MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough tore into the Republican Party saying they are focusing on the wrong issues in their efforts to assemble voters that can win a presidential election. He lambasted the party leadership for pandering to talk radio and cable news that communicate one message to voters — “if you’re not white, you’re really not welcome in this party.” Amen.

There’s more.

Scarborough said that Republicans are overly antagonistic to members of the LGBT community who care about gay marriage, or Latinos who care about immigration issues, or African-Americans who care about discrimination issues.

“You take Trayvon Martin, it would have cost republican leaders absolutely nothing,” Scarborough said to Ed Rendell, “absolutely nothing, to just show a little respect.”

“It doesn’t cost you anything to stay off of talk radio or prime time cable news shows where you get in the middle of this divisive debate and send a message to African-Americans and other minorities you don’t care,” he continued.

“These people on talk radio, these people on cable news that are saying these things that are driving off the very swing voters we need to get elected to the White House again,” Scarborough concluded. He advocated for high-profile politicians to publically castigate Republican talkers in cable news and on talk radio to win back minority voters. Source: Mediaite

There you have it in a nutshell, the reason why I won’t ever vote for a Republican presidential candidate. The denigration of the black and LGBT communities are just the tip of the iceberg. What people like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, and others are saying, we can insult you, but still want you to vote for our guy. Um, like SNL’s George H.W. Bush character would say, “not gonna happen.” Some on the right are dismissing Joe Scarborough’s comments as idiotic, but he’s telling the truth and I wish more Republicans truly understood what the words diversity and tolerance mean.

I would encourage TMV’s readers and my readers, if you haven’t registered to vote, please do so now. Every vote counts. We have to stand up and fight. There is strength in numbers. The Republicans would like nothing better than for us to stay home on election day, so any moron they present as their presidential nominee will win.

This was cross-posted from The Hinterland Gazette.