Bringing back party of Lincoln
By Clarence Page
Originally published June 20, 2006
WASHINGTON // An intriguing debate has broken out among Republican elites over how to treat black folks.
On one side, you have those such as Jack Kemp, the former New York congressman and 1996 Republican vice presidential candidate, who would like to break the Democratic Party's 9-1 lock on black voters by reaching out with positive and meaningful gestures. Mr. Kemp wrote a commentary published in late May in Human Events and newspapers that called on the GOP to "get on the right side of history" on racial matters.
He suggested two ways to do this: by extending all of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, parts of which are set to expire next year, and "by extending the voting franchise to the residents of District of Columbia," which is predominantly black and lacks voting representation in Congress.
"Slander," responded conservative essayist Steven M. Warshawsky. "Mr. Kemp's article is an outrage." His article appeared under the headline "Jack Kemp's White Guilt" in The American Spectator. Mr. Warshawsky does not necessarily disagree with Mr. Kemp's suggestion, but with the justification: "His premise - that the Republican Party is on the 'wrong' side of history on racial matters - is deeply flawed, both as a matter of historical fact and political philosophy."
Mr. Warshawsky cites historical examples of the GOP's "strong support for black Americans" dating to its origins before the Civil War, often with Democrats on the other side, defending slavery and segregation.
Who's right? As with many other questions about race and rights, that depends on what part of history you're talking about.
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