PAGING PAST NURSE RATCHED:

Paging Dr. Perfect (MAUREEN DOWD, December 22, 2002, NY Times)

We knew they were good. We didn't know they were this good.

"We" presumably being limited to the Times editorial staff. Considering that Senator Lott was not considered an effective leader and that--other than in the fevered imagination of the Gray Lady--there's not much of a constituency left in America that's pro-segregation, there was never a realistic chance of this story hurting the Republican Party. Sure, blacks might be marginally more likely to continue to vote in unison for Democrats, but given how assiduously Mr. Bush courted them in 2000 and how little support he got in return, it's at best an uphill battle anyway. Nor is it readily apparent, in purely political terms, that the Democrats reap much benefit from being identified as the Black Party--and it's certain that blacks reap no benefit by supporting them so blindly.
Posted by Orrin Judd at December 21, 2002 8:34 PM