Will the McCain Campaign Use Racism?

WILL THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN USE RACISM?

Kenneth Hacker

September 22, 2008

We would hope that despite the facts that Nixon and other Republicans used racism to gain southern support, that G. W. Bush began his first presidential campaign at the racist Bob Jones University, and that many Americans are still prejudiced against African Americans, that our nation would have matured away from the use of racism in our presidential elections. The comes a news story like this:

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/politics/2008/09/22/gop.racist.statements.koat

John McCain needs to find some courage (like he had in the military) and stand up to those in his party who seek to take the low road this year and remind them that Americans do not have to live with racism like they did in the past. He did not defend his black daughter from the racism of the Bush campaign in the 2000 primaries, for whatever reasons, but he now has a chance to redeem himself and to step up and say something important.

It is certainly true the Democratic Party has had a troubled past with racism also. It was the party of the Confederacy (many of the so-called Red States today) and it slavery. But the Democrats embraced civil rights in the 1960s and incorporated fighting for minority rights into their agenda. This might explain why 90% of African Americans are likely to vote for a Democratic presidential candidate.

And John McCain? Not only was he spineless in not standing up for his daughter, but he caved into pressure to say it was alright for the Confederate flag to still fly in southern states like South Carolina. If Mr. McCain wants voters to take him seriously about leading America, he needs to show some courage today and stop relying on the courage he had in 1968. But since he voted against the Martin Luther King holiday for his state, this might be wishful thinking. In that case, the voters better take a closer look at his fit with what we seek to be as a nation.