Comments on: Lott Resigns; America Says, “Wait, he was still in the Senate??”

By: Changeseeker

Changeseeker — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:35:50 +0000

This was exactly my response when I heard this news. I thought he was LONG gone…?! Shoulda known better, I guess.

By: BetaCandy

BetaCandy — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:10:11 +0000

And I say “rapist” because you cannot convince me that in the racist segregated 1920s South Carolina, a fifteen-year-old black maid had freedom to say no to the son of the household in which she worked.

Amen. I thought this was so obvious, and yet it was totally downplayed by the media (as far as I saw).

It also makes me wonder how many other not-so-hidden bigots are still serving and how long we’ll have to wait for this generation of douchebags to die.

Just long enough for the next generation of bigoted douchebags to take over, I guess. I hope I’m being overly cynical, but I grew up in the South hearing white racist evangelicals talk about how Jesus wanted them to take over the US and make it into God’s Country. I’m just now old enough to run for president or the senate… which means so are the people I’m talking about.

By: DaisyDeadhead

DaisyDeadhead — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:43:15 +0000

What a tool!

By: Veronica

Veronica — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 02:43:44 +0000

These people stay in office because for the same reason that they espouse their racist views: their constituents agree with them. And that’s that. Remember when Strom Thurmond died and actual people were actually saying that well, the existence of his black daughter actually showed that he was “noble” because it showed that he was committed to his racist, segregationist policies without any personal bias? And almost nobody in the public sphere said “Hold it! That man’s a racist rapist!” And I say “rapist” because you cannot convince me that in the racist segregated 1920s South Carolina, a fifteen-year-old black maid had freedom to say no to the son of the household in which she worked. He was a segregationist pig, and Trent Lott is his acolyte, and their constituents flat-out do not consider that to be a major problem.

By: Ico

Ico — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:56:54 +0000

Adam, thank you for the history lesson. I had a general sense that they’d flip-flopped in their positions over time, but couldn’t point to any specifics. Politics doesn’t demoralize me so much as aggravate me. I’ll freely admit that, rather like ABW suggested, I really am just sitting here waiting for this generation of bigots to die…

BTW, this is totally tangential but the word “demoralizing” got me thinking about it… has anyone heard of the “Thought Police” act?

By: Adam Sheehan

Adam Sheehan — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 23:34:34 +0000

Ico asked:

“Speaking of Republicans, were they always like this?”

Actually, No. The Democratic Party historically was not what is today either. There has been a lot of flip-flopping on the positions between both parties in the last 5-6 decades.

Interestingly, Republicans played key roles on both Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and the passage of the Civil Rights (Voting) Acts of 1965.

The Democrats (Kennedy and Johnson) put us in that green hell known as Vietnam. (This explains partially why Dems are cautious about war today.)

We can thank a Democrat for authorizing the use of the worst weapon in history…the atomic bomb. (Truman)

And it was a Repulican who enlarged the Social Program for people in the U.S. (Eisenhower).

Both parties have done a magnificent job of high-jacking each other’s social and political approaches and polarizing the U.S. public.

Yet, like ABW, I feel a little demoralized as well. Both parties repulse me.

-Adam

By: Ico

Ico — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:07:01 +0000

The Democrats have been shamefully spineless and ineffectual, but where politics are concerned I will always be a pragmatist. I prefer spineless and ineffectual to, well… racist wealthy homophobic chickenhawks. I’ll vote Dem for the same reason as the Admiral — to keep the Republicans out of office.

(Speaking of Republicans, were they always like this? I only started paying attention to politics in college. Didn’t there used to be, like… moderates?)

By: therealpotato

therealpotato — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:46:18 +0000

Yeah, I’m still not convinced that the Democrats should get my vote. It just pisses me off that because I’m a leftist and a working-class woman they think they’re *entitled* to it, no matter how spineless they are and no matter how long they refuse to do anything that might make a Republican angry. The Democrats aren’t exactly racism-free, you know?

By: Admiral Komack

Admiral Komack — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:01:18 +0000

“This is one of the reasons I get so apathetic about politics. Sure, every now and then I’ll feel a burst of energy and want to pitch in, help out, change the world, etc. But then I realize that people like Trent Lott still have their jobs and no one is doing anything about it (except him). It’s demoralizing.”

-…and I thought I was the only one who felt that way.
Surprise, surprise.
The only thing that is prompting me to vote in 2008 is:
“Vote Democrat: Deny the Republicans your vote.”