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Race Over Party ?
That is what one writer suggests is happening in Missouri.
I’m sure there is a more complex political story here but it does seem odd that Democrats in the state legislature would vote to approve a plan that costs the Democrats a house seat.
11 Responses to “Race Over Party ?”
Actually, it’s more over which seat was lost than the loss itself. The Republicans have a clear majority, so in the usual manner, it’s assumed that the Democrats have to be the party that loses a seat.
There were two black and one white seat, and the white one got axed.
You guys are too funny… All we need is SD to chime in and warn us all about the brown and black people taking over “our” country.
It is possible for a white Democrat to win in a majority black district Steve Cohen (D-TN) represents a majority black district. Rep. Cohen succeeded orginally by being the one white candidate in a primary race with many blacks. Cohen has managed to remain in office by being extremely liberal, by openly stating that the government should treat blacks differently than whites, and by support programs to drive whites out of Memphis.
Carnahan can survive by winning in the prmary based upon being extremely liberal and by counting on higher turnout by whites. Of course, Carnahan will have to give up the idea of running for state wide office since anyone liberal enough to win in a majority black district has zero chance of winning state wide office.
Just for background, here is a link to a Mo progressive site showing their reaction:
http://blog.showmeprogress.com/diary/5972/thirty-coins
naming the article “30 coins” kind of previews their view on the matter.
A white moderate Democrats can be competitive in many districts. A liberal black Democrats can only win in districts that are more than 40% black. Thus, it makes more sense for blacks to support majority black districts instead of help the white boys to remain competitive in districts where blacks have zero chance of winning.
I know I am not the only one from the KC area or from MO on this forum… so hopefully the others will chime in, IMHO…
You better believe this was about strengthening black districts. Cleaver in particular is very good at protecting his job and the black community in KC loves him. MO is still extremely divided… the Klan once adopted a highway. Anyone that has ever traveled through the Ozarks can tell you that half of the locals are still fighting the civil war. You better believe that a lot of choices in MO are based on race….
It is race before party in MO.
WOW! I just followed that link… here is the quote!
“I’m black before I’m a Democrat.”
Well, it’s suitable to say that the Missouri River (farthest extent of southward glaciation during the Ice Ages, pretty much, too) is not only dividing the state but is the border (along with the Ohio River to the southeast) between Yankee Land and Dixie.
(There’s actually fabulous Civil War history in Missouri, a border state of the South that was truly divided.)
The Ozarks are great but as Shannon says, Ozarkia is Dixie.
(Shannon, you probably know that even more so than being Southern, much of the Ozarks is Bible Belt country. I-44 from around Rolla on southwest through Springfield, Moe and onward to Tulsa and OKC should convince anybody who drives on it. If it ever were extended from Wichita Falls to Abilene, TX, it would only be more so.) I wonder just what the attitude is in Springfield toward Branson. (Not all the Bible Belters are hypocrites, after all.)
Thanks for all of the productive comments and feedback !
I do think this situation is a mix of factors.
Since at least one of the Democrats who voted for the plan openly said she voted how she did because of race then it was a factor.
But I can also see wanting to maintain ‘your guy’ in power. It wouldn’t be a matter of race as much as he’s the person who you’ve worked with and who you have a connection with, so you want him to keep his district.
Here in California we’ve seen times where some GOP legislators have been in effect bribed with safe districts to vote for a plan.
Lots of stuff goes into politics, so I think the original writers premise that it’s all race is wrong, but certainly it was a factor.
shannonlee, thanks for the report as a resident. That’s astute. It would be interesting to see if other precincts, towns, states are changing in this way too. Can we assume the quote is verified in context?
Ok, got it now, went to link, the quote is by a Mrs. Nasheed, who appears to be saying she was just trying to defend so and so’s seat in the legislature. It is her comment indicating she’s black before she’s a democrat.
still and thus. that’s something.
DLS makes a good point about the area being extremely religious. I once watched “the laying of hands” in a church in the Ozarks. But, because I don’t equate Christianity or “religious people that call themselves Christian” with racism, I lean towards thinking the racism stems from thinking minorities are inferior.
That being said… it is also very possible that these feelings are reinforced in Church, not through the pulpit, but more during social events.
“black before she’s a democrat”
You could write a book about how such feeling come about… and why some blacks are Democrats before they are black. (i’d put Obama in that category)