine black parishioners at the hands of a white supremacist fond of posing with the rebel flag, the Republican candidates consistently failed to strongly come out against the divisive symbol.
They struggled, again and again, to follow through on the basic tenet of the post-2012, post-Mitt-Romney-face-flop autopsy — stop pissing off minorities in America.
Notably, it was Romney who cast the harshest light on the candidates’ unwillingness to take a stand over the weekend, stating, in no uncertain terms, that it was time to take that flag down.
Republican strategists, however, are defending the wobbles and hedges as awkward but probably necessary for a crowded field of candidates afraid to botch their chances in South Carolina, the first-in-the-South primary state.
“It’s been no profile in courage, but they all realize you’ve got to win the nomination first,” said David Mowery, an Alabama-based strategist. “Sometimes in the modern 24-hour-a-day news cycle, it’s better to take a step back rather than stepping out onto a limb and then have the limb get hacked off.”
The conversation about the rebel flag — long honored by Southern conservatives as a symbol of historic pride and long derided by others as a symbol of racism and hatred — gained unexpected momentum at the end of last week.
Kudos and hats off too Mitt Romney, he gets it. As for the rest of the wobbly squishy spineless fake leaders... You and your party will ultimately pay for your lack of integrity and courage.
Now, for the REST OF THE STORY.
Via: Memeorandum
Stumbling is not limited to the GOP now. We now have this bit of idiocy from the left as well.
ReplyDeleteYes, I saw that article on Webb. I thought about doing a post on him but it was late. I guess Southern Pride can be a strong force with some. Webb, a throwback to the Dixiecrats of old?
DeleteBeen hearing a lot of noise about Bill Clinton when he was still Governor of Ark. and HRC was First Lady of Ark. on the matter of the confederate flag. Not too concerned as that was what, 23 years ago? People's views do evolve. But some things are harder to brush off I guess.
Webb is a Conseravitive Democrat. Also, he is no longer an elected representative, and therefore an outsider with an irrelative opinion (using dmarks' own logic). Perhaps if he announces a futile bid for the presidency someone might care about this stumble?
DeleteAnyway, looks like dmarks' buddy CI stumbled as well.
Webb is conservative for a Democrat. but on the left of the "divide". Not any sort of progressive, for sure though.
DeleteWhile he is "no longer an elected representative", the same is of course true of Mitt Romney, Santorum, and others
Sorry, the link to "using dmarks' own logic" (which was a specific link to an old and irrelevant argument) without context is definitely an 'old bone", an attempt to dredge up from the past with intent by Mr. Sanders to deceive. Specifically prohibited on this blog, along with his attempt to expand any dispute with "Constitutional Insurgent" on another blog to this blog, also.
It seems Mr. Sanders has a history of specifically being the antagonist, particularly when it comes to rather unimportant or irrelevant issues, He continue to approach the same issues in what seems an obvious to stimulate "discourse", albeit in a negative way.
DeleteI'm sure you recall when Truth 101 (Joe Kelly) referred to Mr. Sanders as a "shithead" on his blog and actually doing a entire post on the subject as I recall. Perhaps we understand why? And Truth is a fellow progressive of Mr. Sanders. Go figure...
Anyway, I allowed the comment because after all, Webb is no longer an elected official just as is Romney no longer an elected official. So by his logic neither Romney's or Webb's opinion are worth a grain of salt. Who knows, it Dervish Sanders.
I will just say I miss "Truth 101"'s contributions to these blog. Regardless of my disagreeing with his ideology.
DeleteThere are very important matters of temperament that eclipse matters of political alignment.
As do I. Often disagreed with Joe but respected him and his opinions and occasionally found a view of mine influenced by him.
DeleteTAO is another one not seen or heard from in some time. He could sometimes p*ss me off but he was really sharp dude and made you think.
Joe had a wicked sense of humor, too. I was about to say the same thing about Chairman Tao. I think he might still lurk about but read and not post.
Deletedmarks was the one who insisted that the opinion of an out-of-office politician is "irrelative" and that such a person is an "outsider". I never made that argument. And bringing up an old Joe Shithead lie is an old bone much more so than anything I write.
