Republicans and Democrats need to be especially aware whenever the old hatreds of past generations seep into today’s politics. It’s intolerable, and a sin against the public square.
In that spirit, I think this has gone far enough.
I’ve always made the charge that there are certain Democrats who pay lip service to minorities if only to subjugate them, either by “keeping them in their place” through social programs, or when the rubber hits the road offering “mainstream” or “centrist” candidates as standard-bearers.
We’ll start with this instance from NLS:
There might be nothing more uncomfortable than a candidate whose analogies don’t come from personal experience. Harris Miller is Jewish and doesn’t go to church!
Now this comment, and comments like these have been circling ever since the “anti-Christ of outsourcing” slander was uttered by former Reagan Secretary James Webb.
Virginia Virtucon picked up on it, as did J’s Notes and Two Conservatives, coming to the same conclusion most of us are coming to: James Webb’s supporters are making a caclulated effort to “jewbait” Harris Miller.
Now some unsurprising people are rushing to the defense of Webb and attacking both Chad Dotson and myself for pointing out the obvious.
So let’s get into the details, shall we?
Jewbaiting is a word created by the Germans in 1853 (literally Judenheutze) who’s purpose is to use the Jewishness of an individual as part of his definition, usually as an epithet. In anti-Semitic Germany, you can only imagine what connotations it would have… “He’s a shrewd businessman, but he’s a Jew after all… He drove a tough bargain, but Jews are like that… I’ve never been able to trust that fellow, but Jews can help but be that way…”
That’s jewbaiting, and it’s disgusting.
Fast forward to today. In the midst of a negative attack campaign by James Webb, what purpose does it have to mention outsourcing, being a lobbyist for both Repubicans and Democrats, having no support from liberals and oh yes… he’s a Jew that doesn’t go to church?
Simple answer? Webb is jewbaiting his opposition.
Need some proof? Jews don’t go to church, they go to synagouge. Small semantic (or semitic) difference, but one hell of a way to remind Virginians that Harris Miller is not one-of-us “churchgoing” Virginians, but in fact “other”. “Other” as in Jewish.
So not only does Webb have yellow star for Miller, Webb’s campaign also seeks to play those supposedly ignorant Virginia Democrats in the Valley, in Southside, and in the Southwest against Miller — and with the complicity of those who just seek to flick away concerns with “aww, you guys are taking this too seriously.”
Can’t you see the giggling activists now? Playing the electorate against each other like their fools?
Slick, isn’t it?
So don’t try to sell me on the idea that certain Democrats aren’t trying to jewbait Harris Miller, or that certain people still don’t hold those prejudices close to their heart (on both sides of the aisle). The insinuations and reminders to Democratic primary voters that Miller isn’t one-of-us is symptomatic of the entire Democratic Party’s approach to minorities — and probably why minority voters have endorsed Miller in the first place.
Jewbaiting Harris Miller — the last desperate tactic of a desperate campaign. Democrats deserve better than a candidate who spits upon minorities in order to gain power.
UPDATE: Kilo over at Spark It Up! feels the same outrage all of us should feel.