Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Republicans do, Democrats talk

As we wrap up the Martin Luther King weekend, I ask myself, why have Democrats owned the black vote for the last forty years? A few things being left out of the political discussion on this Martin Luther King Day is the strong record of Republicans and glaring weakness of Democrats.

- Although the Democrats controlled both houses of the Congress at the time, a much-higher percentage of Republicans than Democrats supported the civil-rights bill of 1964. In the House, 79% of Republicans voted for the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 compared to 63% of Democrats.
- In the Senate, in order for the bill to pass, civil-rights supporters needed two thirds of the Senate to break a filibuster by the opposition. 82% of Republicans voted to break the filibuster but only 66% percent of the Democrats voted to end the filibuster.
- Who has been standing in the way of civil rights? Democrats.
- Who turned the hoses on demonstrators in Birmingham? Bull Connor Democrat.
- Who stood blocking the school house doors? George Wallace Democrat.
- Who put the Confederate flag up on the statehouse in South Carolina? Fritz Hollings Democrat.
- Who was a Kleagal in the KKK? Robert Byrd Democrat.
- Who has been talking about the same issues for forty years with regard to minorities without having done anything? Democrats.
- Who has taken the minority vote for granted? Democrats.
- Who thinks that the only way for a minority to succeed in life is through government assistance? Democrats.

Republicans have not gotten the credit they deserve because black leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will not allow it to happen. They will not allow it to happen because they have a seat at the table with the Democrats but only because they can deliver a monolithic black vote. When 20-25% of the black vote wakes up and begins to vote for a party that has done more than talk about then obstruct minority progress Jesse and Al will be unceremoniously excused from Democrat meetings. Like a lot of other issues, Republicans do while Democrats talk.

No comments: