Newt Gingrich plays the race card
WASHINGTON — I didn’t think it was possible, but Newt Gingrich has disappointed me. He has managed to be more cynical and more incendiary, more irresponsible and even less honorable than I had imagined him to be.
And my imagination gave him plenty of credit for pettiness, indiscipline, deceit and an overweening arrogance. I knew him to be capable of stunning chutzpah and cheap sensationalism. I’ve seen his over-the-top attacks on rivals, his situational ethics and his disregard for commonplace proprieties.
Still, I believed Gingrich had a healthy respect for the nation’s growing commitment to racial equality and a historian’s understanding of the fragility of that commitment. I thought he regarded the advances brought about by the civil rights movement as a significant contribution to national greatness, a way of advancing our claim to American exceptionalism.
But last week, at the annual convention of the Georgia Republican Party, he played an ugly race card, stooping to suggest a reprise of the old poll test for voting — a tactic once used by white racists to restrict the franchise. He said, “But maybe we should also have a voting standard that says to vote, as a native-born American, you should have to learn American history. You realize how many of our high school graduates, because of the decay of the educational system, couldn’t pass a citizenship test?”
With that, Gingrich dived head-first into the slimy trough of the Southern strategy, wallowing in a tactic that seeks to stoke the fears and misapprehensions of whites still uncomfortable with black advancement. He hugged tightly one of the GOP’s most repugnant campaign ploys: voter suppression.
Many Gingrich critics would argue that there is nothing new about his use of racially-coded rhetoric and not-so-subtle nods to the prejudices of ultra-conservative whites. They point to his attacks on welfare during the ‘90s, when he co-authored the Contract with America, which called for slashing benefits to poor, single mothers. (In his Georgia speech, Gingrich also called President Barack Obama “the most successful food stamp president in American history.”)
I remember that period, too, but I didn’t view Gingrich’s enthusiasm for curbing welfare as prima facie evidence of racially-tinged politics. After all, conservative Republicans have always been skeptical of the social safety net.
During that same era, Gingrich worked to save the Republican Party from its growing reputation as the last resort of mossbacks and racists. He foiled a GOP effort to launch a full-scale assault on affirmative action. In 1996, he said that the Republican Party should spend “four times as much effort reaching out to the black community to ensure that they know they will not be discriminated against, as compared to the amount of effort we’ve put into saying we’re against quotas and set-asides.”
But that was a Gingrich who was in a position of power as Speaker of the House. He was getting plenty of press. He could afford to be temperate.
Lately, as he flirted with a presidential bid, he’s been tempted to criticisms of President Obama that range far beyond standard conservative fare. Last year, he endorsed a view of Obama’s politics as “Kenyan” and “anti-colonial,” a statement that was as ridiculous as it was racist.
But even that didn’t go to the core of one of the country’s greatest historical failings: disenfranchisement of black voters. For decades after the passage of the 15th Amendment, Southern states did everything they could — violence, intimidation, ridiculous “tests” — to keep black citizens from exercising their right to vote. As recently as the 1960s, the black franchise was largely restricted in the South.
And Gingrich, who likes to brandish his academic credentials, knows that. It’s shameful to hear him suggest that voting should be restricted on the basis of a test.
Given his considerable baggage, it’s unlikely Gingrich can claim the GOP nomination for the presidency. He should have had the grace to try to go out with the better part of his legacy intact.
— — Cynthia Tucker
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456 comments Add your comment
commoncents
May 18th, 2011
12:28 pm
jeanlo-
You have the liguistic ability of that Nigerian princess that needs me to inherit her money
Come on man
May 18th, 2011
12:28 pm
Did you go to College for this? You have no clue Tucker. You will look for anything to wright. That I see now. Gingrich isn’t playing the race card, you are. Let it go. This isn’t the 1960’s anymore. Is Jesse Jackson signing you’re checks or the Democratic party?
