In United States politics, a Sister Souljah moment is a politician's public repudiation of an allegedly extremist person, statement, or position perceived to have some association with the politician. Whether sincere or not, such an act of repudiation can appeal to centrist voters at the risk of alienating some of the politician's allies. Politics is the process by which individuals or relatively small groups attempt to exert influence over the actions of an organization. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Extremism is a term used to describe the actions or ideologies of individuals or groups outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common standards of ethics and reciprocity. ... In politics, centrism usually refers to the political ideal of promoting moderate policies which land in the middle ground between different political extremes. ... Voting is a method of decision making wherein a group such as a meeting or an electorate attempts to gauge its opinion—usually as a final step following discussions or debates. ...

Origin

The term originates in the 1992 presidential candidacy of Bill Clinton. In an interview published May 13, 1992, the hip-hop MC, author, and political activist Sister Souljah was quoted in the Washington Post as saying, 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... Popular West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg performing for the US Navy. ... Activism, in a general sense, can be described as involvement in action to bring about change, be it social, political, environmental, or other change. ... Lisa Sister Souljah Williamson ( born 1964 in the Bronx, New York ) is a controversial American hip hop-generation author, activist, recording artist, and film producer. ... ...

"If Black people kill Black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people?"^[1]

The remark was part of a longer response to the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The quote was later reproduced without the context of the complete interview^[2] and she was widely criticized in the media. The 1992 Los Angeles riots, also known as the Rodney King uprising or the Rodney King riots, were sparked on April 29, 1992 when a mostly white jury acquitted four police officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King, after he fled from police. ...

In June 1992, Clinton responded to the quote, saying,

"If you took the words ‘white’ and ‘black’ and you reversed them, you might think David Duke was giving that speech."

Clinton thereby repudiated the “extremist” position that Souljah's quotation represented. David Ernest Duke (born July 1, 1950) is a former Louisiana Republican state representative, and former Imperial Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. ...

Clinton's response was criticized by members and leaders of the Democratic Party's African-American base, such as Jesse Jackson. However, it also produced the image, in the eyes of moderate and independent voters—particularly white voters—of a centrist politician who was “tough on crime” and “not influenced by special interests.” Since moderates and independents represent swing votes, whereas the party base will not usually leave for the other party, Clinton's condemnation probably won him more votes than he lost^{[citation needed]}. The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Jesse Louis Jackson (born October 8, 1941) is an American politician, civil rights activist, and Baptist minister. ... Get tough on crime (or simply tough on crime) is a slogan often used by supporters of law and order political platforms. ... A special interest is a person or political organization established to influence governmental policy or legislators in a specific area of policy. ... Swing vote is a term used to describe a vote that may go to any of a number of candidates in an election. ...

Clinton's Sister Souljah moment, whether born of political calculation or not, was consonant with his larger strategy to move the Democratic Party to a more centrist stance on many issues. Clinton went on to win the presidency, and the term Sister Souljah moment subsequently entered the political lexicon. The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ...

Other examples

In October 1999, Texas Governor George W. Bush, a candidate for the 2000 Republican nomination for the presidency speaking before the conservative Manhattan Institute, said, "Too often, on social issues, my party has painted an image of America slouching toward Gomorrah," quoting the title of a book by conservative jurist Robert Bork. Bush's comments are widely seen as a repudiation of the religious right and an attempt to appeal to moderate voters. Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Are you kidding?, this is solid truth here, nothing escapes the eyes of Gov!!!, not even. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Look up Candidate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award. ... American conservatism is a constellation of political ideologies within the United States under the blanket heading of conservative. ... The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research is an influential New York City-based free market think tank established in 1978. ... Slouching Toward Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline is a 1996 book by former United States Court of Appeals judge Robert H. Bork. ... A jurist is a professional who studies, develops, applies or otherwise deals with the law. ... Robert Bork Robert Heron Bork (born March 1, 1927 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a conservative American legal scholar who advocates the judicial philosophy of originalism. ...

Also in the 2000 campaign for the Republican nomination, Arizona senator John McCain stated, “Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left or Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the right.” This was similarly seen as a repudiation of the religious right. It has been suggested that Arizona Governors Mansion be merged into this article or section. ... Seal of the U.S. Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the House of Representatives. ... John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) is the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona, having served since 1987. ... Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. ... Al Sharpton Alfred Charles Al Sharpton Jr. ... Marion Gordon Pat Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is a televangelist from the United States. ... Jerry Lamon Falwell (born August 11, 1933 in Lynchburg, Virginia) is an evangelical pastor and televangelist from the United States. ...

References