Quote:
Originally posted by Griff
... so the question is, could he have impacted distribution in his state? If so, he is a rascist rather than an opportunist.
|
Lott clearly was a racist, but he also was an oppurtunist - as demonstrated by who he associated with even in high school. A major part of Replublican southern leadership are old Democratic racists. Lott was right in there and raised among them. He was also late to 'convert'.
Lott will lose his leadership seat only because he did not admit, up front, as his black advisors told him, that he was a racist. By the time he got to his third apology, it was obvious he was only digging a deeper hole for himself. Right wing conservative Republician suddenly endorsing affirmative action was clearly the politician lying to get out of trouble. It only made he look like a liar leaving the probability that, deep down, he remained an oppurtunist racist - somebody who would do anything to get elected - as he demonstrated in high school.
He was a racist. That will always be so. If he really was a truly 'converted from' racist, then admitting his past would have been no problem. For some reason, he refused to acknowledge his early mistakes. It will cost him. It therefore resulted in discovery of more tapes where he made more segregationist Strom Thurmond jokes. He has done this more than once after he supposidely converted from racism. Had he just admitted his history up front, then this all would have gone away. Now everyone is reviewing old Lott quotes and finding more of the same comments. This will burn him especially in a White House that is desperately trying to recruit Blacks and Hispanics to the party.
What does it take to undermine leadership? Ask Newt Gingrich.