[lbo-talk] Booing Manning Marable

Michael Dawson -PSU mdawson at pdx.edu
Mon Mar 15 14:28:45 PST 2004



> So long as 9 out of 10 black voters vote Democrat, any candidate who
> effaces the differences so obvious to them discredits himself, loosing
> this constituency. Certainly, there is no monolithic Black Community,
> but when you get a chorus this clear and this consistent, it's best for
> white leftists to stop and consider. That's Doug's point, *not* that the
> Dems are the vanguard of anti-racism.

Duh and duh. I didn't and don't say a) that black perceptions and preferences should be ignored, or b) that Doug thinks the DP is awesome. But the DP has undeniably failed to do anything to help African-Americans since LBJ, and even what he did was mostly a flawed sop for the Vietnam meatgrinder. If most blacks still think their best answer lies in "re"claiming the DP, that's a respectable judgement call. But so is the proposition that it's time for a third party to the left of the DP. Working toward that goal is not racist, and may ultimately put the lie to the ABB party line. Keeping Jack the Ripper out of your neighborhood is great, but how long do you keep hiring crack dealers to do the job?



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