Southern White Male Democrats, Where Ya At?

[LWolf]

I thought this was an interesting piece, considering the latest Dean/CF uproar. I don't really think I'm qualified to join the flag debate; I think the confederate flag is a racist symbol, but I've never been to the south and I'm not a dean supporter. So I don't know that it's my place to jump in on that one. When I read this piece, though, I was connecting dots and asking questions. Where are the southern white male democrats in the political spectrum, really? I don't have answers. I'm not southern and not male. And this is a piece from The Black Commentator, written by rep Erik R. Fleming (D-MS), an African American. But it's food for thought.

http://www.blackcommentator.com/63/63_white_dems.html

<snip>

Gore, from Tennessee, refused to allow his former running mate, President Bill Clinton, from Arkansas, to campaign for him in the South, because, supposedly Clinton alienated other Southern white males, despite his apparent popularity with base Democratic voters. Gore went on to lose the South, including Arkansas and Tennessee. If Gore had won those states, Florida would never have been a factor.

Gore’s need for acceptance by his white males counterparts cost him the most powerful position in the free world. How many more defeats will it take for Southern white male Democrats to realize that to win the war of ideology, they cannot act like the enemy?

That is why the candidacy of North Carolina U.S. Senator John Edwards has not energized the African-American community. That is why Southern Democratic governors are becoming an endangered species, election after election. More importantly, that is why Blacks are becoming more disenchanted with the half-hearted efforts of the Democratic National Committee to address their issues.

When a team needs to change their losing ways, they make adjustments in their personnel and their play calling. If the Democrats want to start winning elections again in the South, changes have to be made. Southern white male Democrats need to re-discover their political backbone and challenge the misinformation campaign of the GOP head-on. If they can be found, that is.

(Democratic Governor Ronnie Musgrove was defeated by Republican Haley Barbour, Tuesday.)

[qwlauren35]

1. Wow! No Responses Yet...

Could it be because there aren't any Southern White Male Democrats in this forum?

How scary.

I will stick my neck out.

I think it is sometimes hard for the Democratic platform to have any appeal to "manly men", i.e. men who believe in making it on their own, taking charge of their families, being pioneer, rough-rider kind of guys.

The Democratic party is quick to offer help to those in need... manly men don't NEED help. The Democratic party is quick to offer assistance to the poor and downtrodden... manly men think those folks should get up and kick some butt and not be such wimps. The Democratic party supports women's issues... manly men think this is bogus. The Democratic party supports Affirmative Action... manly men call this a crutch and think blacks should do without.

Now, manly men aren't *rich*. Because if they were rich, they would know that MONEY makes a lot of things possible, and they would be about keeping their money, which is very much a Republican message. In fact, some manly men are STRUGGLING. Having trouble keeping a decent salary, having trouble finding work, having trouble making ends meet. But, since they don't believe in accepting help, the Democratic party, which offers HELP, has nothing for them.

I think the Democratic party needs a bit of an image change if it wants to reach the "manly men" of the South. The Democratic party has to be the party that helps men stand on their own two feet. Because that's the only kind of help most men want. Many men would rather have a job than cash. Many men would rather have their pride than your pity. Until the Democratic party talks about helping people to help THEMSELVES, we will be perceived as the party of wimps by the voters who are too proud to accept help in any other form.

[LWolf]

2. "Manly Men..."

I understand what you are saying, but it was hard to read through it without laughing. I kept thinking of "Robin Hood, Men in Tights:"

We're men, manly men, we're men in tights Yeah!
We roam around the forest looking for fights

etc.

And this one:

SHEEP, LIES, AND AUDIO TAPE
© Greg Keeler 1991

Manly Men

Chorus:
We're men among men and manly men.
Yes, manly men are we.
We're men among manly men among manly,
Manly men are we.

We'll sail up north and cross the ice
And cross the barren snow fields.
You've gotta be tough, and you've gotta be a man
To club the baby harp seal,
To club the baby harp seal.

