ACTION ITEM: Republicans should push to replace Andrew Jackson with Martin Luther King Jr. on the $20 bill
If Republicans pushed for this change, it would cripple the Democrat Party in the end.
In the mid-90s, there was a great show on FOX called “Sliders”, in which a band of adventurers “slid” through parallel dimensions, where history turned out differently, using a suped-up remote control. In some worlds, the British won the Revolutionary War, and the royal family lived in a palace in Cleveland. In another, Egypt conquered Rome and pharaohs built their pyramids in San Francisco in the 20th Century. Same Earth, same date, different circumstances.
A bit of Sliders lives on in the current CBS series “Fringe”, which dabbles in the multiverse on occasion. Sometimes it’s an X-Files creature of the week clone, with a little CSI and police procedural shows tossed in too, but during the season finale the show played out mainly on “the other side”, where Andrew Jackson was never president, and Martin Luther King Jr. appeared on the $20 bill.
People, in the vernacular, referred to these bills as “Juniors”. When someone brought a “Jackson” over from our world to theirs, police examined our bill by comparing it to a “Junior”, and marveled at the care that went into creating such a perfect counterfeit.
When we saw this scene, all we could think of was how brilliant a strategic move it would be for Republicans to push for Martin Luther King Jr. to replace Jackson on the $20.
This would achieve a number of things, long term, if Republicans had foresight to see the many benefits (which, we know, is like wishing we were in another dimension where Republicans took chances, planned ahead, and devoted any time at all to strategy that would cripple the Left and divide its voting coalition).
(1) Since the DNC and Lamestream media created the Obama cult of personality, Dr. King’s legacy has been shunted to the side. Honoring Dr. King with the $20 would do much to reclaim that focus. It would take some of that spotlight away from Obama, and focus it on a man who was much more deserving of attention and honors. The Norwegians awarded Obama the Nobel Prize for being awesome. Dr. King’s legacy surely warrants another honor, if the bar has been lowered for recognition to such an extent that Obama’s receiving Nobel Prizes with no accomplishments to justify them.
(2) The Socialist-Democrat Party depends on lockstep, unthinking, blind black voting. Dr. King was a Republican. Many in the black community don’t know that. The Republican Party should push to honor one of its own by loudly calling for Dr. King to be honored on the $20. If Democrats try to block this, or impede it in any way, it’s politically damaging to them. The black community is told day in and day out that Republicans are evil, and the Left tells the black community that anyone who does not agree with Liberals is RAAACIST. So, Republicans should think of creative ways to shake that paradigm up. It would be very hard to argue against giving Dr. King this honor…especially if the idea started in conservative circles. Who would be the bad guys then?
(3) There’s no valid argument anymore for refusing to update our currency, since new versions of our bills are seemingly created every few years anyway, with the claim that there are increasingly new and vital security measures that render old bills obsolete. A new round of $100s is due to be unveiled soon. Why not seize this opportunity to make the switch to Dr. King now, before the new $20s are rolled out?
(4) The $50 bill should honor Ronald Reagan. President Grant has had a long and comfortable stay on that bill, but America is not a stagnant nation mired in the past. We are vital and forward moving, and leaders from the 20th Century, such as Dr. King and President Reagan, should be included in the ongoing redesigns of our currency to illustrate the fact that America’s best days have never been in its past. We believe Dr. King would be the precedent that would allow Reagan to follow very soon after. And we’d love to have Eleanor Roosevelt put onto the $100. Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, and other non-presidents who have appeared on our currency through the years already serve as precedent for Dr. King and Mrs. Roosevelt to be honored with appearances on our bills.
