The Debate at Morgan State: GOP at a Crossroads with Blacks and Hispanics
The GOP debate in Baltimore at Morgan State University, led and moderated by Tavis Smiley, and currently being snubbed by the leading candidates, is a pivotal moment in this election. It is a litmus test for a Republican Party that, in the past, has run away from black voters and only selectively interacted with Hispanic citizens.
At this moment in American history, it is clear that either the Republican Party wisely embraces people of color, or it chooses to be a losing political party in the future. The courage and vision of Tavis Smiley, and his often overlooked but historic Covenant movement, has put the limelight on this dilemma of the Republican Party.
We shall see which choice the Republican Party makes in regard to people of color in particular, but most importantly to their future as a party in the American democratic experiment.
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I think even the biggots agree it's time African Americans had their own market and ran it.
Tom Tancredo was the only one to show up, sad.
If the issues are on the table that the people are talking about, might their not be a solution found.
Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne to integrate Little Rock's Central High School in 1957. I watched it on TV. Actually, Governor Faubus has sent in the National Guard earlier to prevent integration of the school - hence DDE acted!
The "solid south" was then 100% Democratic. And, yes, it was because of Lincoln and the Civil War.
During the 60's, Federal Marshalls integrated two southern universities: Alabama and Ole Miss.
Nommo makes a great point. We know the core Republicans have lost their way, and anyone who still supports them is far gone. I think we have to learn from the poison of thinking any party is immune. The Democratic party is just as lost.
We ought to cease talk of political parties. We must discuss issues in such a way that party affiliation never enters the debate. it has no relevance to the truth. We must devote our energies to understanding history, human nature, and the problems we currently face and to developing the ideals and means for coping with the ones we have created with nature and resolving the ones we create within our minds.
The Republicans suck. The Democrats are as wicked of a machine. Their complicity in the imperial agenda is proof. So what! They are both enabled by unthinking and/or cowering sycophants. We have to move ourselves beyond thinking that merely gives our power away to these lecherous institutions. Let's bid farewell to these discussions and make them irrelevant along with this limiting and destructive way of living. Grassroots social frameworks like Michael Lerner's Tikkun are the way forward. We must not skip the step of educating ourselves and striving for consciousness and enlightenment. If we do, we are doomed to remain in this loop if we aren't doomed to extinction first.
Peace!
Oh, come on! They are NOT at a "crossroads". They don't give a s**t about non-white minorities. Republicans constantly pander to the white racist crowd.Been that way since 1960 in the days of Nixon's "Southern Strategy" and the ant-civil rights Goldwater surge.
There is TOO MUCH $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to be made by GOP Republican loyalists and pals to get out of the Bush-Cheney profiteer "war" games.
Bush-Cheney took advantage of "evangelical church country" of REDNECK RIGHTWING TERRORIST CHRISTIANS as a "voter block" and Supreme Court rightwingers to install themselves and start "terrorism" to replace "communism" as an excuse to constantly SHOVEL TAXPAYER DOLLARS out of USTreasury into pockets of war profiteering corporate welfare queen pals,
Big Oil, Katrina profiteers, Blackwater private for-profit army, liars, cheaters, killers -- a GOP Republican "enrichment program"MONEY GRAB.
Good luck, turning around this "Queen Mary" ship on a dime, Americans. Now you're really stuck with the ROBBERY & KILLING of the middle class.
Tavis Smiley will cut to the chase with any and all candidates and not Bull Sh*t, This is telltale of GOP's failure to lead in any but their own self serving, self enrichment mode. Both Tavis and Cornel run intellectual circles around the line-up both present and missing from this debate. Truth is Fred would take a whipping on most of his populist GOP jargoning and he certainly does not want to make a fool out of himself which could very well take place, truth his cannot cut it in truth or as part of his act. IF,,, IF he could he'd get his ass there and take part.
Not likely to happen.
The univision debates had the largest group of "demo" viewers for their debate.... O'reilly, Hannity, Dobbs, Limbaugh, Romney, Hunter, Juliani, Ingram, Coulter are not putting on a good face for the gop and they will be the permanent minority party within one generation.
They will probably go another 40 yrs without control of congress .... unless the gop are successful with their dirty tricks again.
I think these right wing talking heads have bought into this O'Reilly / Buchannan idea that they are in the middle of a culture war... too bad for republicans, they should realize they have lost and embrace diversity since it is our great strength.
EVERYONE,,
read the book "the shock doctrine" by naomi kline and you'll see why things are the way they are.
The only people less likely to vote for repubs are a womans' right to chose industry workers.
The only people less likely than blacks to vote for a repub are abortion industry workers.
I don't like either party!!!. They only care about the lobbist, not America.
The only people, who will be there, will be the people nobody, has a clue about, (except Ron PAUL). I only like,one!!! Republican, at this time, Ron Paul,.........nobody else.
So I believe, it will, help him, get more possitive, exposure.
I like Tavis, and what, he's trying to do, for everybody, in black America, by exposing both sides, to our needs and views. And weeding out the pretenders, for our vote.
We have been USED, by the Democrats, and ABUSED, by Republicans, and Misled, by OUR LEADERS (AFRICAN AMERICANS).
By having theses open Forums or debates, he hopes to show all of America!!! WE KNOW WHAT GOING ON TOO, AND OUR LEADERS, SUCK AS BAD AS YOURS!!!!!
Nah, sorry to say Republicans took the anti-Black turn long ago. Look at their hisory. They welcomed with open arms the Kluckers like Strom and his southern haters of blacks (well except those token guys like Armstrong). Democrats on the other hand, never put up with the tirades out of folks like Senator Byrd and always called him on his anti Black rhetoric. Somehow that seemed to help Byrd find a way to get over his racist beginnings.
There are a few Republicans who understand there is no way to correct these years of discrimination without some very well thought out programs to level the playing field. To ordinary Republicans, the discussion in precinct meetings has always been denial of their anti black history. Those of us who thought the Party was soft on the Anti Black bigots were forced out of the party in order to maintain our ideals.
Very few blacks will vote for a GOP presidential candidate.
They are owned by the Dems.
Just as the Dems were pro slavery back in the day, they also keep blacks under control today by keeping them as a permanant underclass, scraping by on the dole.
It's sad to see a people self destruct, but what can you do.
Cornel West explicated his beliefs with Charlie Rose Tuesday night [9-19-07]; i.e., the conditions of the nation and the challenges of the world impacting this USA nation demand more social policy, supports, programs prioritization in order to maintain the USA as a civilized democracy of the 21st century. Taking care of citizen people, all the people, with equal weighting of needs, as mandated by the US Constitution, requires the US Government to embrace social supports over idolatrous captivity to some notion of mammon-worship prioritization. In a christian nation, and in this USA nation established and governed by the US Constitution, "government exists ONLY at the pleasure of all the citizen people, and functions 'by-for-of' The People.
Hispanics and Blacks are not the ONLY poor people in the USA needing due care and attention in the form of social supports. However, Cornel West is imploring blacks and hispanics not to be duped by patronizing political chat and flattery, and to remember to vote for their own needs, i.e., social supports, not capital interests which empower the monied and enslave the financially deprived, making a mockery of US Constitutional Democracy.
Yeah, all those urban students in a very blue state were going to vote Republican. PLEASE.
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