The Democrats of the civil rights era didn’t have too much in common with the Democrats of today, either.  They were not the diverse party they are now, nor did they place a strong emphasis on civil rights.  In fact, during the civil rights struggles…they tended to stick with their platform of states’ rights, and to assert that each individual state could decide on how to handle matters of discrimination, workplace inequality, and segregation.  They did have one, big advantage in the South:  As the party representing workers and unions over management and “big business,” they held dominant sway over the southern states, which were more heavily populated by working class and impoverished citizens than the other regions of the country.

Looking back at the two parties surely has a sort of “looking glass” feel to it.  Each party was “halfway” towards the policies it holds today…with only one major ideological flip needed to set things as they are now.  This change would come courtesy of the Republican Party and its new president in the early 1970′s: Richard Milhous Nixon.  Nixon, who had come from a very poor background himself, knew of one sure way to lure southern voters away from the Democratic Party’s grasp.  One subject that would outweigh the voters’ interest in jobs, income, and all other areas of economic self-interest.  Race.  Nixon’s use of race to influence voting, often accompanied with “social conservatism” issues, would form the heart of what has come to be known in politics as the “Southern Strategy” of the GOP.  This was not a completely new strategy.  In fact, during the civil rights struggles, Democrats had widely employed race-baiting, a cornerstone of the “Southern Strategy,” as a defense against the coming wave of changes, and with some success…they had won some battles, while losing the overall war.  Republicans, like Nixon, would perfect its usage as a political tactic.

You see, “race-baiting” is the politically-safer, passive-aggressive version of “overt racism.“  The time had come in America when overtly racist statements would cause the speaker to lose support among liberals, moderates, and even many conservatives.  While many people at the time still held racist beliefs, there was a growing common understanding that it was not acceptable to utter them aloud.  Race-baiting allowed politicians and other public figures to address racist voters, to play upon their prejudice-based fears…while still being able to deny that they had said anything “racist.”  Examples include:

- Showing photos, statistics, or simply retelling events in such a way as to make people of a particular race look menacing or dangerous.

- Making claims of people of a particular race “taking over” in terms of a locale, an industry, government power.

- Making claims that measures intended to help a disadvantaged group overcome institutionalized prejudice are giving them an “unfair advantage.“

- Offering racists “substitution terms.” For example, instead of calling a person a racist term, substituting terms like “foreign,” or “socialist/communist/fascist,” or simply inferring that they are “arrogant,” or that they otherwise “don’t know their place.“

- Intimating that the previously dominant race or culture is “under attack” by the other race.  This attack may come in terms of social norms, dress, music, religion…or even accusations inferring that interracial reproduction some sort of “danger.”

Suffice it to say, the strategy worked for the Republicans, and southern voters have strongly supported them to this day.  The transformation was now complete.  Democrats had become the party for minorities, civil rights, centralized government power, labor and unions, higher taxes, and public works.  Republicans had become the party of big business, lower taxes, smaller government, states’ rights…and prejudice.

Then for nearly forty years…the Republicans didn’t need the “Southern Strategy” as much.  The public trusted their assurances that they were the party of “fiscal responsibility” and “foreign policy experience” and so from the Reagan years to the end of the presidency of George W. Bush…the tactics were rarely employed.  That is, until Barack Obama was elected.  That is, until the people of this country found out that they were anything but “responsible” with the country’s finances and anything but “skilled” in terms of dealing with either friends OR enemies abroad.

With no accomplishments to brag about, and their economic and diplomatic skills under fire, Republicans, the Tea Party, and the rest of the nation’s conservatives would resort to using the “Southern Strategy” once again.  Only this time, they had new tools to aid with its implementation: the internet and Fox News. This time, the would not only target black Americans…but also foreigners (particularly Hispanics), gays, and Muslims.

Here’s Rachel Maddow, giving clear examples of Fox News’ ongoing attempts to play on the fears of white Americans:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qAQ3XXxKAY

Fox News and the conservative blogosphere went after Obama’s advisor on Environmental Equality, Van Jones, with nearly incessant coverage portraying him as someone with “dangerously radical” views on race, and as a “Marxist” or “Leninist.”

They also went after Kevin Jennings, Obama’s pick for “Safe and Drug-Free Schools” czar…by attacking him for being gay, insinuating that he was somehow pro-pedophilia, and stirring fears that he would allow gay teachers to “turn students gay.”

They attacked Chai Feldblum, Obama’s appointment to serve on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission…by stoking fears that she would “promote gay sex,” and would give gays a hiring advantage over heterosexuals.

