Rep. Moran: Dems Lost Because Many 'Don't Want to Be Governed by an African-American'
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Democratic Rep. Jim Moran is blaming his party's losses last November
in large part on voters who "don't want to be governed by an
African-American."
The comments were made following President Obama's State of the Union speech Tuesday during an
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. Asked about the results of the midterm
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the Virginia congressman compared the political environment to that
which preceded the Civil War and suggested race was a determining
factor.
"It happened ... for the same reason the
Civil War happened in the United States," Moran said. "Southern states,
particularly the slaveholding states, didn't want to see a president who
was opposed to slavery.
"In this case a lot of people in this
country, it's my belief, don't want to be governed by an
African-American, particularly one who is inclusive, who is liberal, who
wants to spend money on everyone and who wants to reach out to include
everyone in our society. And that's a basic philosophical clash," Moran
said.
Moran attributed his party's opposition to
an "uneasiness" with President Obama, saying the criticism comes from a
"selfish and close-minded perspective."
Reached for comments, Moran's office stood by the remarks.
"With nearly 1,000 identified hate groups in
the U.S. and recent studies showing a majority of Americans believe
racism is still widespread against African-Americans, it is no secret
that our country has and continues to struggle with racial equality,"
spokeswoman Anne Hughes said in an
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"The congressman was expressing his frustration with this problem and
the role it played in the last election. Rather than ignore this issue
or pretend it isn't there, the congressman believes we are better off
discussing it in order to overcome it."