"We Sound Like We Don't Want Black People To Vote For Us"

Washington Post :

Key Republican leaders are encouraging the party's presidential candidates to rethink their decision to skip presidential debates focusing on issues important to minorities, fearing a backlash that could further erode the party's standing with black and Latino voters.

The leading contenders for the Republican nomination have indicated they will not attend the "All American Presidential Forum" organized by black talk show host Tavis Smiley, scheduled for Sept. 27 at Morgan State University in Baltimore and airing on PBS. Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, former senator Fred D. Thompson (Tenn.) and Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) all cited scheduling conflicts in forgoing the debate. The top Democratic contenders attended a similar event in June at Howard University.

"We sound like we don't want immigration; we sound like we don't want black people to vote for us," said former congressman Jack Kemp (N.Y.), who was the GOP vice presidential nominee in 1996. "What are we going to do -- meet in a country club in the suburbs one day? If we're going to be competitive with people of color, we've got to ask them for their vote."

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[JScott]

11:15 AM on 09/21/2007

'We sound like we don't want immigration; we sound like we don't want black people to vote for us'
Another one for the
WELL DUH! category.

[Happyfella]

02:02 PM on 09/20/2007

Blacks will, on the whole, vote for the democrat party. Because all the want is handouts and thats who will give it to them. More welfare, more foodstamps, more subsidies...more, more. more...thats all blacks want.

[bdl0715]

11:26 AM on 09/20/2007

No one has to call the repubs racist, they're doing a food enough job themselves. If Jack Kemp is basically calling them racists, what more needs to be said. Watching tv last night, Tucker even said they're making a big mistake. Maybe they can have a debate for Condi and Clarence Thomas. That might make them feel better by appearing in front of black people.

[charlot]

08:33 AM on 09/20/2007

The problem is that the Republicans just don't CARE about minorities because they see them as irrelevant. They pander to wealthy, white corporate donors and ignorant, frightened white trash (the key word here being WHITE, in both cases).
And can you imagine the speeches from these clowns if they DID start attending the functions they've been shunning? I can see it now.....
To the NAACP:
"And if you vote for me, I promise to put a watermelon and a bucket of fried chicken on every table...[awkward pause/crickets chirping]....WORD!" (applause and chuckles from the five lily-white cronies who came with them; gasps from everyone else).
And at any function organized by Latino groups, they would make total asses of themselves by pulling a Rove and trying to dance like Ricky Martin to "La Vida Loca."
They just don't get it, and that is obvious to everyone but them.

[AbstractImp]

06:24 AM on 09/20/2007

When the money gets tight, republicans always show their true "color".

So, you think you sound like you don't want people of color to vote for you? Where ever could you have come up with such an idea?

I guess ignoring half the population of the nation is starting to haunt you? This could be troubling when the next president may get elected with barely half the national vote - the part that is counted, that is.

What do these people of color see when they look at your campaigns? Do they see many people of color rushing out to speak for you? Are there any people of color on the platform with you? Have you got in hand any major endorsements from the social leaders of people of color?

It must certainly look to these people that you do not care. Especially when you come right out and say that you don't care.

Oh, you think you didn't say that? Don't you know that you are speaking by not acting? Don't you know that non-actions speak much, much louder than empty words?

Just ask the people who lost limbs to alligators in New Orleans if they are planning to vote for you.

Just ask the Floridians disenfranchised of their votes if they are planning to vote for you.

Just ask the people of Cleveland who were muscled out of line outside the voting booths if they are planning to vote for you.

So, worried about the opinions of people of color at last? And how long will that worry last?

I bet I know..... Just a few hours into the next "election" ... Right up until we stop counting the votes, right?

"Winston Smith"

[susang]

05:32 AM on 09/20/2007

Black people won't vote for the GOP? News flash: white people aren't going to vote for them either.

Dubya really is a uniter.

[jimmyaj]

03:56 AM on 09/20/2007

Come on, people, the Republicans not only don't want blacks to vote for them, they don't want blacks to vote at all. Come to think of it, they don't want anybody to vote at all. They think the notion of citizen validation of government's actions is an unnecessary nuisance that should a abolished in the interest of their corporate masters. GOD DAMN them ALL.

[fourex]

03:42 AM on 09/20/2007

Too busy right now, working on the Bubba vote.

[watchingthings]

02:09 AM on 09/20/2007

You don't only sound like you are against the blacks. You stand for something much more sinister. You want more war...this time Iran. The Iranian people have done absolutely nothing to offend the U.S. government. This nuclear thing.......the UN says they are complying 100%. There is no proof of Iran trying to get nuclear weapons. It is an American fallacy.

[watchingthings]

01:23 AM on 09/20/2007

yes, and it's nice to know that nobody disputes you that you sound like the two faced assholes that you are.

[SNS]

11:55 PM on 09/19/2007

wmbear, you nailed it. Everyone already knows they are the party of the closet racist. If they show up to a black debate, their ducking and dodging of questions and the answers they actually had the balls to give would remove all doubt.

[watchingthings]

11:44 PM on 09/19/2007

Relax...you don't only sound like it.....you ARE a bunch of racist assholes....just giving credit where credit is due.

[Sundialsvc4]

11:24 PM on 09/19/2007

Hmmm... "people of color."

To me, "color" is something that you find in a tube of paint. I've never seen a "color," any color, walking down the street and carrying-on a conversation.

I know a lot of people whose skin-tones are various colors, and I cannot say about any one of them that I can judge them or group them or categorize them by that skin-tone. If people with light-colored skin can carry on a lively argument with one another, I see no reason to believe that people with dark-colored skin will .. by virtue of that dark color .. somehow think and act and feel the same.

This is, unfortunately, PRECISELY the fallacy that has been spread in the name of "black people" ... by intelligent men who ought to know better.

We're "people," people. Just people.

[acanthus]

10:55 PM on 09/19/2007

Why are there so many post on this issue on here? I don't want the Republicans to vie for the black vote. It would be hypocritical of them to do so. It's a silly thing for the anti-black party to do.

[drblack]

10:46 PM on 09/19/2007

The Republicans...party of Whigs.