In what is a sign of the times, the Republican party is unable to field a single candidate of color with a snowball’s chance in hell of being elected to House, the Senate or governor. So much for former RNC head Ken Mehlman’s “legacy” of GOP outreach to blacks.
At a time when Democrats are poised to knock down a historic racial barrier with their presidential nominee, the GOP is fielding only a handful of minority candidates for Congress or statehouses — none of whom seem to have a prayer of victory.Taking a look at the current field, the GOP only has one minority governor — Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, who is Indian-American. The Dem tally? Three minority governors and 43 black members of Congress. The GOP obviously sees nothing wrong with this growing problem with gaining interest from POC in its party. Given the vitriol from the Fear of the Brown Menace wing of the party, it crapped away its prospects with Latinos as well. Look at this laugher:At the start of the Bush years, the Republican National Committee — in tandem with the White House — vowed to usher in a new era of GOP minority outreach. As George W. Bush winds down his presidency, Republicans are now on the verge of going six — and probably more — years without an African-American governor, senator or House member. That’s the longest such streak since the 1980s.
Despite having a Spanish-speaking “compassionate conservative” in the White House, Republicans’ diversity deficit seems to have only widened.WTF? Anyway, one respected member of the GOP doesn’t mind being blunt about the whiteout:
Jack Kemp, the former Republican congressman and vice presidential nominee, says the culprit is clear: a “pitiful” recruitment effort by his party. “I don’t see much of an outreach,” he said. “I don’t see much of a reason to run.”Should we bring out the tiny violin? I absolutely cannot wait to see the pale sea of faces during the GOP convention. The party may have to resort to some sort of rent-a-POC service to avoid looking like the fossilized, insular entity it has done everything to cultivate.A former black GOP candidate who declined to be identified by name offered a slightly more charitable explanation. He said the party is so broke and distracted that wooing strong minority candidates is a luxury it simply cannot afford right now.
Hat tip to Oliver Willis, who said:
Wanted: Racial minorities to stab your own people in the back, provide cover to destructive policies. Perks include a life long association with the party of Strom Thurmond, Trent Lott, and The Southern Strategy. Inquire Within.
21 Responses to “The GOP’s snow white slate”
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About ten years ago, I thought that the Republicans had a real chance to make inroads in the Asian American population. A lot of the younger folks had a Republican mind sent and identified as such. I don’t think that’s the case now.
When I mentioned this to a Republican partisan, all he could do is whine, “It’s too harrrrrddddd” to recruit minorities.
Well, if he could have gotten off his duff and actually talked to them, he’d probably would have done better.
As long as the Rethugs continue (by choice) to be the party of The Angry White Man, POC will find nothing for them among the wingnuts.
The only prominent POC on the right currently are people like Ramesh Ponnuru, Dinesh D’Souza, and Michelle Malkin, all of whom are direct recipients of wingnut welfare.
Given that the racist rhetoric is getting louder, more frequent, and less veiled as the reality of Obama makes the wingnuts more and more worried, I can’t see how they will ever be a good home for anyone who is not WASP (and male).
Let’s face it: the “Party of Lincoln” ended when he was assassinated in 1865. The zombie corpse he left behind has made an increasingly larger mess of things ever since…
Wanted: Racial minorities to stab your own people in the back, provide cover to destructive policies. Perks include a life long association with the party of Strom Thurmond, Trent Lott, and The Southern Strategy. Inquire Within
*cough* Dixiecrats *cough*
Jindal might go Dem if Dems weren’t so corrupt down south.
Getting strong candidates who might help your party avoid the electoral consequences of being perceived as a bunch of rich, out-of-touch racists is a luxury? Only if the cost might be, say, having to not be a bunch of rich, out-of-touch racists any more…
Yes, Jonathan, many leaders and rank-and-file Dixiecrats did become (and still are) Republicans. That’s what the Southern Strategy was about.
Jindal might go Dem if Dems weren’t so corrupt down south.
Given his extreme religious views, I’d say we’re better off without him.
A “luxury.” Having nonwhite candidates for office in the United States of America in 2008 is “a luxury” that you “can’t afford” when you’re under the gun.
I mean, OK, it’s not a direct quote, and it’s from a black Republican, so I’d like to hear what he really said. But still, if that paraphrase is anywhere within a mile of being true, it pretty much says it all.
Anybody give any credence to the rumors of a McCain-Rice ticket?
There’s no way. The costs of drawing a clear direct line between him and the Bush administration by putting her on the ticket far outweigh any of the somewhat questionable gains.
“Jindal might go Dem if Dems weren’t so corrupt down south.”
Disagree, even Zell Miller is a flaming liberal compared to him…party switches overwhelmingly tend to occur with people who are very off-step with their party.
There’s no way. The costs of drawing a clear direct line between him and the Bush administration by putting her on the ticket far outweigh any of the somewhat questionable gains.
Not to mention that it would look like the most insulting pander of all time to the African-American community. Like they’re supposed to set aside the decades of race-baiting because of Condi? And it would peeve a nice chunk of their supporters in the deep south besides. Nope, it’ll be another crusty white man for VP.
