GOP's 2010 Florida Ticket All-White, May Be Liability

Miami Herald:

At a time when the Florida electorate is growing increasingly diverse, the Republican party is gearing up to field an all-male, all-white slate in 2010.

In contrast, the Democratic front-runners for the top of the ticket are U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, a 42-year-old African American running for the U.S. Senate, and Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink for governor, who would be the state's first female chief executive. A handful of Hispanic and Jewish Democrats are potentially in the mix for attorney general and chief financial officer.

Read the whole story: Miami Herald

Comments

[lmnop13]

White, black, brown, whatever.
I am more concerned about the best person to do the job.

[wonketteRAWKS]

Now flip that headline to all black or all latin and there'd be an outrage on this board.

It's 2009, are we still speaking in color?

[KarateKid]

Crist doesn't look white, he looks biracial..­..or was it bi....well­, you know.

[redsongia]

Christ is white? Who knew!

[crayola 08]

i figure he's related to the Simpsons

[frankcaprafan]

Beware the Powell/Rigde ticket.

[KarateKid]

ticket to nowhere.

[frankcaprafan]

Overconfidence is dangerous. Although, Powell may have killed his chances by selling out his country in his U.N. testimony (He did with me, that's for sure.). And I bet he knows it. His Chief of Staff at the time (Wilkerson), is estranged from him over this shame.

[crayola 08]

though he did have a realistic shot at being the first black president back in 2000 it's too late for powell now. and while i still admire the guy, being tied to the dubya administration has significantly tarnished his image ... not beyond repair, but not quite near where it used to be.

[SwingVoter]

This will be tough for me because I like both Meek and Crist. Lets see how the campaign goes...

[MrMojoRisin]

Crist should be asking himself how an older, white, gay candidate will do. As a Republican this will probably handicap him.

[Steamboater]

It's not the racial aspect that will harm the GOP in the election but a Crist, an old queen who thought he could fool the electorate by getting married when he beleived he would be McCain's running mate. Racially and in regard to age, if Gay issues are at the forefront of the campaign and the GOP will make it so as well as Gay and Gay friendly straights, considering Obama's inaction on DADT and DOMA, it doesn't matter if a candiate is black or white or 103.

[michiganman2]

all white GOP ticket for 2010?

why that sounds just great for florida republicans. its not like their base is full of anything else but whites.

the new GOP slogan should be "white is right"

[WilliamL]

Maybe, maybe not-

Obama won the state by 200,000 or so which was more a result of BOs field org. than the FDP-

I believe FL only picked up one seat in the entire state-stat­e/national­.

We shall see but Florida is still a right to work state with a R state leg.

[mergina]

Ah, well it is the Lilly White Party of the Rich for the Rich so why would this come as much of a surprise?

[desertdweller]

Could be worse - there could be a Bush running. Jeb, George P., or Jeb's pill-poppin daughter.

[Mugzi]

True, jeb's waiting for 2012...

[redsongia]

I hope Florida keeps him waiting.

[KarateKid]

Jeb's too smart to run in 2012. He's going to wait until 2016, when he won't have to face Obama's massive army. He'll let Jindal or Palin get trampled in 2012.

[Dolmance]

There are very few white people on the Republican plank in Florida. Rather, they're pink. Just like cartoon pigs. Just like Glenn Beck.

Perhaps it sounds racist, but I dislike pink people. They aren't a race. I think they're missing a chromosome. It doesn't just make them pink - it makes them toxic and Republican.

Stay away from pink people.

[johnfoirdfw]

And we are surprised why?

[wonketteRAWKS]

So, rather than getting the best, whomever that may be, we've come down to looking at color.

One step forward, 10 steps back.

[We-Are-The-Ones]

Rather we come down to look at excellently qualified people and who best serves a diverse populace. Not only in what color you are, or what gender you are, or what nationality you are but whether you have empathy for the issues facing the diverse people you claim to want to serve.

I say this is a step forward where white men are not merely entitled to positions in power because.

[FR]

Time to bag that shopworn argument, that somehow it's a choice, EITHER color or "the best," either someone "qualified" or someone picked just for their identity.

That argument always and forever completely misses the point.
There are perfectly qualified "best" people among those pesky identity groups. It's just that people are finally giving them a chance, instead of just assuming as we did for eons that the silver-haired white man is somehow naturally the most qualified.

Sometimes the "best" is in fact found in diversity.

[dubster]

Thank you someone that's intelligent! That argument that wonkette espoused is so trite and simply doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

[givepeace05401]

Wonderfully presented.

[sandals]

And they wonder why they are in the Minority?