Holy Hell. 32 blacks running for Congress...

[Number23]

...as REPUBLICANS!! :wtf:

A compilation of articles on this phenomena here:

"Most Black Republicans Since Reconstruction Run for Congress"

"African-American voters and the modern GOP have a complicated relationship. There hasn't been a black Republican in Congress since 2003. After President Obama won 95% of the black vote in the 2008 election, the Republican National Committee, partly in a bid to gain some African-American support, appointed black Republican Michael Steele as RNC head. Steele's tenure has been rocky, but public support for Obama has also dropped, as public frustration with the economy rises. So it's in this climate of complex racial politics that a new crop of black Republican candidates is entering the 2010 elections. In all, there are 32 running this November. What do they represent and what challenges do they face?"

Interview at Essence.com with one of the candidates, Angela McGlowan who was inspired to run by Tea Party members, here.

And the group making it happen, the National Black Republican Association! (Please make sure to check out the logical and well-written pieces under "Obama's War Against America" there.) :eyes:

This is bizarre, unprecedented, and somewhat encouraging at the same time. I'm glad that the diversity of thoughts and beliefs amongst blacks is being highlighted, but some of this stuff doesn't feel right. Some of it seems like genuine disappointment and disagreement with Obama/Democrats spurring them along. Some of it feels like pure tokenism. And some of it seems like some black folks are going out of their way to prove that we can be every bit as unhinged and removed from reality as some of the President's white detractors.

[Brewman_Jax]

1. The repubs haven't changed at a fundamental level since the 1960's

when the racists ran there during the Civil Rights Era. To add, the country itself hasn't fundamentally changed in matters of race.

To date, in the modern (post-Reconstruction) era, there have been only 3 black senators elected (1 repub, 2 democrat; Roland Burris, D-IL, was appointed by then-Governor Rod Blagojevich), and 94 black representatives elected. Of those representatives, only 3 were repubs. Most of those representatives are in majority black districts. As for senior state officials, there has been a grand total of 11 black lt. governors (6 repub, 5 democrat) and 1 black governor (democrat) elected (lt. governors succeeding the governor due to said governor's death, illness, or resignation aren't counted). Do I have to say it out loud?

Agree, it's good to highlight that all black people don't think alike. On the converse, it's important to note that non-white people really aren't considered Americans, or even really people--and REALLY not considered republicans. Also, racism has been a fundamental part of repub campaign strategy for decades. That's a BIG uphill battle that every black repub candidate will have to deal with. Even Mikey Steele isn't doing too well with that.

After reading some of the Nat'l Black Republican Assoc. site, it seems the teabaggers don't have a monopoly on revisionist political insanity. :crazy:

[bliss_eternal]

2. totally agree...

quote:
Agree, it's good to highlight that all black people don't think alike. On the converse, it's important to note that non-white people really aren't considered Americans, or even really people--and REALLY not considered republicans.

well said, and such a great point, brewman.
i'm guessing these folks have learned little by watching steele, or for that matter alan keyes. :spray: ah well.

[Number23]

3. Good points, Brew

That's a BIG uphill battle that every black repub candidate will have to deal with. Even Mikey Steele isn't doing too well with that.

Racism has not been a fundamental component of Repub strategy. From where I sit it's damn near been the ONLY component of Repub strategy. What successes could they possibly campaign on in the last 50 years??

But we all know that Republicans are absolute masters at denying and actually CHANGING the truth. According to Republican lore, it's not the Repubs that are the racists. It's the liberals championing welfare and "socialism" that are the real racists keeping "the black man down." :eyes: There's a whole movement going on right now to "correct" textbooks and school curriculums to downplay Republican/conservative racism going all the way back to this country's founding and the implementation of slavery.

Did you notice in that woman's interview on Essence when she was asked about Michael Steele that she flat out refused to answer?? What does that say about this idiot when even other black Republicans can't say anything nice about you??

[AspenRose]

4. Follow the money

These people are being funded, and sponsored, by filthy rich people. The minute they get elected, any agenda they might have thought they had will be GONE. They are bought and paid for. Just like any other token black republican trotted out, especially in the media. Just like the black republican think tanks. Everything's funded and these people are well-paid, willing participants in the deception.

[Number23]

5. "any agenda they might have thought they had will be GONE."

Is that supposed to be a bad thing?? :shrug:

Think about it... what possible good could come from a black Republican?? Either these people are so bamboozled that they have allowed themselves to be used by a party that is absolutely ecstatic about its racist past (and present), or they are the typical Repub caring only about money and giving the finger to the poor.

The people voting for these people more than likely don't care about our communities and see these folks as an opportunity to prove how "non-racist" they are while being racist. If any of these people do make it into office, they better hope that they NEVER get caught trying to do something that benefits minority communities or even be seen at an event with more than one black person at it. If either of these happen, they'll learn real fast exactly the type of people who allegedly "support" them.

[Fire1]

6. That's the really sad part.. I doubt they realize they're being

used as a political ploy to lure the black vote and it ain't happin. When will republicons realize that the black communities are just not that stupid.

[Number23]

7. Well, that woman from the Essence interview who was recruited to run by

the damn Tea Party -- what can you say about someone like this?? You can only hope that she is dumb enough to not understand that she is being used because the alternative (that she knows but doesn't care) doesn't paint her in a more flattering light.

But why she thinks people would want someone so obviously dumb representing them in Congress is something I truly don't understand.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. Some of them feel that in order to gain notoriety, you have to join the Republicans.

I believe that these people are incredibly individualistic. They are opportunists and don't really care about principle. It's all about them getting ahead.

But consider the long list of black Republicans/conservative/tea baggers who are no longer in the limelight:

Ward Connerly
J.C. Watts
Lynn Swann
Alan Keyes
Ken Blackwell

....even Mike Steele is a pariah in the party.

After leaving Congress, J.C. Watts was incredibly candid about his experience in the Republican Party, basically suggesting that after the Republicans no longer feel the need to "prop up" the blacks in their party, they essentially become irrelevant and invisible.

Mike Steele recently made the comment that the Republican Party gives no reason for blacks to support it.

Every once in awhile, we see a modicum of truth coming from these people especially when they realize that they've been had.

[Number23]

9. Great post and points

That is a fairly long list of now ignored black Republicans. And it really does make you wonder what they're doing with themselves now and how they feel about the party. My guess is that some of them, Alan Keyes in particular, are so unhinged that they think their fall from grace in the Repub party was somehow the fault of Democrats.

I didn't know that Watts began to speak out against the party. Wonder if he is still a Repub??

even Mike Steele is a pariah in the party

We had a Steele Watch thread in this forum where we basically pointed and laughed at all of the monstrously ridiculous things that Michael Steele was doing on a damn near regular basis. Had to let the thread die when we realized a) he was doing so much crap that we couldn't keep up and b) most of it was more sad than funny.