I wasn’t going to write anything on the CNN/YouTube Republican presidential primary debate because it was in Florida and I don’t really care about Florida. That is until a question came up from a young man in Houston, Texas about the Confederate battle flag and whether it represented heritage or racism.
And poor Mitt Romney gave about the worst possible answer for someone looking to earn votes in South Carolina — a very painful soundbite that will probably cost him about 10 points in this state.
Some parts of this country may be able to “go beyond that kind of stuff,” but a large number of GOP voters in South Carolina aren’t among that contingency. They don’t want to be, and they don’t want a former Massachusetts governor telling them they should be.
Let’s not forget what happened to John McCain in 2000 when he merely said the flag is seen by some as offensive, but that the decision ultimately belongs to the states. Romney’s belief that the flag shouldn’t be shown at all, that Americans are better than what it represents, and that “we” have rightly chosen not to fly it is immeasurably more “anti-flag” than McCain’s; and it will play about as well here as the Clemson fight song in Williams-Brice Stadium.
He may also want to pay closer attention next time he’s in Columbia, because “that flag” does fly here — not only in private homes and on countless front yards, but on the Statehouse grounds. Oh, and don’t be surprised if Romney’s campaign stops play host to a new group of party crashers.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 at 11:12 pm and is filed under Primary Season, Republicans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
“That’s not a flag I recognize.”
Help yourself to a history book Mitt. What kinda name is Mitt anyway. Then when you’re all done reading it, hand it over to Anderson Cooper.
The stars and bars is the first flag of the confederacy used from March 1861 to May of 1863. It has 3 stripes and a circle of stars. The confederate battle flag is a square with criss crossed stars. The flag that has come to be incorrectly known by Babyface Cooper as the “stars and bars” is the confederate navy jack.
Well, the Tompkins machine is working on Romney’s next flip-flop right now.
So, because a significant portion of S.C.’s Republican electorate is racist means that candidates should pander to it? Brilliant.
Personally I much prefer the “Don’t tread on me” flag. There is nothing ambiguous about the statement it makes.
With the stars and bars there’s no way to tell if it’s meant as a symbol of rascism or noble resistance to oppressive federal tyranny.
I am thankful that Mr. Romney expressed his opinion on the Confederate flag without equivocation. He is repulsed by this symbol, and as a Republican, of course, he is simply hearkening back to his roots. Mr. Lincoln, both the first President of, and father to the American Empire, as well as a founder of the Republican Party, was the greatest enemy the South has ever faced.
It is certainly interesting to witness a politician end his political campaign over a point of difference he could easily have minimized. Mr. Romney, from Massachusetts, gave up South Carolina’s primary last night, as well as those of most, if not all, of the thirteen southern states. Now we have one less unknown to ponder over. From now on, in the South, whenever the subject of Romney’s candidacy is broached, hard on its heals is sure to follow, “Did you hear what he said about the flag?”
Bob Wray
member: South Carolina League of the South
Hey Palmetto Poopers,
Looks like you’ve turned the South Carolina Neo-Nazi faction against Romney!
Way to go! (And Good Riddance.)
[...] Romney and ‘the flag’ [...]
TPS - So you think Romney should pander to Bob Wray? Do you think Lincoln is the greatest enemy that the State of South Carolina has ever faced?
So, let me get this straight, over 100 years after you guys down South surrendered to the North, you still hang on to this?
Who is this guy that thinks Lincoln was the South’s greatest enemy? Are there really people that are that ignorant? I bet this guy doesn’t even know there are fifty states in the union now.
I hope both Romney and Thompson crash and burn for their attacks on Southern heritage. Lincoln was the greatest enemy to South Carolina and the Constitution of any president though Bush is giving him a run for his money in many ways. Scalawags and carpetbaggers beware we don’t care how it’s done up North and we’ll hold on to our proud heritage and traditions till the day we die.
As a Florida voter, I’ve been fluctuating between voting for Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee. When I read what Mitt Romney said about the Confederate flag, I was sickened. Then, I heard Mike Huckabee say how Arkansans would tell outsiders (carpetbaggers) what to do with the flag pole if they came to take down their flag. Hallelujah! I love him. He won my vote on that comment alone. I get to vote for a real, authentic Southerner who understands states’ rights. Yes!