During the civil rights push by LBJ in the 60's, LBJ had to twist as many democratic arms as republican arms in congress to get his bill passed.
And democrats in congress have always been better at lip service when it comes to supporting minorities, than have the republicans. But that is not to say democrats actually following through more often.
And that's false. Democrats have consistently supported blacks' interests better.
I look at it this way... Democrats were in full charge in all branches of government for many long years of times past. And few if any social issues became reality.
And that's false. Racism was pretty bi-partisan (and, as I said, strongest in the South) until the early 60's. But after the shift starting under JFK, Democrats definitely passed things supporting blacks, after a long history of their being discriminated against.
The civil rights bills and the War on Poverty were just two measures especially in blacks' interest (and probably the most important measures ever passed for blacks).
It almost always took a hell bent president to twist the needed arms to get his social issue bill(s) passed.
Yes, but which party had the hell-bent presidents to do so? JFK knew his whole legislative agenda was at risk if he pushed civil rights, and it made him delay, but he then stuck his neck way out on the issue, and LBJ's quote about supporting the Civil Rights bill in spite of handing the White House to Republicans for decades to come speaks to his priority - while Republicans exploited anti-black feelings.
And correct me if Im wrong... but with all that lip service on the democrat
The word is democratic, not democrat.
side during all those democratic majority years, we never seen any real healthcare change until Richard Nixon came along with the HMO.
Really? Where did medical programs start? Under FDR. Who supported expanding them but couldn't get it past Congress? Truman. Who had a major campaign platform of expanding Medicare? JFK. You remember, this is where Ronald Reagan got his start in politics, when the AMA hired him to record an album sent around the country to oppose JFK's medicare expansion, 'Ronald Reagan speaks against socialized medicine'. Who expanded it more? LBJ.
Nixon's HMO effort is pretty much the only Republican measure helping it.
Hell.. Democrats were in charge during Obama's healthcare reform. And what was the "new" in the democratic controlled congress? Blue Dogs.
Democrats against democratic principals.
Who needed enemies when Obama had those blue dog democrats.
So why blacks support the democrats is beyond me.
Yes, which is why it's important to discuss Democrats as different groups: progressives, and corporatists or blue dogs. Blacks generally support progressive Democrats; blue dogs tend to be more white districts, though they can be the 'less bad' option from a Republican where the voters don't choose a progressive.
Progressives supported much stronger healthcare measure. They lacked the votes in Congress, and a progressive President, to get that done.
But the Democratic House DID pass a public option.
In fact, they had a majority to do so, but the Republicans abused the filibuster and blocked them, since they 'only' had a majority, not 60 votes.
And as to that MSNBC Maddow show, if you actually watched it, Maddow had video footage of black democrat congress members bashing Obama to their voting constituents, but then the congress member added that "we still need to stand behind THIS president, regardless".
What's so hard for you to understand about their having strong criticisms of Obama but his still being much better than the disasters of Republican candidates?
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