Black Republicans Sharply Divided Over GOP's Shunning Of Black Voter Forum

[thoughtone]

Thompson Joins Giuliani, McCain And Romney In Snubbing Black Voter Debate

source: The Huffington Post.com

Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson has become the fourth leading GOP presidential candidate to shun the PBS debate this month at a historically black college in Baltimore, the Huffington Post has learned.

The debates, moderated by Tavis Smiley, will go on as planned, despite the absence of Thompson, former mayor Rudy Giuliani, former governor Mitt Romney, and Sen. John McCain. Each campaign cited scheduling issues as the reason for their absence. Nevertheless, the rejections underscore the consistent absence of GOP candidates at minority voter forums.

"There is a pattern here," Smiley told the Huffington Post. "When you tell every black and brown request that you get throughout the primary process that 'no, there's a scheduling problem.' That's a pattern... Are we really supposed to believe that all four of these guys couldn't make it because of scheduling?"

The Republican frontrunners' snubbing of Smiley and PBS comes on the heels of their rejection of a debate sponsored by the Spanish-language network Univision (McCain was the only GOP candidate to accept that invitation). This past June, only one Republican presidential candidate, California Rep. Duncan Hunter, showed up at the convention of the National Association of Latino Elected & Appointed Officials.

"It's not just that they are not coming. It's that some of them are visibly insulting us," Cecilia Munoz, vice president of NCLR, told the Politico.

According to Smiley, the Thompson campaign knew about the debate - taking place at 9 pm on September 27 at Morgan State University- well before he declared his candidacy. Former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman chose the date because it worked best for all the potential candidates, Smiley said.

An official on Thompson's staff called up the PBS host on Monday to deliver the message.

"I told them I thought they were making a grave mistake and I thought they should reconsider," said Smiley. The Thompson campaign did not respond for a request for comment by the time of print.

The five other Republican candidates for president have all committed to the PBS debate and Smiley plans to proceed with the plans - albeit with four empty lecterns on stage.

"Unlike Univision which cancelled their debate, unlike CNN, which changed their date [of the YouTube debate] we are going live," said Smiley. "We are delighted the other five are coming and appreciate their courage for showing up. The beat goes on."

 

[RunawaySlave]

Re: Thompson Joins Giuliani, McCain And Romney In Snubbing Black Voter Debate

Dudes got alot of nerve man. Escially Julie-anus

I bet they will show up for a Rupert Murdoch sponsered debate though

 

[thoughtone]

Massa az house sho is burn’in!

source: The Huffington Post.com

Reaction among black conservatives is divided over news this week that Republican presidential frontrunners had pulled out of a long-scheduled debate at a historically black college.

"Many people think that Republicans don't care about the black community," Don Scoggins, President of Republicans for Black Empowerment, told the Huffington Post. "I know that's not true, but it's hard to dispel when have we major candidates who say they have scheduling conflicts."

Other black conservatives were far more forgiving.

"I truly believe that Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and John McCain can't make it because of scheduling conflicts," said black conservative pundit La Shawn Barber on her blog Wednesday. "I'm hopelessly naïve, I guess."

The Huffington Post reported on Monday that former senator Fred Thompson was the last of the Republican frontrunners to decline an invitation to debate at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md. The debate, scheduled for Sept. 27 and sponsored by PBS, will include Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), and Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO). The campaign of Alan Keyes, who only entered the race last week, did not say whether he would attend, or whether he was invited.

Tavis Smiley, a PBS TV host who is moderating the debate, earlier expressed doubts that Republican front runners had scheduling conflicts that prevented them from attending. His skepticism was shared by Scoggins of Republicans for Black Empowerment.

"This wasn't something that just came up, this has been planned for months," Scoggins said, noting that the Morgan State debate was announced at the same time Democrats debated at Howard University in Washington DC in June.

"For the major candidates, considering how much time they have to spend on fundraising, they probably feel that the black community doesn't offer much of a return, and they spend their time elsewhere," he said.

But the leader of another black Republican organization said Scoggins' disappointment was misplaced.

"The message the Democrats are sending to black children is that they should celebrate their victimhood rather than get a good education, become prosperous, and god forbid vote for a Republican," said Frances Rice, the chairwoman of the National Black Republican Association. "If you do that, they will castigate you as an Uncle Tom, an Aunt Jemima, or as a House N-word, when it's the Democrats who are devastating our communities. That is what we should be talking about."

She argued that the debate has been stacked against Republican candidates.

"I have no idea what Tavis Smiley will do, but I know his behavior and conduct in the past has been highly supportive of Democrats, and highly critical of Republicans," Rice added. "There are people who just want an opportunity to beat up on Republicans."

