John Edwards got himself in some hot water yesterday, although I'd be shocked if you read it in tomorrow's paper:
"We cannot build enough prisons to solve this problem. And the idea that we can keep incarcerating and keep incarcerating - pretty soon we're not going to have a young African-American male population in America. They're all going to be in prison or dead. One of the two."
Now imagine if Fred Thompson or Mitt Romney had said something akin to that.
NRO makes it clear that the African-American community is not all Bloods/Crips, Kanye West/50-Cent and Glock/Mac-10 but is a community that is sending their children to college and making great inroads. Of course we have inner city violence and that is more of a cultural issue hat must be addressed but Edwards made a huge mistake here, even more than the mistake the prominent GOP candidates made by not attending the debate last night.
Edwards sounds a bit Dixiecratish. For those who think the GOP is the party of racists, do yourself a favor and read of current Senator Robert Byrd's KKK Kleagle days or the fact that Al Gore's father was anti-civil rights. Educate yourself on where the parties history on racism lies.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. I disagree totally with your outrageous slant on Edwards comments. Edwards is no Dixiecrat, not even close. If anyone wants to see the real exchange that occurred at the MTV event they can view the MTV program on MTV's website.
It is clear from watching the Q & A with Edwards that there wasn't even a hint of racism in his answer.
If you don't like Edwards that's one thing but don't try to be like Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reilly who hysterically manufacture outrage out of nothing.
pmorlan at 10:19PM on Sep 29th 2007
2. How dare you even post something this SLANDEROUS and misleading, you smear merchant?
If you were an HONEST journalist, you'd post John Edwards' entire 3:00+ response to the question, instead of just the first line of it, which provides no context whatsoever to his full statement.
Here is John Edwards' complete statement, for anyone who wants to know the WHOLE TRUTH.
http://www.oliverwillis.com/archives/2007/09/28/republicans-are-really-stupid/
framecop at 2:51PM on Sep 30th 2007
3. Senator Fred Thompson is the only major candidate that gets it. He makes decisions based on principles. Principles don’t change. You have to stand for something and not change who you are based on the polls. That is what Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani have done and all of the Democrats do it. Give me a leader that will stand by his principles anyday versus someone that stands for everything.
I know many, many Republicans that will stay home if Rudy Giuliani is the candidate. He does not represent our values as Conservatives, and never will. Mitt Romney is a RINO (though a very nice man) that simply has everything else and nothing to do: “I guess I’ll just try to buy the presidency”. Conservatives will simply stay home and the Democrats will pick up additional seats in the House and probably get the 60 seats in the Senate they need to completely destroy our Country. Nice picture huh?
However, I think Fred can bring America back together, if that’s even possible. America needs a rebirth of patriotism and honor. Republicans also need a rebirth. President Reagan was our last rebirth and he can never be duplicated. Fred Thompson will bring his own down-to-earth common sense to this Country and strength back to our party. A little of the good old days of faith and family would do well for this Country. If a Conservative runs as a Conservative, he will win!
Think of it this way: Eight years of another Clinton White House? Now if that is not a sufficient enough reason to pull together as a party, as a Country, and fight this socialist liberal takeover of our government, what is? It is not impossible to take back the House and the Senate. We are winning in Iraq—they know it. The best they can do now is stop our progress and choose defeat, just like they did during Vietnam. We lost because Congress chose defeat. History repeats itself when not learned from.
Folks, we are in for the fight of our lives, just as our young men and women are fighting for our freedoms in Iraq and Afghanistan, we must fight for our Country right here and now! I truly believe Fred Thompson is the one man who can pull this party and nation back together! Rudy Giuliani will just tear us apart as a party. Liberal is liberal every day of the week.
Really tick off the leftist hippies and contribute to Fred Thompson: https://www.fred08.com/contribute.aspx?RefererID=c637caaa-315c-4b4c-9967-08d864cd0791
Alan Srout at 8:07AM on Sep 30th 2007
4. Scott,
I hate to agree with you, but the silky pony's mouth is his own worst enemy. I do think the key point was his dismay of the sheer number of inmates in prison, so you are a little misleading. Maybe you are not a fascist, after all.
A merchant of smear. What is your WComp multiplier for that profession?