“Not to mention that it would look like the most insulting pander of all time to the African-American community. Like they’re supposed to set aside the decades of race-baiting because of Condi?”
…but she’s a Three-fer - Black, Female, AND Republican!
How could that not be a win/win situation?…
“And it would peeve a nice chunk of their supporters in the deep south besides.”
Oh sorry! You’re so right. Completely forgot about that.
Racism is such a hardy and “natural” part of the current Republican ethos, it’s easy to just take it for granted…
calvinhobbes May 20, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Disagree, even Zell Miller is a flaming liberal compared to him…party switches overwhelmingly tend to occur with people who are very off-step with their party.
Jindal doesn’t have deep power base in the south. He is young academic from well to do immigrant family. (make that very young academic)
(ie. his money and vote can easily be switched. And he is too young to be bought and paid for, entrenched in power structure.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Jindal
Jindal (pronounced /ˈdʒɪndəl/) was born in Baton Rouge to recently arrived Punjabi Indian immigrants Amar and Raj Jindal, who were attending graduate school. His family is of Punjabi ancestry; his father left India and his ancestral family village of Khanpura in the 1970s.[5] Raj Jindal is a retiring information technology director for the Louisiana Department of Labor.[6] According to family lore, Jindal adopted the name “Bobby” after watching The Brady Bunch television program at age four. He has been known by that name ever since—as a civil servant, politician, student, and writer—though legally his name remains Piyush Jindal.[7]
Jindal was a Hindu but converted to Catholicism in high school.[8] He has also offered testimony before Baptist and Pentecostal congregations since the beginning of the 2007 campaign season.[9] He attended high school at Baton Rouge Magnet High School and graduated at sixteen. In 1991, he graduated from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, with honors in biology and public policy. Afterwards, he received a master’s degree in political science from New College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar. While at Oxford, he wrote an article for the New Oxford Review in which he described witnessing a friend being possessed by a demon.[10] After Oxford, he joined McKinsey & Company, a consulting firm, where he advised Fortune 500 companies.
hispanics are a minority.
there are several hispanic republicans who will hold onto their seats, particularly in florida.
this politico piece is bogus.
sorry, for this fact interlude….resume the republican bashing
hispanics are a minority.
several hispanic republicans will retain political office, particularly in florida.
this politico piece is bogus.
sorry for this fact interlude….resume republican bashing
hispanics are a minority.
several hispanic republicans will retain political office, particularly in florida.
this politico piece is bogus.
sorry for this fact interlude….resume republican bashing
The baffled tone of that Politico article mystifies me. How can anyone not understand that racist and sexist rhetoric and policies ward off voters affected by racist and sexist policies?
Nobody forgets whose bodies lay in the streets of New Orleans except the RNC and the MSM, apparently.
There’s no way. The costs of drawing a clear direct line between him and the Bush administration by putting her on the ticket far outweigh any of the somewhat questionable gains.
Since when in this race does McCain care about that? He’s running as Bush III.
Not to mention that it would look like the most insulting pander of all time to the African-American community.
Maybe. But Republicans don’t win by being subtle, and if the cost-benefit analysis worked out… But you’re probably right about them feeling like their racist base is too valuable to endanger that way.
How well is Rice generally regarded by the African-American community, anyway? There’s not too many African Americans round my way (Tokyo), and it just so happens I know one (who says she’s liberal) who actually likes her. Which may be apropos of nothing.
Not likely. There are only two GOP AAs with enough clout to make it on the ticket (Gen. Colin Powell and Rice) and both remind GE voters what a massive clusterfuck Iraq has been.
Squashed, did you read the entire Wikipedia article you linked? Let’s see…
Bobby Jindal opposes abortion rights 100%, no exceptions. None, zip, zero, nada, not for life or health or rape or incest.
He also opposes any funding for embryonic stem-cell research. And he supports the teaching of Intelligent Design in schools- this, from a so-called “academic.”
(Hmmm, who knew all one needed to be an academic was a master’s degree in Poli-sci? I’d have thought one needed a PhD at least, and/or worked in higher education. Nope, he went to work for the state right out of college for a few years before running for office. “Academic” must be a really easy label to earn.)
Let’s see, what else? He supported shifting the state’s tax burden from progressive income taxes to regressive sales taxes.
He sponsored a bill to end the moratorium on near-shore oil and gas drilling- which may be somewhat popular in Louisiana, but it’s the kiss of death in Florida regardless of party, or at least it was when I lived there.
Rush Limbaugh said of him: “He is the next Ronald Reagan, if he doesn’t change. Bobby Jindal, the new governor of Louisiana is the next Ronald Reagan. …He’s the guy that beat the liberal Democrat machine throughout Louisiana. He did it on 100% conservatism.” (emphasis mine)
I’m guessing that he will not be defecting to the Democratic Party anytime soon, not without a MAJOR change of heart and mind.