But Scoggins questioned the notion that the forum would put Republicans in front of a hostile audience. He said that groups like his had been asked to bring in audience members who would be receptive to the Republican message. More importantly, he said that Republican candidates should be ready to brave waters that might at first appear choppy.

"The community has matured and they're ready to hear what people have to say," he argued. "You can't assume a black audience will not be well received, they have to break the ice so we can move on."

Scoggins said he hoped that Republican Party leaders could still prevail upon the top Republican hopefuls to debate at Morgan State. The Republican candidates have also been invited to a November debate hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute and Fox News.

Georgella Muirhead, a spokeswoman for the CBC Institute, said she could not say at this time which Republican candidates had accepted or declined the invitation, but said an announcement was forthcoming.

 

[VegasGuy]

Polling data is in. Republican voter base is white and christian, not black. Republicans are not seriously interested in spending time trying to convince black voters to look their way. Shouldn't be much of a surprise to anybody except for maybe the Huffington Post and thoughtone. lol.

jk thoughtone.

-VG

 

[thoughtone]

Polling data is in. Republican voter base is white and christian, not black. Republicans are not seriously interested in spending time trying to convince black voters to look their way. Shouldn't be much of a surprise to anybody except for maybe the Huffington Post and thoughtone. lol.

jk thoughtone.

-VG

You may say that the republicans are not interested in convincing blacks to vote for them, but there is always at least one negro ready to shuffle for massa.

source: The Huffington Post.com

Curious Timing: Tancredo Drops Out of Black Voter Forum After Keyes Is Included​

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) has become the latest Republican presidential candidate to drop out of a long-scheduled forum at a historically black college, the Huffington Post has learned.

Tancredo joins frontrunners Fred Thompson, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Mitt Romney, who have been widely criticized for snubbing the PBS event at Morgan State College.

Like the other candidates who pulled out of the forum, Tancredo cited scheduling conflict, despite the fact that the date for the forum has been set for months. But a person involved in planning the forum called the timing of Tancredo's decision "a bit curious," noting that it "came less than 24 hours after a Tancredo spokesperson expressed concerns to us about the inclusion of Alan Keyes at Morgan State."

Keyes, an African American, joined the GOP presidential race several days ago and participated in a "Values Voter" forum earlier this week.

Last month, Tancredo stirred controversy by urging an end to federal aid to the Gulf Coast areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. It is "time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station," he said.

Criticism of the GOP response to the black voter forum continues to grow. On Thursday, President Bush made a rare comment on the 2008 race, urging Republican candidates "to reach out to the African American community." A New York Times editorial Thursday said the decision to snub the forum falls into "the category of What Are They Thinking?"

Calls to the Tancredo campaign were not returned at press time.

 

[actinanass]

The GOP stance is this, "if african americans are dumb enough to believe everything the Democrats promises, they aren't worth our time anyway". This is one of the reasons why I'm not Republican. At least, being an Independent, I'm free to agree with some moderate democrats if they make sense.

 

[thoughtone]

The GOP stance is this, "if african americans are dumb enough to believe everything the Democrats promises, they aren't worth our time anyway". This is one of the reasons why I'm not Republican. At least, being an Independent, I'm free to agree with some moderate democrats if they make sense.

For an indepentent, you sure know exactly how the GOP thinks.

 

[VegasGuy]

For an indepentent, you sure know exactly how the GOP thinks.

I'm an independant too and know how republicans function as well as the democrats. I think it's important to understand both idologies in order to make independant decisions rather than toeing the party line.

Democrats can convince black folk (although that is changing rapidly) and they accept it as gospel. Which is why a hillary could walk into our churches, speak to us using our voice and we not bat an eye. Why an Al Gore can walk into the NAACP and claim to be "our saviour" and nobody confront him.

And we expect others to respect us as men or take us serious as a people?

-VG

 

[thoughtone]

I'm an independant too and know how republicans function as well as the democrats. I think it's important to understand both idologies in order to make independant decisions rather than toeing the party line.

Democrats can convince black folk (although that is changing rapidly) and they accept it as gospel. Which is why a hillary could walk into our churches, speak to us using our voice and we not bat an eye. Why an Al Gore can walk into the NAACP and claim to be "our saviour" and nobody confront him.

And we expect others to respect us as men or take us serious as a people?

-VG

...and republicans won't even talk to us!

 

[Costanza]

How do you guys feel about John McCain, both generally and with regard to race relations?

He fell as the frontrunner largly because of his stance on immigration, refusing to throw red meat to the rednecks going crazy about national languages a deportation. I realize others may have differing perspectives, but I greatly prefer that to the hatemongers. Also, he's not a plastic candidate like Romney or the actor. Of the Republicans, he'd definitely be my favorite...

 

[actinanass]

For an indepentent, you sure know exactly how the GOP thinks.

because i can look at them for what they are. Hate do not cloud my judgment when it comes down to what political party I look at.

