Conservative News

History: Democrats & Republicans On Civil Rights & Equality

6:28 pm EST July 10th, 2010 | Democrats, History, Republicans | 45 Comments

There is an awful lot of misinformation and untruth out there about the legacy of the two major political parties and the civil rights movement. Conservatives often like to use slight of hand, insisting that because the early Republican party was stronger in support of civil rights, this means that conservatives have the moral high ground. This is totally untrue.

Republicans – Moderate and Liberal Republicans supported civil rights. The Republicans who supported civil rights in America were not conservatives of the same ilk as George W. Bush, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. They were liberals and moderates, people like former Rhode Island senator Lincoln Chaffee and former ~~senator~~ governor Nelson Rockefeller.

Conservative Democrats opposed civil rights. The Democrats opposed to the civil rights movement weren’t Democrats with the center-left ideology of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. They were, in fact, conservatives – especially from the south – with far more in common with Limbaugh, Beck, etc. than any modern mainstream Democrat. When people say that someone like notorious segregationist Bull Connor was a Democrat, they are technically right on the party label, but when it comes to ideology Connor and the rest of those opposed to racial integration were conservatives.

Conservatives opposed civil rights. At the time of the civil rights movement, outside of the parties, conservatives were opposed to the civil rights movement. Barry Goldwater, a conservative whose brand of politics would soon take over the Republicans in the guise of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, opposed civil rights law. He claimed that he viewed it as a states rights issue, and actually favored equal rights, but the practical effect of his stance would be to allow segregation – in the south “states rights” meant “Jim Crow.” The conservative intellectual movement – William F. Buckley’s National Review, for instance, opposed what they viewed as law-breaking protests by Dr. Martin Luther King.

Democrats moved left on civil rights, in favor. Over time the Democrats moved to the left on civil rights, meaning they moved with other liberals in favor of them. Southern, conservative Democrats opposed civil rights and the laws were passed by liberal/moderate Republicans and liberal/moderate Democrats. The Civil Rights Act was signed into law by Lyndon Johnson, a Democrat.

Strom Thurmond, George W. Bush, Trent Lott

Conservative Democrats left the party in opposition to civil rights and became Republicans. After the Civil Rights law was signed into law, conservative Democrats left the party. Strom Thurmond, who ran as a segregationist in 1948, became a Republican, as did Jesse Helms (who went on to filibuster against making Martin Luther King Jr. day a federal holiday).

Republicans used racial resentment for elections, while Democrats became more racially inclusive. As the Republican party became more ideologically conservative in the post-Goldwater era, they increasingly used racially divisive politics for electoral gain. The GOP employed what is now known as “the southern stategy” (acknowledged by GOP party chairmen Ken Mehlman and Michael Steele in the last decade) to demonize blacks and other minorities while also riling up the white, male conservative base that forms the party now. Examples include the Willie Horton ad used by Bush Sr. allies vs Michael Dukakis, the “hands” ad used by Jesse Helms, and the nonstop racebaiting versus President Obama from conservative outlets like Fox News and talk radio.

Barack Obama Inauguration

At the same time, the Democratic party became more and more racially inclusive. After civil rights passed, and the GOP became more conservative and increased racial demagoguery, black and other minority voters became Democrats. Every black member of the House of Representatives is a Democrat, and every black senator since 1979 has been a Democrat. The first black president, is of course, Barack Obama – a Democrat.

The parties have changed but the ideology hasn’t. The attempt to co-opt liberal support of civil rights has been a consistent campaign of the right, despite their predecessor’s opposition to the concept. The attempt to say that liberal Republicans of the past are the same as conservative Republicans of today, is just a terrible lie. Conservatives often try to say people like Martin Luther King Jr. would be conservatives. This is entirely untrue. In the last years of his life, Dr. King ran what he called “The Poor People’s Campaign,” and his beliefs would largely be to the left of where the modern Democratic party is, let alone the Republicans.

The Democrats moved away from the conservative position against racial inclusion, while the right moved the other way and has only recently somewhat acknowledged the moral folly of its past. Conservatives opposed civil rights, while liberals favored them. Both ideologies have inhabited majorities in both parties, but the ideological support or opposition to civil rights and equality has largely remained the same.

Topic: Conservative, Liberal, Race

The RNC Thinks Their Base Is Dumb

4:49 pm EST March 3rd, 2010 | Republicans | 70 Comments

We knew that already, based on their actions, but its always good to have more proof.