Shawny
May 18th, 2011
12:28 pm
It is blatantly obvious that Newt DID NOT play the race card.
It is also obvious that the lib opiners of the AJC want to keep their existing president.
So any candidate that is a threat will be attacked endlessly if the candidate is a threat.
Cynthia knows that when Newt does things like buck the GOP on medicare and SS, that makes him a little more mainstream. She fears that Newt might somehow be electable.
She knows that if it comes down to Newt and Obama without a teleprompter and without pre-packaged talking points that re-election is in jeopardy.
Thus the playing of the ‘he played the race card’ card.
shameless. wrong. pathetic even.
finn mccool
May 18th, 2011
12:28 pm
I think the point is that once you put one test on who can vote, then you open yourself up to another test on who can vote, and then another, and another.
It’s like when they give people the right to vote and then start asking questions before they can vote – keep asking questions until they got one wrong.
Kinda like Trump immediately jumping to educational credentials after the birth certificate didn’t work. Keep asking someone to pass tests until they get one wrong.
It’s as racist as it gets, folks.
commoncents
May 18th, 2011
12:30 pm
David @ 12:24- It already happened to that fire departmenty up north a while back!
Standardized tests about a certain skill set are racist!
jp
May 18th, 2011
12:30 pm
To you Cynthia anything said by a conservative is racist or if you disagree with Obama on anything you are a racist. Any time any conservative says anything about welfare or food stamps that person is automatically a racist. Do you realize that there are more whites on welfare and food stamps than blacks? You are just like Sharpton and Jackson. If you don’t like or agree with something someone say, just scream racism. I hate to know I had to make my living sprewing hate and bigotry like you do.
John Galt
May 18th, 2011
12:30 pm
Don’t Tread -
“Some people use the “social safety net” as a hammock”- that is a priceless, dead-on statement- I will have to plagiarize that, I fear.
jeanlo
May 18th, 2011
12:30 pm
@Striatroad my comment show that I understand slavery. Are you trying to defend the action and the wealth of White by saying that slavery still exist. My point is it was not right then and it still ain’t right if that is the way a person have to get wealth. Then contiune to put the people down that they inslaved as if it did not happen
Ignoring the truth because it show you where you come from do not change it.
commoncents
May 18th, 2011
12:31 pm
Why is asking someone to know and understand what they are voting for racist?
Tim
May 18th, 2011
12:32 pm
I think everyone missed the boat here from Ms Tucker to all the other people leaving comments. It’s a slam on all natural born citizen versus the naturalized immigrants who had to study US history and pass a citizenship test in order to vote. Gingrich is pointing out that immigrants who were naturalized know more about US history than the vast majority of the voting public. FYI most immigrants are minorities so this was a pro-minority statement from Newt. I still wouldn’t vote for him.
Larry
May 18th, 2011
12:32 pm
CT – off topic but if Obamacare is so good, why did queen Nancy and king Harry grant all those exemptions in their districts? If Rep’s did this, we would hear about the hypocracy but CT, Bookman, Luckovitch remain silent. Wonder why?
Alright, Alright
May 18th, 2011
12:33 pm
All Cynthia is doing is stirring the pot, so to speak. She is looking for anything GOP, conservatives, and any other “right-wing” party’s have to say on any issue that will cause controversy. What she has done here is make a statement that has nothing to do with what Gingrich said and used it to attack him and Republicans. She is very good at BS. Please tell me I’m wrong
mike
May 18th, 2011
12:33 pm
It always amazes me how white folks are always the ones who determine rather the race card is used.
Larry
May 18th, 2011
12:33 pm
Mike – Is CT white?
Let's go!
May 18th, 2011
12:35 pm
Yea right mike. Tell that to the Black Panthers and other Civil rights leaders. Come on man. You sound like a idiot.
Kamchak
May 18th, 2011
12:35 pm
Did you go to College for this? You have no clue Tucker. You will look for anything to wright[sic].
Did you go to college?
Where, exactly, did you learn to “write?”