(5) Going into the 2012 Election, having the public rediscover Dr. King would be an immense boon to Republicans, as a renewed focus on his legacy would truly put Obama and his Golden Age of Hope and Change into clear focus. Obama promised he would change the way Washington works, but didn’t. Obama promised he would unite the country, but didn’t. Obama promised he would lower the oceans and “fix (our) broken souls”, but didn’t. Obama promised everyone jobs, a revived economy, and a rainbow of other marvelous changes towed to all of us by teams of gallant unicorns. The Lamestream Media still proclaims Obama to be the greatest orator they’ve ever encountered…but his TelePrompTer performances are not in the same league as Dr. King’s unforgettable speeches and sermons. If people are reminded of just how great a man like Dr. King was, then they will debate whether or not the current president lives up to his own hype, and how great that hype even is when those who came before him were so much better than anything the media hoped to make Obama into.
(6) Putting Dr. King on our currency would also permanently remove another “first” Obama no doubt dreams of owning — being the first black person to appear on United States currency. Give this honor to a deserving man, like Dr. King. Give it to a deserving woman, like Harriet Tubman or Sojourner Truth. Do not let Obama have this “first” some day in the far future because no effort was ever made to give it to someone whose lifetime of accomplishments calls out for such an honor.
We don’t think Republicans can in our lifetimes win more than a small percentage of the black vote, no more than they could ever win a tiny fraction of the gay vote. Blacks and gays keep drinking the Democrats’ Kool-Aid, believing the lies the DNC tells them, and voting blindly however Democrats tell them to vote.
BUT, things like this Action Item could help muddle things a bit, and could make blacks start to question WHY they are blindly loyal to Democrats. What have Democrats ever really done for them, except keeping them in the situation the black community is in, which is the ideal condition for Democrats to control them and make them forever dependent on Democrats’ welfare programs.
If Republicans can make it harder for Democrats to paint them as the evil villains in every script they send out into the black community, then a window opens for blacks to apprise the political situation for themselves, and start to wonder WHY they’ve been pulling that same D-lever their whole lives, without getting much of anything in return, and things never getting any better in places like Chicago’s Southside.
Anytime the Left is forced to devote time and energy, and commit resources, towards shoring up the Democrats’ blind-voting racial blocs, the less focus the Left is able to muster for all the crazy things it’s been pushing in this Golden Age of Hope and Change.
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A woman first. Eleanor Roosevelt. One of the suffragettes.
So put Eleanor on the $50 and
MLK on the $20.
or vice versa……
NO not ELEANOR ROOSEVELT!!!—a progressive in a dress…she and her husband and Woody Wilson should be thrown into the ashcan of history, sorry. They were direct contributors to the mess we are in. Andrew Jackson was an incredible president and huge leader especially in the economic area—don’t want him off the bill. Why not replace FDR with MLK on the dime?? Get FDR out of here.
Okay, then which woman? There are many to choose from.
Dolly Madison: Immediately before the invading British burned the White House, Dolly saved the original draft of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, along with Stuart’s portrait of George Washington.
Martha Washington, Abigail Adams
Do not take Jackson off the bill! He was great! Get rid of FDR on the dime instead.
This.
And it shouldn’t be MLK who replaces him — make it Frederick Douglass, so more Americans will learn about him and read his work.
I think the chances of changing the money are slim in any event, and would dilute energy best spent on winning. I also think it would be interpreted as a cynical political ploy, which would waste more conservative time and effort trying to explain and deflect criticism.
You’re probably right.
There’s a reason why FDR’s profile is in the dime. It has to do with “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime”, which was popular during the Great Depression.
The other reason for it is even more significant: as a victim of polio, FDR was a huge supporter of the March of Dimes, which collected millions of dollars since the Great Depression in the form of dimes for research into the eventual polio vaccines that we take for granted today.
FDR in the dime is totally justified. Andrew Jackson in the $20? Not so much.
I like this idea…American Indians DO NOT like Jackson and I saw on the History Channel show about him, that many American Indians will not use $20 bills…they ask for 2 $10′s instead.
This is a good idea…someone needs to get it to Michael Steele STAT.
He was responsible for the Indian Removal Act. Protector of individual liberties for only white men. I’d love to see his visage replaced by either MLK or a great first nation warrior.
