Florida: GOP e-mail raises charges of racism

[Hope And Change]

GOP e-mail raises charges of racism

An e-mail sent by Hillsborough County Republican Party chairman David Storck has critics within the party charging racism. At least one member of the local party has called for Storck's resignation. The e-mail, written by volunteer Ron Whitley and forwarded by Storck to about 400 party members, says that "I see carloads of black Obama supporters coming from the inner city to cast their votes for Obama. This is their chance to get a black president and they seem to care little that he is at minimum, socialist, and probably Marxist in his core beliefs. After all, he is black -- no experience or accomplishments -- but he is black." Near the end of the e-mail, Whitley writes: "There is only one way to stop Obama: Vote!!!"

Storck prefaced the forwarded e-mail by saying: "If you think it can help us win this election please pass it on."

Curtis Stokes, a member of the Hillsborough County GOP and president of the Hillsborough chapter of the NAACP, said Storck should not have forwarded the e-mail. "He's putting fear in the minds of whomever he sent that e-mail to that Barack Obama is a black guy, and do you want to vote for a black guy, as if there's something wrong with being black. That's not the way you urge people to get out and vote," Stokes said. "David Storck's not a good representative of the Republican Party if that's what' he's sending out. He needs to resign."

Storck initially defended the e-mail, saying it was simply a way to tell Republicans that "we need to get off our butts and vote, too." Later, Storck said he did not endorse the statement. "It's one of hundreds of e-mails I sent out," he said. "It was a mistake."


Posted by Janet Zink at 2:02:39 PM on October 30, 2008


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