VP Talk: Webb's Rebel Roots: An Affinity for the Confederacy

[bicentennial_baby]

Barack Obama’s vice presidential vetting team will undoubtedly run across some quirky and potentially troublesome issues as it goes about the business of scouring the backgrounds of possible running mates. But it’s unlikely they’ll find one so curious as Virginia Democratic Sen. Jim Webb’s affinity for the cause of the Confederacy.

Webb is no mere student of the Civil War era. He’s an author, too, and he’s left a trail of writings and statements about one of the rawest and most sensitive topics in American history.

He has suggested many times that while the Confederacy is a symbol to many of the racist legacy of slavery and segregation, for others it simply reflects Southern pride. In a June 1990 speech in front of the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, posted on his personal website, he lauded the rebels’ “gallantry,” which he said “is still misunderstood by most Americans.”

-snip-

Ron Walters, director of the African American Leadership Center at the University of Maryland and a professor of political science there, said Webb’s past writings and comments on the Confederacy could dampen enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket, should he appear on it.

“Unless he is able to explain it, it would raise some questions,” Walters said.

Edward H. Sebesta, co-author of the forthcoming “Neo-Confederacy: A Critical Introduction” (University of Texas Press), said Webb’s views express an unhealthy regard for a political system that propped up and defended slavery.

His book, in fact, will cite Webb as an example of the mainstreaming of neo-Confederacy ideas into politics, said Sebesta, a widely cited independent historical researcher and author of the Anti-Neo-Confederate blog.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10994.html

[tekisui]

1. Go get that Southern vote!!!

I haven't looked at the things Webb has written, but if they spin him as a Neo-Confederate, he would be a head exploding Veep choice for the RWers. How could Obama hate Whitey and have a Pro-Whitey Veep?

[bicentennial_baby]

2. Yeah, but it would alienate the African American voting bloc...

I'm not so hot on Webb, anyway.

[mdmc]

6. no AA I know would toss Obama cause of his veep choice

Really - he could pick Zell Miller, David Duke, or Alan Keyes and still bank on the AA vote.

[Barack_America]

16. It's not just percentages, but numbers and enthusiasm.

Even a slight effect on these numbers amongst African Americans can seriously jeopardize some states. Such as PA, where I happen to be sitting right now.

[mdmc]

18. America gets what America deserves

If PA goes to McCain, America deserves fascism.

I can't fathom McCain winning, but, like I said, America gets what America deserves.

[tekisui]

9. I still want to keep EVERY Dem in the Senate.

At least until 2010.

[bicentennial_baby]

10. That's a good point.

:)

[mdmc]

3. I have an affinity with the confederacy too

The USA should be a club that members join and leave as they chose.
The USA should not be a gang = try and leave and we kill you.

[hfojvt]

21. I always wondered about that too

Shouldn't our union be voluntary? Why did war seem to be the first method chosen to preserve the union?

Still quite sad that the reason they didn't want to stay in the union was because they wanted to keep the institution of slavery.

[woolldog]

4. AAs voted overwhelmingly for Webb in Virginia.

He couldn't have won without the black vote.

[bicentennial_baby]

7. I just wonder how this would go over nationally

:shrug:

[BklynChick]

5. the more I learn about Webb, the more I don't like him.

[Barack_America]

8. His resume is great. But no tingles up my leg.

;)

Really, I think it would be his bizarre former statements on women in the military that would be a bigger problem.

[bicentennial_baby]

11. There's that too

[BklynChick]

12. the two of those together will not go over well at all. forget Webb.

[Barack_America]

14. And he's a sitting US Senator.

Can that be the third strike?

So I guess this is what "vetting" is for, huh?

[tularetom]

13. What's this "gallantry" bullshit anyway

Webb is fond of reminding us of his "Scots-Irish" background. I know these folks - my ancestors were some of them (on my dad's side anyway). They lived in Appalachia and the "upcountry" of the southern atlantic states. They were suckered into taking up the cause of all the old rich white guys who owned slaves. They had none of their own - in fact they had very little. What they were was cannon fodder. They If Webb wants to rationalize their gullibility as gallantry that's fine but it doesn't reflect well on him.

