Comments on: Why I’m Not a Token

By: Bill G

Bill G — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:41:06 +0000

Can liberals be racist?

You might find the following website of interest as it discusses “Liberal Racism” … the adoption of issues of interest to various minority groups and then manipulating the message to focus on group fears and concerns so as to assure those voters that there is someone that cares. See http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/guideDesc.asp?catid=162&type=issue

A really interesting read is AverageBro.com — which advertises itself as “A Negro Nonsense-Free Zone”.

AverageBro poses a very important message and question:

“It’s often said that Black folks are perhaps the most Conservative people in America on social issues. From gay marriage, to abortion, to right to free speech. And like most Americans, I doubt Blacks like higher taxes or wasteful spending. Strictly on GP, it would seem like the GOP’s message should be good enough to pull at least 50% of the Black vote.”

“So what’s the problem? It ain’t the message, it’s the messengers.”

What I like about RepublicansUnited. is that we are trying to be messengers of a different kind.

By: Shay

Shay — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:36:40 +0000

So do liberals – who argue that black people are incapable of doing anything without government holding our hands like little kids, and thus argue in favor of black inferiority – hate black people as well?

By: Bill G

Bill G — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:32:58 +0000

My experience with Black Republicans it that they are usually tougher than nails. They get the core message of Republicanism. Which probably explains why Blacks as Republicans often rise to the top of the party.

For all that can be said for the Democrats and their efforts to reach out to a diverse America, where have the senior Black Democrats been at the national level? Sure, great representation in the House … but as Secretary of State? (Rice/Powell) … the Senate (Edward Brooke R-MA way back in 1966) … as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? (Powell) … as …? This may not be the longest list but as compared to the Democrats?!

Within RepublicansUnited. I certainly have seen no aspect of tokenism.

If anything our group is a lot more like Baskin Robbins. Nope. Can’t find any tokens around here … unless you count us all.

By: Dennis Sanders

Dennis Sanders — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:13:52 +0000

Thanks for your response, Jamelle. But I have a question. How does the GOP atone for past behavior if simply saying past behavior was wrong is not enough?

By: Jamelle

Jamelle — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:59:58 +0000

At some point, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s rather silly to try to explain myself to people like Jamelle or Bob Herbert who he references. Nothing I say will please them, unless I renounce being a Republican.

I don’t see how you can draw that conclusion from my post. Like I said in the post itself, I think it’s a good thing that there are credible African-American Republicans running for higher office. This is good for the black community and its good for the country. What’s more, I never once called all black Republicans tokens; as is made fairly clear throughout, most of my emphasis is on the figures in the linked article.

I should make clear too that I bring up the Republican Party’s inability to confront its racial history only because it is an impediment to black Republicans being taken seriously! Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, part of the problem facing black Republicans is that they lack credibility among black folks themselves, much of that stemming from a sense that they are ignoring – and thus apologizing for – the racial excesses of the GOP. If Republicans want to make real inroads into black communities, then their first order of business is to make real effort to correct for their past behavior.