They have repeatedly covered items related to an ongoing theme: the supposed “war” on Christianity.  Any other religious group enjoying the freedom to practice their religioun…is portrayed as a “threat” to Christians being able to practice theirs.  Sound ridiculous?  That’s because it IS, and this was not lost on Jon Stewart of The Daily Show:

They gave a lot of time, and tacit support, to the new Arizona law, which unconstitutionally requires Arizona’s police to ask anyone “suspected” of being an illegal alien to prove his or her citizenship.  They allowed the bill’s supporters to tell their viewing audience about the murders, kidnappings, and beheadings occurring in their state due to lax border enforcement.  Of course, what Fox did not do…is to point out that there have been no such beheadings, and that violent crimes in these states have actually DECREASED over recent years.

Recently they went after the Department of Agriculture’s Shirley Sherrod, citing that a film clip of her speaking at an event was just “another example” of blacks in the Obama administration who are racially discriminatory against whites.  The clip was quickly revealed to be deceptively edited…Sherrod was actually telling a morality tale about overcoming racism, and the speech took place many years before she was even a federal employee.

For the last week, they have been allowing a single story to dominate their headlines.  They show a picture of two “menacing” black men from the New Black Panthers standing outside a polling place, stoking fears of black radicals taking over the political process.  Of course, they don’t focus on the fact that the men were removed by police, banned from serving as poll-watchers, and that the Justice Department justifiably decided not to press charges against the men because the case was so weak.  They also don’t point out that while there are an abundance of case examples of voter intimidation being perpetrated against blacks in this country…there is just this one, ridiculous example of the reverse ever occurring.

And countless times…Fox went after Obama himself.  They gave “birthers,” those that claim Obama is not an American citizen, lots of air time.  They’ve attempted to paint him as “arrogant,” or “socialist,” or as “pushing a black agenda,” at every available opportunity.  They’ve even gone so far as to directly call Obama…a “racist.”  In fact, that’s the real hidden “trick” behind race-baiting: Since you’re not making overtly racist statements, if anyone accuses you of racism…just deny it, blast them for “playing the race card,” and if they are a minority member, you accuse THEM of being racist/prejudiced against YOU.  This was recently the case when the NAACP called for the Tea Party to condemn the racist positions of some of their supporters, due to the PROVEN fact that a number of white-supremacy groups openly support the Tea Party.  So how did the Tea Party respond?  They feigned outrage at the suggestion that ALL of them are racists, even though no such allegation had been made, and…wait for it…accused the NAACP of being racist against white people.  It was only when the Tea Party’s spokesperson made obviously racist comments on his blog, that he was forced to resign.

I hear the effects of this strategy every day, living in the South.  I hear men and women I work with whisper things about how “hard it is to be white, and Christian” these days.  They moan about how they are “under attack.“  They fear the “effect” that society’s growing acceptance of homosexuality will have on their children.  They swear, incorrectly, that ours was founded as a “Christian nation,” and that people of other faiths should build their churches elsewhere.  They complain about “Mexicans,” who according to them cause crime to rise (incorrect), and who steal “their” jobs (also incorrect), and who soak up massive amounts of tax dollars by receiving free services (yup…also incorrect).  They complain that their lives would be “so much easier” if they were black, Hispanic, or some other minority, and had everything “given to them.”  These are the fruits of the “Southern Strategy” of race-baiting: Large numbers of semi-literate, white people feeling victimized and threatened by the very idea that someone else….someone DIFFERENT…might now live, work, worship alongside them.  Told that the racism they have held, quietly in their hearts…can now be expressed as long as they do it using certain careful terms, certain substitutions, certain “code.”  Told that even in expressing their racism, THEY are not racists…because they are the victims of the racism of the minorities.

Lo! How the mighty “Party of Lincoln” has fallen.

I only see one cure: We must rediscover our passion for the American ideals that were set forth in the Declaration of Independence.  Read it here.  I know, it’s been some time since you read it…so really let it sink in.  Now study the Founding Fathers and their passions…and let those passions become yours.  For it will only be when we all accept the universality of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…that our nation will experience true growth, true unity, true national greatness.  It will only be when all Americans embrace the idea that this nation was created as a haven of racial, religious, ideological, and political tolerance…that we will be able to focus our true and full attentions on the very real problems that face our country, and that keep us from thriving.  It will only be when we all accept that one group’s religious doctrine was never meant to dominate our government, our schools, our workplaces, or our laws…that we will see that it is not about what you or I believe, but instead, it is about what all of us agree on together.

