Anti-establishment GOP candidate in Virginia governor's race looks to ride Confederate nostalgia to

[highplainsdem]

Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Folks, this is a symbol of heritage. It is not a symbol of racism. It is not a symbol of slavery,” Stewart, the chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors who is running a fiery, anti-establishment campaign for governor, said at the March 18 event. “I’m proud to be here with this flag.”

Though recent Republican governors have approached Virginia’s Confederate history with caution and have at times been ensnared in controversy for stances seen as racially insensitive, Stewart is running Virginia’s most openly Confederate-friendly political campaign in recent memory, a strategy he attributes partly to the election last year of President Donald Trump.

He has vowed to defend Confederate monuments from liberals who want them gone, promised to bring back Confederate emblems on state-issued specialty license plates, and said he would “absolutely not” mention slavery in symbolic proclamations about Confederate history.

In a video posted to Twitter early this month, Stewart, who served as the Trump campaign’s Virginia chairman last year before being fired for defiantly protesting outside the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington and who was tapped by the state party to co-chair its 2016 turnout and communications efforts, sipped coffee from a Confederate-flag mug after declaring: “The only way that we can kill political correctness is to be politically incorrect.”

-snip-

Read more: http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/anti-establishment-gop-candidate-in-virginia-governor-s-race-looks/article_e7b0676d-986a-5530-abbf-1627932b4bdb.html

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Full headline, which didn't fit in the subject line:

Anti-establishment GOP candidate in Virginia governor's race looks to ride Confederate nostalgia to Richmond


The article also quotes Corey Stewart saying that "the 2016 presidential race was a watershed moment where you saw voters — including white voters and black voters and Asian voters and Hispanic voters — just fed up with political correctness and these gotcha techniques that the left has used to shut down speech."

Another example of the resurgence in open racism that can be properly blamed on Trump, who convinced these bigots that it's okay to parade their bigotry, and who gave them hope that it will even help them politically.

[Blue_Tires]

1. Hey, it worked for George Allen

twenty-five fucking years ago, but who's counting?

But I guess if Trump taught us anything, it's that old-school demagoguery and racial scapegoating is in vogue again...

[lastlib]

10. Evil never dies. It reincarnates as Republicans.

[Vogon_Glory]

2. The Confederate Battle Flag Is Tied To Bigotry

The Confederate Battle Flag (The one with the ble St. Andrews' cross on a red field) is tied to bigotry. The fiction that it wasn't tied to Racism and Southern hostility to equal rights to minorities is make-believe that only the clueless can believe in.

If he's so hot on Southern heritage and stepping away from the bigotry, why doesn't he use the Confederate national flag? Since he isn't, I see no reason to believe him.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. Even in Prince William County, it's the 21st century.

Last edited Wed Mar 29, 2017, 11:24 AM - Edit history (2)

He moved here from Minnesota. Someone should hand him a history book. There were some pages missing from the one he used.

[NewRedDawn]

4. You little treasonous Mother Fucker.

Your flag stands for treason! So no surprise you side with the Russkies!
I had a Great Great Uncle die the first day of Gettysburg Part of the 97th NY. Conkling's Rifle brigade that over ran & captured Iverson's Brigade. A year before that; my Great Great Grandfather & his two sons all were wounded at Antietam.
I despise the Confederacy & the supporters today North & South. Here in upstate NY I see these dumb redneck mother fuckers with confederate flags on them & it makes my blood boil!

[Aristus]

7. OTOH, my ancestors all fought for the Confederacy, and even *I* hate that stupid flag!

I don't support anything the Confederacy claimed to stand for.

[rurallib]

13. Well said!

[ronnie624]

5. "gotcha technigues": expressing opinions about racist bigotry.

They're sick and tired of that shit.

[IronLionZion]

6. Virginia voted for Hillary

and has been a blue state the last few elections with two Democratic Senators and Dem governor. It's also been getting more diverse. I've lived there for a time. Fairfax had some hate crimes just last weekend.

Let this fool be emboldened by Trump and stir up racial controversy. A Dem should be able to beat him.

[zentrum]

8. Ugly, Dishonest....

.....manipulative, backward, and dangerous.

[SansACause]

9. Participation trophy

The Confederate flag is the ultimate participation trophy.

[GulfCoast66]

11. He should use the last flag my ancestors flew

The white one

[True_Blue]

12. The heritage of the Confederate flag

Is slavery, racism, treason and defeat. They should be ashamed of it.

[Archae]

14. Here's his "symbol of heritage..."

Here’s what William Thompson said about the Confederate flag, and we should listen, since he was the one who created not only its design but its symbolism and purpose. Here he is quoted in the book Our Flag, by George Preble:

“As a people we are fighting to maintain the heavenly ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race"

https://danielmiessler.com/blog/william-thompson-designed-confederate-flag-racist-symbol/#gs.IcZFWgg

[Left-over]

15. Traitor and Racist

As far as I am concerned that should have ended 152 years ago. To me flying a confederate flag is treason. It is a representation of insurrection against the USA. Grow up neanderthals these racist symbols do not belong.