They were used then - they're still being used. But they are either to dishonest or too dumb to realize who it is that's using them.

[uponit7771]

17. I heard those statements and he was talking about how Obama can relate to the Scott - Irish, again I

...don't see the offense in the statements about the south and see them as an oppurtinity to create media buzz

[arewenotdemo]

25. Excellent points.

Why Webb (and I voted for him in 2006) feels it necessary to defend that gullibility as gallantry is beyond me. Part of the warrior ethos, I imagine.

I believe the Confederate State Declarations make it explicitly clear what secession was all about.

[uponit7771]

15. As an AA I don't find anything offensive in Webbs confederacy views & see it as an oppurtinity

...for Obama to use the media for press coverage to; 1.) Get the story out that Webb is a real southerner with southern view vs. Bush, 2.) Show that he and Obama can come to a consensus about the confederacy, 3.) Wash rinse repeat this story without losing a single AA vote.

I don't like it when confederate lovers hold on to the ideas of WHY the confederacy seceded as nothing to do with race but Webb isn't saying this.

I read it as; even if the people in the south didn't pay attention and fought for rich people to keep their riches while scaring the hell out of them they still were gallant fighters.

The parallel could be made today but in the mid 1800s no one had google!!!

[Igel]

24. He apparently wouldn't argue "nothing to do with race",

but the summary is: "As in the Confederate Memorial speech, Webb suggests in his book that relatively few Southerners were slaveholders and that the war was fought over state sovereignty, which in the eyes of many at the time included the right to secede from the national government."

May I suggest that the same reasoning can be applied, with virtually no tweaking, to the Civil-Rights-era appearance of the stars-and-bars. The "code" is states rights, and while for many it's code, I bet you could find some that simply would agree that states rights were a real issue. The rest is a question of percentages and whether or not what people said is to be taken as correct.

That would go over poorly.

[TheDebbieDee]

19. I'm an African-American and I greatly admire the temerity

of Sen. Webb. I thought he would make a great VP choice for Sen. Obama, but not after learning of his "Jonny Rebel" loving tendencies this morning, I don't want him anyplace close to the office of the Presidency.

I knew that Sen. Webb was a republican that decided to switch sides when he realized that * and the neocons were nuts, but I didn't know about this......

[uponit7771]

20. What is he sayin about the solidiers who fought for the south that is offensive to you as an AA? Thx

My post above explains my position.

This sounds like a hit piece story on Webb, from what I've read there's NOTHING the guy said that was offensive.

[TheDebbieDee]

22. Anyone that can openly admire a society or government

in which they decide to oppress large segments of the population based on conditions over which the oppressed have no control (skin color, height, weight, eye color, whatever) may as well become a horrible monster to me.

To my mind, Jim Webb might as well say, "Hitler and those nazis had Germany moving along for several years. The economy was humming, there was zero unemployment and productivity in their factories was off the charts from the late 20s up until the early 40s. It's a shame they had to kill all those Jews while they were doing all these good things!"

I realize that it may be unfair to paint with such a broadbrush, but that's just the way I feel.

[loyalsister]

23. The problem with this is whose opinions are validated

"Even the Vice President thinks flying the confederate flag is okay" would be a common interpretation that would be used to flaunt the offensive symbol.
"Even the VP thinks the south was right" and on and on.
It's kind of like how racists love to say they call each other the n word.
Misinterpretation have a lot of traction for belief in belief.

This makes a too good to be true ticket for the most hate filled racists.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

26. I don't think Webb will be VP

not a good choice

[Thrill]

27. Cross him off the list. If we're going after VA. Its going to be Warner or Kaine

[ecstatic]

28. That's troubling. Keep in mind, we have to deal with this VP in 8 years

If Al Gore had won the Supreme Court fight, we would be dealing with "President Lieberman" right now.

[ecstatic]

29. One more thing-we can't let Politico be in control of our vetting process

despite Webb's problems, he would be a plus to Obama as far as possibly helping to secure certain "working hardworking" voters.