Dean cartoon in today's Philly Inquirer

[mrgorth]

I like it...a lot.

[neuvocat]

1. Good one.

[Demobrat]

2. Yep. Dean ran afoul

of the Politcal Correctness Police. Living as I do in the PC capital of the world, I've had my run-ins with them myself.

[jpgray]

3. This is a RW meme--that sensitivity to race is PC gone mad

Dean made a mistake. The confederate flag represents a nation formed exclusively for the maintenance of slavery--the indentured servitude of an entire race. If he wanted to identify Southerner voters, he had a host of far less divisive choices. Why choose a symbol that bitterly divides Democratic voters? I still can't get any good answer to that question.

And before you start twisting yourself in knots to explain his mistake (which Dean has admitted, to his great credit), there is no way that the flag of a nation founded to make slavery permanent can cease to be offensive to blacks. It may mean Southern pride to Southerners, but it symbolizes that abominable institution to blacks. Also the segregation and civil rights movements caused Southern politicians to dust it off to show their opposition, tying it even more to racially charged and divisive symbolic meaning.

So WHY use the stupid thing? Identify Southerners in a way that doesn't offend blacks, and Dean's plan (which is a good one) to win them back to the party with their best interests in mind can proceed. Why cause all this controversy by using a divisive symbol?

[mrgorth]

4. Almost every Deaniac will agree

Including me. He could've said the same thing 100 better ways. It's possible he's trying to stay in the news and he knew nothing else would get that kind of press. He might have been testing his "teflon-ness". I'm just glad he openned the discussion.

[jpgray]

5. Dean did just fine with it--class act

I just get a little worried when people who take legitimate offense to what the Confederate flag represents are told they are being "too PC". There is nothing "too PC" about finding slavery offensive. That notion is as ridiculous as those that accuse Dean of secretly trying to pander to Southerners using racism.