The Republican National Committee plans to raise money this election cycle through an aggressive campaign capitalizing on ‘fear’ of President Barack Obama and a promise to ‘save the country from trending toward socialism.’

The strategy was detailed in a confidential party fundraising presentation, obtained by POLITICO, which also outlines how ‘ego-driven’ wealthy donors can be tapped with offers of access and ‘tchochkes.’

The presentation was delivered by RNC Finance Director Rob Bickhart to top donors and fundraisers at a party retreat in Boca Grande, Florida on February 18, a source at the gathering said.

In neat PowerPoint pages, it lifts the curtain on the often-cynical terms of political marketing, displaying an air of disdain for the party’s donors that is usually confined to the barroom conversations of political operatives.

The presentation explains the Republican fundraising in simple terms.

‘What can you sell when you do not have the White House, the House, or the Senate…?’ it asks.

The answer: ‘Save the country from trending toward Socialism!’

Actual slides:

Shorter RNC: Hey base, boogedy boogedy boogedy socialism boogedy! Now give us money, dopes!

Topic: Conservative, Fundraising, GOP Base, Republicans

Ayn Rand: Admirer Of Serial Killers

11:04 am EST March 1st, 2010 | News | 15 Comments

Suddenly the right’s love of Rand makes total sense.

Back in the late 1920s, as Ayn Rand was working out her philosophy, she became enthralled by a real-life American serial killer, William Edward Hickman, whose gruesome, sadistic dismemberment of 12-year-old girl named Marion Parker in 1927 shocked the nation. Rand filled her early notebooks with worshipful praise of Hickman. According to biographer Jennifer Burns, author of Goddess of the Market, Rand was so smitten by Hickman that she modeled her first literary creation — Danny Renahan, the protagonist of her unfinished first novel, The Little Street — on him.

Topic: Ayn Rand, Conservative

Breitbart’s Big Journalism In Favor Of Literacy Tests

11:39 am EST February 12th, 2010 | News | 32 Comments

More proof that the Bull Connors of the world are still around, they just switched parties.

Topic: Andrew Breitbart, Big Journalism, Conservative, Racism, Tom Tancredo

Republican Leader Joe The Plumber Does Stimulus Bill Hearing

4:06 pm EST February 12th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Pajamas media, the Republican party, and the conservative movement provide stimulus to our funny bones.

Topic: Conservative, Humor, Joe The Plumber

Island Of Their Own

9:58 pm EST February 8th, 2009 | Republicans | 15 Comments

Only Republicans, and not independents and certainly not Democrats, have a favorable image of Rush Limbaugh. This is just the latest issue on which cons have put themselves off on an island of their own and convinced each other of their correctness. Then they freak out when those of us in the real world reject their version of reality.

Keep it up, guys, the more isolated you are the less damage you can do to America and the world.

Topic: Conservative, Rush Limbaugh

Rush’s Party

5:36 pm EST January 29th, 2009 | Republicans | 41 Comments

Hey, conservatives, how does it feel to have a clown like Rush Limbaugh as the head of your movement? Nevermind, you guys love him.

MORE: CNBC’s Mark Haines is one of the few media figures who pushed back at the absurd Limbaugh a little bit. He certainly shows more backbone than RNC members of congress.

Topic: Conservative, Rush Limbaugh

Did Clarence Thomas Sleep Through The Inaugural?

8:17 pm EST January 26th, 2009 | News | 6 Comments

We know Clarence has some envy, but this is kind of interesting.

(sent in by reader J.B.)

Topic: Clarence Thomas, Conservative, President Obama, Supreme Court

Economy Not So Bad For Some Industries, Apparently

1:04 am EST January 25th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The oil industry still has enough cash to send conservative bloggers on junkets, apparently.

Topic: Conservative, Energy

Still Stupid After All These Years

4:11 pm EST January 23rd, 2009 | News | 21 Comments

dunce cap The geniuses over at Protein Wisdom link to this story and complain:

After Obama’s 160 million dollar inauguration, lefties are still yammering on about the sinister secrets of Sarah Palin’s campaign wardrobe

Damn those lefties! But wait, what was that link again?

NewMajority.com is a site dedicated to the reform and renewal of the Republican party and the conservative movement. It is edited by David Frum and published by NewMajority LLC.

David Frum? Republican David Frum? Former Bush speechwriter David Frum? He of the Axis of Evil?

What a “leftie” to be reporting actual facts about idiot Sarah Palin.

Guess the more things change…

(sent to me via Anonymous Insider)

Topic: Conservative, David Frum, Protein Wisdom