Tom B
May 18th, 2011
12:35 pm
Thank God you don’t get to write the history books ,CT. Because according to you, racism only happened (happens?) in the south.
Hexnut
May 18th, 2011
12:35 pm
Cynthia, look in the mirror for racist. Talking about playing the race card, your the dealer!
finn mccool
May 18th, 2011
12:37 pm
Does the constitution mention the need to pass a test in order to vote? Umm, no and it never will.
Even though both sides would win and lose from the testing. I mean Republicans who watch Fox News are about as bright as a sack of rocks.
There’s a reason conservatives have a 24 hour loop from talk radio to Fox news – conservatives need to be told what to think. They are so insecure in their thoughts that they need constant reminding of what the party line is.
commoncents
May 18th, 2011
12:38 pm
jeanlo-
At 150 years later, I think you can move on.
Whatever
May 18th, 2011
12:39 pm
straitroad like you, I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Let's go!
May 18th, 2011
12:40 pm
finn mccool says “Does the constitution mention the need to pass a test in order to vote? Umm, no and it never will.” Now that is scary. And Democrats that watch CNN and MSNBC are as smart as Barney Fife. Be told what to think? No, it’s called common sense. Something Obama has none of
Roll Tide!
May 18th, 2011
12:41 pm
Keep up the good work Ms. Tucker. Based upon the posts here today I see the usual, backward nonsensical rants are a flyin’.
bob from account temps
May 18th, 2011
12:42 pm
newt was born and raised in the northeast – PA to be exact. maybe that is where he learned to be a racist
Good Grief
May 18th, 2011
12:43 pm
finn @ 12:37 -
Because the left doesn’t have its own continual news/talk loop, huh? I mean, CNN, Headline News, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NPR… none of those actually count, eh?
reebok
May 18th, 2011
12:43 pm
cynthia, newt gingrich is a venal, arrogant, adulterous bully, and he has no chance of winning the nomination, much less the presidency. however, your repeated one-note stance of calling everybody and everything ‘racist’ is boring as crap.
N.W.A.
May 18th, 2011
12:44 pm
Cynthia, I love you!!!
Reading your column daily then reading the responses by so called non racists posters is informative of the human psyche.
They try to pretend like racism does not exist or if it does it solely comes from non whites.
Cynthia keep giving these devils hell
Let's go!
May 18th, 2011
12:44 pm
backward, nonsensical rants? Only from you and her Roll Tide
wwa
May 18th, 2011
12:45 pm
N.W.A. is code for a bad word – some would say racist.
jeanlo
May 18th, 2011
12:46 pm
@commoncents How many years will it take yall to forget Bin Laden killed 3000 American.
I will forget will you stop pretending the state of the black community is there fault.
tar and feathers party
May 18th, 2011
12:47 pm
The ajc is racist, they only publish their rag in English for white people. They don’t even offer translation services to Eubonics!
Not a Newt Admirer
May 18th, 2011
12:49 pm
I’m not much of a Newt admirer, but the man knows what he’s talking about here. The number of morons of every conceivable color that the schools are turning out is appalling, and no, it isn’t primarily the teachers’ fault.
Joe The Plumber Too
May 18th, 2011
12:53 pm
finn mcfool, bless your heart. One good thing about being you is empty heads never get headaches.
resno2
May 18th, 2011
12:53 pm
CT, there is no one better than you than playing that card, which is why it is not surprising that would accuse Newt of playing it. You do realize that there are stupid whites too, right?
Cynthia's Song
May 18th, 2011
12:56 pm
Vote 4 Newt in ‘12!!!
It’s his turn.
Bill
May 18th, 2011
12:56 pm
And CT would NEVER play the race card……
sleestak
May 18th, 2011
12:57 pm
what a G.D Joke! C.T is mad that somebody is playing the Race card and That’s all she does every single time she writes anything.
