GOP finds party a tough sell to minorities

Washington Times ^ | Thursday, May 9, 2002 | By Ralph Z. Hallow

[JohnHuang2]

Republicans, despite hopes that they would make progress with President Bush at the helm, can't seem to get the hang of outreach to Hispanic, Asian and black voters.

"The current Republican idea for broadening the base of the party has been to bring a bunch of rich white guys in to run the party," said Michael Schroeder, former chairman of the California Republican Party. "Meanwhile, the Democrats have full-time staff people tasked with making sure their message is taken into all the ethnic communities in California."

[FRlurker]

Thanks for posting this article, JH2. I read this in the WT and it's very disheartening, but it makes sense in that at the heart of the Republican party is independence and self-determination. You can't give that away like a welfare check or low-income housing.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Bush is backing Affirmative Action in the Adarand case.

You should follow the news. In late November of last year, the SCOTUS unanimously decided that it wasn't a good test case (with there even being a question of whether the company had standing to present its case to the Court).

Additionally, Ashcroft and Olsen, in their confirmation hearings, swore on the Bible to defend the actions of Congress-- regardless of their personal views. Congress re-authorized the program, so Congress is one of Olsen's clients. Olsen is not the nation's prosecuting attorney-- he's the nation's defense lawyer.

Also, Olsen has taken notable conservative stands:

In Toyota Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. v. Williams, No. 00-1089, Olson sided with the car manufacturer against assembly line worker Ella Williams, who successfully claimed that the carpal tunnel syndrome she developed on the job entitled her to accommodations under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Disabilities groups were angered by the brief, which says the case should be returned to lower courts.

Earlier, Olson filed a brief favoring an Ohio school voucher program that allows government monies to be used for religious school tuition.

The brief was submitted in Zelman v. Doris Simmons-Harris, No. 00-1751, even before the Court announced whether it would take up the case -- an unusually early stage for the government to become involved.

If you're happier believing Bush and Gore are the same ideologically, then that's fine. Others are more reasonable.

[goldstategop]

As long as the GOP is attempting to pander to minorities as the Rat lite party, it'll be a tough sell. I mean why vote for a counterfeit liberal when there's the genuine article available? When the GOP abandons its conservative principles its asking for trouble. For example, not backing Ward Connerly's new Racial Privacy Initiative sends the message to true Republicans the party's not interested in fighting for issues of concern to them and it sends the message to minorities that we're too cowardly to take a stand in favor of the principle a person's race should be a private matter. Either way with a party that's not sure what it believes in, what minority wants to join it? No wonder its been having a hard time gaining new recruits.

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Asking Robert Ray to issue a pardon to Scumbag

I wasn't aware Ray had the power to pardon anyone. Ray did get Clinton to admit he gave misleading statements during the probe of his relationships with Monica Lewinsky and Paula Jones. Clinton accepted a five-year suspension of his law license, agreed to pay a $25,000 fine to cover counsel fees, and acknowledged a violation of one of the Arkansas model rules of professional conduct because of testimony in his Paula Jones case deposition. He was also disbarred from the SCOTUS bar. He settled the Paula Jones case and paid court and counsel fees and restitution and been held in civil contempt for his deposition testimony regarding Monica Lewinsky.

Many did want Bush to pardon to Clinton, but he didn't. Had Ray pursued an indictment for perjury against Clinton, he'd have been tried by regular people and they'd have never convicted him. It would have gained the GOP nothing.

[GraniteStateConservative]

You should go to actual GOP meetings-- especially ones with CRs in attendance. People who are active in the GOP don't act like that (some do, but some don't).

[GraniteStateConservative]

I'm not a black conservative, but I'd like to be on your ping list.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Oh, and here's the Condi Topic list, FYI

[Tribune7]

Excellent, superb, post. To be forever bookmarked.

[PRND21]

Bump

[Ligeia]

A quote from today's Republican Party of Virginia's email about this past Tuesday's elections in Virginia:

Congratulations to Republican Ron Villanueva, who became the first Filipino candidate elected to public office in the city of Virginia Beach. It's up to all of us to show the public that the Republican Party is the Party for EVERYONE who cares about family, freedom and responsible government!

