I'm not comfortable with that at all. Did he also advise that white folk not debate black folk on race issues?
If you have no other choice, of course, engage. But if you want the best possible results, then you try to start out on an equal footing.
Here's another example of what we learned at the conference. We've all heard that Clinton was such a great campaigner. I always just blew that comment aside and never gave it much consideration, I have such a visceral dislike of that man. Matt Lewis of the Leadership Institute SHOWED us how that was true. Then he SHOWED us what Clinton did and why it worked for him. Clinton always stayed on message, no matter what question was thrown at him, he stayed on message (some call it "spin"), remember "The worst economy in 50 years?" And our side can do it too. Of course, we don't have to be disgusting human beings in the process.
I guess the question is, do you want our side to win? We can take the moral high ground all we want, but if we want to win, there are techniques to be used, there is a certain discipline that must be developed, and these are things that can be learned and taught.
Freepers in attendance, chime in here if you can add to this conversation.
No, he was talking about the tactics of perception -- a black conservative might well be more effective in such a debate because of the "I've been there" factor.
Now of course the leftists have slathered this stuff with hypocritical pseudomorality to the point that they probably believe whites have no right to talk race issues with blacks. Matt's coming from a different perspective: understand your opponents and be willing to use their best tactics when it doesn't conflict with your core principles.
I ambled up between sessions and asked Matt if he'd read Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals -- Alinsky advised, among other things, staying within the experience of your group and working to maneuver your opponents outside their own areas of experience. He had, of course.