GOP Prez Wannabes: We Gots Dem Scheduling Conflict Blues Again, Mama
You have to pity the Republican presidential candidates for their “scheduling conflicts.”
In recent weeks these peripatetic wannabes have crisscrossed the country speaking to “Values Voters,” Jewish voters, and even at a candidates’ forum in Wyoming, a state where there are more elk than voters. But, faced again with having to appear in the same room with Negro . . . er, African American voters, most of the GOP front-runners say they have to be elsewhere this coming Sunday, forcing the Congressional Black Caucus Institute to postpone a debate on Fox News.
No new date has been set – and there is a possibility that none will be.
Now the last time this puh-thetic excuse making came up, I was barraged with rationales and excuses from commenters who actually were sympathetic to these scoundrels.
Many noted that blacks don’t vote for Republicans anyway, so why not pencil-in an appearance at a potluck supper at a fire hall in Utah? Then there were the logic-impaired commenters who argued that black politicians don’t try to attract white voters, so why should white politicians . . . You get their drift.
Well, telling a pretty good chunk of the electorate (Hispanics, too) that they’re worthless is all you really need to know about what kind of fire burns within these guys, or in the case of Fred Thompson, sputters.
As I have written before, you can talk around the issue all day, but the reason that the Republican Party can fashion attractive platforms on, say, taxes but not minority issues is that the party’s base just doesn’t like blacks because, in their view, blacks want stuff that they haven’t “earned.” (Karl Rove is a conspicuous exception, but even he was ignored on one of his pet memes — that the Party of Lincoln must reach out to blacks and Hispanics.)
This does not mean that Republicans are a bunch of racists in the David Duke mold. Repeat: They’re not racists! Okay? But they are opposed to leveling the playing field in employment, housing, education and other areas where minority Americans continue to be disenfranchised and want a voice in who the next president will be.
And that is irredeemably sad.
17 Responses to “GOP Prez Wannabes: We Gots Dem Scheduling Conflict Blues Again, Mama”
Since when is pandering to a racial group considereed leveling the playing field?There is no policy position, no strategy, no campaign issue that is ever going to get blacks to vote for Republicans. So, why should the Republicans bother to attended debates and forums where most everyone in the crowd has never voted for a Republican.
The Republican party is go out of existence before blacks change their voting habits.
The real quesiton is how will blacks be affected when the Democratic Party is the only relevant political party? Juding by the way that Senator Obama has been treated over the gospel singer issue in South Carolina, I would guess that blacks stand to lose most of their current political power once the Republican party fads into irrelevency.
But, SD, isn’t that a catch-22 ? The GOP assumes that blacks and other minorities won’t vote for them, then discover those pesky “scheduling conflicts” instead of trying to reach out. The minority groups become offended by the slights, and vote overwhelmingly for Democrats, resulting in an ever-shrinking poltiical base for the GOP. If they go out of existence, it will be because their appeal is mostly to the Christian, heterosexual, middle-aged white male. And it even looks like sex scandals might eat away at some of the evangelical vote as well. All they have to run on is an anti-Hillary, anti-immigration, homophobic, xenophobic platform. Really, really pitiful.
Your argument requires one of two assumptions.
A) Blacks are too partisan, stupid or whatever to be swayed by a well reasoned debate
B) The Republicans have nothing to offer blacks
I imagine there are many good republicans who are deeply uncomfortable voting for a party that no longer considers 13.4% of the country worth talking to. Powel and Rice, for example.
Interesting to note that 2.3 million of that 13.4% are army veterans who, unlike the republican frount runners Thompson, Giuliani and Romney, served their country loyally and with honour.
The Republican Party is not doomed. It simply will continue to be an alternative lesser-evil if the Dems go too far left. Sadly, all too often the Republicans behave as Dems Lite.
There’s no need for the Republicans to engage in special-interest-group pandering Dem-style, and reverse racism, as is all but openly advocated by some (ahem).
Besides, the Republicans’ real problems are broader in scope. Read it yourselves. The Dems risk being overconfident going into next year’s elections, but they have a legitimate basis for confidence right now.
Love the picture! Congrats for finding it!!
Wow! Can’t you just feel the hate. Black America is now a special interest group, as, I guess, are hispanics, women, gays. Everyone except the Christian right it seems.
Nice party you’ve got going there, guys.
truflo,
Most of the Congressional Black caucus believes that over 85% of the country is not worthy of their attention. When did the last CBC member attend an NRA meeting, a National Chamber of Commerce meeting, or the Souther Baptist Convention.
The Republicans ignore blacks because blacks interested in politics ignore everyone else. Any group that would keep re-electing Marion Barry and Cynthia McKinney warrants little attention from anyone who would call themselves a conservative.
Cynthia McKinney was defeated in the last election.Her constituency apparently was embarassed by her behavior in Congress. Hate to bust up your racial stereotypes.
DLS, SD- When will you admit that all politicians pander to special interest groups? The Gop panders to the NRA, Focus for the Family, big oil, big tobacco, the Israeli lobby, etc. Or did you think that John McCain went to Liberty University to meet with Falwell because he wanted to have a beer with him? LOL
Again seems to me like the party of religon fails to take note from Jesus’s methods. He went to those that needed to hear his words and brought them to his side. In politics if you need to reach people you go talk to them, not hole up with only those that already agree with you. I’m still convinced that most republicans haven’t actually read the bible, or at best got a cliffs notes version written by the 700 Club.
kritt,
Cynthia McKinney was defeated twice when whites crossed over and voted against her in the Democratic Primary. she actually sued in federal court that her civil rights were violated because white voters could vote against her in the Democratic Primary. What she claimed was blatantly racist but uncovered and unmentioned by the MSM and the left side of the blogosphere.
Also, how could anyone who would call themselves conservatives go in front of a group of black activist politicians and talk about no racial quotas, no racial set asides, no seperate and unequal admission standards, no forced busing, and coming out saying that the government should treat all of its citizens in the same way. The Black audience would just not stand for it and the MSM would shred the Republican candidate.
No, because I am not mentally ill.
It was just a spontaneous social call. They’re best buddies, and always have been [choking].
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Most of us who are not liberal or liberal-leaning are not members of the Religious Right, nor interested in government promotion of conservative “social values.” We’ll defend such people against the true hatred and bigotry directed against them that constantly occurs, but we aren’t members of that group.
But myths and straw-men objects are more entertaining, interesting, and useful as political weapons, it seems.
That doesn’t justify the Democrats’ racial politics and the so-called “black leadership’s” racial politics.
Well looking at many of the most famous and influential people on the right I don’t think it is a straw man arguement. A lot of the big names are very socially conservative and use religon as a club. You may not be but you have to understand those on the right that have been calling the shots and getting face time on TV are and thats why there is such a backlash lately. Its why the GOP is identified as “God’s Own Party”.
The Religious Right, however, does not have the influence so many people believe it has. In fact, they often believe they are exploited and taken for granted except prior to elections — something, incidentally, that I have heard or seen expressed on an occasion or two by the black leadership community, and others on the Left, about the Democratic Party. Example
The Democratic debate raised the issue of minority voters, too. (here)