Rollins, ‘not bitter,’ clings to idea that votes of Minnesota’s ‘dead Indians’ denied Reagan ’84 sweep
On CNN’s “American Morning” show today, at the end of a segment titled “America Divided” — about controversial comments such as those made last week by U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann — anchor John Roberts asked commentator Ed Rollins, who managed Ronald Reagan’s 1984 presidential re-election campaign, “How did you screw up Minnesota?” (Minnesota was the only state Democratic challenger Walter Mondale won.) Rollins’ reply: “They voted a lot of dead Indians along the border. 1620 votes, I’m not bitter.”
Rollins’ use of the phrase “dead Indians” is disturbing — especially coming at the end of a segment that began with Bachmann’s labeling as “anti-American” the country’s first major-party African-American presidential nominee. By the most charitable interpretation, Rollins seemed to be saying that Native Americans in northern Minnesota who were ineligible to vote (or even actually deceased?) had thrown the election and denied Reagan a 50-state sweep.