Not MLK — Frederick Douglass, and for many reasons, not mainly but including the fact that he would make one badass-looking bill.
http://kellylowenstein.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/frederick_douglass1.jpg
http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/images/4fred16b.jpg
http://cghs.dadeschools.net/african-american/reconstruct/douglass1.JPG
This is about giving MLK the prominence. I agree with removing Jackson and replacing him with MLK.
How about Wilma Mankiller, Garlic?
I think it’s a great idea, as long as it’s spun correctly, i.e. that King was for recognizing the ‘content of people’s character’, not so much the color of their skin, and promoting liberty for all.
The emphasis would have to be on King’s insistence that all people deserved freedom and dignity, regardless of race or creed.
I hope Republicans and Conservative politicians seriously brush up on their rhetorical and communication skills by this Fall, before the Nov elections. People love to hear great ideas spun in positive, sunny, Reagan-like words.
To really antagonize the Left, have Dr. King’s niece participate in the presentation. She is 100% pro-life and has spoken in black churches about the Progressive’s rationale for advocating abortion.
As far as the Republican’s oratorical skills, anyone who has ever been in sales knows that you have to believe in the product before you can sell it. Reagan was a believer – if you have the chance, read some of his writings from the 1950s and 60s on communism and the merits of free enterprise. Sarah Palin is also a believer, which is why she excels at drawing and motivating and audience. I question whether there are other Republicans running as conservatives who actually believe in what they are saying.
I really do like Dr. Aveda (sp) King. She is very, very articulate.
My knee-jerk reaction was NO. MLK,Jr. has been recognized for so much already. Surely there is another black person as deserving! Then I read through the post. You have won this Republican over. How do we start pushing for it? I do wish we could use Harriet Tubman. I think she would be deserving and notice she is a SHE.
I really think if you guys watched Glenn Beck you would really like what he says. He actually talks about Martin Luther King a lot. On his show the other day he put up the picture of Piglosi walking arm in arm with the black caucus thru the tea party people the day they rammed HC thru. Her evil, mocking, gloating face. He put up next to that picture the picture the Dems were trying to copy with Martin Luther King, Jr. with the look of fear in his face. And he showed the arrogance and mocking that Piglosi had versus the true face of courage and sincerity in doing the right thing. It was a BEAUTIFUL comparison.
Beck also has Martin Luther King Jrs daughter on quite often and she is a Republican and supports Beck. She says her father would not support the Democrats today or its cause. He was a man of peace. Not a man of partisan politics. He was a man of God and would be upset by all the anti-religion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsh4ik54DTw&feature=related
This is a good Beck video. As much as the left tries to paint him crazy…I have yet to see them prove one thing he has said is untrue. He has predicted everything we talk about here on this blog.
Hi Bev, the video is good but someone dubbed loud misic over parts of it & put in writing to slam what Beck is saying…just thought you should know. I think it was posted as sarcasim to put Beck down like he is crazy.I for one think he is not crazy he is our Paul Revere!
Watch Beck on Friday. He highlights the Black heroes of the Revolution that the Progressives have conveniently hidden. He has text and paintings that prove the contributions of the our Black brothers and sisters of this country’s founding.
OMG if MLK was alive today, I can’t imagine what he would think of the state of “things” in this country. Good grief.
Bev, I saw the same clip that you did on GB’s show. It was powerful. Our boyz don’t have cable, but I sure wish they could see it. I might try to look for it later today.
I think Hillbuzz ought to take this post of theirs, fire it off to the new Palin connections they have made recently. And tell everyone involved to keep it under wraps until her 2012 campaign is in full swing. Because you just know the mayo & cucumber sandwich crowd will try to claim the idea as their own.
Beck has really incredible insight and I don’t know how many times the boyz say something and then Beck says the same exact thing and vice versa. It’s really incredible. The left DESPISES him…which tells me he is right. He hits their nerves.
