Democrats wrap Dean in Confederate flag

Associated Press ^ | 11-04-03

[Brian S]

Howard Dean's presidential rivals finally found a flag to rally around Tuesday night.

The Confederate flag.

A heated exchange over the former Vermont governor's rhetorical courtship of Southern voters gave hope to his fellow Democratic candidates as they seek to drive a wedge between Dean and key party constituencies such as blacks, elderly voters and gun control advocates.

[cmsgop]

hehe!

[Husker24]

Edwards challenged Dean to admit he was wrong and, as a Southerner, said, "The last thing we need in the South is somebody like you coming down and telling us what to do."

If that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, I dont know what is.

[stevem]

This is humorous except I can't see what the big deal is. The entire Democrat/liberal agenda is racist. It is good humor to see high profile Democrats get caught in their own traps.

[byteback]

It's not teh pot calling the kettle black but stereotyping Southerners as poor whites with confederate flag pick-ups might not fly too well. To me that's like calling New Yorkers Jews or all Californians flakes.

[zencat]

These people just don't get it do they.

Anyone see Brian Williams go on and on tonight about the "Mission Accomplished" banner. He said there was a huge "media storm" that had really impacted the President.

Again, liberals just don't seem to get it.

[Jorge]

I almost feel sorry for Dean. He really is a klutz.

[#3Fan]

Amazing that the Democrats are so caught up in their race-baiting that they can't see when they've gotten themselves in a circular firing squad. Calling a whole region of the country racist because of a battle-flag has to be the dumbest move of the year. Edwards at least should know better. I hope Bush carries every southern state next year to send a message to these idiot Democrats.

[ysoitanly]

"We don't have to embrace the Confederate flag, and I never suggested we did," Dean said. "But we have to reach out to all disenfranchised people."


Am I the only one who just doesn't 'get' this statement?

[ntnychik]

"We don't have to embrace the Confederate flag, and I never suggested we did," Dean said. "But we have to reach out to all disenfranchised people."

I had no idea that confederate flag-wavers were disenfranchised. Do they need a special program? Reparations, maybe? A support group? Candlelit vigil?

[ErnBatavia]

He may sucker the Manhattan liberals, but ain't too many southerners that can't see right through him.

[ysoitanly]

Great minds.... ;)

[Salman]

Misleading headline. Dean wrapped himself in the Confederate flag.

Other Dems are just responding. What a dolt!

[Political Junkie Too]

Maybe we should start a list.

I can't keep track anymore, and special elections are really confusing me now. Today, California reports that they are not certifying some electronic voting machines at this time. I thought the ACLU claimed to the 9th Circuit that voters would be disenfranchised without these machines. Is California now disenfranchising everyone by delaying these machines?

-PJ

[Imal]

Edwards challenged Dean to admit he was wrong and, as a Southerner, said, "The last thing we need in the South is somebody like you coming down and telling us what to do."

Considering the reasons for the American Civil War being fought in the first place, this statement couldn't be any more ironic.

[South40]

Democrats wrap Dean in Confederate flag

They ought to wrap him in a piece of bacon.

[ysoitanly]

Everyone in California is disenfranchised unless they are white heterosexuals. This is NOT meant to be racist or homophobic - it's just how the courts and the election process works here. If anyone doesn't win by an absolute LANDSLIDE, it's a guarantee the election results will be decided by the judiciary, not the voters. The ACLU and trial lawyers LOVE this state. Did you know we just passed a law requiring pet stores to 'weigh' pet birds - yes, we have to buy a pet bird by the pound. I could go on, but....no.

[Ophiucus]

Buzzwords and smokescreens. It doesn't make any real sense other than an attempt at a PC dodge. Dean said something stupid in the destruct by screaming racism media atmosphere. Now, he's trying to duck and cover without looking wimpy.

The fun part is watching DemoRats tear into each other with tactics usually reserved for Republicans.

The sad part is the b.s. of calling the Confederate flag a "loathsome symbol."

[Political Junkie Too]

Did you know we just passed a law requiring pet stores to 'weigh' pet birds - yes, we have to buy a pet bird by the pound. I could go on, but....no.

I get my "pet" birds from Foster Farms, and I do pay by the pound (minus bones and feathers). :-)

-PJ

[ysoitanly]

Well, he's a metrosexual, then he's a square and doesn't know what 'metrosexual' means. Then he's a NASCAR kinda guy. But that's only because people who have confederate flags are 'disenfranchised.' You just have to love it.

