Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Sherrod story in the context of Republican Southern Strategy

Indeed there is no easy way to counter the Southern strategy of race baiting. But the last thing you want to do is enable it or cave in to it. That's Obama's mistake in this instance. As Eugene Robinson said in his WashPost column, the vast majority of white folks will not fall for it, but some will. I guarantee you that in spite of all the apologies to Mrs Sherrod, her purported "racism" will remain ingrained permanently in the minds of some tea party folks and Southern whites who already believe the nonsense that Obama is taking away their money and country and giving them to blacks and minorities. So, these things do register permanently--which is why the thing to do is to fight them and fight them hard before the damage is done.

On Thu, Jul 22, 2010 at 11:24 AM, Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi <ijeoma@yahoo.com> wrote:

Rachel Maddow has an interesting look at the Sherrod story in the context of the Southern Strategy, a strategy of fomenting and exploiting racial polarization that Republicans have used successfully
to win elections, one that former RNC Chair Ken Mehlman apologized to the NAACP for in 2005.  The link to the video clip below from Maddow examines how this strategy was used in the past and
how it is being used now in 2010 especially with the help of Fox News.  Unfortunately, it does work.  As an immigrant, this has been eye-opening.  I think I have a much better understanding of why the
Obama administration seems to fold/cave or have a knee-jerk response on matters surrounding race - they are aware of the strategy but haven't figured out a way to counter it, because there is no easy way.


Lola


Rachel Maddow explains that the Sherrod scandal-spun-out-of-thin-air is political strategy to stoke fear and racial resentment among white voters.

 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/38353636#38353636

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