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Conservative Blacks Choose Pigment Over Principle
townhall.com ^ | June 22, 2008 | Nina May

Posted on 06/22/2008 6:20:31 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY

n the mid 1980’s I debated Gloria Steinhem on the Phil Donahue show, during the presidential campaign where Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman Vice Presidential candidate. The assumption by feminists, like Gloria, was that all women should vote for Geraldine because she was a woman. I asked her if she would be supporting Phyllis Schlafly if she were the candidate instead of Geraldine and if she would be offended if I made that same assumption.

When Allen Keyes was running for president, as probably one of the most brilliant candidates we have ever seen, he was ignored by the liberal media and the black community because, as a black Republican, he was deemed either irrelevant or out of touch. I often wondered if he had been the first black Democrat running for office if he would have been treated better, and then I had my answer in Barack Obama.

What is it about this man that has thoughtful, conservative blacks like Armstrong Williams and JC Watts saying they might vote for him? It can’t be his left of left politics that makes even Ted Kennedy look conservative. What thinking conservative could actually support a man who is going to raise taxes, increase the size of government, redistribute wealth, burden small businesses and the working class, and play nice with people who want to destroy us? It can’t just be about his skin color otherwise they would have been huge supporters of Allen Keyes when he ran for president, and as I recall, neither were.

Armstrong explains his position by saying, ''I don't necessarily like his [Barack’s] policies; I don't like much of what he advocates, but for the first time in my life, history thrusts me to really seriously think about it.'' JC Watts, former Republican congressman from Oklahoma,

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial
KEYWORDS: allenwest; armstrongwilliams; blackconservatives; blackpresident; jcwatts
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To: JaneNC

True, Williams and Watts are not conservativs in this instance. But hey! John McCain is no conservative, either!!

What else is there left to vote for, huh?

I will vote for McCain because I believe Obama to be a puppet, used by evil people. This is a national tragedy.


21 posted on 06/22/2008 6:40:25 PM PDT by SatinDoll (Desperately desiring a conservative government.)
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To: Anti-Bubba182

I recall the black establishment over the years poking fun at Armstrong Williams and J.C. Watts, calling them unkind names for supporting “white man’s” politics.


22 posted on 06/22/2008 6:40:46 PM PDT by Theodore R. (9)
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To: Free ThinkerNY
My question to this sort of thinking is "How is voting for someone because they're Black/a Woman/Jewish/etc... any different than NOT voting for them because they're Black/a Woman/Jewish/etc?"

And is voting for someone because of their race "less racist" than voting against that person because of their race? (Yes, I know that I'm misusing the term "racist," but that's how it's currently being used in political discourse today: I realize that most people who use the word "racist" don't actually understand the meaning.)

Mark

23 posted on 06/22/2008 6:42:48 PM PDT by MarkL (Al Gore: The Greenhouse Gasbag! (heard on Bob Brinker's Money Talk))
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To: TribalPrincess2U

Look who’s racist now, has always been will always be no matter what the media and liberal tell you.


24 posted on 06/22/2008 6:42:54 PM PDT by ronnie raygun (IF YOU ARE NOT CONSERVATIVE BY 35 YOU HAVE NO BRAIN. W CHURCHILL)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

This makes me sad...especially after we have spent decades to convince a society that color of skin does not matter. Apparently it does matter.


25 posted on 06/22/2008 6:43:21 PM PDT by Notasoccermom (.)
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To: Free ThinkerNY
Last week, I saw Armstrong being interviewed and it was sad/pathetic to hear the words out of his mouth....

..the worm turns.

If he does this, all his previous so called grounded ideas was just hot air.

Same goes for JC.

Should be a huge wake-up call (but it won't) that Alan Keyes is vilified/demonized/marginalized....

..and Obama gets pass after pass after pass....

..tick tick..that's me waiting for 'the usual suspects' to show up here and ridicule/vilify/marginalize Alan Keyes yet again.

26 posted on 06/22/2008 6:43:49 PM PDT by Guenevere (If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.)
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To: Navy Patriot

I always respected JC Watts as a Politician. Vote For Barry?, he has no credibility. The article makes a very poignant point. Alan Keyes is 3 x the intellect of Barry, where was JC?


27 posted on 06/22/2008 6:44:00 PM PDT by DAC21
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To: Theodore R.
Meanwhile they are making a living or political connections.

Obama is right about one thing. Whites are hot for black associates who are friendly, supportive and not hostile. Consevatives play too. We are less critical of minorities than we are of whites.

28 posted on 06/22/2008 6:46:04 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
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To: Free ThinkerNY
Call this racist.. please! But I tend to believe that choosing Obama over one's principles strongly suggests -- in my mind -- that it reveals a desire to "get even" more than to get along.

The point about Amb. Keyes is an excellent one. Where were his supporters outside of white conservatives -- on the other hand I remember the Clarance Thomas hearings. There were several young black supporters there testifying -- as I recall it was very late at night here on the west coast and it was three hours later in Washington, D. C.

