Dean, the flag, and pandering

A couple of days ago i thought Dean was a serious threat to Bush. Appealing to the South, looking moderate as Kerry and Sharpton attacked him for it... smart move. Strong on 2d amendment. Better yet. In my mind, the nightmare ticket for the GOP would have been a South-friendly Dean and Tennessee's Rep. Harold Ford. (He may be the most impressive democratic congressman i've seen on TV.)

But now i agree with Ben Domenech: "I thought Dean came out looking good - he stuck to his position, and the high-falootin pompousity of the other candidates on the issue made him seem positively principled. But then Dean undermined the whole thing by conceding and apologizing on the point today. Geez, where did that backbone go? "

Here's a question on the rebel flag: When did it become wholly a symbol of racism? I know the usual answer is that it has always been offensive, but that is not so. In the 1960s and early 70s, the stars and bars sometimes had a counter-cultural appeal. For example, checkout "The Last Waltz", the documentary of The Band's last concert in 1976. In the background for some of the interviews is a large rebel flag. The Band was mostly Canadian and never slurred as a racists outfit. In 1976 the flag drew no comment-- although it is jarring to see today.

In the same vein--- Joan Baez recorded "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and no one accused her of being an apologists for slavery.

The hyper-sensitivity to all things southern and confederate is new. That's why it's wrong to assume that everyone with the rebel flag on their truck put it there because they are racist.