Class of '98
May 18th, 2011
12:57 pm
Cynthia, I this column tells more about you than Newt. His statements were a Rorschach test, and of course, you see racism.
Reasonable people see that he insinuated that ignorant people should not be able to vote. Whether you agree with him or not, that is what he said.
He didn’t say anything about race. As usual, you did.
Erskine Martin
May 18th, 2011
1:00 pm
CT,
I see your editorial prowness is still warped like it has been for years. You percieve everything as racist except for what you think and write. It sure would be a surprise if you actually sat down and thought through some of the BS that you turn out. You are the most racist person I know. Here is a surprise, there are some other minorities that feel the same about you. That should tell you something about the BS you sling. Go figure…..
resno2
May 18th, 2011
1:01 pm
CT, do you actually come up with these little rants all by yourself, or are you told what to write by those that pay your salary and pull your strings?
Okey Doke C
May 18th, 2011
1:01 pm
You never cease to amazing me with your ignorance.
You can twist anything with your words Tucker. That doesn’t mean the rest of us buy what your peddling.
I’m astounded you even have a job doing what you do. You are not credible in the least. And if there is a bigger racist in Atlanta, I’ve yet to see, find, read them. You are the pot calling the kettle.
tar and feathers party
May 18th, 2011
1:02 pm
Dear Class of ‘98 – Maybe Cindy thinks all black people are ignorant? Wouldn’t that make her racist?
sam
May 18th, 2011
1:02 pm
just newt playing to the crowd. its what he does best. for such an obviously smart guy to be so dumb, its pretty scary. he’ll be gone in 3 months, hopefully for good this time. by the way, have we seen his birth certificate yet? with a name like newt he must’ve been born under a rock in kenya somewhere, right?
tdman
May 18th, 2011
1:04 pm
CT once again you remind why I will never pay money to buy a copy of AJC. Once you are gone then I might consider plunking down 50 cents or wahtever it cost nowdays.
NAGA
May 18th, 2011
1:05 pm
Ms. CT, aka Ms. George Soros, please go back in history & check your facts. It was the White DEMOCRATS in the south that keep blacks out of the polling place. Of all people, you should be very, very familiar with George Wallace, Robert Byrd, etc., etc.
Blue
May 18th, 2011
1:06 pm
Cynthia accusing someone of playing the race card is kind of like Calista Flockhart accusing someone of not eating enough.
cosby
May 18th, 2011
1:07 pm
Darn, CT, you had to dig deep to get racism out of that context. But then, it says a lot about you and your continued promotion of the race card…did you ever think that the the NAACP, The Rainbow Colliation, the SCLC, Jessie jackson, Al Sharpton and the likes of you continue to throw the race card about and it is for your own wealth and power. I have yet to understand why the above work so hard to put their own people on the government doyle, depending on government for housing, food, medical Care..in short, keeping them in slavery to the government and yes this includes your buddy John Lewis. All of the above take the ideology to keep their people dependent on them and the government in lieu of training them to take advantaqge of what little economic freedom there is. Tragic, just plain tragic.
sam
May 18th, 2011
1:09 pm
i think you guys are missing her point, he doesnt have to say ‘i hate black people’ to be a racist. by advocating a policy that was used in the past to keep blacks from voting, he is implying that he agrees with that policy. now to the point about dumb people not voting, we’d have about 2% voter turnout (lower in georgia) if dumb folks couldnt vote.
Okey Doke C
May 18th, 2011
1:10 pm
Oh and before you take solace in your deep rooted belief that you can do no wrong and everything you write is the truth, let us interject. You may have been motivated by being discriminated against, treated poorly because of the color of your skin, or ancestoral pride, whatever. But you’ve fallen into the classic trap of defend before learning the truth, attack before you have all the facts, and deny to yourself and your readership that you have any alternative agenda. But that much is obvious. That chip must really weigh you down.
sam
May 18th, 2011
1:10 pm
not that i necessarily think newt is racist…he just has a big mouth that he cant control