Published on November 15th, 2013
3Republicans, E.W. Jackson and the Minority Vote
Many Republican Party of Virginia Convention-goers assumed that electing E.W. Jackson would secure greater support from minorities in our demographically changing state. They assumed his nomination would appeal to minorities and gain the respect of the Black community. In fact… after the Convention, one blogger on this respected site, Bearing Drift, referred to Jackson as, “…someone with instant credibility within the black community.”
Hold on a minute.
Despite this assumption, my fellow conservatives must realize that minorities will not blindly vote for another minority. And… just because someone is African-American, doesn’t mean they have “instant credibility” in the community. If this were the case, Clearance Thomas and Alan Keyes would all be celebrated by the NAACP and Black community, at large. But that hasn’t happened.
So, let’s not jump to conclusions that nominating a Black person mean that he or she has credibility in the Black community, or will win our Party the minority vote. The truth is that increasing our vote among ethnic minorities takes time in those communities, engaging them and listening to them, celebrating their culture, and communicating how our conservative principles will improve their lives.
Read more: http://bearingdrift.com/2013/11/12/republicans-e-w-jackson-and-the-minority-vote/
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Look, about two thirds of Blacks want bigger government with more government social services. There is no way that they will support limited or smaller government regardless of who the GOP candidate is.
Republicans should concentrate their efforts on the 20 to 25 percent of Blacks who want smaller government. Note…this 20 to 25 percent are not active in the NAACP, however, it does not mean they don’t have membership.
This 20 to 25 percent includes Black business owners and the college educated. A good place to start would be the NATIONAL BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Speaking to people that understand the importance of lower taxes and less business regulations would increase support.
McCain and Romney proved that speaking to the NAACP was a WASTE OF TIME. The NAACP are filled with socialists who are leaning toward communism. Many of them never seen a government program that they did not like. They love the failure of Democrats’ class warfare.
The GOP is on the right side of issues that will help Black people reduce poverty and create wealth.
E W Jackson is the true definition of the term Looney Tunes, cut from the same tree as Star Parker, Crystal Wright, Ben Carson, Mia Love, Allen West and Armstrong Williams.
You know, this post may be old but there was something I wanted to say with some food for thought.
If the demographic groups that don’t feel welcome in the Republican Party don’t get involved and at least try to change in large numbers (and not just one person), the party as a whole will not change. It takes two to tango as they said, Republicans need to grow a backbone and realize they will lose some white voters as a result of reaching out. The groups that don’t feel welcome have to get involved at all levels of the party if they want to see results and not expect what has become a predominately white party to change their minds.
I’ve read too many of these cases where one Republican wants to make it more tolerant, but is usually alone and doesn’t have much support and leaves after not getting support and gets sick of the intolerance and becomes a Democrat or Independent.
For an example, I read a poll comparing Latino politicians in both parties. Julian Castro had a higher rating than Ted Cruz. Why? Simply, there are a lot more Latinos in the party that get involved with the Democrats because the Republican Party’s way of communication was terrible and alienating to please their base in the South. The same was with Obama in the 2008 primaries, he is favored more than Alan Keyes because there are more blacks in the Democratic Party. Same why the LGBT vote is more Democratic, they got invovled more and made the Democrat support Same Sex Marriage.
If (Insert group here) feels the Republican Party must become inclusive, they have to get involved. If more like-minded people got involved and told the purists to take a hike, the party would look much differently than it is today and probably would be a lot more tolerant.
When Republicans don’t show up, it’s a sign saying they’re not interested so people will go elsewhere. Why do Republicans go after 3rd generation children of immigrants but not first or 2nd generation? Because they want integrated citizens and had no interest in helping out those who just came.
Why else did the ethnic white group vote Democrat when they came to America in the first part of the 20th century until the 1960’s when later generations voted Republican? Because they showed up while Republicans focused on other groups that were already integrated.
When we don’t show up, we lose with all demographics. Some Republicans, yes, don’t want them and express it in coded language while the ones that want votes will show up. Can we sacrifice the xenophobes for newcomers to America? Why we should we wait 20 years to have their children vote for Republicans when the Republican Party can do it now? One party dominating the votes in a group is not healthy for a democracy. The Conservatves in Canada and England has done a lot better with minorities and immigrant groups just because they showed up and people got involved to change it.
Look at Arnold in California, he won re-election in 2006 in a state with the dominant demographic groups leaned Democratic in a blue. He won significant percentages of Black and Latino votes along with 60% of the Asian American vote all because he showed up (his star power was also a help too) and yet he gets labeled a RINO for reaching out and not following party line 100%
Things like litmus tests and RINO hunts purge out the Republicans who are interested in inclusion and want the party to resemble today’s America. It’s mostly the moderate wing that got purged out because of this. The moderate to liberal wing of the GOP in history had people from various demographic groups like Hiram Fong, Margaret Chase Smith, Jacob Javits, etc.. because they had to reach out in Democratic states and wanted to change the party. As much as some Republicans want just conservatives, you need moderates and progressives in areas that conservavtives, we’re supposed to be the Big Tent Party not just a tent for the Religious Right.
Yes, the party was founded partly by Know Nothings, yes, but they never really left because we never told them to leave. Although Catholics supported Democrats in the 19th century, they did support Republicans until 1884 when the Republican Presidential candidate talked of Romanism (slur for Roman Catholicism) that alienated a generation of Catholics from the party until Warren Harding reached out to them in the 1920’s.
People have to get involved or else nothing will change. Can we really expect Michael Steele, JC Watts, Condi Rice or Susana Martinez to be alone in changing the party? I’m sure they don’t like being called terms like minstrel or hateful things.
Like I said, it takes two to tango.