Okay, it looks like we have our work cut out for us.They may have QUANTITY...According to local news, there were THOUSANDS of THEM at Pershing Square two days ago...
...but WE will have QUALITY. :o)Here is a SHORT EXCERPT about our very good FRiend Ted -- from www.opinionjournal.com:(TED HAYES is scheduled to be there on OUR side.)
CROSS COUNTRY
Rasta Republican
Meet Los Angeles's Ted Hayes. He's black, dreadlocked--and belongs to the GOP.
BY JILL STEWART
Thursday, April 28, 2005 12:01 a.m.
LOS ANGELES--Condoleezza Rice and Ward Connerly once epitomized black Republicans in California. But their ilk now also includes Ted Hayes, a social activist and inner-city coach whose billowing robes and dreadlocks don't exactly conjure up an image of the GOP.
More blacks than ever support vouchers and faith-based initiatives, and side with President Bush on gay marriage. Mr. Hayes recently made the transition himself, ending a long journey for this former leftist who founded Dome Village, an outcropping of pod-like homeless shelters along the freeway in downtown Los Angeles.
There are other prominent black Republicans in California, of course, such as syndicated radio host Larry Elder and community relations expert Joe Hicks. But even among these unusual thinkers, Mr. Hayes stands out. He's an intense critic of L.A.'s powerful "black old guard"--Democratic politicians, charity bosses and inner-city preachers who, for a generation, have responded to poverty and illiteracy by demanding government programs and blaming white racism.
Not surprisingly, plenty of people wish pesky black Republicans like Mr. Hayes would just slink away. He has skewered L.A.'s entrenched black leaders as "Negro officials," and he has the street cred to get away with it. As L.A. endured another crisis between black leaders and cops recently, he refused to denounce police for shooting dead a 13-year-old, Devin Brown, after a car chase. Instead, Mr. Hayes's press release faulted black church leaders who, despite their great power, rarely point to the lack of parental responsibility...-- snip --
Wow...cool pic of the indomitable Ted Hayes.
Don't you just love those portraits in the WSJ?
His presence can sure rally the troops, especially
when he wears his Uncle Sam outfit with that bullhorn!
Hope this event is well attended ...
Sure would love to hear Arnold's speech. Hope it gets posted.
He's such a dynamic speaker...inspiring, optimistic, classy.
Lucky grads.