Kevin Alexander Gray Talks Race & the Southern Strategy on Democracy Now

democracynow.org

Leading up to the South Carolina primary, several Republican presidential candidates have been criticized for comments made over issues of race. This week Newt Gingrich defended his description of President Obama as "the food stamp president," while offering praise for President Andrew Jackson, the architect of the Indian Removal Act. We speak to South Carolina civil rights activist Kevin Alexander Gray and longtime political reporter Wayne Slater about how Republicans have adopted the long-held "Southern Strategy" of race-baiting in order to win over bigoted white voters. "When the Democrats come here, they come to get their black ticket punched. Republicans come here to punch black people," Gray says.