Audra Shay Wins Young Republican Race Despite Facebook Racism Controversy

Audra Shay, 38, has won the post of chairman of the Young Republicans -- despite accusations that she endorsed racism on Facebook.

Shay's candidacy, supported by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, hit a snag in recent weeks when she responded to a comment made by a friend on Facebook saying "need to take this country back from all of these mad coons" with "You tell em Eric! lol." Other Young Republicans chimed in, saying the comment was racist and questioning Shay's response. Shay issued a statement saying she "was not aware of the racial comments until sometime later" and was only responding to her friend's other remarks.

I immediately deleted the derogatory and outright disgusting comments and subsequently posted a statement on my Facebook Status stating that in no way, shape or form are the comments posted by other individuals a reflection of me or my beliefs as an American, a Veteran, a Mother or a Candidate. I do not, nor would I ever, condone that type of language or behavior.

But more controversial comments from Shay were found by the Daily Beast. After an effigy of Sarah Palin was hung, she said "What no 'Obama in a noose? ... I am wondering if the guys with the Palin noose would care if we had a bunch of homosexuals in a noose." She's also written that President Obama "attacks white people" and posted a video claiming Obama believes he has to help African-Americans over whites to "ensure his own salvation."

Voters at the Young Republicans convention said the whole scandal was just politics.

"Elections bring a lot of emotion out of people," said delegate Katherine Miller, 24, Lexington, Ky. "But this controversy really is not the decisive factor for the majority of people voting here. There are so many important issues we are considering. It really has been played up a little bigger than it really is."

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Comments

[TRorHemingway]

Actually, I can do more than point to a 92-year old Senator. How about the current Secretary of State? Hillary cracked a joke about Gandhi working at a gas station (a reference to the stereotype of the Southeast-Asian convenience store worker). Again, no painful tour of remorse was necessary for reconciliation. Her brief apology was good enough when The Associated Press questioned her about it;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1Mq8kOXV_E

[TRorHemingway]

This is just another politicall­y-motivate­d attack. Current West Virginia Senator (and former exalted cyclops for the kkk) Robert Byrd (D) dropped an N-bomb during an interview. Of course, there was no week-long media watch or apology tour with stops at Larry King or BET culminating with some form of punishment. His brief apology was good enough for the NAACP to let bygones be bygones;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FIBJt-c2o0

Just keep in mind every time you criticize the Republicans on issues of race, it's the Dems who have the distinction of having the only former kkk member in the US Senate.

[dlh06]

The difference is while Republicans seem to only be able to point to a 92 year old senator, the news is full of Republicans old and "young" that seem to have a habit of making racist statements or sending racist email "jokes" to their friends. There seems to be a never ending supply of racist in the Republican party. The latest is a Gary Frago a Republican city councillman in Atwater California.

I'm sure somewhere out there is another bigoted Republican waiting to be "outed" in the next week or two. I realize that most republicans are not racist. Until the more moderate
Republicans can take their party back. The Republican party will continue to be known as the party of hateful bigots.

[TRorHemingway]

CONTINUED FROM ABOVE

I disagree with your generalization about the Republican Party being ‘full of racists’. As you stated, most Republicans aren’t racist (which leads one to question your definition of ‘full’). Furthermore, the ‘stories’ about Republicans making racial comments being never ending doesn’t preclude anything happening on the Left. The Republican stories are the ones the ‘MSM’ deem to be most newsworthy. After all, the link I included here about Hillary is probably spanking new information for many reading this post.

While your sure a bigoted Republican will be ‘outed’ in a week or two, I’m equally sure a Democrat will make a similar if not more egregious remark that will go either unmentioned or underreported. Which leads me back to my original point. This was simply another political attack. If it weren’t, the left wouldn’t have so easily absolved a former klansmen for dropping an N-bomb during an interview. And, yes, he is frequently singled out by Republicans due to the fact that his continued acceptance and the aforementioned absolution in the face of much more tenacious attacks on conservatives for far less is glaringly hypocritical. Nevertheless, there doesn’t appear to be any change of tactics regarding the use of race on the part of Democrats as a political tool, therefore they will continue to label their opposition as hateful bigots whenever possible.

[twins]

I love the Repulican's " big tent". You can enter if you are white, Christian (leaning way right) and straight. I hope they never change because they will be in a pup tent before long.

[SurfReport]

I read Shay's Twitter feed and was repulsed by the hate speech on it. She’s 38, from Louisiana, and outspoken about her hatred of Obama, who she refers to as “Hussein Obomber.”
7/14/09 update: the Twitter page under AudraSiglerShay has been removed. Is someone in the GOP getting wise to her hatemongering? Let's hope so.

[dlh06]

So much for the Republican minority outreach efforts!

[BluesDogLefty]

This is how racism works.

Few people think that they are racists.

They believe that they are simply observing "reality," but they are actually constructing it.

[randman2009]

The reality is reflected in stats. Sorry if you dont like it.

[17ladyslippers]

What a sin. Just what does this say about the future of the United States? Just more of the same? Not OK. I have watched the conservatives chip away at taking over the Republican Party since Falwell and that gang showed up in the 1970's. They've made great strides. Now we have a generation of younger people raised on the vitriolic, mean-spirited dogma of their parents . It is not the party of Eisenhower.

Repubs are saying that theirs is a big inclusive tent. Prove it! With racists like this Audra Shay in place, why should white, yellow, brown or black people even consider voting Republican?

Or, perhaps, we should look at this as a gift and opportunity to welcome more people as Democrats. One lesson to learn from Will Rogers [ "I don't belong to an organized party; I'm a Democrat" ] though is Dems need to learn to come together as a united front to get good policies in place.

[gatogato]

Yes, I think being racist is a part of the Republican litmus test.

[dimplesmile7]

This is no surprise. It is one of the republicans key messages to winning elections in the past and present. The scary black people message has always been their ticket to victory.

[republicanforlife]

No its the scary demon-crat message. They take your hard earned money and give it to those who dont earn it! If you call that racist then so be it. Just because you dont like someone dont play that it is because of their skin color, dont like obummer because he is destroying this country, not because he is half black

[DifferenceofOpinion]

Wow thanks for proving the authors point. Although your name says it all but your post reflect a belief in most Republicans. Do you actually believe this? Prove to the me that you have been directly affected by the words you speak. I would venture to guess that you are one of those people that you speak of, using gov't grants, public roads and public schools to your advantage.

[LeeCalif]

Young Republicans ?????????????????

She's nearly 40 !

[GTFOOH]

Despite accusations that she endorsed racism? Because of her accusations that she endorsed racism!

[Truelee]

Shay's win further confirms the Republican party is a right-wing extremist party, as the many teabaggers proudly hold up their signs to proclaim their identification.

[baxtron]

this improved her chances of winning.

[joetherealist]

I guess 38 is young for a Repub, although I still think the term "Young Republican" is an oxymoron.

[mrmikes]

No, she is a young republican. A middle-aged republican is 82. And she rights good to! I'm so proud to be from Louisiana,(not).

[Outofnowhere]

Exactly

[LeawoodKansas]

5 bucks says that she quits if her hair starts thinning.