[Vision2020] Re: Affirmative Action and Colin Powell
Joan Opyr
auntiestablishment@hotmail.com
Wed, 19 Feb 2003 23:37:42 -0800
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I think it's great that so many on this list believe that Colin Powell wo=
uld have been a viable contender for the presidency, and I'd like to be o=
ptimistic enough to believe that as well. Unfortunately, I'm a native So=
utherner, and my long, sad experience of North Carolina politics has made=
me cynical. No Republican can win the presidency without winning the So=
uth, and anyone who pays attention to Southern politics knows that race-b=
aiting still sells. =20
The governor of Georgia lost his job this past November to a challenger w=
ho promised white voters a referendum on flying the Confederate flag over=
the state house. The state of Virginia is trying to have a statue of Li=
ncoln removed from a Confederate monument. John McCain lost the 2000 Sou=
th Carolina primary after push-pollers not affiliated with but supporting=
the Bush campaign called likely white voters and asked if they knew McCa=
in had a black daughter (he adopted a child from Bangladesh). Harvey Gan=
tt, the black mayor of Charlotte, NC, ran for Senate twice against that b=
igot extraordinaire, Jesse Helms, and each time he ran, polls suggested t=
hat he was either even with Helms or several points ahead, right up until=
election day. It took a while, but we finally figured out that white vo=
ters would rather lie to pollsters than be thought of as racist--even if =
they were. Come election time, Helms always nabbed sixty percent of the =
white vote and squeaked back into office.
Colin Powell has a great deal going for him. He's smart, he's personable=
, he's experienced and astute. And I wouldn't give him a snowball's chan=
ce of winning enough Southern primaries to capture the nomination. Too m=
any people from my old home still think in terms of black and white--thou=
gh most, unlike Trent Lott, have learned to put on an attractive public f=
ace.
They don't call it the solid South for nothing. Alas. =20
The times . . . let's hope they're a' changing,
Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
Serving Idaho's liberal elite since 1993Get more from the Web. FREE MSN =
Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com
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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>I think it's g=
reat that so many on this list believe that Colin Powell would have been =
a viable contender for the presidency, and I'd like to be optimistic enou=
gh to believe that as well. Unfortunately, I'm a native Southerner,=
and my long, sad experience of North Carolina politics has made me cynic=
al. No Republican can win the presidency without winning the South,=
and anyone who pays attention to Southern politics knows that race-baiti=
ng still sells. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The governor of Georg=
ia lost his job this past November to a challenger who promised white vot=
ers a referendum on flying the Confederate flag over the state =
house. The state of Virginia is trying to have a statue of Lin=
coln removed from a Confederate monument. John McCain lost the 2000=
South Carolina primary after push-pollers not affiliated with but suppor=
ting the Bush campaign called likely white voters and asked if =
they knew McCain had a black daughter (he adopted a child from Bangladesh=
). Harvey Gantt, the black mayor of Charlotte, NC, ran for Senate t=
wice against that bigot extraordinaire, Jesse Helms, and each time he ran=
, polls suggested that he was either even with Helms or several points ah=
ead, right up until election day. It took a while, but we finally f=
igured out that white voters would rather lie to pollsters than be t=
hought of as racist--even if they were. Come election time, Helms a=
lways nabbed sixty percent of the white vote and squeaked back into =
office.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Colin Powell has a great deal going =
for him. He's smart, he's personable, he's experienced and astute.&=
nbsp; And I wouldn't give him a snowball's chance of winning enough South=
ern primaries to capture the nomination. Too many people from =
my old home still think in terms of black and white--though most, unlike =
Trent Lott, have learned to put on an attractive public face.</DIV> <DIV>=
</DIV> <DIV>They don't call it the solid South for nothing.&nb=
sp; Alas. <BR><BR>The times . . . let's hope they'=
re a' changing,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishme=
nt<BR>Serving Idaho's liberal elite since 1993</DIV></BODY></HTML><br cle=
ar=3Dall><hr>Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : <a href=
=3D'http://explorer.msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>
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