Will Newt Gingrich Play Peacemaker Between NAACP And Tea Party?

Former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich entered the back-and-forth between the Tea Party and NAACP in an unlikely role: possible peacemaker.

Gingrich, who appears to be considering a 2012 presidential run, reached out the the NAACP on Thursday.

"The naacp has opened up a wonderful opportunity for the tea party movement," Gingrich wrote a tweet. "Local tea party leaders across america should reach out."

He continued:

If tea party leaders contact local naacp chapters and offer to cohost local townhall meetings a wonderful dialogue could begin

african americans want jobs, worry about deficit spending, oppose taxes, love freedom and america--tea party naacp dialogue will be exciting.

Gingrich's role as peacemaker may be vital. On Tuesday night, Sarah Palin denounced the NAACP for passing a resolution condemening alleged racism within the Tea Party.

In response, Tea Party leader Mark Williams fired back at the NAACP, calling it a racist organiztion.

Comments

[Jamchinadian]

11:17 PM on 07/18/2010

Yet another lame-brain HP headline. The newter has no such interest. His only interest is a very transparent attempt to portray himself as being a statesman above the fray. He would be more credible if he straight up condemned the obvious racist images and statements from the teabag set. The same goes for David Webb - he is another Michael Steeless / Alan Keyes type.

[Mdazes]

03:42 PM on 07/18/2010

The Freaking country is falling apart and here we are talking about "racism" Which is a discussion that always go in a circle. The NAACP and the Tea Party politics are so different it makes absolutly no sense for these two group to waste their time with each other. I say drop the subject and let both organization go back to their business.

[Mdazes]

03:32 PM on 07/18/2010

Who does this guy think he is fooling? Many black people have the same negative view of Mr Gingrich as they have for The Tea Party.

[JessCostello]

09:09 AM on 07/17/2010

This guy is ridiculous. He will NOT get the nomination in 2012 and all President Obama (or whoever gets the Democratic Party nomination) has to do is bring up Gingrich's less than sterling character and his policy missteps. Gingrich won't rise above Speaker of the House.

As for bringing the Tea Party and the NAACP together? Screw that, let the NAACP reach out to the Tea Party, they just attacked the Tea Party, saying it wasn't doing enough to combat racism in it's ranks. Some members of the NAACP have called the whole Tea Party racist.

To hell with the NAACP, let them clean house of racists and black supremacists first before they accuse the Tea Party.

[Philclock]

12:23 AM on 07/17/2010

Make peace with the NAACP?

Should be the other way around, NAACP apologize for its racist slurs against the Tea Party.

Won't happen, NAACP has evolved into a racist cult, seeking power for its own sake, rather than helping people of whatever race.

[LRanger2]

01:14 AM on 07/17/2010

The CP in NAACP does not stand for any race, but I'm not sure that the term "racist cult" is applicable - Their political objectives are far left of the Tea Party which is fine, but to attempt to discredit the TP with a flurry of race card fallacy is an unfortunate indictment on the integrity and judgment of current NAACP leaders...

[Philclock]

02:19 PM on 07/17/2010

Disagree.

Race is the prime directive and premise of the NAACP, otherwise it would not exist as it stands today, with its focus on raw power rather than community service.

[JessCostello]

09:11 AM on 07/17/2010

I absolutely agree. The NAACP is a group of political operatives, they need to drum up the black vote for November, well now they've stirred something up. I don't know if they have the same pull in black communities that they once did, but we'll find out soon enough.

[DrBlunt]

04:34 PM on 07/16/2010

PhuckkkNewt!

[Dee Turner]

04:18 PM on 07/16/2010

To "all non-people of color", I, a retired worker, who's worked since 16 yrs old, with siblings
and classmates of similar or still working, "PLEAD WITH YOU", TO TELL YOUR FAMILY,
FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS AND CHURCH COMMUNITIES, THE REBUPLICANS WITH HELP
MATES SARAH, HANITY, BECK, AND LIMBAURGH ARE PURPOSELY TRYING TO INCITE
A RACE WAR, FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF AVERTING YOUR ATTENTION TO FEARING
OF PEOPLE, WHO HAD NOTHING TO DO, NOR WERE IN THE OFFICES OF THE PEOPLE
IN CHARGE WHEN SENDING YOUR JOBS AWAY, STEALING YOUR MONEY FROM 401K,
AND OTHER FINANCIAL RESOURCES. RIGHT NOW, NON-PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE
BEING HELD HOSTAGE OF FOOD, RENT MONEY ECT... STAND WITH US! AND MARCH,
'"TOGETHER WE WILL TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK!" FROM DIVERSIONARY TATICS

[JessCostello]

09:21 AM on 07/17/2010

How are the Republicans trying to incite a race war when the NAACP just accused a huge movement: the Tea Party of racism and condoning racism because some people ( of which the NAACP hasn't proven to be Tea Party members) have racist signs and other events?

