The 2005 Legislature for Democrats summed up in 3 words: Democrats stuck together. - "A very black & white issue turned out to be a little more tan."
AJC's Sonji Jacobs headline has an important message for the future success of the Democratic Party:
Democrats stuck together, forged new alliances
Some excerpts:
[I]n their first stint as the minority party in 130 years, Democrats stuck together on numerous high profile issues, thwarted some GOP initiatives . . . , and pushed through some significant legislation.
William Boone, a political science professor at Clark Atlanta University, said that the Democrats put aside some old animosities in an attempt to wield influence as the minority party. He points to House Bill 244, a measure that requires voters to show one of six forms of government-issued photo identification at the polls, as an issue that could have split the Democratic caucus, but did not. Black lawmakers took special exception to the bill, but white Democrats from rural and urban areas joined them in opposition.
"The black Democrats cast a wide net for support," Boone said. "They argued that this bill will effect not only black folks in Atlanta, but also those old rural white women who don't have ID's. They've found a common cause within an issue. That won't happen on all the issues, but in this case, what seemed to be a very black and white issue turned out to be a little more tan."
When Democrats controlled the House and the Senate, they often could not reach consensus on social issues. . . . Often, black lawmakers from metro Atlanta and other big cities found themselves at odds with white, rural members of the party.
The voter identification bill galvanized Democrats from state Sen. Sam Zamarripa, a Latino lawmaker from metro Atlanta, to state Rep. Alisha Morgan (D-Austell), a young, black, metro Atlanta lawmaker, to state Sen. Tim Golden (D-Valdosta), a moderate, white legislator from South Georgia.
Democrats stuck together, forged new alliances
Some excerpts:
[I]n their first stint as the minority party in 130 years, Democrats stuck together on numerous high profile issues, thwarted some GOP initiatives . . . , and pushed through some significant legislation.
William Boone, a political science professor at Clark Atlanta University, said that the Democrats put aside some old animosities in an attempt to wield influence as the minority party. He points to House Bill 244, a measure that requires voters to show one of six forms of government-issued photo identification at the polls, as an issue that could have split the Democratic caucus, but did not. Black lawmakers took special exception to the bill, but white Democrats from rural and urban areas joined them in opposition.
"The black Democrats cast a wide net for support," Boone said. "They argued that this bill will effect not only black folks in Atlanta, but also those old rural white women who don't have ID's. They've found a common cause within an issue. That won't happen on all the issues, but in this case, what seemed to be a very black and white issue turned out to be a little more tan."
When Democrats controlled the House and the Senate, they often could not reach consensus on social issues. . . . Often, black lawmakers from metro Atlanta and other big cities found themselves at odds with white, rural members of the party.
The voter identification bill galvanized Democrats from state Sen. Sam Zamarripa, a Latino lawmaker from metro Atlanta, to state Rep. Alisha Morgan (D-Austell), a young, black, metro Atlanta lawmaker, to state Sen. Tim Golden (D-Valdosta), a moderate, white legislator from South Georgia.
posted by Sid Cottingham | 8:05 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home