Sabato on McDonnell's Confederate History Proclamation: "this is a disaster for him & VA."

Wow. Even Sabato (4.00 / 1)

That is amazing. Sabato - the old buddy of Virgil Goode - so soundly criticizing Bob McDonnell. While Sabato is correct in saying that the RTD, a Republican paper, usually praises Gov. Wimpy, so does Sabato in his roundabout way.

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by: Elaine in Roanoke @ Wed Apr 07, 2010 at 16:49:19 PM UTC

in the 23rd century (0.00 / 0)

I wonder if some wingnut gov will have a "Tea party" history month.

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by: pvogel @ Wed Apr 07, 2010 at 17:13:21 PM UTC

Mostly Right (4.00 / 2)

Larry Sabato's commentary has gotten it mostly right about Bob McDonnell's latest disastrous move: the Confederate History month Proclamation. But, Sabato stumbles with these observations: "I know Bob McDonnell a bit. He was born in Philly, grew up in NoVa, has never shown slightest evidence of prejudice that I've seen..." Note to Larry: call your optometrist. Bob McDonnell's career is littered with warning signs of prejudice and intolerance: for women (the thesis); for gays (the thesis and the refusal to re-issue an executive order barring discrimination based on sexual orientation); for African Americans (this latest Proclamation that McDonnell hoped to "quietly" issue).  

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by: Peter 2010 @ Wed Apr 07, 2010 at 17:24:00 PM UTC

Yep, McDonnell is a racist (0.00 / 0)

Anyone who is not racist would go out of their way to qualify this proclamation. He would have included the slavery condemnation. He would have included a condemnation of secession.

He would have changed the proclamation from Confederate History month to Civil War History month, thus honoring the history without praising the racist C.S.A., a nation that had slavery built into their constitution.

Only if you find these things okay would you overlook it.

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by: Hugo Estrada @ Thu Apr 08, 2010 at 12:17:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

When does Northrup Grumman decide (0.00 / 0)

where to light? All we need now is to hear that they have decided not to land in Virginia. So much for jobs, Governor. On the other hand, this spat may not enter into their corporate calculations. Some corporations are funding the break-up-the-union movement, perhaps thinking they will have more market freedom without a strong federal government that might regulate them.    

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by: Teddy Goodson @ Wed Apr 07, 2010 at 17:55:20 PM UTC

It was needless (4.00 / 3)

There was no REASON to do this, other than to make a small minority of people happy.  And there were so many OTHER ways it could have been done that would have had not only neutral effects, but possibly very positive ones.  But it was not.  It was handled in perhaps the worst way imaginable.  It makes Virginia (and Virginians) look awful, even to ourselves, let alone to the rest of the country.  And for what?  For whom?

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by: GretchenLaskas @ Wed Apr 07, 2010 at 18:35:45 PM UTC

Exactly, (4.00 / 2)

and I doubt there would have been such upset if the Governor of Virginia, where so many battles were fought (in the Revolution and in the Civil War) had sought to "encourage tourism" by actually offering a balanced approach in his proclamation.

It is past time that we as a people had a mutual conversation about "The War" (which was how my Southern half of the family always referred to the Civil War, even after World Wars I, II, and Korea). In fact, such a broader proclamation would have been a stroke of genius, IMO. But no, Governor McDonnell apparently chose to take the short-term view of personal political advantage. It's a real shame....

Our resident Republican can make all sorts of noises about our reading too much into this proclamation, but, based on past experience with McD's wing of the GOP, most of us do understand what Mr. McDonnell intended. Considering the present political climate nationally (Tea Party, secessionists, and all), what the Governor has done, I think deliberately, positions him well for national influence with those Tea Partyers.

PS: Can we now look forward to a re-enactment of Grant's burning of Richmond? Or Sherman marching through Georgia and South Carolina? (How do you like Shock and Awe when you're the victim, eh?--- In order to show the sacrifices of the Southerners under the cruel heel of the victors?) Maybe re-issue Gone With The Wind?  

See, when my ancestors fired on Fort Sumter they figured that bit of violence would show those Yankee guvmint folks a thing or two. But once unleashed, violence can never be controlled. Tea Partyers should keep that in mind.  

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by: Teddy Goodson @ Wed Apr 07, 2010 at 19:54:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Invite (0.00 / 0)

Instead, he could have invited that small minority of people to the Governor's mansion, which I understand is now open for fundraisers.

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by: Ingrid @ Wed Apr 07, 2010 at 20:23:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

McDonnell promotes Virginia as a time machine to the 19th century (4.00 / 1)

The Governor of Virgina welcomes all visitors to the Old Dominion, the Great Commonwealth of Virginia, where we still live in the 19th century! A time machine innovation that Southern Patriots will enjoy! Imagine that! Visit the Old Dominion, or better yet, move here to live, and you can enjoy all the racism, white supremacy, anti-diversity values that have plagued Virginia since the War Against Northern Agression. Imagine, you can re-enact historical battles where there are more re-enactors than were at the original battle! Imagine, you can live in a place where states rights prevail, and we don't let the federal government interfere in our lives! And imagine, we have a State Attorney General who is tirelessly protecting our great Commonwealth's sovereignty,. Welcome to Virginia! where a time machine transports you 150 years back in time!
No other state can match it!

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by: Shenandoah Democrat @ Wed Apr 07, 2010 at 20:01:00 PM UTC

You Betcha (4.00 / 1)

Come to the Old Dominion!!!* Enroll your kids in our new segregation academies, er, I mean charter schools!!  Enjoy our traditional-values workspaces!! If you're from out of state, your kids probably already attend our universities so you should know your way around!!!  

*(excluding union members, blacks, hispanics, asians, gays, lesbians, transexuals, metrosexuals, graduates of universities not affiliated with evangelical churches and anyone who doesn't think that Sarah Palin is awesome)

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by: NotJohnSMosby @ Wed Apr 07, 2010 at 20:20:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Dixiecrats (4.00 / 1)

The Southern Dixiecrats who repressed African-Americans and others, switched over to the Republican Party.  The solid Democratic South went over to the Republican Party.  Nixon used the right "code words," to bring them in unbeknownst to many other Republicans elsewhere in the US.

LBJ knew that this would happen when he pushed the Civil Rights Acts through, that the Democratic Party would lose much of the South, but he realized that universal Civil Rights for all was the American way to go.  He stepped up to the challenge.  [He got Texas to agree by promising the Space Control Center to Houston.]  

Richard Nixon welcomed the Dixiecrats into the Republican Party with "The Southern Strategy."

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by: slimstar @ Fri Apr 09, 2010 at 14:47:05 PM UTC

[ Parent ]