"The recent decision by the Obama Justice Department to drop all charges of voter intimidation against the New Black Panther Party during the 2008 Election represents a sad day for all Americans. For an Administration that promised a new era in race relations, Obama and the Democrats in Congress have demonstrated that race will continually be exploited for political gain. It is outright hypocrisy that the Justice Department under Attorney General Holder is suing a sovereign American State, yet dismissing this heinous violation of our Constitution - the right to vote."
~ Allen West, Black Republican, and candidate for the United States Congress in Florida's 22nd district
Black Republicans are ATTRACTIVE!!!
Black Republicans are GOD FEARING!!!
Black Republicans are YOUNG!!!
Black Republicans are ATHLETES!!!
Black Republicans are ORGANIZED!!
Black Republicans are CONNECTED!!!
Although Michael Steele is fighting to keep his job as Republican National Chairman, 2010 has been a good year for Black Republicans. They were once hard to find like Leprechauns, Unicorns and a Cerberus. And when you did see them, they came across like the biggest herbs ever!!! Ron Christie, Republican political strategist, is always defending his fellow Republicans. It doesn’t matter how racist or ignorant they sound. He doesn’t ever express any opinion that might differ from his political party. So although he might be a decent guy, he comes across like the black manservant that always says “YESA BOSS”!! Black folks are not a monolithic race and I think it’s good that we don’t always agree. But when someone is talking about ONE black person, they are talking about US ALL.
I say that this was a good year because of their new additions to congress. And the new additions to their local and state level offices. The black conservatives that ran in predominately white districts really have something to be proud of. They stuck to their principles and were able to win people over based on actions and not rhetoric. It is too early to tell if the Republican Party will take notice and increase their reach to black folks. If their current history is any indication, I won’t be holding my breath. They have the notorious image of being a slave owner party. And it doesn’t help that their leaders all appear to be old white men.
Side Note: The face of America is changing and it’s not getting any “whiter”.
Republicans are facing the possibility of being reduced to regional party status. Sure the Democrats got drubbed in the 2010 elections but they didn’t lose the U.S. Senate. Republicans cleaned up at the state and local levels where race and class are more entrenched. But on the U.S. Senate level where people of all types have more of a vote, things are different. But again!! That still depends on the state. Think about what the future may possibly hold for black conservatives. A black Republican could have a better chance of winning the Governorship in Alabama than Representative Artur Davis. And maybe…just maybe….South Carolina will get a black U.S. Senator.
So what about the black voters that aren’t currently voting Republican? We know that the Republican Party is so/so on reaching out to blacks. But what are black Republicans doing to appeal to people that look like them? I don’t see them in “The Hood” doing voter registration drives. I don’t see them recruiting on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Where is their advertising in magazines geared towards black folks?? It’s as if they have decided to forgo reaching out because of the difficulty. Don’t they realize that black independents are up for grabs? Black independents are party-less because they don’t like either party. But they have to choose a party because it’s the only party in town. Don’t be fooled by the talk of blacks not voting. All blacks aren’t sitting at home on Election Day watching “Good Times”. If you don’t believe me ask Adrian Fenty. He won and lost his job based on black voters. In some of our American cities, blacks make up 15 - 54% (% depends on each city – check your city for more clarity) of the population.
So in the end what does all of this mean?
1. Black conservatives have an opportunity to increase their political clout if they stick to their principles.
2. In order to attract more blacks, the Republican Party needs to reach out beyond their comfort zone.
3. Black conservatives need to increase their appeal to blacks that aren’t currently in their party.
Whatever happens next I can guarantee that this is only the beginning. You have not seen the last of the Black Republicans.
6 comments:
I think that Black conservatives have a challenge that they are unwilling to face. That challenge is to face other people of color and throw down their platform. They are appealling to a base that worked off the same feelings that motivated progressives and liberals to vote their party our of office. The GOP has had its propaganda machine cranking.
The GOP brand is not totally without merit. I happen to find it spot on that they believe in self-reliance and self-sufficency for individuals in the nation. There is nothing like that type of independence. We both know that the image of middle class POCs is still connected to being a sellout of sorts among our people. I have not seen a Black GOP canindiate who does not come across as a stand up kind of citizen. That image is very generic in America and acceptable.
But, until they are strong enough to spend time trying to share their views in the hood, I am not impressed by their bids. They are going to have to confront the racial issues within the GOP. Micheal Steele didn't have enough leverage to open up the party to new ideas. He came across like the GOP and the thug life culture were going to suddenly merge and be down with each other. That was not the way to begin as the first Black chairman of the GOP. He doesn't have the personality type to mix well and see come across as a conservative male. He also lost points by not going after Rush Limbaugh like he was the HNIC. That was not a good look. It made it obvious that he does not have an honest base of support in that realm of the GOP.
When the 112th begins the business of the Hill, that's when we are going to be able to determine what type of political governance the POCs of the GOP are going to bring to the floor. I think that there is going to be some very interesting times in D.C. The conservative base has just enough friction between them to spark it off. No matter what platform they got in on, they will be in the fight of their careers. The Health Care Plan is going to be up for reappeal. That's going to be a for real battle. The fray isn't going to be without a whole lot of shaking going on.
msladydeborah - I wonder does Steele know that he was used as Window Dressing or does he actually think that they believed he could do all that he campaigned to do? His leadership was flawed from the beginning. It seemed he was never on the same page with the "true" leaders of his party. Republicans as a whole wasted valuable time when they could have tried to reach more people.
In the future, I believe that our political parties will be more about social class and less about race.
We're a very diverse group and we become more and more diverse everyday.
Reggie - Interesting Observation. If that is the case, is it possible that poor whites and poor blacks finally realize they have more in common?
I am with Reggie on that post. I do believe that the social status is going to divide the race.....
But all in all. Sometimes a Republican can be good for the job if the Democrat has been F'ing up for the last 10 years. Like I said, that is just the human in me talking there.
The Smoking Ace - Well the Republicans got what they wanted so we shall see...
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