But I do know what you mean. I come from a family of men and women exactly like that. We're not racists; we're not southern. But the rest of it fits. I think it's more a perception based on republican smear tactics than it is based on reality, though. Who knows who would be happy to help themselves given the opportunity in today's climate? My local paper did a huge piece on the local homeless population last week. The community is all excited about a new law making it easier to "crack down" on them. The perception is that they are homeless by choice. That's right. All those folks prefer hanging out in the desert, triple digits during the summer, frost in the winter, wind blowing continuously and nothing but scrub for shelter. They're doing it on purpose. Fining them will convince them to better themselves. :eyes:

[TygrBright]

3. Fascinating to read...

...a call from a black legislator, saying (in effect):

Nixon's "Southern Strategy" to appeal to white racism succeeded.

Which implies that there is still a lot of racism in the South, yes?

Then he goes on to tell these SAME (white) PEOPLE who bought the Southern Strategy at the costly premium of losing their economic muscle, their access to health care, their outsourced overseas jobs, their pensions, and their futures, that now they have to

>>re-discover their political backbone and challenge the misinformation campaign of the GOP head-on<<

Question:

If they've already clearly demonstrated that maintaining the illusory 'superiority' of their melanin deficiencies means more to them than their jobs, health, futures, etc., whatthehell is supposed to change that now?

An 'appeal' from a BLACK legislator?

Don't get me wrong-- I absolutely agree with Fleming about the cost to the Democratic Party and to the working schmucks (of any color) of the loss of the NASCAR Dad (or whatthehellever PC euphemism we're using for Bubba this week) to the GOPpies.

I just don't see finger wagging from a black legislator to those same NASCAR Dads, in a publication targeted at the black reader, as a fruitful or productive way to address the problem.

Wouldn't it make more sense, in such a context, for the author to talk to the audience most likely to read this publication, and ponder what THEY can do to address the problem?

I would be curious to read his thoughts on that.

pragmatically,
Bright

[mmonk]

4. I live in N.C.

and our last two governors have been democrats (progressive, not dixiecrats). I don't know really what the deal is for national elections. Dems aren't trying hard enough maybe?

[leyton]

8. Same here.

I am a whie male in the South.... About the whole confederate flag thing - I see very few people with confederate flags or anything of the sort. But then again, I live in the city. Is it just me, or is the image that the South always evokes that of the rural south? There are plenty of cities here, and that might be the demographic that Democrats could appeal to? Seems to me that that's how successful Democrats in NC tend to win - by relying on their bases in the city.

[LWolf]

9. That makes sense to me.

It's been interesting to browse through the responses, since I really have no clue about southern politics. It's made me wish I understood more about my own country. I've spent a lifetime in the west, and rarely crossed over the rockies. I don't know much about what makes the rest of America tick.

[mmonk]

5. Since nationally (presidential races)

Democratic numbers hare stayed about steady. It could be independents are tilting NC. The difference has been about 10% of the vote. I happen to think these Independents are economic conservatives who are scared of "big" gov't and possible unions coming in the state (its a right to work state).

[CertainKindOfFool]

6. Southern Folks

Dean is a very brave leader, its too bad that Edwards decided to take an opportunity to score some PC points by putting down Dean. Dean has a VERY important point to make, but our party is so obsessed with sounding politically correct, we totally missed Dean's point. I seriuosly have lost any respect for Edwards I once had. He is now on my list of Democrats who should be Republicans along with Lieberman, Kerry, and Gephardt.

[Eloriel]

7. Edwards used racial code words to denounce Dean. Quite clever

His little hissy fit where he said, "We don't need someone like you (a Northerner) coming down here and telling us what to do."

Obviously, the only thing Dean IMPLIED Southern white voters should "do" is vote Democrat.

But beyond that, Edwards used the very words that people like George Wallace used to defend segregation.

Like I said: Very clever.

Eloriel