The late Congressman, who pursues a policy in New York, choosing progress over the party position, offers a lesson today.
Charlie Rangel in Harlem in 1970.
(Bettmann via Getty Images)
Former US representative Charles Rangel Death at the age of 94 Has inspired long obituaries recalling the leagacy of the harlem democrat, who served 46 years in the us house, cofounded the following Black Caucus, chaired the powerful ways and mees commite, shaped Was Censured by IT, Earned a Purple Heart for His wounds and the Bronze Star with Valor for His Bravery During the Korean War, and Later Emerged As One of the Boldest Critics of George W. Busha War. However, one of the most remarkable maneuvers of the long political career of Rangel remained mostly not fortified – perhaps because it does not fit easily in the guerrilla stories of American politics.
In 1969, with Richard Nixon, the republican, he decided to use the unrest and racial division on guerrilla preferences, in the White House, and the conservative Democrats (seemingly affected by Presidential Applications for Segregation by Alabama George Wallace) who sought to pull the party to the right. Rangel, then a young state legislator who attracted the attention of democratic leaders this year daring if ultimately unsuccessful primary application for the President of the City CouncilSuddenly, he was able to push away from the reaction policy in New York. But he couldn’t do it from his own Democratic Party.
In 1969, the city race was the main results of June, which suggested that New York was overcoming the case. John Lindsay, Head of the Liberal Republican, who was for re -election, was defeated In the primary state of GOP State Senator John Mark, a conservative associated with the White House of Nixon. On the democratic side, the most right candidate, the city supervisor Mario PrakachinBeat more liberal contenders – including former mayor Robert Wagner -Younger, President Bronx Herman Badil and prose writer Norman Mailer – with the help of a company that has attacked “Liberals of limousines” (the term he is actually attribute With the invention), used by the opposition to degrades and open housing, and also occupied dogs “law and order” to bring the worst national policy to the largest city in the country. Wallace Alabama welcomed the results of the big appleClaiming that Prokhochin and the stamps participated in the same kind of agitation as the perpetuated in the south, “except that they had accents in New York.”
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Following her main defeat, Lindsay decided to continue working as a supporter of civil rights, a supporter of programs against poverty, the enemy of the Vietnam War and the only outstanding progressive in the field. He had the approval and the voting line of the small Liberal Party of New York, and he hoped for a turn to revise the progressive black, Puertoanian and Jewish voters from the democratic line to prevail. But in the extremely democratic city, and with two Republicans potentially divided the vote, Prokacchy became clear. The points stated that he could win simply by retaining most of the multi -national, multinational base of their party on their side.
But Charlie Rangel was not going to Mario Prokachin’s side.
Shortly after the primary elections, Legisler Harlem raised the political calculation of the city, becoming the first known to be chosen by a black democratic official who supported the application for re -election.
Forty-six years later, New York is facing the next final election in Mary, which once again subjected to a rival democratic faction against each other. These are different political times. But approval continue to influence the results of municipal races. And what Rongel did in July 1969 reminds of a negative role, which political enterprise and courage can play in urban policy.
Rangel’s decision to break with the Orthodox party -at the moment when other famous Democrats fought with whether to reinforce Lindsi -was such a great deal that the New York Media -corps packed a press conference where he and mayor shaved his urban politics. “In New York, the Democratic Party traditionally represented a symbol of hope that one day the benefits promised in our constitution would be spread to include poor, persecuted and refined,” ” said Rangel.
“Today,” he was warned, “a voter can on the party label to determine the photy of the party’s Candide. Candide for the City of New York. Hope? “
While Rangel continued when Rangel fell.
“While political terms I can unravel in this election, I believe that my higher duty is to try again to unite our people,” he said. “I believe that our today’s mayor, Mayor John Lindsay, is a better person for this work. I intend to work a lot on his re -election, and I am convinced that with his efforts and efforts by other people in the city of New York we will have a type of registration of voters who would make everything possible for all future
Lindsay has taken approval as a “very meaningful step” that will help create a “coalition, an independent coalition that can move our city forward in joining all the people of a progressive spirit.”
After the announcement of the rangel that the coalition quickly expanded. A powerful new democratic coalition, a group related to the movements of democratic reforms that acquired the craving in critical Jewish, black and Puertoana plots, supported Lindsa during this The New York Times He wrote: “Officially puts the city’s most liberal citizens by the mayor.”
Five days later, US representative Shirley Chizgolm, a member of the Democratic National Committee from New York, who would become the first black woman in three years, who tried the application for the party’s presidential nod, supported Lindsay. “The situation in New York is so important and so important that none of us should allow guerrilla policy to stand on our way,” – announced chisholm. “Our time and our cities do not allow such things.”
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Impulse grew as famous white liberals – eg, Paul the O’DwayerThe new leader of the Democratic Coalition and 1968. The US Senate Democratic nominee – signed Rangel and Chizgolm in support of Linds. By the end of October, Term She reported: “Most of the political activity in the Central Garlem includes the Lindsei company.” It turned out to be vital. On the election day, the mayor won the re -election, with the strong support of the Garlem and other black quarters for the Republican, which, Term He remarked: “earned confidence in the city’s uninformed and minorities.”
Rangel’s early decision to break with her own party turned out to be a “very significant step”, predicted Linds. The second term of the mayor will be marred by disputes, and the bitter dispute with Nixon and GOP – the call of the 1971 Lindsa decision to register as a Democrat. In 1970, Rengel would defeat US representative Adam Kleitan Powell, the final results of the headlines, which took place after the company, which saw that the mayor appeared on the 125th street, and the seventh Avenue clung to the candidate who was “young, energetic and predicted,” Active Congressman. “
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