Republicans, Democrats, and the Confederacy. Republicans have a problem and the Democrats know it.

The Republicans have a problem regarding the Confederacy and the Democrats know it and are demonstrating that they are quite willing to exploit the situation.

The Republicans don't want to be associated with the Confederacy, but they don't want to be seen as anti-Confederate either.

When Obama is picketed by Confederate flag waving protesters, Oklahoma Republican congressional representatives masw sure that the public knew that they didn't approve of this.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/07/16/protesters-wave-confederate-flags-during-obama-visit/

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/248256-oklahoma-republicans-confederate-flags-at-obama-visit-disrespectful

Earlier there were Confederate protesters when Obama visited Tennessee.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2015/07/01/confederate-flag-supporters-protest-obama-visit/29565393/

Republican Gov. Nikki Haley and Republican state legislators took down the Confederate flag from the capitol grounds in South Carolina hoping to put the issue behind them.

Opinion polls show that Democrats see the Confederate flag as racist, but Republicans don't.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/184040/democrats-views-confederate-flag-increasingly-negative.aspx

In fact the supporters of the Confederate flags are largely Republicans and certainly are likely to vote in primaries.  The Republicans though have considerations besides winning primaries. They need to consider winning general elections, they need younger voters, and they can't risk being identified with the Confederacy. They have to consider their brand going into the future.

So the Republicans might agree to the flag coming down on the South Carolina capitol grounds, but they otherwise don't want to be either anti-Confederate or pro-Confederate. The whole issue could cause serious damage to their electoral prospects now and in the future.

The Democrats obviously sense this. President Barack Obama praises the Confederate flag coming down in South Carolina knowing full well that many Republicans are reflexively against what he is for.  Obama speaks against the Confederate flag during a speech in Kenya.

Obama previously hasn't had a lot to say about the Confederate flag when running for the presidency in 2008 and 2012, but know it remains to be seen how often he will bring it up. I think it will be very likely that Obama will find one way or another to bring up the Confederacy.

When Obama is traveling in the United States again, we can almost certainly expect that there will be anti-Obama protesters flying Confederate flags.

Obama's speaking against the Confederate flag and protesters with Confederate flags will likely make the Confederacy and flying Confederate flags at anti-Obama protests irresistible to many elements of the Republican Party base who will have no care at all about embarrassing the Republican Party.

The Democrats in congress recently have suddenly discovered the Confederacy as an issue and amended legislation to forbid Confederate flags from the U.S. government cemeteries.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/gop-house-confederate-flag-cemeteries-119892.html

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/house-gop-takes-step-back-on-confederate-flags-119889.html

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/confederate-flags-cemeteries-house-spending-bills-119958.html

However, some Republicans complained and the Republican House leadership pulled the bill. They aren't re-introducing it since they don't want to have to deal with the issue. They can't agree to the anti-Confederate measures, but they can't reject them either.

The U.S. House sessions were quite raucous. Shouting and booing.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/07/the-confederate-flag-brings-down-a-bill-in-congress/398123/


http://www.rollcall.com/news/republicans_to_vote_on_allowing_display_of_confederate_flag-242722-1.html?pos=hftxt

The bills are still not back on the House floor. I suspect the Democrats will be right on the issue if the Republicans try to get some legislation passed.

Now the Republican plan to put the Confederate flag behind them is coming undone even further. Bobby Jindal has decided to become the defender of the Confederacy. He is against the city of New Orleans getting rid of their Confederate monuments.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/08/bobby_jindal_confederate_statu.html

If Jindal can gain just a few percentage points he will be in the top ten tier of the Republican presidential candidates and will be allowed in the main debates.

This will put a lot of pressure on other Republican Presidential candidates to defend the Confederacy. Maybe those not in the top ten can get into the top ten. Maybe those who are barely in the top ten will want to secure their position.

As Obama condemns the Confederate flag, as anti-Obama protesters fly the Confederate flag and as the Democrats seek to inject the issue into politics the issue of the Confederate flag might very well get interjected into the American presidential elections. It seems it is starting with Bobby Jindal who has little to lose in the polls.