Gingrich Flirts with Jim Crow

Posted on May 21, 2011 at 10:06 am by Bob Cesca

Newt’s Southern Strategy expands to supporting a poll test as a requirement to vote. ThinkProgress:

WALDRON: In order to vote, like a generic history test for new citizens and young people? Can you just kind of describe how that would work?

GINGRICH: You do have a test now for new citizens. I’m just making the point, not that we ought to create a test for young people, but that every young person who graduates from school ought to know American history, and all too often now adays the schools don’t teach you anymore.

And, as with everything Gingrich said this week, he tried to walk it back as if he misspoke. He didn’t. These are well thought-out positions — not slips of the tongue.

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  • http://cousinavi.wordpress.com cousinavi

    The Gingrich don’t know much ’bout history:

    The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. §§ 1973–1973aa-6) is a landmark piece of national legislation in the United States that outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in the U.S.

    Echoing the language of the 15th Amendment, the Act prohibits states from imposing any “voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure … to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.” Specifically, Congress intended the Act to outlaw the practice of requiring otherwise qualified voters to pass literacy tests in order to register to vote, a principal means by which Southern states had prevented African-Americans from exercising the franchise. The Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democrat, who had earlier signed the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law.

    The Gingrich claiming there’s a difference between testing knowledge of history and testing for literacy in 3…2…1…

  • http://cousinavi.wordpress.com cousinavi

    Although, come to think of it…maybe a history test is a good idea.

    Q1: Where were the opening battles in the American Revolution fought?

    Q2: True or False: America was founded as a Christian Nation.

    Q3: Barack Hussein Obama was born in
    (a) Hawaii
    (b) Kenya
    (c) Indonesia

    Q4: Which president raised taxes the most?
    (a) Ronald Reagan
    (b) George H. W. Bush
    (c) Barack Obama

    I could write more questions, but I think those four are enough to ensure that no Tea Partiers and the vast majority of Republicans will not be permitted to cast a ballot.

    /And what rough Gingrich, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards New Hampshire to be born?

    • http://phydeauxpseaks.blogspot.com Bob Rutledge

      Your test, or even one based more normally on US Civics, is why I thought it was hilarious that The Newt even suggested this in the first place, as no Tea Bagger would get *any* answers correct — due to their edumacationing at the (floppy clown) feet of the Ilk of Beck &etc.

  • jimtowndem

    what is with “flurt”. is this a new word

    • http://cousinavi.wordpress.com cousinavi

      It’s a malapropism – combining Flirt with Spurt…cuz that’s how The Gingrich rolls, baby.

      • dildenusa

        I thought “Flurt” rhymed with “Blurt” as in Newt tend to blurt things out before he thinks.

        • Dan_in_DE

          funny that a supposed towering intellectual among Conservatives would stick his foot in his mouth so often- Doesn’t it beg the question – how low is the bar nowadays for earning such a title?

  • Lexamich

    I believe Gingrich knows full-well that he isn’t going to win the Republican nomination even. He’s doing this stunt to further raise his profile in Con-servaknave circles, but he’s botched it because he’s conflicted as to who he aught to be pandering to: Washington elites or the rubes that still vote Republicon on a regular basis out of sheer spite or routine.

    • Lexamich

      Off-topic, but I see that the blog now uses my old profile from Jed Report.

      This is Lexaburn, btw.

      Hopefully this keeps the trolls at bay or away completely.

      • Dan_in_DE

        Sorry, I cant help but ramble on about Germany at least once a day- but your old handle reads to me like a subtle and indiscriminant thumb in the eye.

        One of the most common colloquial insult/rejections in Germany is ‘leck mich’, which is short for ‘leck mich am Arsch’, meaning literally lick me on the ass. I’m sure that’s not what you meant, but it’s pretty good stuff nonetheless ; )

        • Lexamich

          No disrespect intended, Dan. The handle comes from an amalgam of my first, middle, and last name.

          Hint: my first name is Leroy.

          I’m not one to unintentionally insult people using German expressions. I tried to change the Disqus screen-name to “Lexaburn,” but the system insists that I use my old handle from when I frequented The Jed Report.

          • http://cousinavi.wordpress.com cousinavi

            Xavier?

          • Lexamich

            Close.

            A little too close for my liking, actually.

  • D_C_Wilson

    I think you’re giving Newt too much credit by saying these are “well thought-out positions” (unless of course, you were being sarcastic). Newt simply lacks the ability to filter out bad ideas from good ones before they escape his mouth. It’s how he got such a reputation as an “ideas man”. Unfortunately, 99% of his ideas are really, really bad. He just can’t tell the difference.

  • Grandmasterka

    Young people aren’t voting for the Republicans so much anymore. This is a way to try to make them go away.

  • laddieluv

    Dumb fuk, Noot.

    Moronella McDimbulb Bachmann and her stupid BFF $arah Pee don’t know history.

    And Noot? You don’t know “jack.”

    So looking forward to seeing this bigoted lying serial adulterer and hypocrite go down in flames.

    Soon. Please. Soon.