Blog Credo

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.

H.L. Mencken

Thursday, April 4, 2013

The New Jim Crow


http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2013/4/4/11537/64950

For decades (1968-2008) Republicans could win national elections by subtly playing on old racial fears and hatred of the "Other" who is stealing all that sweet, sweet welfare riches.

But by 2000, it was apparent that this coalition was under siege, as the GOP drifted further rightward and the country moved slowly leftward - especially on cultural issues.  Booman and others have argued that the strength of the Democrats demographic position is actually masked by Obama's race, which makes it impossible to compete in Appalachia.  We'll see how Hillary does there in 2016.

After the 2000 Florida debacle, the Congress actually, you know, legislated and did its freaking job and passed the Help America Vote Act.  Since 2008, however, the GOP has basically committed itself to restricting the right of Americans to vote.

In a sane and functioning democracy, that would be the end of them as a national political party.

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