The GOP's Hip-Hop Makeover? Really?Follow

Sure. I just feel that's a self creating situation. People assume that Republicans aren't in touch with urban issues and people (especially blacks and latinos). Thus, even black and latino republicans are viewed through the lens of this assumption. Which leads people like Omega to make the comment he made, and others to mock someone like Steele. This leads to more laughter and mirth, while everyone pats themselves on the back about how funny it is that a republican might think he knows anything about growing up poor and black, because we all know that republicans aren't in touch with urban issues and people, right?


Take away the starting assumption and the ongoing plays on that assumption, and what do you have? Nothing. Ok. We have a Democrat who was raised in Hawaii, with *zero* genetic ties to black America being viewed as "in touch" with the American black community and assumed to be speaking for them. Meanwhile a guy who's the direct descendant of southern sharecroppers, is viewed as not being "in touch" because he chose to be republican rather than democrat.

Just kinda strange, don't you think?

Well, there were those worthless years as a community organizer and the whole state senator for a largely black & hispanic South Side district thing.

But, yeah, most people figure Obama must be in touch with the urban folks because he's a Democrat (from Hawaii).

Sure, but I doubt people would accuse Roland Burris of being an off the hook, hip-hop urban minority magnet. Either he's not black enough or not Democrat enough!

It's a blatant marketing campaign. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with that, but it just... clinks.

R.W.A. - Straight Outta Maryland

The worlds most dangerous group

Yeah, yeah, "Party of Lincoln" and all that. Unfortunately, that was well over a hundred years ago and, more recently, it's been the "Party of the Southern Strategy". Guess which one has more effect in today's modern politics?

We're the "party that doesn't hand out entitlements because of people's skin color". Funny thing. Back in Lincoln's day, we were the party that tried not to treat people differently because of the color of their skin. Today, we're the party that tries not to treat people differently because of the color of their skin. We didn't change.

What changed is that Democrats switched from being the party that oppressed blacks via Jim Crow and Segregation, to the party that oppresses black people by trapping them into entitlement programs. They used to prevent black people from voting against them by scaring them away from the polls. Now they do it by making them afraid of losing their government payouts. Different strategy. Same disdain...

Gbaji, you might want to ask how minority voters in Steele's home state feel about him.

The two most common comments I heard around here in Baltimore, was Oreo and Uncle Tom. Having read Uncle Tom's Cabin, I think comparing the character Stowe, based on a Slaved that live In Montgomery Co. Maryland to Steele, an insult.

Wish I could pretend that , Maryland's other well known Minority Repug wasn't Keyes. I can't even wish him on Illinois, Since it's my home state.

Gbaji's master plan is apparently to keep refering to blacks as slaves and the Democratic Party as slave-owners. I'm sure this tactic would do wonders to help the GOP. Steele should offer you a job

The parallels are there already Joph. I'm just pointing them out. Playing on the fear of an unknown and unsure future if black people don't continue to support a policy of racially targeted entitlement is what allows Democrats to consistently pick up 90% or more of the black vote.



It really would. I think Republicans are often too scared to say the straight truth. As a result we end up often trying to argue our positions by first adopting politically correct liberal assumptions which create an innately uneven playing field. We're so afraid of the initial backlash when we present a viewpoint that challenges hard-held assumptions that we allow those assumptions to continue and get more entrenched in the public awareness.

The response I'm getting in this thread should be an indicator. The automatic initial assumption is that Republican policies are bad for minorities and Democrat policies are good, with the further assumption that Republicans don't care about minorities while Democrats do. It's hard to challenge those assumptions when everything you say is going to be interpreted by people who already hold them, but at some point, someone has to...

Edited, Feb 19th 2009 7:52pm by gbaji

It was reconstruction. There have been three black republican senators, two in reconstruction era and one, Edward Brooke--from Massachusetts from the 60s. He is very much a republican in the William Cohen tradition-i.e. RINO.There has been 20 African American congressmen during reconstruction era. Three in the Modern era.

If only they could have found a way to "entitle" the residents of New Orleans with Bus Rides out of the City before the levys broke...

Hindsight 20/20, etc...

Edited, Feb 20th 2009 12:56am by Omegavegeta