There was hardly anyone else left in the hearing room. I remember the MSM employees' comments. "Wow, these people are really smart." "Yes, they make great points, where did they come from?"

So, with decades and decades of exposure to the MSM I know that you cannot depend upon 'em and this was a perfect example of how little they know.

(This is not a comment about the posted article.)

29 posted on 06/22/2008 6:48:07 PM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

stupid is as stupid does


30 posted on 06/22/2008 6:50:10 PM PDT by yldstrk (My heros have always been cowboys--Reagan and Bush)
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To: Free ThinkerNY
There is no principled GOP candidate to vote for. Blaming the voter for GOP ineptitude is not the winning strategy.
31 posted on 06/22/2008 6:51:29 PM PDT by VRWC For Truth (No mas Juan "Traitor Rat" McAmnesty)
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To: WilliamofCarmichael
It also seems rather humorous that the Presidential candidate who was supposed to be such a "uniter" and transcend race is the one talking about it the most. If Senator Obama was confident in his abilities and character, he would not need to create a crutch for failure. Senator Obama has just tipped his hand, any criticism of him and his policies will be directly attributed to racism. I congratulate Senator Obama for taking race relations in America back some 30 years. Col. Allen West Rep. CD-22 Fl. candidate


32 posted on 06/22/2008 6:51:39 PM PDT by Fox_Mulder77
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To: Free ThinkerNY
I lost all respect for Armstrong Williams when he admitted he took payola. J.C. Watts, however, was on Hannity's radio show shortly after this column was published, and clarified his statements.

Watts said that his remark about Obama being more dedicated to issues of poverty and urban policy was NOT an endorsement or an indication that he would vote for him, it was just a statement of what he expected from the first black President, considering that white Dems have made promises galore over the years and not delivered. His complaint was that in the same way the Dems take black voters for granted, Republicans take for granted that black voters are beyond their reach, and make only feeble efforts to reach out to them.

33 posted on 06/22/2008 6:53:06 PM PDT by L.N. Smithee (Hussein-feld: A campaign about nothing!)
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To: devere
“thoughtful, conservative blacks like Armstrong Williams and JC Watts saying they might vote for him?”

“Well, in that case they obviously aren’t either thoughtful or conservative.”

I agree, and I really considered Armstrong Williams and JC Watts to be intelligent. Guess I was totally wrong!

34 posted on 06/22/2008 6:53:12 PM PDT by seekthetruth
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To: ChildOfThe60s

“So, I suppose it is OK for me to say I am voting for the white candidate because I am loyal to the white folk?”

No..as you know..it is not ok to say that or do that...just like we have no ‘White Caucus’ activism in DC..no ‘White’ federal funded college funds...no ‘White’ anything...BECAUSE it was and is WRONG....but the blacks have done it with abandon.

It is very sad to see some of our brightest black conservatives falling for the lure of a race baiting Marxist like Obama.


35 posted on 06/22/2008 6:53:13 PM PDT by penelopesire ("The only CHANGE you will get with the Democrats is the CHANGE left in your pocket")
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To: TribalPrincess2U

Yeah, I did.


36 posted on 06/22/2008 6:55:56 PM PDT by HoosierHawk
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To: Free ThinkerNY
It can’t just be about his skin color otherwise they would have been huge supporters of Allen Keyes when he ran for president, and as I recall, neither were.

That's because Keyes, bless his heart, is a train wreck of a candidate. And he's unqualified; being an ambassador is the high-ranking position one can have in government without having ANY expertise whatsoever in ANY field.

37 posted on 06/22/2008 6:57:18 PM PDT by L.N. Smithee (Hussein-feld: A campaign about nothing!)
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To: Free ThinkerNY
I think Chris explained it best in his open letter to JC:

The next time a black person like you or Mr. Steele or Miss Rice runs, it won’t be oh, s/he’s different, they’re Republican. It will be “remember the last time…”. No, it’s not fair, but fairness is not an issue in politics. That is why we need the first black president to be a Reagan, not a Carter. We need the first black president to set a high standard. Not one who will set a new standard for bad.

38 posted on 06/22/2008 7:05:25 PM PDT by Dawnsblood
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To: OKIEDOC
J.C Watts comments did not set well with me.

I have met and spoken with Watts and have always considered him a strong Christian.

I must therefore reconsider some of my rather strong support for J.C as a potential Vice Presidential candidate.

I have a copy of J.C. Watts' book What Color is a Conservative? It was given me by a friend. I never got around to reading it, and now I never shall. It does not matter who Watts votes for. The fact that he is considering voting for the Leftist of Leftists shows that he does not know what a conservative is, let alone what color one is.

39 posted on 06/22/2008 7:05:27 PM PDT by Sans-Culotte
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To: ChildOfThe60s

“Real conservatives” don’t see much difference between Obama and McCain, so why not vote on skin color? At least that would accomplish something (showing the world the U.S. is not a racist country).


40 posted on 06/22/2008 7:07:08 PM PDT by wo fat
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