Story in the Virginian-Pilot: Ron Villanueva's victory in Virginia Beach

[RJayneJ]

I did hear on Fox today that Dubya won his court case concerning his dust up with Mary Francis Berry and the appointment he made to the Civil Rights Commission. A 'dust up' is really too strong because he very quietly went about his business. He didn't grand stand or try to publicly punish her. I respect the man for that quality of strength. It's what I call, being quietly effective. His political skills are right up there with Uncle Ronnie, a quality that his father didn't have.

[Ohioan]

Your post #9 does not answer my argument, it illustrates it. You are in effect suggesting that Republicans nominate people who represent a tiny minority in the party, simply because of their minority status. That shows a complete misunderstanding of how the Democrats succeed with the identity game.

Miss Rice is an admirable lady, regardless of her race. But to nominate her for Vice President--Hell to nominate any woman for Vice President--is probably a major mistake. There is absolutely no evidence that the Democrats' picking of Geraldine Ferraro was a net gain for their ticket.

The fact is that those who believe in the American tradition are certainly not going to vote against any ticket that upholds that tradition, simply because those on that ticket are picked from the American mainstream. Those who vote patterns of personal identification, on the other hand--and it is one of the points in my essay, a link to which is offered in my earlier post, here, that they are indeed the majority--are still going to vote a certain way. Most are not going to override their usual pattern, purely on the racial identity of one of the candidates. It is just more complex than that; and those minorities who prefer the Democrats, for all the demagoguish reasons that the Democratic Left has stirred up since FDR, are not going to be converted overnight by a smiling face--nor are they going to bother to study Miss Rice's fine intellect.

On the other hand, you will lose as many votes as you gain among the personal identification voters, who would not want a member of a recognizable minority on the ticket. It is a game not worth the playing, at the present juncture.

There are indeed ways to reach out and broaden the Republican vote in the Negro, Mexican and other minority communities. But I would suggest that the approach must start with a demonstration of pride on the part of the Caucasian mainstream in their own heritage. You are much more appealing as a friend to others, if you demonstrate that you respect yourself. Those who do not respect themselves are notoriously not trustworthy.

America, indeed, has demonstrated in our own experience, how diverse peoples can work closely together for a common interest. While the religious and cultural differences between the original States may not seem so great, today, they were actually immense, in terms of what was important to the original Americans. But from those differences they forged a Federal Union based upon mutual respect.

Four generations later, the great Negro educator, Booker T. Washington, proposed solving our racial problems with what was basically the same approach. The Left in the Twentieth Century has trashed his message, as they have trashed a Federal system based upon mutual respect and toleration of our continuing differences. Undoing their legacy of hatred will not be achieved overnight. Certainly intelligent people on all sides of the various divisions have a major role to play. But attempting quick fixes that may further divide us, by straining the credibility of the players with the appearance of cynical gamesmanship, is not the answer.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[Tribune7]

And to you Tribune7, who wants to "bookmark" Southack's act including his falsehoods, just be thankful I don't tear to shreds all his other points.

If you can "tear into shreds all his other points" you really should.

But since GW just killed the ICC and changed a decades-long executive branch decision concerning 2nd Amendment rights, I'm very high on him.

But if you want to hate him, and wish Gore or Nader or Buchanan won in '00, you have the right.

[Southack]

President Bush Repeals OSHA Ergonomic Rules

4. OSHA Ergonomics Rule

On March 21, President Bush signed a measure rescinding OSHA's controversial ergonomics rule, which was implemented by the Clinton Labor Department in January, and mandated workplace design changes to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Bush's action affirmed the measure recently taken by Congress when it voted to rescind OSHA's ergonomics rule. Business groups and Republican members of Congress argued that compliance with OSHA's ergonomics rule would be too complex and expensive.

Goodness, President Bush signs a LAW that repeals OSHA home office ergonomic rules and you're upset because it wasn't an "Executive Order" as I mentioned above?! Goodness, clearly Bush is a liberal < /SARCASM >

Get a life.

And you are welcome to attempt to "debunk" any of my other points. I'm happy to defend each one.

[Temple Owl]

Sounds like Hillary has your vote.

[Bob J]

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