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Jesse Helms Was No Hero (Juan Williams Alert)
Wall Street Journal ^ | July 12, 2008 | Juan Williams

Posted on 07/12/2008 6:24:14 AM PDT by Zakeet

In death, Sen. Jesse Helms is being honored as a conservative hero. My question is why?

Yes, the six-term senator defined right-wing political stands against communists in Cuba, Nicaragua and the former Soviet Union. Yes, he blocked international treaties that limited U.S. sovereignty. And, yes, he was masterful in his use of direct mail to stir contributions to conservative causes. But "Senator No" also created an angry, scolding, close-minded face for the modern GOP, exactly opposite to the sunny optimism of Ronald Reagan.

Helms did not invite people into the party; to the contrary, he seemed to delight in excluding people and played on the anxieties of rural, older Southern whites. But if the modern Republican Party is to thrive it has to get out the welcome mat for young people, specifically the fastest growing segments of the U.S. population: Hispanics and Asians, as well as younger blacks who are more likely than their elders to be politically independent.

[Snip]

To be sure, for Helms the essence of North Carolina values was keeping taxes low, and fighting against big government. That is a great message. It won him a base of support.

But that base was rural working-class voters and white suburban male voters. He rallied this base by letting everyone know he disliked Chapel Hill intellectuals -- the kind of people who protested for equal rights for blacks and challenged U.S. involvement in Vietnam. He showed no compassion for gays coming out of the closet and women who wanted abortion rights; instead choosing to make them demons threatening family values. And he made blunt use of racial politics.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: conservatism; helms; jessehelms; juanwilliams; northcarolina
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Jesse Helms was a bad man because he disliked liberal college profs ...
and failed to pander to gays ... and failed to support baby killing ... and
never failed to support family values!

1 posted on 07/12/2008 6:24:15 AM PDT by Zakeet
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To: Zakeet

I had extensive dealings with Senator Helms back in the 90s on issues relating to Indo China and its people. He was unfailingly helpful, supportive and courtly. I spent a great deal of time with him. He was a wonderful man. Interestingly, the other “most helpful” on those issues was Senator Paul Wellstone. The least helful? McCain.


2 posted on 07/12/2008 6:32:13 AM PDT by Kolokotronis (Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated)
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: Zakeet
Well, Juan, gay rights and abortion do threaten family values. They are the antithesis of those values.

RIP Jesse Helms...for standing strongly on those issues and not pandering to those votes as Williams would have had you, and would apparently have others do.

4 posted on 07/12/2008 6:34:35 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: Squantos; Eaker
Down here, there are TWO people that one is wise not to make disparaging comments about in public, or mixed company.

One is General Robert E. Lee, and the other is Senator Jesse Helms.

The Chapel Hill intellectuals...or as well call them...Tighty Whities... can go straight to hell!
5 posted on 07/12/2008 6:37:12 AM PDT by hiredhand
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To: Zakeet

Huanny is usually pretty reasonable...for a lefty.


6 posted on 07/12/2008 6:37:51 AM PDT by sam_paine (X .................................)
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To: Zakeet

So much drivel, so little time.


7 posted on 07/12/2008 6:41:35 AM PDT by WorkerbeeCitizen (Seinfeld was a show about nothing - so is Obama.)
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To: Zakeet

The irony of Juan discussing Tony Snow this morning and what a decent man he was, and then we see this from Juan.

The libs are just plain trash. No other word for it.


8 posted on 07/12/2008 6:44:05 AM PDT by Carley
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To: sam_paine

It seems to me that Juan, along with many of the leftists on FOXNEWS, seems to have become more reasonable over the years. It’s almost like actually being around conservatives on a daily basis has shown him that there are some reasonable arguments on the right, that conservatives aren’t really the ‘foaming at the mouth haters’ the left portrays them as...


9 posted on 07/12/2008 6:44:55 AM PDT by Kay Ludlow (Free market, but cautious about what I support with my dollars)
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To: Zakeet

According to the left wackos.


10 posted on 07/12/2008 6:46:06 AM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: Zakeet

According to Juan we have made “progress” beyond the “racist” good ole’ boy politics of Jesse Helms. Juan must be living in a cave. Just a few weeks ago the “black”/liberal/democRat/”intellectual” US Senator ‘Rat presidential candidate Barry OsmamaObama played the race card in a most cynical way. “Did I mention he was black?”


11 posted on 07/12/2008 6:47:30 AM PDT by LiberConservative ("Typical" white guy)
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To: freekitty

whats your point Juan?


12 posted on 07/12/2008 6:49:50 AM PDT by JessieHelmsJr
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To: Zakeet
We'll wait and see what Juan writes about Sen. Byrd when he passes. Just another phony Lib.
13 posted on 07/12/2008 6:50:01 AM PDT by 4yearlurker
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To: hiredhand

We hold Stonewall Jackson in high regard down here, too...


14 posted on 07/12/2008 6:53:10 AM PDT by Lonely Are The Brave
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To: Abbeville Conservative
Seems that Jesse Helms was 100% spot on.

You're against equal rights and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr?

15 posted on 07/12/2008 6:53:38 AM PDT by Alter Kaker (Gravitation is a theory, not a fact. It should be approached with an open mind...)
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To: hiredhand
When I was growing up even Yankees admired Robert E. Lee. I think the same thing was true during the War Between the States. Even his opponents thought he was a great man. It is only in the last 30 years or so that has changed.

Jesse Helms was one of the last really true Conservatives as the term used to be used.

16 posted on 07/12/2008 6:53:49 AM PDT by yarddog
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To: Zakeet
Jesse Helms was a good and decent man.
He lived a long and admirable life.
17 posted on 07/12/2008 6:56:25 AM PDT by Guenevere (America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease)
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: JessieHelmsJr

Exactly.


19 posted on 07/12/2008 7:00:54 AM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: Zakeet
Mr. Williams is a political analyst

Juan Willams is a putz.

20 posted on 07/12/2008 7:01:26 AM PDT by MosesKnows (Love many, Trust few, and always paddle your own canoe)
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