And most of all: We must abandon our fears…especially our fears of each other. Then…we must condemn those who play upon our fears for little more than petty, partisan purposes.  Shame on you, Republicans….shame on you, Fox News….shame on you Tea Party….shame on you Breitbart, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, WorldNetDaily, Rush Limbaugh, and all you other ideologues.  And shame on us…for ever having listened to them.

I’ll leave you with Keith Olbermann’s spirited call to reject race-baiting…if we all had such passion, it would already be a thing of the past:

Part 1:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcI8nWyugQs

Part 2:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=34cynRWkPMs

Healthcare: We’ve written about it ad nauseum.  The case for reform has been made.  The Democrats continue to squabble and compromise what little reform is in the bill…the Republicans continue to make the same fact-free, scare tactic, bogus criticisms.  Not one more word from us is required until the bill passes…or doesn’t.

The Economy: It’s just too depressing…things improve but at a pace that is too slow to warrant any excitement…or any posts.

Afghanistan: The war that can’t be won…rages on.  Lots of theories…few facts…little to hold onto in terms of practical “solutions.”  Send more troops…don’t send more troops…it’s the very definition of lose-lose.

Tiger Woods: Why are people even talking about this…seriously.

So, I thought it best, especially in these times and with the holiday rapidly approaching, to focus on something that made me smile…and yes, brought more than one tear to my eyes.  I’m not overly sentimental…and I care little for your standard presidential photo-op.  I’m also not one for “positive news fluff pieces.”  But THIS story…well, I can’t put my finger on it, but it certainly seems different.  Somehow it seems “important.”

Meet Jasmina.

(Pic Courtesy of NY Daily News)

Jasmina is a 6-year-old from Manhattan…and she has leukemia.  After six difficult months of fighting the cancer, they believed that it had gone into remission.  As if her young life weren’t hard enough, as if it weren’t filled with enough fear, uncertainty, and disappointment…it came back.

The city was moved by Jasmina’s story, and nearly a thousand people showed up to be tested to see if they might be candidates for donating bone marrow.  A donor was found and Jasmina underwent the arduous bone marrow transplant treatment…only to have complications as her little body rejected the donor material in a case of “graft-versus-host disease.”

Enter the wonderful Make-A-Wish Foundation.  By now you’ve certainly heard how this group brings smiles to the faces of children facing the most horrific medical conditions…by allowing at least one of their wishes, sometimes their last one, to come true.

Jasmina had one such wish: to meet the President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Make-A-Wish said: We can do that.

As Thanksgiving drew near, little Jasmina and her mother were understandably excited, and this sweet little girl admitted she could barely sleep:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=atIDqdLlurA

Then…more disappointment.  At the very last minute, the trip had to be canceled.  Due to her medications, Jasmina started having seizures as a result of Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome, a rare neurological condition.  She was devastated, thinking she’d lost her opportunity to meet the President.  President Obama even took the time to call  the hospital to see how she was doing…but she was asleep at the time (having just come off a ventilator) and could not be awakened. Upon learning that she had now also lost an opportunity to speak to the President on the phone, her spirits sank even further.  But there was still hope: the President had said a meeting might still be possible.

Then, finally, it happened.

(Pic Courtesy of NY Daily News)

Jasmina arrived at the White House, where aides provided a reception worthy of the biggest celebrity or the most important diplomat.  She was led to the Oval Office, wearing her “special pink dress.” Our President was there, smiling, waiting  for his special, young guest.  They were instantly both at ease and spoke of Christmas wishes (she wants a violin), her favorite books, interests she shares with his daughters, and the President complimented the little girl on how very articulate she was.  What’s more, he extended an offer: “You can write me anytime. I’ll get it.“  Jasmina’s mom would later describe the interaction, saying: “It was like they were really best buddies.  It was just how he spoke to her, like a daddy. It was so sweet. He was really relating to her.”

The President presented Jasmina with a box of M & M’s bearing his name and the presidential seal, as well as a “presidential yo-yo,” before they took a tour of the East Wing, where the young girl marveled at the multitude of Christmas decorations.  Their ten minutes expired, President Obama said, “Come here. Give me a hug,” prompting a smile on Jasmina’s face that would last the rest of the day.  According to her mother, Jasmina’s not even ready to talk about the experience yet…her daughter just smiles and beams, and says little.

I know.  There are bigger problems in the world than one little sick girl.  That’s NOT why this story is important.  It’s important, because from my perspective, with all that is going on in the world…I need to know that the person in charge is fully in touch with his humanity, and the humanity of the people he serves.  And it must be genuine, not mere political showmanship…not like the man who showed up well after a hurricane ravaged one of our cities bringing terror and tragedy to so many, and who could only stand on a levy and spout platitudes, empty promises, and shallow condolences.

