Seriously, do you think that it would have mattered?
According to this writer, Republican candidates missed an opportunity during the Imus controversy.
Don Imus controversy made clear the GOP party is still clueless when it comes to race and representing the kind of party that is inclusive to African-Americans and perhaps, minorities as a whole.
Republican presidential candidates missed an opportunity to make political gains with a broader electorate outside of the usual hardcore conservative base. There was an opportunity for presidential hopefuls — former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Senator John McCain, former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and other candidates to win some hearts and minds from an unlikely GOP voting block.
What Imus said was wrong. This was a legitimate issue; it would have been appropriate to speak out. More importantly, it was the right thing to do. Instead John McCain and Rudy Giuliani both accepted his apology even before the Rutgers women’s basketball team did; Mike Huckabee criticized Imus’ comments but also mentioned that Bill Maher and other celebrities should be fired as well. While it is accurate that Maher and other celebrities have said some outrages and offensive things; those are separates issues and they have nothing to do with the comments made by Imus. Likewise, the rest of the republican field stayed silent. (more…)
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To most Black Americans, the Republican party will ALWAYS be the party of racists. It does not matter how many initiatives this party targets towards the Black community, most Blacks will forever raise the bar of expectation for Republicans while continuing to accept the usual from the Democratic party. Somewhere in the halls of the DNC, folks are laughing their butts off every time another Black activist group demands that the Democrat party should earn their vote. They are laughing because since the Civil Rights era they have absorbed the black vote without having to earn it. Oh sure, Democrats have involved Blacks when they needed our vote. But when I look at the condition of our schools or the continuous problem of homelessness that historically hovers within Democratic districts, it kinda makes one wonder (This is the point where a hard core Democrat will chime in by suggesting that it was the Republican party that hindered Democratic progress. Man, just stop it! Hold Democrats to account for once).
This is also the point where some may think that I will give some sort of “alter call” to receive salvation from the Republican party. Let me put a halt to the organ music right now by telling you that the Republican party is no more the party for Blacks than Democrats. Both parties have made it very clear that their new political Negro are illegals from Mexico as they have virtually ignored the effects illegal immigration is having on our schools and other social services frequently used by us.
The Democratic party has successfully made itself a permanent part of Black Americana, so any efforts by Republicans at this point persuade Blacks en masse is futile. As it stands now despite recent efforts in the past few years to recruit more Blacks in the Republican fold, a Black Republican (or Conservative for that matter) is still considered an “Uncle Tom” and “sell out” while a Black Democrat is considered “authentically Black” (man, you cannot buy that kind of loyalty). No initiative in the world could erase that ideology. Black critics like the writer of the excerpt above is simply continuing the game of dangling the carrot only to yank it at the last second. If she really believes that some “formal” announcement from the RNC against Imus would have yielded potential Black voters, I have a couple of fortified levees in New Orleans she might be interested in.
P.S. Mind you, notice how she mentioned nothing about the fact that Obama had to be prodded by the media to comment on the same issue.
Related
Congressional Black Caucus on school vouchers
Carrot Dangling
April 26th, 2007 at 10:16 am
Perhaps Republicans are pragmatic enough to know when to call it quits. Honestly, what is the point of spending countless dollars and effort on wooing the black vote, if it for the most part it won’t work anyway? History has clearly shown that it hasn’t, so you spend your dollars where you will get a better return. Sad, but it’s the way the game works.
April 26th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
I agree it’d be a waste of time and money to woo the few people it might affect: young, fiscal ultra-conservatives.
April 26th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Maybe what Republicans should do is try to do their best on all the issues.
Maybe what they should do is make as clear as they can to the black community that not only do they welcome them in their “big tent” - but that they need and want them in their community.
Maybe the Republicans should flat out say that they were wrong for some mistakes, errors and poor judgement in the past.
After that? Just hope that it all pays off.
I’m a believer that if you do your utmost to treat people with honor, dignity and equity, you ultimately will be well received. It may take a long time; people do not forget overnight, nor are misperceptions changed immediately. Still, it can be done.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Peg,
Even if the RNC was to dump every last dime into programs to welcome Blacks into the party, it will never be enough. What we are talking about here is a mindset that took MANY decades to build with the assistance of government programs that discourage self-reliance. Much of the Republican message (well it used to) discourages such endless handouts hence they are depicted as hardened racists who do not care for the “little guy”. Competing with handouts that require nothing in return is a very hard thing to do.
Maybe the Republicans should flat out say that they were wrong for some mistakes, errors and poor judgement in the past.
Did it work for Imus?
April 26th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Duane,
Michael Steele, Jack Kemp, Ken Melhman, and even Armstrong Williams has stated the GOP shares a fair amount of responsibility for Blacks not voting for Republicans.
Why ignore that fact? Or, why ignore that Hispanics votes are more Dem than Republican except for the Cubans?
Republicans who don’t seek the Black vote are nothing but punks. Too afraid to face the bad Black people…
Awww, skip it.
April 26th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Michael Steele, Jack Kemp, Ken Melhman, and even Armstrong Williams has stated the GOP shares a fair amount of responsibility for Blacks not voting for Republicans.
And if they would have won with the same effort, they would have said the complete opposite. Come on, you know the game. Steele’s problem was that towards the end he tried to play the race card and lost.
Republicans who don’t seek the Black vote are nothing but punks. Too afraid to face the bad Black people…
And what do you call Black folks who religiously vote for the same Democrats you routinely complain about who are not doing a freakin’ thing about the school system in your neck of the woods, or are you gonna take a much softer tone in your definition?
(Now this I gotta hear). Define, please.