[ysoitanly]

LOL! PETA alert! ;)

[Cultural Jihad]

Dean ... noted that he fought against bigotry against gays in his home state of Vermont. Dean signed the state's civil union bill.

"... we have to reach out to all disenfranchised people."

Ah, those poor, disenfranchised behavioral-minorities who just happen to be landlords, lawyers, bankers, and accountants! They need help to thwart those who are bigoted against their evil behaviors!

[ysoitanly]

But let's not forget the constant, liberal Dean drumbeat that he 'balanced the budget' in Vermont which is supposedly a huge selling point - a 'fiscal conservative'. Cool. First of all, the whole state of Vermont is the size of ONE assembly district in most states, and second, he did it with the HIGHEST per capita tax increase in the nation. Sorry, I guess I am confusing his talking points with facts. Only slightly less humorous than the picture of Ketchup Kerry today in an orange hunting vest today, complete with rifle. Anyone have it?

[Verginius Rufus]

Sharpton's claim that Dean is insensitive is unfair. According to Jay Leno, when Dean was governor of Vermont he worked closely with the blacks in his state--both of them.

[Dusty Rose]

stereotyping Southerners as poor whites with confederate flag pick-ups might not fly too well. To me that's like calling New Yorkers Jews or all Californians flakes.

This only demonstrates that Dean can never be a national candidate. If there was a "winner" from the debate, it can only be Gephardt who didn't show. At least he is distinguishing himself from the Democrandidate pack.

[Dusty Rose]

Dean ... noted that he fought against bigotry against gays in his home state of Vermont.

And if I recall correctly, Dean said something like "the only reason many people in VT did not support the civil union bill is because of ignorance." Actually, the biggest vocal opponent of that bill was Bishop Kenneth Angell who testified at the capitol. I wouldn't exactly call him ignorant. Seems like Dean quite easily characterizes people who do not agree with him as ignorant. How arrogant is that!

[Cultural Jihad]

Here you go:

Democratic presidential hopeful loser Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, carries his double barrel shotgun while hunting pheasant, Friday Oct. 31, 2003, near Colo, Iowa.

[ntnychik]

Is California now disenfranchising everyone by delaying these machines?

California is disenfranchising whoever the dems say, whenever it suits them.

Disenfranchisement used to refer to women and slaves who couldn't vote until the Constitution was amended, and blacks who couldn't vote because of unfair treatment in the pre-Voting Rights Act south. I can't imagine who is disenfranchised when illegal aliens (PC=undocumented workers) are eligible for drivers licenses, when busloads of New Jersey vagrants were trucked in to vote in the Pennsylvania 2000 election, and when more native American votes were cast in some places than there were registered voters. And now, we had to get a court decision that having Republican pollwatchers in minority (democrat) districts wasn't disenfranchising the minority voters. Can you imagine someone not voting in fear of the kindly retired Republican gent or lady who volunteered to help watch the polls? Maybe it's a fear of white shoes!

[Verginius Rufus]

Actually nothing prevented states or territories from letting women vote before the Constitution was amended in 1920--New Jersey let women vote for a while around 1800, and Wyoming Territory had woman suffrage from 1869 on. The difference the 19th amendment made is that after that point states were not allowed to deny women the vote.

I don't think slaves were ever allowed to vote anywhere, but "free persons of color" (if adult males) were allowed to vote in some states before the Civil War (even in some slaveholding states)...and some states which had never had slavery did not let black men vote until they were forced to by the 15th amendment.

[JSteff]

So glad I get to see one of their own feel their own. Ye who live by the lies and false posturing shall die (politically) by the lies.

The world is getting okay, dean gets pasted by his own and CBS drops the Reagans show.

[Verginius Rufus]

Republicans used to be able to write off the entire "Solid South" and still win most Presidential elections. In 1908, for example, Taft beat Bryan 321-162. Bryan received all 120 electoral votes from the 11 former Confederate states. In 2004 the same 11 states will cast 153 electoral votes. It's still possible to win the Presidency without carrying a single Southern state (Algore came very close to pulling that off in 2000), but it's getting harder to do...and there are some Northern states which very rarely vote for a Democratic Presidential nominee.

[wheelgunguru]

Richardson, one of the leading Hispanic politicians in the country

"Richardson" is an Hispanic name?

he fought against bigotry against gays

It's bigotry to call sin, sin?

[Choose Ye This Day]

Has he ever been outside of Vermont before? Or outside of the Northeast? It seems as if he doesn't even understand all us "red state" types at all, like we're from a different planet entirely.

[Verginius Rufus]

Richardson's mother was or is "Hispanic."