DeleteMy point about an out-of-office politician being an "outsider" and his opinion being "irrelative" (when I cite such a person) VERSUS the opinion of a very similar person being representative of the entire Left (when cited by dmarks) - was actually a minor one. Yet, it elicits whines from dmarks of old bones AGAIN, and a reference to an old discussion on another blog by a departed blogger (who was wrong with his accusations) by Les AGAIN... I've got to wonder why, except to antagonize?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteDouble bullshit Sanders.
Delete"dmarks was the one who insisted that the opinion of an out-of-office politician..."
DeleteDredged up from a supposed blog comment a year ago. Or was it even older?
Looks at the header. The post is about Romney, rather than what Mr. Sanders thinks about others. Let's get back to it, shall we?
Children! Children! Children! Old bones are something dogs chew on. Learn from the past and look to the future.
DeleteDervish had the last f*c*ing word. I'm done.
DeleteThere's a rumor going around the internet about a Clinton/Gore button that features the Stars and Bars.
ReplyDeleteBut it appears that it's fake. The article will link to pages and pages of Clinton/Gore political buttons, and the button with the Stars and Bars and their names on it is not on any of them. At this point, I don't know if it really existed. If it did, it was a poor choice, but in that region of the country, people did not see the racist side of what that flag represented.
I saw something similar on a deferent site but apparently there is no connection to the official Clinton/Gore campaign.
DeleteI also read something in passing that Clinton had officially honored the confederate flag. Don't know much about that either and don't care for the reasons given in reply to dmarks.
I do find it odd, the wording "... poor choice" and ",,, in that region of the country, people did not see the racist side of what that flag represented". I'm sure then, if that is true, none of the south sees the racist side of what the confederate battle flag represents. In which case ought we not give them all the same pass and hope they one day see it? Is the response to, and constant media coverage over the confederate flag, then overblown? I think not but perhaps your point is well worth considering and should be part of the discussion.
I really do understand that lots of folks, African-Americans and white southerners, displayed this flag. I think they chose to ignore the white supremacy it represented. How else does one explain an African-American being photographed holding one. But the history of the flag is one of repression and hatred The KKK carried it when they burned crosses, tortured, and murdered African-Americans. People can keep it on their private property--a lot of southerners don't see the evil side of what it represents --, but it has no place on government property that is supported by ALL Americans.
DeleteI am in 100% agreement.
DeleteAlthough I will continue to make my views known. Respectfully and considerately to those who deserve respect. The Radical Redneck and Rusty Shackleford's of the world, the kind found at the Stench Trench, aks Who's Your Daddy will continue to raise my ire. And they will get no respect or consideration from me. PERIOD.
Just recently over at Will's blog Lisa, when asked by Will what started the blog uproar between Lisa and me, Lisa actually told Will it was over some comments made by "unnamed sources!" And that they were up only for a few weeks, because she wasn't paying attention to her blog. It's breathtaking that Lisa can lie with such impunity. Those "unnamed sources" Radical Redneck and Rusty Shackleford, have been welcome guests at her blog for years, and those porno links and sexual attacks aimed at me also went on for years, until she was caught and shamed into scrubbing them from her blog.
DeleteEither Lisa has a memory loss disease or she's a liar--a very cunning liar at that.
Luckily, we have saved the evidence to prove her perfidy.
Back to more serious matters, I agree 100% with Shaw's paragraph that starts with "I really do understand that lots of folks....". Incidentally, it is the same as Constitutional Insurgent's argument.... and would appear to be the most rational approach. To remove this flag from the official expression and promotion of the government, while protecting its use in the expression of individuals as per our Constitution.
DeleteIMO, since Mitt is not running, he can be more forthright on issues and have opinions that are not in lockstep with some party positioning.
ReplyDeleteThat may very well be the reason BB, what is gratifying is he can now fill the roll of a GOP statesmen and be a moderating voice in party. Hopefully he will continue and folks will listen.
DeleteNot making any betas however in either case.
I was hoping he would never be heard from again.
DeleteAnother hope crushed.!
DeleteBetter luck next time Dervish.
To make Mitt out as some sort of real villain means someone bought wayyyyyy to much into 2012 Democratic campaign advertising.
ReplyDeleteI'd say the same of those who still hate Dukakis, Mondale, Dole, Kerry, etc. based on the once-hot campaign coals of years gone by.