Zell Miller makes some valid points when he writes about the Democratic Party and the South, but his history is sketchy at best. The South was solidly Democratic following the Civil War due to Southern hostility toward the party of Lincoln. This attitude began to change in the 1960s, and was aided in no small part by the Republican Party and Richard Nixon's "Southern Strategy" of appealing to white Southerners opposed to the civil rights acts and progressive changes of the 1960s and '70s. Strom Thurmond was one of the first "Dixiecrats" to change parties, and his decision was based primarily on the race issue (quite ironically as we now know) and emphasis on the differences that exist between us. By pandering to the more conservative wing of the Republican Party and the Christian right, the Republicans have kept the South in their corner by subtly playing the race card and in my opinion, continuing to focus on those differences.
The Democratic Party, meanwhile, in its efforts to be more things to more people has lost its ability to demonstrate its role in providing health care, jobs, national defense and spending plans that don't include billion-dollar deficits.
As long as the Republican Party wants to continue its Southern strategy of divide and conquer, Democrats will remain scarce. But that doesn't diminish its national stature nor the revelance of its core beliefs.
-- Steve Spina, Zephyrhills
Zell's a shrill shill
Re: Strangers in the South.
One could take Zell Miller's accusation that the Democratic Party is too beholden to "special interests" a little more seriously if he was a bit more consistent.
If he's bothered by the role of "special interests," why is ol' Zell throwing his support behind the man Ralph Nader called a "corporation disguised as a human being," i.e. George W. Bush?
Miller claims the party has ignored the South but glosses over the fact that the party's last two presidential nominees were Southerners. If Miller was serious, he would be an independent, not a shrill shill for George W. Bush.
-- Jack McCarthy, Tallahassee
Class warfare on the left
Re: Blinded by the right, Feb. 1.
Robyn Blumner's column in last Sunday's Perspective section is a great example of why the Democratic Party is losing its grip on power in this country. While crying wolf over racial exploitation by the right, she leaves a blind eye to the class warfare rhetoric being spewed by the left. Just because men or women work hard and are successful, it is no reason to target them as country-clubbers or people out of touch with society.
To give everyone, no matter the income level, the same percentage of a tax cut is both fair and right. Blumner and her cohorts on the left always seem to leave out that these "rich people" also pay a disproportionate amount of income taxes, which provide so many of the social services that everyone in this country has the opportunity to enjoy. I wish she and others would have the guts to come out and say what their true motive is: Income distribution and a socialist system in this country.
-- Mike Gross, St. Petersburg
GOP tactics explained
Re: Blinded by the right.
Robyn Blumner's columns are always interesting and often superb, but this column is almost perfect. She has explained, lucidly and accurately, how the GOP has persuaded poor and working-class Americans to vote against their own economic interest. The Republicans have done this by distracting Democrats with appeals to such emotional issues as race, religion, guns and gays.
What Blumner slights is the extent to which Democratic leadership has endorsed the GOP plan by advocating not for all working people of whatever race or gender but only for categories of so-called victims even if those victims are wealthy, e.g., high-income minorities.
Added to this is the wide-spread call in the GOP's interest for the dissatisfied poor to waste 2-million votes on some third party, and it seems clear that the GOP is running everything quite well these days except of course the country.
-- Jim Perry, Tampa
Seek common goals
Re: The Archie Bunker Paradigm, Feb.1.
Bill Maxwell is right. It is "uncanny" that two predominantly "white" states can make or break a candidate. It is as well uncanny that predominantly white media, whether print or TV, can do the same.
Unless the Black Elmos, Little Emanuels, Stretch Cunninghams and all others, irrespective of race or gender, having common interests for the betterment of themselves and their families, go to the voting booths and vote for candidates that they personally believe have their interests foremost, there will be no change in Washington regardless of the party in power.
-- Russell Lee Johnson, St. Petersburg
Canada is better
Re: Medicare too wasteful, letter, Feb. 1.
The letter writer made a statement about Canadian health care that deserves a reply. He stated that should your 72-year-old grandmother require a hip replacement, she would be passed over for someone younger. I guess I should tell my 94-year-old mother-in-law that she should not have had her hip surgery as she was too old. What hogwash.
I cannot speak for England, but Canadians would never be denied surgery on the basis of age. I have had two knee replacements, waiting only three weeks for the surgery. Occasionally, I have read in U.S. newspapers about people being denied an organ transplant if they do not have adequate health insurance to cover the cost of antirejection medication. This would never happen in Canada!
The Trillium Drug Plan is accessible for Ontario residents who do not have medication coverage through their employers. I know this because our daughter had a heart transplant and spent three months living in the cardiac intensive care unit. We were never approached by the hospital or an insurance company for funds. It is true that we pay more in taxes. Given the choice, we will continue to do so in order to support universal health care for everyone.
-- Jean Hilton, Largo
A limited Muslim plea
Re: Cleric calls on Muslims to give up terrorism, Feb. 1.
I was heartened to see that headline in last Sunday's paper -- especially after reading in the Jan. 31 Times that a leading cleric had preached a blood-chilling message of "Victory to Muslims, everywhere" to the throngs gathered for the hajj. When I read the article, however, I found that the call from "Saudi Arabia's top cleric" was for Muslims to give up terror ... against other Muslims, or against non-Muslims "given sanctuary in Muslim lands." Hardly the ringing condemnation of terrorism that your headline encouraged me to believe was his message that day.
We can only hope that - before this gathering of millions of Muslims from all over the world comes to an end - some authoritative imam will preach a message of that peace and tolerance for all peoples, which we have repeatedly been told is the true message of Islam. And thanks to the Times for reporting on what Muslim leaders actually say to their followers at this central event in Muslim religious life.
-- Barry Augenbraun, St. Petersburg
Mockingbird media
The media have the mockingbird syndrome. One reporter decides Dr. Howard Dean doesn't look presidential and the rest follow. Guess they prefer lying to exuberance.
It is clear by the headlines that the St. Petersburg Times is not for Howard Dean. I wonder what the count is of how many exceptional individuals we lost because of the media.
The two Bushes have the same syndrome. I am surprised the media haven't picked up on that. It is hard to tell which one came up with bad ideas first. The state of affairs is as sad in Florida as it is in the United States.
-- Patricia Terpack, Clearwater
Seeing the final journey
Re: The final journey home, Feb. 3.
Thank you for printing the moving picture of our soldiers' final journey. Since the Bush administration won't allow anyone to see the flag-draped coffins coming home, many of us are not aware of the dignity, respect and loving care that is given to our soldiers who have given their lives for us.
It is appalling that the Bush people want to hide the bringing home of our soldiers on their final journey. I guess they realize how upsetting these images are to everyone and want us to forget the price we are paying in Iraq.
-- Donna Ryan, Clearwater
[Last modified February 8, 2004, 01:45:41]