Another brilliant strategy…
I like the idea.
I’d also support the removal of FDR from the dime.
What a great idea! Both the MLK on the 20 and Reagan on the 50.
One of my favorite memories of my son was kindergarten.
He loved to pretend and give the I have a dream speech to all the stuffed animals that would listen. He couldnt really remember too much more than that, he was only 5, but he did a spiffy job with it. Oh and his love of Aberham Inken. Hehehehehe.
“We don’t think Republicans can in our lifetimes win more than a small percentage of the black vote, no more than they could ever win a tiny fraction of the gay vote.”
Don’t be so pessimistic, guys. Five or six years ago, I remember black people saying they didn’t think there’d ever be a black president in their lifetimes.
I like the idea of MLK on the $20 bill, but as much as I like Reagan, I think he should be dead a little longer before they put his picture on money. Frederick Douglass on the $50 bill would be great.
Favorite Frederick Douglass story: one time when he and some other slaves tried to escape and were caught, the slavecatchers/masters/whoever realized that they had their plan written down on a piece of paper, and demanded to be given the paper. So what did Frederick Douglass do? HE ATE THE PAPER IN FRONT OF THEM. When I was a history-nerd little kid I thought that was so cool.
My vote is for Frederick Douglass.
Sorry Boyz – stated this before – I like our money just the way it it – the only change that will happen is when it becomes the yuan…………………………….
I agree. This is just playing politics with money. If a new coin or bill is introduced, fine. Otherwise just keep the currency as is.
Start with Rosa Parks…
Or they could do 3-5 year rotations, and perhaps include Harriet Tubman, Sarah E Goode or Marjorie Joyner, Jackie Robinson, Jose Marian Hernandez, George Washington Carver, and others.
While a good idea in theory in practice I am afraid that congress would screw it up.
It would give them another minor thing to overly focus on and get lobbied over and fight tooth and nail on.
I mean look at them lately. All this very important things going on like financial meltdown, oil volcanos, prog-lib v conservative issues, and they waste their time and energy on bathroom parity for crying out loud.
Too much distraction every so many years.
While I have admitted that I think this is a good idea, I think we should start with historical figures. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks are too recent in history. Let’s go back and focus the spotlight on George Washington Carver, Harriet Tubman, etc.
Even better, Jackson was a Democrat, no? So, Republicans pushing for MLK would be two insults in one to the left.
Also, Fringe is on Fox.
Yes, Jackson was a Democrat. A Jacksonian Democrat.
I think this is a brilliant idea, you make your case very well and it is quite a compelling one at that!
The only currency Dr. Utopia’s face should be on is a $3 bill.
Wow – you guys consistently hit the long ball here post after post so I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later…when you whiff one, you whiff it BIG. Talk about taking your eye off the ball. Just wow.
Hey, while we’re at it lets get all fired up about the liberal media/democrats co-opting ‘blue states’ to reflect dem election returns, too.
I love you guys but imo this is nuts.
Since many have trouble with this idea (I don’t, I think it is an awesome idea!) It could be proposed as MLK 50 anniversary bill. Since the march on Washington was held in 1963…if we started a movement now we could have it ready to print on $50 bills for the 50th anniversary. This anniversary is 2013…right after Sara gets elected. Print the bills for one year! Repub’s look awesome, we get a nice $50 bill for MLK, everyone happy! How about that???
Attention, RNC strategists: You’re fired, effective immediately, to be replaced by Kim and the HillBoyz.
What?
No, they’re not a band! Never mind, just pack up, get out and make room for people who actually do something effective.
Kim, I actually like your idea better than even my own.
I still say a woman before MLK. We will not have respect for women until at least one of them is recognized in such a national and international way as a likeness on currency.