The NAACP, an organization that was explicitly race minded until the Prop 8 debacle, is stirring up hatred by attacking the Tea Party, an organization that is primarily interested in taxes and government spending. You don't have to see the world through any racial prism to be a Tea Party member.

'together we will take our country back' is something that Democrats were saying in 2006 and 2008 and everyone understood it to mean ideology.

I think many of the African Americans, not neccessarily yourself, who keep reciting these talking points are racist themselves. I grew up as a non-black minority in an area full of racist, violent black people and I know for a fact that some of them were Teachers and township Administrators who were involved in the NAACP and NOI. How do I know? Because the building they gathered at was in the same complex as one of our High Schools and Municipal buildings.

Black people don't deserve a special pass for racism and neither does the NAACP.

[CTDFalconer]

01:27 PM on 07/16/2010

As he has done so often before, I think Newt's blowing against the wind. The 'baggers have built their entire castle on the sand of reactionary ire. They don't want rapprochement, they want resistance. Newt's "contract with America" is looking more and more like the right's last gasp at building a big tent movement, that's now completely fractured into smaller camps around ideology. Libertarians, religious fundamentalists and Buckley-style conservatives were never completely at ease in their marriage of convenience. Now they have gone to their own campfires, leaving sensible centrists in the cold.

[JessCostello]

09:24 AM on 07/17/2010

Actually it looks like the NAACP doesn't want rapproachement because when asked 'what more can the Tea Party do besides denounce racism' by the CNN anchor (a black man named Don Lemmon) the NAACP representative couldn't give him an answer---and HE WAS CALLED OUT FOR IT.

The NAACP doesn't want to patch this up, they want it to fester and inspire angry voters to come out for the election in November.

[jemiltd]

01:22 PM on 07/16/2010

Roland Martin took a sane perspective of the Tea Party on civil rights. It is certainly well worth the read: http://www.rolandsmartin.com/blog/index.php/2010/07/16/what-is-the-tea-partys-civil-rights-agenda/
Me? I am simply feeling all of this hypocritical outrage is only for the sake of the fall elections. All the pictures speak much louder than the protests of "we're not racists."

[JessCostello]

09:26 AM on 07/17/2010

Hypocritical outrage defines the NAACP.

[jemiltd]

10:24 AM on 07/17/2010

Hypocritical because you don't agree. Facts please. Labels is what you folks do best when you have nothing.

[BlueDog1]

12:38 PM on 07/16/2010

Now if there is anyone who can spin the Teabagger movement into a integrated party it is Newt.....

[hobo62]

12:24 PM on 07/16/2010

Newt bridging a gap? Kinda like "Jack The Ripper" was just testing knife blades?

[Cal3b G]

12:02 PM on 07/16/2010

Wow.. Newt Gingreich, the guy who pretended that Obama "favors his own race", campaigned against Affirmative Action and "welfare", and called Sonia Sotomayor "Latina racist woman"??! That's the guy who is supposed to be a peacemaker?? OMG!

[AudreyinGA]

11:39 AM on 07/16/2010

Newt wants a microphone. At this point in his life, he does not care where the microphone is plugged in to as long as it is turned on and he thinks people are listening. So....do not turn
the microphones on when he is around and do not listen to this man!

[quillerm]

10:54 AM on 07/16/2010

Another Case of Holder DOJ Racism against White and Asian Voters
The controversy originated from a case in which Noxubee County Democratic leader Ike Brown canceled ballots cast by white voters. "He stuffed the ballot box with illegal ballots supporting his preferred black candidates," Mr. Adams explained. "He deployed teams of notaries to roam the countryside and mark absentee ballots instead of voters. He allowed forced assistance in the voting booth, to the detriment of white voters. He threatened 174 white voters."

Mr. Brown spearheaded a request for a voting-practice change to approve the same practices - under cover of law - that he previously had done illegally. The Justice Department did not object. Instead, it issued a "no determination" letter that, according to Mr. Adams, effectively leaves the issue open for another day.

We are waiting for the NAACP to pass a declaration condemning Brown and Holder of racism.

[The Stand]

11:05 AM on 07/16/2010

Please source your post with a link or document.

[The Stand]

11:11 AM on 07/16/2010

http://www.opednews.com/articles/A-G-Holder-remember-Ike-by-Scott-Tyner-090312-668.html
This might be a more nuanced article about Ike Brown. The other link I found was Pajamas Media
which is a purely partisan website.

[Hardyman1966]

10:44 AM on 07/16/2010

Peacemaker, huh?

CONSIDERING presidential run?

I'll take "What is Master of the Obvious" for $500, Alex.