Analysis: Republicans struggle with race issue

[babylonsister]

Gee, ya think?

Analysis: Republicans struggle with race issue
By Reid Wilson
Posted: 01/02/09 10:55 AM


As minority voters abandoned the GOP in droves this past cycle, those who will vote on the next chairman of the Republican Party are struggling with the difficult issue of race.

The Democrats are seen as having advantages: Traditionally they have won more minority voters, and now the party will be led by the first African-American president. And, for Republicans, race proves to be a particularly thorny issue that can cause problems for even the most adept political operators.

The most recent example came when former Tennessee GOP chairman Chip Saltsman, a candidate for chairman of the Republican National Committee, sent a CD with a parody song called "Barack the Magic Negro" to RNC members. First reported by The Hill, the CD set off a wave of criticism and elicited sharp rebukes from several prominent voting members.

That incident came on top of a number of gaffes throughout the 2008 election. In September, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) told The Hill he thought then-presidential candidate Barack Obama was "uppity," a racially tinged word. Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ken.) apologized in April for referring to Obama as a "boy."

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/analysis-republicans-struggle-with-race-issue-2009-01-02.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. "No struggle. We're united in our intention to divide America. Smirk." - Republicon Homelanders

[Vickers]

2. We ain't perfect, either.

Not so much over-the-top crap as the repukes, but it's there.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. File This Under "Well, Duh!"

It is a good article, though. Good find, Sis.
GAC

On edit: This little nugget from the article. The two black candidates for the RNC chair were the least hard on Selitsman. That got me thinking.

Is it possible that this is because the way a black republican gets ahead in that party is by not raising a fuss over race? If so, it would make sense that those two fellows were the least upset. You don't get ahead in the RNC by being an angry black man, i would guess.

[spanone]

4. no. republicans don't see a race issue. they see a lack of voter issue.

they don't give a shit about minorities

[w4rma]

5. Exactly. (nt)

[jesus_of_suburbia]

6. i love what is happening to the Republican party. Let's hope they are destroyed forever.

[veritasvg]

8. That's What...

...everyone said at the end of Watergate. In 1980, conservatives were back strong as ever.

You want to watch California very closely. I have a feeling Jerry Brown is going to be the next governor there.

All of us are going to see our taxes raised very soon. Everyone needs to get out of debt as much and as quickly as possible.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

7. Westmoreland calling Obama uppity was not a gaffe. It was completely intentional,

and likely calculated, to stir up the racist juices of Joe Redneck Voter.

He had the chance to apologize and back off from that, and went all in instead.

[izquierdista]

9. They aren't 'struggling'

It's all working out according to plan, Nixon's "Southern Strategy". It's just taken 40 years to go from being a positive to being a negative.

[EconomicLiberal]

10. Analysis: The Sky is Blue. n/t