Why CPAC desperately needs a Sister Souljah moment

The Washington Post's Post Everything ^ | February 24, 2015 | Ben Adler, Grist.org

[2ndDivisionVet]

If Republican presidential contenders want to win in 2016, they should take a page from Bill Clinton’s playbook. And the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), beginning Wednesday in Washington, provides them with a perfect opportunity.

In 1992, Clinton set himself apart from left-wing identity politics by criticizing radical rapper Sister Souljah at Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition. (Souljah had spoken on a panel hosted by the organization and had made provocative anti-white statements.)

Today, much like Democrats in 1992, Republicans have an image problem with voters outside their base. Even as they control Congress, just as Democrats did in 1992, they’ve lost the popular vote in five of the past six presidential elections. Growing portions of the electorate — minorities, millennials, the highly educated — are turning away from the GOP. While some of those constituencies vote at lower rates in midterms, Republicans are left at a disadvantage in presidential election years.

Republican leaders and pragmatic conservatives know this. That’s why, in the wake of the 2012 election, the Republican National Committee committed itself to minority outreach and conservative pundits filled Fox News and the op-ed pages with calls to embrace immigration reform.

But when the House Republican leaders tried to actually start working on an immigration bill, they got nothing to show for it except a fearsome backlash that took out their own majority leader, Eric Cantor of Virginia, in a primary. Congressional Republicans, who fear the same fate, subsequently abandoned any reform effort...

[2ndDivisionVet]

Raise your hand if you think Ben is a registered Republican or has ever voted for a GOP candidate.

[Night Hides Not]

No way, can’t do it...lol.

[arthurus]

Conservatives can only win if they distance themselves from conservatives?

[C. Edmund Wright]

This is exactly the opposite of what needs to be done. Democrats win one way, but Republicans win the opposite way.

In other words, Democrats win when there is little or no ideological difference between the parties. The Republicans win when the ideological difference is viewed as clear and large.

Every election since 80 can be analyzed this way.

[central_va]

Compost advice to Republicans. Right......

[WayneS]

In 1992, Clinton set himself apart from left-wing identity politics by criticizing radical rapper Sister Souljah at Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition. (Souljah had spoken on a panel hosted by the organization and had made provocative anti-white statements.)

That's RIGHT.

Bill Clinton IS a racist.

Thanks for reminding us.

;-)

[Fiji Hill]

The Final Solution; Slavery is Back in Effect--Sister Souljah

[lentulusgracchus]

Raise your hand if you think Ben is a registered Republican or has ever voted for a GOP candidate.

Here's a hint: "Grist", the name of his website, is an old verbal adjective from the verb "grind". So what do we call people who "grind" on the public?

To quote a great American sage, "Illegitimi non carborundum."

Yeah, let's follow Karl Rove and the RiNO's, they've really got the answer on this political corner-shooting stuff.

<Not. >

[PoloSec]

Technically republicans control congress; practically they have no control over anything; they with their democrat counterparts are just wasting and taking up valuable space.

When you have a King what need is there for a congress, I guess they are there for entertainment; the King’s court jesters.