April 27th, 2007 at 4:06 am
Step back and think about it folks……Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC, New Orleans, Detroit, Chicago, Gary, Newark, Camden……….all of these places are Democratic strong holds that have a significant population of Black people. All of these places have “Progressive” politicians in place in the mayor’s office, city council and the school board.
My personal goal is to agitate those in power WITHIN the Black community who rest comfortably, knowing that their seat in power in safe. Since the Black community is up to 90% Democrat it is the Democrats who receive the brunt of my attacks. The knee jerk response to my identification of their shortcomings WITHIN our community is for someone to ask “OK why should Black people vote for the Republicans?”. Now get this - this same person, after having spoken of their misery and dissatisfaction with the state of affairs in their community (schools, jobs, crime, health care) their question is akin to asking “Why should I stand up off of the thumb tack which is causing me such pain and distress?”
I am not a Republican. I shoot back at them asking them why they have been condition to believe such a BINARY set of options? Is it possible that there is a NON-POLITICAL set of solutions that don’t run through Washington DC?
In my view the question is not about Republicans and their missed opportunity. In my view Don Imus was all about SELECTIVE OUTRAGE and SUBJECTIVE ENFORCEMENT of the rules.
My concept for 2007 is “PROPORTIONALITY”. I choose to place all of the popular interests and perceived threats to Black folks in the context of PROPORTIONALITY to our great set of problems. The Don Imus episode was a great disappointment to me. I saw civil rights groups ALL OVER THE COUNTRY gathering together to respond to this one White man’s words. All the while the city of Philadelphia, just ONE city in America had over 100 homicides in the first quarter of 2007 with little commentary from these same groups who huddled up about Imus.
Do not follow the pathway and constraints that certain prognosticators seek to have you walk down for their ambush. The Republicans are failing to make the case that DEMOCRATS RUN THE BLACK COMMUNITY and that they are PRESIDING over major problems in academics, economics, criminal justice and health care rather than being able to adequately address any of them.
This should be the only discussion on the table.
April 27th, 2007 at 8:20 am
After reading your blog I cannot help but feel as if some of your remarks were very broad generalizations. The Imus controversy was one that obviously could not and would not be ignored, however, to criticize Republicans for their reactions after the slanderous words were said is completely irrelevant. Your statement, “To most Black Americans, the Republican party will ALWAYS be the party of racists,†is just about as racist as the very comments Imus made about the Rutger’s Women’s Basketball team. How can one group of people classify another group of people in such a way? We cannot fight racism and ignorance with racism and ignorance. I believe Imus’ words were individual beliefs and we as a community should not hold MSNBC, all Republicans, or all white people for that matter, responsible for his stupidity. You also state that: “Republican presidential candidates missed an opportunity to make political gains with a broader electorate outside of the usual hardcore conservative base,†but I feel that this is a random declaration. I do not feel that it was their responsibility to be spokesman for racism. I would not expect someone like Oprah or Senator Obama to be the official spokespeople for the black community, had the roles been reversed and had the comments been directed towards the white race.
April 27th, 2007 at 8:58 am
NMG,
You are mixing two pieces together. I will add a little line above so you can see where the excerpt ends and my comments begins.
April 30th, 2007 at 3:49 am
And what do you call Black folks who religiously vote for the same Democrats you routinely complain about who are not doing a freakin’ thing about the school system in your neck of the woods, or are you gonna take a much softer tone in your definition?
Excuse me, but I’ve called the Black Dems supporting school systems in Baltimore George Wallace standing in the doorway.
More later…
April 30th, 2007 at 8:13 am
Again,
And what do you call Black folks who religiously vote for the same Democrats you routinely complain about who are not doing a freakin’ thing about the school system in your neck of the woods, or are you gonna take a much softer tone in your definition?
I’m not talking about politicians here, I’m talking about the people who vote for them.
April 30th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Check your spam filter for my reply.
April 30th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
There was nothing there.
I don’t know what could have happened (why did one go through and not the other?)
WAIT A MINUTE!!!
Are you that guy that keep sending me those porn spam comments?
May 1st, 2007 at 3:00 pm
It is unfortunate but we treat our vote as though it does not matter. If we truly wanted a change in our community we should learn to vote in blocks like other special interest groups. Why should the republican party show any interest? Many of us don’t even follow politics enough to know who is running for office. We look and see who is democrat and who is republican. We have got to stop treating our vote like we do our money and spend it more wisely.
May 1st, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Sigh….
It’s a sign… OH Well….
And what do you call Black folks who religiously vote for the same Democrats you routinely complain about who are not doing a freakin’ thing about the school system in your neck of the woods, or are you gonna take a much softer tone in your definition?
For a few, I call them dumb if the individual comments just don’t make sense, most, I call unwilling to hold Democrats accountable. For Blacks who vote Republican I don’t say anything UNLESS they use logic and/or examples that make no sense or is based on fallacy.
Michael Steele asked when Blacks are going to develop an insult level. That rang with me at the voting kiosk when I was ready to type the ‘X’ by his name but then it bothered me so much that he uses the ‘Blacks are stuck on the plantation’ line, something I find insulting and degrading. I typed the box for Kevin Zeese, the Libertarian/Green candidate.
There are Black Republicans who have received the majority of Black votes. How do they do it? Why don’t Black Republicans seek them out? Or, why aren’t they highlighted?
May 1st, 2007 at 5:48 pm
It is unfortunate but we treat our vote as though it does not matter. If we truly wanted a change in our community we should learn to vote in blocks like other special interest groups.
We do vote in blocks, people just don’t like the block.
Look, Jewish people vote Dem 80-85%. Yet, you will not find the same harsh commentary by Jewish people about Jewish people who vote like that, nor will you find harsh commentary by non-Jewish people against Jewish people for their voting pattern.
That is telling.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:18 am
But what I can bet my last dollor on is that they vote for those people that have there best interest at heart.