I am a woman & agree women should be recognised however MLK stood for everyone, male female white black straight gay…that is the idea, along with showing that the Rebulican conservative people would embrace a black leader…they already know we embrace women’s freedoms…it is the black vote that is being talked about since the republicans are always accused of being racist, which is utter nonsense!…another reason to look at Allen West BTW, this guy rocks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Q8vb2AESo&feature=fvsr
I’m not buying this one.
Just sent the link to MY Congressman, Kevin Brady, AND Ted Poe, of the district just south of here – both Republicans – Brady was responsible for the chart that demonstrated, long before the vote, the MADNESS of ObamaCare; Ted Poe was a judge known for his ……………. ‘creative’ sentencing, and has made some WONDERFUL statements from the well of Congress ………………. see if they’ll take it on ……………….
Semper Fi’
DM
I loved “Sliders”…………TV kinda stinks nowadays………
Afternoon all. While it’s a good idea I don’t think it will move any of the black vote. An individual in a voting bloc is unlikely to change until he/she is personally affected by the policies of the party in power. When an individual, by virtue of hard work moves up the income ladder into the middle class and above they will be more sensitive to excessive taxes and other levies. It is at that point that they will actually look at an alternative that would provide some relief. I hate to say it but the economy will be awhile healing even when the GOP wins big in November. Having said that, go ahead and try it as at a minimum it’s a useful stick to beat liberals with.
By the by, it would be interesting to watch what happens when the time comes to exchange old 20′s for new 20′s. Having to explain to a banker where a boxful of 20′s is coming from would certainly tax the imagination of the drug dealing class.
Sure, great idea, as long as you can get the MSM to tell everyone that MLK was a Republican and what he stood for. Unfortunately, they will leave that stuff out of the reports and instead draw parallels between MLK and BO (which they and BO did during the campaign). Then, when the Dems agree to it, seeing how MLK and BO are so much alike, they will then push to have BO put on some money too and the Repubs won’t be able to say no. This whole thing would back-fire in a big way.
This is brilliant.
Not the 20. Andy jackson fought the money changers and knocked them on their ass for 75 years. Maybr Dr. King on the 10, not the 20.
I wonder why MLK did not run for president. He could have been the first black president. But even a man like him thought the White House was unreachable for a black man.
he was assassinated before he had the chance!!!
Actually King was assassinated on April 1968. He could have easily ran a great campaign during the two years prior. But he was more a pastor looking for the Gospel message and peace than a politician looking for real change for his race: the US presidency
Removing Jackson from the $20 would make the a lot of Native American tribes very happy. There are still Native Americans that won’t accept a $20 because his picture is on it, due to the Trail of Tears and other policies he had.
I suggest we place President Obama on both the $20 and the dime. By the time he’s done destroying the economy, a $20 in 2009 will be worth a dime in 2013.
(7) Gain greatly among American Indians who detest Andrew Jackson. Most of us refuse to take $20 bills in change, etc.
Maybe the Republicans should get the message out about the strong history it has with civil rights. They just sit around passively and let the Democrats lay claim on the achievements of the civil rights movement. Instead of changing money, how about stopping the Dems from changing history.
For those who don’t know Andrew Jackson was “for the people” and really meant it. He fought against political patronage and crony capitalism that we see today. On the negative side he did force Indian immigration west of the Mississippi which resulted in reported 20% casualty rates.
But the most important thing he did which is very relevant today was he ended the Federal Reserve of that time the Second Bank of the United States. All those “End the Fed” protesters you see were like Andrew Jackson.
In normal times I might agree with you but Jackson is very relevant today.
You guys continually amaze me with your sheer political brilliance. You really have a gift in this area!
YOU should be consultants for Dick Morris, or for whoever else commands the ear of people who can make these things happen!
If it’s a political gimmick, forget it. Jackson had his good points but he trashed the Constitution when he forced the southern tribes off their land. As much as I admire MLK, the move smells of pandering and political correctness. Why not a woman from early American history?
Sliders was a very fun show. Fringe is amusing as well. It’s on FOX and not CBS.