Here's one you may have missed while deploring the lack of diversity at the GOP convention last week: a life-long black conservative agrees with you.
Here are some excerpts from a piece by Raynard Jackson. Jackson has been deeply involved with Republican and conservative politics since the Nixon administration. He's guested as a conservative spokesperson on the Rush Limbaugh program, Fox News, and all the major networks. And he happens to be African-American...
Republican National Convention: Where are the African Americans?
By Raynard Jackson
...This is the fourth Republican convention that I have attended, and it is by far the least diverse.
Yeah, a lot of people who saw the convention noticed that. (Even though professional media's convention coverage didn't seem to think it was very important.) It seems that a "stand
against diversity" is actually part of the GOP's message this year.
But we know there are such things as black Republicans and conservatives in the US. How does Mitt Romney's GOP use them?
When I came into the party with George H.W. Bush, there was a pipeline of other African Americans who worked for the Republican National Committee in the headquarters, staffers who worked for Reagan, etc. We are now some of the most experienced operatives in the game; many of us have our own firms or work for corporate America. Unfortunately, we are never consulted on party issues unless there is an overtly black angle or, more typically, someone in the party leadership has done something stupid and they expect us to go on camera to provide cover. Those of us with integrity have never allowed ourselves to be used in such a manner, though, some blacks have.
Oh. That's called "window dressing." I can see why black Republicans would resent that. Being kept out of the political picture unless some white Republican has done something "stupid." "Hey, we got a media crisis--a Republican candidate said something kinda racist this morning--where's one of those black Republicans we keep around for cover? We got to get one of 'em on Fox right away. No, don't invite him to the GOP strategy meeting! Are you nuts, the last thing we want is another Michael Steele--"
(CONTINUED)
If there are no blacks in these pipelines, then the party has made the decision that there will be no blacks in the party’s future...
The Republican line is that the overwhelming majority of blacks will vote for Obama because he is African American. I find this thinking extremely insulting as a black Republican. The reason the majority of blacks will vote for Obama is because Republicans have not given African Americans a reason to vote for Republicans or Romney.
Geez, that's quite an assessment of the modern Republican Party--coming as it does from a career Republican. The GOP agenda offers African-Americans
nothing?
No reason to support their party (unless you can get a job as 'cover' or 'window dressing?') Well, that's this guy's conclusion, after a life in Republican activism.
One more:
Have the Republicans not noticed the demographic changes that are taking place in this country? Numerically, there are not enough old, white, balding males to win a national election.
Now that's not entirely fair. There are plenty of old white males who still have their original hair. And there are a lot of angry, hairy young white males who vote Republican, too. Those guys think African-Americans have had it
too soft.
But otherwise, the point is well taken. The GOP's becoming the party of "the white people who don't want diversity." If that's the model that the leaders of the party have chosen...
...they're pretty smart. It's not a model to win control of the White House, now or in the future. But organizing a GOP and conservative movement based on "whiteness" is a great model for keeping the current leaders of conservatism and the party--in power.
If you're a cynic who care about nothing except power and career, you can carve yourself out a pretty secure power base in modern America by catering to white bigotry, xenophobia and paranoia. Even if you lose the White House--there are entire states where you can win a Senate or House seat, a seat in the legislature or city government...
...by resisting a diverse party, by staging resistance against the inherent diversity of America. That seems to be another core Republican strategy: the past and future of American conservatism.
LINK:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...