No.  This day, and in this story…our President gave me, and all of us,  a gift.  A nice reminder that inside the politician is still a man…a father…a human being who understands that a sick little girl’s wish to meet him is very important.

1) An anti-Obama email, or satirical column (a column poking fun at the people who love to attack Obama, using an obviously exaggerated bogus claim) appears.

2) A well-known (but often dubious) right-wing blog reports the claim from the email or satire as if it were fact.

3) Conservative radio personalities, columnists, and bloggers go absolutely hyperactive in spreading the false story.

4) Mainstream media outlets (usually FOX News) repeat the false claim.

5) Millions of people hear the claim and spread it through their own emails/social networking.

6) The retractions…apologies…never come…or come too late to have any hope of undoing the damage done.

The current example (thank you, J, for bringing this to my attention): A humor blog ran a piece, purporting to have obtained a copy of Obama’s Columbia thesis.  In the piece, the author claims that a Time Magazine reporter unearthed the document, and that it contained considerable criticism of the Founding Fathers, and the Constitution.  A blogger at Pajamas Media, Michael Ledeen, who is also a contributing editor for the National Review Online…took the bait, unable to resist so-called “proof” that the president held contempt for the Constitution and its authors.  Soon, the item was also carried on American Thinker, and comments began to appear on Twitter.  It would not be long before Rush Limbaugh picked up the story, and ranted about it on his radio show…and as millions of people were misinformed, the number of Americans exposed to this lie growing every hour, it was perhaps inevitable that it would eventually appear on the FOX Nation website.  Then NPR.  Then US News.  Then CS Monitor.  Even after the story was proven false, and meager apologies had been offered…Lou Dobbs of CNN STILL decided to run with the story.

All because some who think they deserve to be viewed as journalists…didn’t bother to verify that a story was true before reporting it.

Of course…if we wait for retractions from the right-wing, we’d better not hold our breath.  Rush went so far as to admit that the story wasn’t true, but then hedged that he’s sure that what he reported falsely…is what Obama is actually thinking.  Michael Ledeen, who in many ways bears the brunt of the responsibility for this situation…shied away from a sincere apology, saying essentially that this is all Obama’s fault for not not making his actual thesis available for scrutiny.

Why is this so important?

As I’ve mentioned before, Mark Twain once said, “a lie can travel halfway around the world, while the truth is putting on its shoes.“  And remember…Twain said this well before the advent of cable new networks, email, and the internet.  Now, irresponsibility on the part of the media has far more serious implications.  If a lie is told…so many more will hear it.  This raises the importance of three things: First, the members of the press and the media need to be EXTRA certain that what they are reporting is the truth.  Second, the members of the media and the press, if they do report a story that is not true, must inform the public QUICKLY and THOROUGHLY….REPEATEDLY, if necessary.  Third, there MUST be a form of accountability for those who do not adhere to the first two items I have mentioned.

Do you see the problem now? The third item, the accountability…does not exist.  And because it does not exist, the first two…are not consistently adhered to.  A lot of attention has been paid to the White House’s recent criticism of FOX News.  Many have spoken/written in support of the criticism.  FOX News, and its conservative allies, have attempted to push back, citing that they still hold themselves to be “fair and balanced.”  Even Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA) has stepped forward, calling for the President to apologize to FOX News for questioning its credibility.

Really? Take a quick look at the sheer volume of incidents reported on Media Matters, incidents where FOX was grossly incorrect, unforgivably partisan, and hopelessly biased.  Don’t like that site? Try a search of all the “FOX News-related” items on Politifact.  Go ahead…take a quick look around the internet, at all the sites that do little more than report on the inconsistencies in FOX’s reporting.  Now try to find some similar results for CNN…or ABC…or CBS…or NBC…or MSNBC…you will find nothing comparable in terms of volume or severity.

So…good for the White House…glad they said something…but you know what?  It’s not enough.  We should be doing more than simply criticizing outlets like FOX.  If I say something false and damaging about another person, depending on the circumstances I may be open to charges of libel, slander, or defamation of character.  If that’s the case, then why can an organization go on television, radio, or the internet…and say something damaging, and heard/read by millions…and there are no consequences.  Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights.“  If we accept this as true, shouldn’t there be some penalty for making the people “poorly-informed?“  The FCC fines a broadcaster if they say certain “four-letter words” on the air…but they can speak the most spurious and damaging lies, without retraction, and not be fined a single penny.  And until this changes, organizations like FOX can continue claim to be “news,” and “balanced,” and “fair“…when nothing could be further from the truth.