SEGREGATION HERE; SEGREGATION NOW; SEGREGATION FOREVER:

Patrick Ruffini notes this bit from Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in her debate with Bob Ehrlich last night:

"[Ehrlich] opposes affirmative action based on race," [Townsend] said. "Well, let me tell you, slavery was based on race. Lynching was based on race. Discrimination is based on race. Jim Crow was based on race. And affirmative action should be based on race."

The story doesn't have Mr. Ehrlich's response, but one would have liked to see him hammer her point home: "Yes, Ms Townsend, affirmative action does require exactly the kind of disgusting racism as we've rejected in slavery, lynching, and Jim Crow."

Her verbal construction, obviously thought out ahead of time, but poorly, begs one to note that all of these things are similar. And the rhythm is disturbingly reminiscent of George Wallace's infamous "segregation here..." with her repetition of race, race, race, race...

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 27, 2002 8:43 PM