Former President Ronald Reagan passed away Saturday after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Reagan was the heart and soul of the GOP: the last great Republican. His party has since been overthrown by the neoconservative movement, composed of politicians posing as Republicans who actively seek to cement the permanent dominance of white males in our society through social marginalization.

President Bush, the country’s leading neocon, went to the White House in January 2001 thanks to Republican voters, a few independents, and Al Gore’s almost nonexistent nonverbal communication skills. Bush was also aided in his brother Jeb Bush’s state of Florida through the disenfranchisement of black voters, proving that the good ol’ boy system is still in play. Following that undemocratic, authoritarian maneuver, Bush continued showing his contempt for the black community with his support for Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi.

Lott had heaped lavish praise upon Strom Thurmond, who in 1948 ran for president as a segregationist Dixiecrat. Thurmond said the government “cannot force the nigger into our homes, our schools, our classrooms.” Lott proudly exclaimed, “I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over all these years, either.” Instead of vomiting, Bush offered his neocon support for the “leader.” He remained committed to Lott keeping his Senate Majority Leader position despite intense political opposition because segregationist views are exactly what neocons want in the Senate.

Bush and his neocons have offered no plan to combat institutionalized racism, but that goes without saying. They oppose affirmative action and support uninhibited racism. They don’t even think blacks should be able to vote, as seen in the 2000 election. It comes as no surprise that Florida’s election officials have the same concerns as four years ago, and CNN has even sued for access to the secret list of people Florida wants out of the polls in November. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” the neocons say.

The neocon position on race is best described by Bush’s mingling before delivering Karl Rove’s speech in the 2004 state of the union address. Before taking the podium he strolled through the crowd happily greeting people, shaking hands and laughing jovially.

His face was pure joy, but then he came to a woman holding a little black girl. He picked her up and his presidential smile melted to something of disgust. He clenched his eyebrows — the discomfort was written all over him. Then he gave the little girl back to the woman and he was on top of the world again, high as a kite.

Such exclusionary demeanor is perfectly fitting for a neocon who supports segregationists.

One has to wonder for just a moment what year this is. Following Thurmond’s death, Aaron McGruder, author of the comic strip “Boondocks,” remarked on the hateful policies so accepted by the majority of U.S. citizens. He said you can really, really, really hate black people, and it’s basically OK with everybody. How can anyone find such leadership acceptable?

Most Republicans are unaware that their party of Reagan has been crushed and stolen by the neocons. Our nation’s increasingly bitter partisanship has led both Democrats and Republicans to believe members of their own parties can do no wrong. It is this blind faith that the neocons have capitalized on. George W. Bush and his neocons have reversed the wheels of social progress back in the direction of Jim Crow and male chauvinism. Just how long this trip will last, nobody knows.

I used to think if the neocons killed the Republican party through Democrat-style spending that the birds would sing and life would be good. Never underestimate a neocon.

Although Bush has ended the Republican party, his methods are burning a hole through the heart of our great nation. We are all victims of neocon policy, just as we are all victims of racism and gender division. We can’t allow the neocons to spread their ideology of hate — everything depends on it.

Anybody But Bush in 2004.