Posted on 04/10/2013 3:44:35 PM PDT by drewh
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, the Tea Party favorite and emerging 2016 GOP presidential star, on Wednesday showed he is looking to broaden his and the Republican Party's base far beyond white males to include African-American youths.
In a speech to Howard University Wednesday morning, Paul reached out to blacks, arguing that the Democrats and President Obama has failed African Americans, but admitting that the GOP has a long way to go before blacks see Republicans as their guide to success.
"Some have said that I'm either brave or crazy to be here today. I've never been one to watch the world go by without participating. I wake up each day hoping to make a difference," said Paul. "I come to Howard today, not to preach, or prescribe some special formula for you but to say I want a government that leaves you alone, that encourages you to write the book that becomes your unique future." Sign Up for the Paul Bedard newsletter!
With his message of liberty and independence, Paul urged the young African Americans to realize that generations of Democratic promises have left them short and to consider the GOP's economic message.
In a slap at Obama, he added, "Today, after four years of the current policies, one in six Americans live in poverty, more than at any other time in the past several decades. In fact, the poor have grown poorer in the past four years. Black unemployment is at 14%, nearly twice the national average. This is unacceptable."
Paul said he is eager to change the GOP's image among blacks by boosting education programs and changing the way courts and police handle crime in urban areas, especially drugs.
"Republicans are often miscast as uncaring or condemning of kids who make bad choices. I, for one, plan to change that. I am working with Democratic senators to make sure that kids who make bad decisions such as non-violent possession of drugs are not imprisoned for lengthy sentences," he said.
Paul said it is time to change the laws "that ruin the lives of young men and women who have committed no violence. That's why I have introduced a bill to repeal federal mandatory minimum sentences. We should not have drug laws or a court system that disproportionately punishes the black community."
He concluded, "I hope that some of you will be open to the Republican message that favors choice in education, a less aggressive foreign policy, more compassion regarding non-violent crime and encourages opportunity in employment. And when the time is right, I hope that African Americans will again look to the party of emancipation, civil liberty, and individual freedom."
An associate said Paul was striving to "take an honest, bold and courageous path even if it steps out of the GOP mainstream and takes some chances."
Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus also praised Paul's outreach, telling Secrets, "I am encouraged that more and more Republicans at every level are reaching out to communities that have not traditionally been ou
Good for him, he’s got the courage of his convictions. Now if some of the others would grow a pair.........
Asking them to abandon the Democrat party is essentially the same as asking them to give up on political life in this country.
That won't work. We need to approach them from the standpoint that they will become a large, effective component in the Republican coalition. At this point we don't have anything more to promise them than do the Democrats ~ which, let me point out again, are essentially part of the African American community and not exactly the other way around.
Rand's approach, while well meant, and probably true in all respects, is the wrong one. These guys want seats on the RNC and that crowd isn't even giving them to Conservatives ~ who are 80% of the effective field strength of the Republican party!
I think it’s a good move. It directly bypasses the media and the libs and gets a direct, unfiltered message about conservatism to those who have suffered the most under liberalism.
I do not like it when any politician panders to a group with skin color as the common denominator. Paul should simply convince them that he has the best vision for the country.
Amen. If people, in general, didn’t make poor choices in life, they’d be living successfully and enjoying the benefits of republican policies.
Right on... black this, black that, blah, blah, blah.
Suck it up and be a productive American.
AMERICAN, PERIOD.
Totally agree. This is the most pandered-to group in America already, some things people just have to do for themselves and no one else can possibly do it for them.
As Richard Pryor said, “Thank God We Got Penitentiaries.”
Pryor on making “Stir Crazy” from Live on the Sunset Strip. Hilarious, scary, and profane... should be required viewing.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xc501v_richard-pryor-on-arizona-penitentia_shortfilms
I had been looking for that clip for years, thanks.
You’re welcome... spread it around.
Hats off to you for doing what you are doing! I believe you hit it right on target, the language needs to be flipped up, I find what Rand is saying a bit naive.
As far as I am concerned, you are spot on.
Well said. I was talking to a black woman at a bus stop in the bronx a few yrs ago. She was convinced that the government deliberately infiltrated black areas with drugs in an effort to destroy the strong black religious family. I thought she was crazy at the time but many weirder things have happened since then.
"Republicans are often miscast as uncaring or condemning of kids who make bad choices. I, for one, plan to change that. I am working with Democratic senators to make sure that kids who make bad decisions such as non-violent possession of drugs are not imprisoned for lengthy sentences... that ruin the lives of young men and women who have committed no violence. That's why I have introduced a bill to repeal federal mandatory minimum sentences. We should not have drug laws or a court system that disproportionately punishes the black community... I hope that some of you will be open to the Republican message that favors choice in education, a less aggressive foreign policy, more compassion regarding non-violent crime and encourages opportunity in employment. And when the time is right, I hope that African Americans will again look to the party of emancipation, civil liberty, and individual freedom."
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