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How much did the racial attitude expressed by Ronald Reagan in these tapes shape any of his policies towards Africans and Black people in general?
"I didn't leave the Democratic party. The Democratic Party left me."
-Reagan
As Democrats began to push further down the path of Civil Rights, people like Reagan felt like their party was going in a direction they wouldn't follow.
Reagan is literally the poster child for how the old guard of pre-Civil Rights Democrats left to join the racist GOP.
Reagan shouldn't have done such dog whistles. He was wrong for that. For that reason, I have no respect for him. Actually, I sort of though of him as a covertly racist person. However, stuff like this, why would I vote for someone like that?
Dog whistle=when someone did not say exactly what you wish they would have said in a quote, so you shove words into their mouth.
What is the basis for Reagan being 'covertly racist?' If you make the accusation, back it the bleep up. I'm so sick of these false accusations of racism that divide and inflame. Maybe YOU are the covert racist. Read the above link and tell me that you still believe Reagan was 'covertly racist.'
There are tons of reasons to attack Reagan, on policy grounds. The vacuous can't do that though, so they resort to 'raaaaaaacist.'
Politicians of that era "Biden included" always used dog whistles for everything. Overt racism was out by that time (LBJ's era) but it wasn't hard to pick up if you listen to stump speeches Regan made. He cleaned it up for national addressess but go listen to those speeches on the campaign trail and yes it played a major roll for decades in this country.
A simple exercise proves this. Imagine your a politician in 1970's America and have to pick and choose what projects get funded, what do you choose. Remember, the white male vote was all you needed to win to be President at this time.
1) Fund a inner city school with 80% black students. Or Fund a school in a new suburb with homes built for upper middle class households?
2) Fund inner city public transport or new highways for expansion of suburbs outside city limits (sprawl was funded)
3) Inner city youth program with a rec center or a huge golf course designed to attract a PGA tournament and influential people.
This was the thought process for years and years, 1950's - 1990's. That is a lot of underfunding and ignoring of major issues in black communities. How many of you started the day with cleaning termites and roaches off the desk like I did in Florida before the Pledge of Allegiance? The swift change in communities of black folks was ushered in by public policy (welfare, underfunding of schools, public housing). Many cities were happy with holding all the black folk in one area so the rest of the city could be COLOR FREE, and the voters backed it through re-election of the same politicians, Republican and Democrat.
"If an individual wants to discriminate against Negroes or others in selling or renting his house, it is his right to do so." -Ronald Reagan
This is one reason I'm very skeptical about "states rights". There are still individuals who want to discriminate against people of a different race. Sometimes the only way to prevent racial discrimination is through government force.
This is one reason I'm very skeptical about "states rights". There are still individuals who want to discriminate against people of a different race. Sometimes the only way to prevent racial discrimination is through government force.
Yep. And the only way to protect institutionalized racism is to fight against a strong govt that can crack down on states.
OK thank you. I put it into duckduckgo and it did not come up. It is a surprising quote given the column I posted by Mark Shields. What do you think of that column?
I disagree with Reagan's position as expressed in the quote. It is the libertarian position, but in my view it is dead wrong.
This is one reason I'm very skeptical about "states rights". There are still individuals who want to discriminate against people of a different race. Sometimes the only way to prevent racial discrimination is through government force.
States rights is in the Constitution. The right to discriminate in rental housing is not. These are two different things. Reagan was pro-states rights long before he ran for president, because as Gov. of California he ran into problems in dealing with fed. mandates. It's not always about race.
Yep. And the only way to protect institutionalized racism is to fight against a strong govt that can crack down on states.
That is what it took to reign in the state governments in the South. It took the federal government to enforce civil rights. If that is what it takes, I'm for it.
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