Discussion: Huckabee To Confederate Flag Question: 'It's Not An Issue' (VIDEO)

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#21

“I still feel like it’s not an issue for a presidential candidate,” the former Arkansas governor [Mike Huckabee] responded.

The Confederate Battle Flag was the banner of a treasonous rebellion against the United States, in support of a government that did not believe all people were created equal, and which was formed to venerate and continue that disgusting, denigrating, and immoral institution of slavery.

The Confederate Battle Flag symbolizes racism, chattel slavery, and white supremacy, and it is every bit as bad as the Nazi flag in what it represents.

If Mike Huckabee does not believe that the ongoing, state-sanctioned and mandated, display of the Confederate Battle Flag in the capitol of one of our United States – only raised again, since the Civil War, in South Carolina in 1961, as a response to Civil Rights legislation guaranteeing the right to vote to the same American Citizens that the Confederacy would have enslaved – if Mike Huckabee, or any candidate, believes that is not an issue for a presidential candidate of the United States to address, then that only shows how unfit he is for that office, or any governmental position of esteem whatsoever.

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#22

Mr. Huckabee you sir are a minister of the cloth, just a reminder God is watching from a distance.

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#23

And by “our state” Governor, you mean FL, right? That is where you built your multi-million dollar mansion w/ your FAUX money, on the FL coast, right? Yeah…you only go to AR these days as a tourist. Can’t wait to see this clown kicked out of the clown car early…

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#24

But it’s not their flag, Governor, the Flag of South Carolina is a deep blue field with a palmetto tree and crescent moon in white.

It’s not even the flag of the Confederacy. It’s the battle flag of the Army of Tennesee (The Army of Northern Virginia’s battle flag, on which Tennesee’s was based, was square). Or maybe it’s a badly-dyed naval Jack. (interesting and completely irrelevant trivia fact: given the colors used, the flag on top of the ‘General Lee’ for The Dukes of Hazzard (on TV - the film version never showed the top of the car, for obvious reasons) was a Navy Jack, not the battle flag. (The blue is different - royal on the Jack, Navy on the battle flags.)

Either way, it’s not ‘their flag’. Nobody’s telling them they’re assholes for flying their flag.

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#25

They really did that. And Todd’s response is that “news” is supposed to make “some people” uncomfortable at times. No apology at all.

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#26

Not a different country. It represents a failed rebellion against THIS country.

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#27

SOOEY!! Unfortunately, Huck doesn’t realize he isn’t REALLY a presidential candidate, so he could answer. Hell, he’s commented on so many other issues, this q+a was an opportunity to be a mensh, but Huck just doesn’t have it in his pandering soul . . . despite his being a rev! Just don’t know of what stripe (maybe yellow?).

#28

Yes, the GOP is the party of racism.

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#29

The key reason a candidate should weigh in is that the display of the Confederate flag is an act of treason. It is tantamount to displaying the flag of a foreign country. Worse, it is a foreign country which attempted to secede from the U.S. for primarily racist reasons. It is also a moral issue as the President should be acting on behalf of all the people. Flying the flag it is an act of abuse and should be condemned by anyone asking to be the President of this country. Huckabee is a coward and a power hungry hypocrite who doesn’t mind trampling on the sensitivities of those people who are rightly offended by this symbol of hate and division.

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#30

Actually, its not a crescent moon…which would be way too Muslim-y for the people of South Carolina. Its a gorget and supposedly evolved from a flag that was flown by a unit in the Revolutionary War. The unit in question (SC 2nd Regiment under Moultrie) was famous for seizing an island from the British for a few hours before the banner was shot down by British ships and the British ultimately routed the entire regiment. (Vaguely familiar to Fort Sumter…something about SC and losing defenses of islands)

Ironically, the gorget in question was actually a piece more often worn by British officers (Cornwallis sported one, for example.Yeah, the guy who occupied and was the scourge of SC).

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#31

Moral Reprobate Cornpone Huck channels his inner beloved Southern Heritage:
Damn those Yankees comin’ hereh an tellin’ us how to treat our coloreds and sturin’ up trubble. Damn those Yankees.

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#32

The “heritage” argument is manifestly bogus. South Carolina spent 5 years in the CSA. They were a British colony for 150 years, so if they insist on flying a foreign flag that represents their heritage, the Union Jack is a better choice. Or put a pecan pie on a pole and let people climb up and enjoy. Now that’s Southern heritage I could support.

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#33

Today is June 22nd, 2015.

That part will be relevant, next year.

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#34

“I don’t personally display it anywhere, so it’s not an issue for me,” Huckabee repeated. "That’s an issue for the people of South Carolina. Do you display it? I doubt it. Does anyone on your panel display it? I doubt it. For us, it’s not an issue.

And with that, investigators start their search.

#35

Latent homosexual.

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#36

“I don’t personally display it anywhere, so it’s not an issue for me,” Huckabee repeated. “That’s an issue for the people of South Carolina. Do you display it? I doubt it. Does anyone on your panel display it? I doubt it. For us, it’s not an issue.”

The issue at hand doesn’t have to do with personal choice, so Huckabee’s response here is a red herring–and, I see now, a shift away from states’-rights rhetoric to make the matter a personal or local one It does have to do, though, with speech sanctioned by the state, one of 50 of which Hucakbee hopes to become the President. One would hope that the individual states and their laws–in both letter and spirit–embody the high ideals we have set for ourselves at the national level. As other commenters here have pointed out, though, the Confederate flag became a state-adopted symbol of resistance to federal civil rights laws. It seems to me that this would be an issue for any citizen, let alone someone who wants to hold an office in which he would be representing the interests of all citizens.

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#37

Yes, Arkansas famously refutes the right of outsiders to interfere in what they consider purely internal matters. Gov. Orval Faubus said screw SCOTUS, Arkansas schools were staying segregated. Ike took control of the Arkansas National Guard, sent in the 101st Airborne and disabused Arkansas of the notion they were a nation unto themselves, free to pursue whatever idiocies they desired. A visit from the 101st Airborne to Charleston might be what the doctor ordered.

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#38

In a sane world, any politician running for President would not even consider support for flying the flag of a failed rebellion against the very country you are running to be the leader. I mean, just try and follow that logic…" I support the attempt made 150 years ago to overthrow Federal law and the Constitution…so vote for me now so I can swear to uphold that very same Constitution"

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#39

Relatedly: Huckster when full gun nut protect yourself in church with your packed heat.
Take a moment to comprehend the appalling moral depravity of this position:
A Caucasian male from a state of Confederate Treason is telling Americans- and in this instance Black Americans in their church- that the final destination of our struggle Freedom, Justice and Domestic Tranquility is to go to church with a gun cloaked in fear to protect yourself there- in a church!- from attack by a racist cornpone bigot. This is your America, Huckster? Huckster, you are a shrieking fucking moral depravity.

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#40

True, but most of the GOP candidates ARE running to represent the nation they want to lead. It’s just that nation is the CSA, and leading it means milking it for PAC money, TV gigs, speaking tours, book sales, radio shows, etc. They don’t have realistic aspirations of becoming President of the United States. Being defacto President of the CSA is a better paying gig anyway.

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