Posted on 09/27/2007 4:38:10 PM PDT by sierrascrapper
WASHINGTON -- A PBS video previewing the network's Republican presidential candidates forum, set to air tonight from a historically black university, asks, "Can the party of Abraham Lincoln win the hearts and minds of all Americans?"
But none of the GOP's top White House contenders will show up to answer the question, each citing a scheduling conflict.
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Instead, viewers will see four empty lecterns on the stage as Tavis Smiley, an African American talk show host, poses questions to five lesser-known candidates: Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine), Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.).
Coming days after the Spanish-language network Univision was forced to postpone its Republican forum because it was rejected by all but one candidate -- Sen. John McCain of Arizona -- the PBS forum has touched off a debate within the GOP over whether its 2008 candidates are trampling on past efforts to draw more minority voters.
"It's a missed opportunity," said former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, who would have been the Senate's only black Republican had he won his election bid last year.
Steele, an organizer of the PBS forum, said he had confronted the campaigns in recent days, to no avail. He said that failing to connect with African American voters could be "lethal" in the general election.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
THIS SPEAKS VOLUMES TO ME. Who is not showing up for this debate????
FRED THOMPSON MITT ROMNEY RUDY GIULIANI JOHN MCCAIN
If I was a minority, I would be offended too. I'm glad that the other candidates feel it is important to speak to all groups in our nation. We are a "melting pot" after all and you can't exclude certain grouops due to their color of skin. They all have a VOICE and VOTE
Interesting article
So you want to waste your breath talking to a bunch of devout socialist?If you are a conservative I can see alot better things to do with ones time.You are not going to change anyones mind.
Pardon me amigo, but nobody is being excluded. According to the constitution there are no minorities. Candidates should not have to speak to so-called minorities like Blacks, Latinos, whatever anymore than should have to speak to Norwegians, Greeks, or any other ethnic group. Speaking to so-called minorities is called pandering. If certain ethnic groups feel excluded, they should stop excluding themselves from the rest of the country. They're the ones doing the excluding. Get over your race and minority hang-ups.
I would tell them frankly why the conservative agenda should be pleasing to all.
“Do you black guys feel uneasy when you look at your pay stub and see that 50% goes to taxes?
“Do you want to live in a society whree it is illegal to smoke in your own house?
Put it to them directly. All they can say is no, we don’t care.
They vote but usually for the party that supported Jim Crow laws and segregation, the party that fought tooth and nail against civil rights legislation. They vote against the party that was born out of opposition to slavery.
“So you want to waste your breath talking to a bunch of devout socialist?”
It wasn’t a waste of GW Bush’s breath when he increased the Republican percent of hispanics in Texas.
I am among the largest minority in the USA today. I am a white male, Christian, retired soldier, conservative. You don’t get any more minority status than that.
I guess when the Left Barks-everyone else is suppose to jump? Or is there a Group Now who has the job of keeping RECORDS of the number of times "Speaking Engagements are not attended?"
Double Dittos to THAT! ( Gee? I wonder just How many LIBERAL Candidates have had "Scheduling Problems" when asked to be interviewed or Speak on MINUTE MEN Forums? Mmmm?
Or how many times has EDWARDS, SHARPTON, Hillary Had "Schedual Problems that conflict with..." when RIGHT TO LIFE Forums asked THEM to come speak to defend THEIR Stances? Mmmm?
Never hear about THOSE " Conflicts " in the news? Do we? (Let alone "Comments" when Groups like the MinuteMen or Pro-Lifers were KICKED OFF with VIOLENCE from Public Speaking at Schools & Universities!)
I also tend to call into QUESTION the "Motives" and PRE-JUDGEMENTS Made by others or related PBS personnel, When THEY have the nerve to call Politcians like Duncan Hunter, Hukabee, or Tancredo " LESSER NAME " Republicans!? They are Pretty Top Name to me!----would they call "Shapton, Jackson" (All FAILING at all their attempts to gain National Recognition of Positions!) " Lesser Name Democrat Represenatives?
DA
Why would anyone go to get verbally beat up by a bunch of people that are not going to vote for you anyway, and as an opportunity to air their lefty positions?
“It wasn’t a waste of GW Bush’s breath when he increased the Republican percent of hispanics in Texas.”
Oh really?
http://www.mysterypollster.com/main/2004/12/nep_revises_tex.html
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_48/c3910069_mz013.htm
I think the issue here is that the GOP sees Americans as “Americans.”
The Dems see Americans as: African-Americans, White Americans, Mexican-Americans, Asian-Americans, etc.
“Oh really?”
Yes, oh really.
The articles indicate the gains were not as large as initially reported. Granted. But Bush did nonetheless win more than before.
What is your strategy for Republicns to win? Writeoff blacks and hispanics? Just ignore them, because few will vote for you?
If you think about the 100 percent demographic pie, Republicans cannot afford to write off blacks, hispanics, and other groups.
Not so long as your goal is to win. But if your goal is to be idealogically pure, one might opt to cater to a decreasing but strident subset.
I think that their actions already prove they dont care.
That was then and this is now.The hispanics have thrown their lot in with the rats now.
Michael Steele is the Left? Who knew?!!!
Funny about that.Screw ‘em.
You sure label folks with a broad brush! There are many conservative hispanics.
Skipping it was stupid. So what if we can’t win that vote? We can at least get a few million voters from ‘em. So why stab them in the eye?
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