Well said.
I have been looking for stories on this today and found yours.
I was not diametrically opposed to Childers until I found out about this push material on Sunday afternoon.
Nor do I have a problem with campaigning AGAINST another candidate as long as it is done in a contrasting way and there is a REAL record there to back up the contrast.
But...
Will,
I am so very proud of you for saying what you have here.
It takes real courage for a (D), such as yourself, to finally take a stand against the traditional Dem tactics.
There is even MORE, by the way, that went on here in Lee County.
But good for you for having the courage to take this stand.
This race-baiting/fear-mongering playbook of the Dems is old, but obviously it still works.
Childers knew about this and saw this material before it was carried out by those canvassing for him. It was carried into targeted (code-word "black") precincts. He saw this DCCC piece late Thursday afternoon as they were getting thier GOTV effort organized based out of a hotel in Tupelo. An honorable man would have immediately put a stop to it!
That is the reason they waited until the GOTV weekend before putting it into the hands of black voters.
But there is no honor in it!
None at all.
Thank YOU, for having the integrity and courage to speak out against this kind of tactic.
J Everett Dutschke
I have a suggestion... Let's simply remove the labels on the ballot that identify a candidate by party.
That eliminates all those that just blindly vote by party.
PS- on a lighter note...I've been told me you've been making fun of my ties. Stop it.
J.E.D.,
Do you think your two day investigative piece on the sign theif was childish? Was there something else you could have spent your time doing to get better results?
Appealing to people's disdain for the Klan isn't race-baiting. In fact, it's something that should be encouraged. I'm white, and I want to know if the people I'm voting for or against are Klan sympathizers.
The flyer isn't demonizing a race of people, it's demonizing the dag-blamed Ku Klux Klan! If there's a more worth target or public demonization and derision I don't know who it is.
Were you equally as offended when it was reported that Barbour actively sough and received the endorsements of the Citizen's Councils? That seems like mud that should be slung.
Now, my opinion of the matter is predicated on the idea that the flyer is true- outright lies certainly should not be tolerated. But while this may qualify as wading into the murky swamp of negative political campaigning, it ain't race-baiting.
Okay- turns out it's not true. But I still stand by my point that it's only race-baiting if you consider every white person in the district to be Klan sympathizers.
Hiram, a question...
If Hillary (or McCain) print flyers tying Obama to the Black Panthers, is it race baiting?
If Hillary (or McCain) print flyers tying Obama to radical Muslims, is it race baiting?
BTW Will,
I second JED's comment. I'm very impressed you spoke out against the Democratic party.
Don't forget the grilled crow, let me know when we get to eat.
See, I don't see it as speaking out against the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party that I know is inclusive and works to make society equally inclusive. My gripe is with the DCCC, which apparently didn't get the memo.
And Hiram, I see this as just another page in the playbook that Haley Barbour called from when he visited the Citizens Council. He exploited whites' race-based fears the same way the DCCC exploited those of First District blacks. If it was wrong for Barbour (and it most certainly was), then it was wrong for the DCCC.
Speaking out AFTER the election is over is a little disingenuous. Oh, and before you ban me again, I would like to know why I was banned in the first place.
It's really a stretch to imply that the flyer was responsible for such a major turnout of African American voters. I've been in politics for a long time, seen worse than this and used more effectively. However, it only would have been significant in an extremely close race. They rarely affect turnout to any sizable degree.
I think you can attribute better organization and better, more economically focused campaigning to a higher black turnout than some stupid flyer.
Wow. Bardwell is now being mentioned on the daily kos? Congratulations.....I guess. Gross.
Sorry about the Kos mentioning you..that sucks. As far as the flier...Many of my students (and I teach in Lowndes County) asked me about Greg Davis being in the KKK. If they were asking me that, then people they know were influenced by it, and they may have even voted because of it. I think the flier had a much bigger impact than most people will admit.
Let's be rational here. A petite, attractive, young woman with a forlorn expression, just exactly the person who would most likely stir protective instincts. And I believe she was African-American, too. Naw, no race baitng here, guys. What's wrong with you.
Will, I don't even know who you are, so I can't say why you were banned the first time around. Keep copping that attitude, though, and I'll predict why you're banned the next time around.
My comment earlier was based entirely on my initial reaction to Will's post, which dealt more with the implications and ramifications of the flyer than the substance. Once I went back and actually read the durn thing, I realized I had based my opinion on an incorrect notion of its contents.
Which is to say- you're absolutely right, Will. It's textbook race-baiting, and it's unnecessary, uncalled for, and certainly unhelpful. While I stand by my notion that anti-Klan feelings are not solely possessed by the African-American community, this flyer is specifically targeted to play to the worst fears of black Mississippians. Even if it was true- which it isn't- it's still reprehensible. Maybe Rep. Elec. Childers can repair Washington's opinion of the proud citizens of our state.
And to rebmus,
"If Hillary (or McCain) print flyers tying Obama to the Black Panthers, is it race baiting?"
Yup.
"If Hillary (or McCain) print flyers tying Obama to radical Muslims, is it race baiting?"
No, it's fear-mongering. Unless the target audience is of the "Middle Easterners/Foreigners/Brownish people=Muslim=Evil Crazy Terrorist Trying To Outlaw John Wayne Movies And Porno" persuasion, in which case it's both.
Commenting by HaloScan
