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2003-11-05 Home Front

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Posted by Atrus 2003-11-05 1:51:48 PM|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 the key point here is not so much the insult to blacks (though that may hurt Dean) as the insult to white southern democrats, many of who have pickups, but very few of who have confedarate flags. Like Edwards said, if a white Southerner had said this he'd be out of the race. Its got to be infuriating that Dean can say this and get away with it.

Its also bizarrely stupid. Dean notes that these blue collar folks have an economic interest in Dem policies. What does he think is keeping them away from the Dems? Could it be candidates who have dovish foreign policies, who are identified with Yankee "activists" and social liberalism, and whose main claim to moderation is their fiscal conservatism, the one conservative policy NOT likely to appeal to blue collar dems? Does Dean really think his pro-gun stance makes up for all that? If the dems want blue collar southern votes they should nominate Edwards, or Gephardt, NOT Dean.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-11-5 2:41:17 PM|| 2003-11-5 2:41:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 Heck, he's a puss for apologizing. If you say you're for poor southern whites, many who fly the Confederate battle flag (I'm a northerner living in S.C. & see it every day) then don't apologize for it. Have some balls. BTW - most southerners who fly the thing look at it as heritage, states rights, and dixie history. Rightly or wrongly they don't equate it to slavery. The flag issue is so stupid and blown outta proportion it takes away from actual debate that really affects most Americans. Maybe a stupid move by Dean but Edwards is jumping on this purely for political points. I wouldn't be surprised if some good ole boys in N.C. (where I've also lived over three years) jump ship on him.

Posted by Jarhead 2003-11-5 3:06:39 PM|| 2003-11-5 3:06:39 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 "Poor white people need to vote their economic interest."

Or if I may paraphrase: "C'mon, whitey, you can hate rich folks, too!"

Posted by eLarson 2003-11-5 3:51:43 PM|| 2003-11-5 3:51:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 That sound you're hearing is the stampede of the last few white Southern Democrats making their move to the Republicans.

Mr. Metrosexual managed to tee off blacks and southern whites in one fell swoop. And George Bush is a moron?

hahahahaha!

Posted by R. McLeod 2003-11-5 4:38:04 PM|| 2003-11-5 4:38:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 We need input from a small town mid-western type.

Betya NMM's got a PU made in the US and drinks pure ethanol.

(Stayin on message)

Posted by Shipman 2003-11-5 4:54:55 PM|| 2003-11-5 4:54:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 betcha he doesn't lol

Posted by Frank G 2003-11-5 7:21:37 PM|| 2003-11-5 7:21:37 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Good comment on this from PhotoDude (in Atlanta):

"The basic sentiment [that the Democrats need to work on their appeal to rural white southerners] is true, but the specifics got him a lambasting from every one of his opponents...
All I can say is that I'm a white guy from the South, I drive a pickup truck, and it has a flag on it, so I suppose I must fit the Traditional Southern Stereotype. The fact I'm that an urban freelance worker in a creative field, who voted a majority Democratic ticket in 2002, and have the United States flag on my truck are merely annoying inconsistencies.
Because, otherwise, we Southerners are all alike." --Bush, the South, and the Center

As a white "midwestern type" (although not from a small town, but one that thinks like one), my take is that the guys with the Confederate flags on their trucks were probably more amused than offended by the inital remark, but now they'll call Dean a wuss for backing off. The ones who made most of the noise were the party's (mostly urban and bicoastal) Professional Offense-Takers, a constituency that must be appeased if a candidate is to get anywhere in the primaries, but has little connection-- and much contempt-- for the average citizen in the heartland.

Posted by Old Grouch 2003-11-5 8:34:46 PM|| 2003-11-5 8:34:46 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 North Carolinians as a majority have already dumped Edwards. His poll numbers for re-election as senator were very bad. That's one reason he decided to not run again for the senate here even though he could have done so while still running for president. He hasn't done a thing for NC while up in Washington and the people here know it.

Posted by Anonymous NC 2003-11-5 8:36:18 PM|| 2003-11-5 8:36:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 "Professional Offense-Takers, a constituency that must be appeased if a candidate is to get anywhere in the primaries, but has little connection-- and much contempt-- for the average citizen in the heartland."

-O.G. - well said. "professional offense-takers" is a great analogy.

Posted by Jarhead 2003-11-5 9:25:11 PM|| 2003-11-5 9:25:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Jarhead--once again we agree--Edwards has done jack for NC and I say that as a Democrat--if the weak candidate/hack he replaced had been a Democrat he would have run as a Republican--can you say rich opportunist?--he's spent all his time in DC trying to become president--he will definitely cause the Dems to lose a Senate seat in NC which makes me extremely agitated--although Liddy Dole seems nice!
I think Dean's point was that the Dems have lost the Southern Blue collar vote--many of whom DO drive pick-ups with Confederate flags--but vote the NRA line--not their economic interests

Posted by NotMikeMoore 2003-11-5 11:56:17 PM|| 2003-11-5 11:56:17 PM|| Front Page Top

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