Scrappy Conservatives

Hmmmm.... wonder who that could be? This piece on Carter by Joshua Muravchik provides a great snapshot of the man behind the "born again" mask. Here's my favorite paragraph:

Topping it off was Carter's reaction when, as a result of the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Lester Maddox emerged as his running mate. Maddox, a restaurateur and Sanders's successor as governor, had gained notoriety by distributing to the customers of his whites-only establishment ax handles with which to batter any blacks who might seek to be served there. Carter took the pairing in stride, characterizing Maddox as "the essence of the Democratic party."

I guess using just the handle on blacks without the axe blade epitomizes the compassion of the Southern Democrat.

Labels: history Democrat Party, politics