PS. saw Phil & Friends in Berkeley. They are worth a listen if they come to your town.
Manfred at 7:44PM on Sep 30th 2007
5. You know perfectly well tha't not what my boy John meant by that - the media had better stop trying to paint John as something he's not and get on this train - he's the Democrats' last great hope (neither Hilary or Obama are electable). If you think that all Southerners are racists, you are more stupid than you seem. Why would you even imply such a thing?
Sarah at 10:03PM on Sep 30th 2007
6. Come on, this is over the top. I agree what Edwards said could be taken as insensitive, and I am no big fan of his. But a Dixiecrat?
And if Republicans are really "the big tent party" they claim to be, why are there no Africa American Republicans in the house and Senate? Not one.
Not to mention the three top tier candidates for the GOP presidency did not show at a debate hosted by Tavist Smiley the other night and a largely African American audience. Talk about a slap in the face.
David S. at 10:14PM on Sep 30th 2007
7. I admire the dems. to have the courage of putting a woman and a colored man for the presidency...I really appreciate that...The reps. never do that and they never vote for a woman or a colored candidate....I am an inpndt. and I vote for the best person in my view who can work with the poor,middle class and so on....so I wish them GOOD LUCK!!!!
gt at 11:30AM on Oct 1st 2007
8. Really i get irritated when Rethugliklans try to paint Democrats as racists even though its their tent that has had the likes of David Duke, Strom Thurmond, Trent Lott etc. Yes, the Democrats were once the party of staunch racists. But all of that started to change from the 1948 elections and ended for good in the '64 elections. And guess where the Dixiecrats went? Here's a hint - its the party of Nixon, Reagan, Bush Sr and Jr.
Seriously, i don't think there is any politically active person that does not believe the Republican Party is a safe haven for assorted racists and bigots. Their record speaks for themselves. Of course the Democrats do take black voters for granted, but for the most part push issues that favor the down-trodden. The GOP, by contrast .... let's just say its an exclusive avenue.
Emperor at 1:50PM on Oct 1st 2007
9. John Edwards is no more of a Dixiecrat than Al Gore. Dixiecrat implies conserative. Neither of these two could ever be misconscruded as conservative.
Tom at 12:03AM on Oct 2nd 2007
10. If thinking that people should get a job and work for what they get and think that people should obey the laws of the land and if thinking people should go to school and get and education and if thinking that people should mot have their money taken away to give to some bum that is too lazy to do any of the above is racist, then you can call me racist. I am not a Republican and I am not a Democrat. They both have a too holier than tho attitude for me, but racist? Give me a break.
Tom at 12:11AM on Oct 2nd 2007
11. Fred Thompson must've been prollin' the schoolyards, fishing for saplings when he met his wife. When he was 50, what was she, twelve? I cannot picture a buncha uptight right wing Chritians voting for a fossil like that whose wife looks like Britney Spear's younger sister.
Honkiteerian at 3:22AM on Oct 2nd 2007
12. Edwards lost me when he had his $400 haircut. The man speaks of helping the poor a lot, but then has a 9 million dollar home built for himself and his family (is that true? If so, how repugnant!).
Sir Lord Maynard at 3:26AM on Oct 2nd 2007
13. The history of the party? The dixiecrats were democrats, most of which left the party and were then absorbed by the republican party, which COURTED THEM when it became dominant in the south. Liar.
You're closer to a Dixiecrat than Edwards is, at least in your attitudes, and I don't even like him.
Brian at 5:24PM on Oct 3rd 2007
14. Yea when the Dixiecrats left for good to the Republican Party, thats when the Dem. party faultered and lost ALOT of their support! Thats why the GOP will be the party to beat now and for a long time in the future. The Dixiecrats would in no way sell out their party to far-left liberals with the likes that you see today in the Dem. party. We Republicans are more than happy to have them in our party!
Tstar at 2:30PM on Oct 5th 2007
15. """We cannot build enough prisons to solve this problem. And the idea that we can keep incarcerating and keep incarcerating"""
Actually, what John Edwards was saying is, if those African-Americans in jail had "deep pockets", it would have attracted him as their defense attorney.
willet at 2:45PM on Oct 5th 2007