by Dorian Davis 

I know some Republicans are inclined to reach out more to minorities in the wake of Gallup’s new poll showing the GOP with a higher percentage of white people (89!) than a Hannah Montana concert. I’ve come up with Plan B.

Despite our election of an African-American, Michael Steele, to the Republican National Committee chairmanship last January, conservatives have been lacking in our outreach to blacks and other minorities. Besides his participation in Tavis Smiley’s State of the Black Union panel in February, Steele’s “off the hook” outreach to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings” is still in the nascent phase, and Republicans have been slow to embrace the whole re-branding concept, even though George Bush got just 8 percent of the black vote in ’04 and John McCain even less – 4 percent – in ’08.

Meanwhile, Howard Dean’s Democratic National Committee has shorn up its African-American support. In addition to making individual pages for each ethnic group from blacks to Pacific islanders on its official Website, the DNC also supports the African-American Leadership Council, dedicated to confronting urban issues and electing Democrats. And, while the State Children’s Health Insurance Program is billed as relief for “children of low income families,” SCHIP is also listed on the DNC’s site as a pro-black initiative – proof Democrats have a better PR team.

I like Steele, and I hope he can recruit conservative-minded African-Americans, but just in case I’m misplacing some confidence here, I’ve come up with Plan B. I’ll be the token black man. I’ve got soul. I know most of the UPN lineup and more than one Chamillionaire song. I use “-izzle”. I love R. Kelly. I saw Phat Girls opening night. Most of the other white people I know are intimidated at how much flavor I have. If I had to, I could pass for a “brother.”

Don’t get me wrong. Republicans have to reach out more – not just to blacks, but to other minorities. Gallup’s poll proves it. With Barack Obama on the Democrat ticket, Colin Powell defecting and J.C. Watts out of politics, though, Steele better make a back-up plan. I know the streets. I grew up on one. If the RNC needs time to recruit more African-Americans, I can fill in for a while.

Dorian Davis is a contributor to hiphoprepublicam.com he starred on MTV’s morning show, MTV Hits, before switching to the other side of the camera to research and develop Iraq coverage for MTV News. Later, he contributed to specials for LOGO and FUSE. Now a freelance writer, Davis is published in Architectural Record, Brainwash Magazine, Business Week Online, Doublethink Online, New York Daily News, New York Republican Record and XY. He lives in NYC.