This is one small issue compared to all the issues I don't agree with on the democratic side. To me, the left is getting farer from the middle *where I'm at*, and more to the socialist side. The right isn't becoming FAR right. They are pretty much staying close to the middle. Are there things I don't like about republicans, YES. However, for the most part, there are more issues I do not like from the left that outweighs what I don't like about the right.

One thing about it, the republicans won't kiss our ass during every election just to make sure we are on board. Hell, I've never heard one republican candidate complain about NOT getting the black vote. I've never heard any group the republicans claim they wanted votes from. They typically take the "if you want to make money, and keep your money, VOTE FOR US" approach. Democrats tend to say "hey black people, you want this, you want that" approach. Then, when a democrat gets in office, we get ignored. Then to add on the situation, we start hating ALL politicians because of one that didn't do what we want. Sounds like something an 18 year old bitch would do....

 

[actinanass]

How do you guys feel about John McCain, both generally and with regard to race relations?

He fell as the frontrunner largly because of his stance on immigration, refusing to throw red meat to the rednecks going crazy about national languages a deportation. I realize others may have differing perspectives, but I greatly prefer that to the hatemongers. Also, he's not a plastic candidate like Romney or the actor. Of the Republicans, he'd definitely be my favorite...

I liked Mccain. It is sad that the republicans have crazy people like the far left. What the conservatives don't understand, if you look at what Regan did during the 80's *when it came down to immigration* he basically legalize them. Majority of the immigrants became REPUBLICAN. We then went on and beat the soviets in the cold war. A lot of the immigrants worked the fields WE "black people" left from. That gave us an opportunity to work in different industries. During that time, my mama worked at Boeing, my cousins worked at lockheed, and my aunts/uncles worked at General Motors. Much money was made during them years. Illegal immigration is bad, if they do not embrace the American lifestyle *learning english, paying taxes, ect*. However, if our border security could be allowed to use force to keep illegals out, and we take a "since you are here, we'll let you stay, but anyone else comes......" approach. Illegal immigration will slow down...

 

[kjxxxx]

You may say that the republicans are not interested in convincing blacks to vote for them, but there is always at least one negro ready to shuffle for massa.

You are expected to vote for the Democrats as a black person. (No free will) and if you don't you are the worse kind of ----. You are not expected to vote for the Republicans and if you do you are the worse kind of ----. Seems to me the vote for Democrats is a brain dead vote for those who are anti Republicans because they are not looking at the issues at hand. For those who voted for a Republican, they can justify their vote logically (like lower taxes, etc) where as I don't notice the same for a lot that vote for Democrats.

What the hell do I care about where they debate. I want the person with the one whose proposal is more beneficial to me and at the same time has proposals less detrimental. The more detrimental they are, the more I am not voting for them, even if they have good stuff. If the Democrats offer it I am voting for them.

I usually vote for more Republicans than Democrats but I do vote for Democrats; Particularly on the local level for the incumbent if they did a decent job.

The difference between me and the anti-Republican folks is I choose. This is what MLK and the other Civil Rights people fought for.

 

[thoughtone]

How do you guys feel about John McCain, both generally and with regard to race relations?

He fell as the frontrunner largly because of his stance on immigration, refusing to throw red meat to the rednecks going crazy about national languages a deportation. I realize others may have differing perspectives, but I greatly prefer that to the hatemongers. Also, he's not a plastic candidate like Romney or the actor. Of the Republicans, he'd definitely be my favorite...

McCain is a liar. He said everything was so safe in Baghdad he could walk down the streets and buy from the open air markets without worry of attack. Come to find out he had a platoon protecting him with helicopters scanning the area. I don't know about you, but is this how you give your trust in a politician? Ideology is one thing, but this type of spin is unacceptable on my end. This how the Bush regime spun Iraq's role in the 911 tragedy. This how they justified getting us to attacking them. McCain may be a nice guy and a war hero, but don't placate me with jingoist lies.

As far as the other republicans, if they won’t acknowledge me (as a Black person), then they won’t get my vote. Political Parties are here to serve the people, the people are not here to serve the parties. That is done under fascism.

One reason I don’t have too mush respect for so called Black republicans is that they claim that a Black person that votes for a democrat is unable or not smart enough to decipher what a democratic politician is telling them. Mind you there are some Black folk that are loyal democrats, just as there are some Black republicans that are blind loyalists. I trust myself to make the right decisions, and when someone tells me that I don’t, then they are eliminated from my choices, just as I would do to a car salesman or an insurance salesman.

 

[thoughtone]

Remember republicans and independents, McBush was a no show at the republican Morgan state debates. Should Black folk reward him with a vote for this?

 

[thoughtone]

Has anything changed?

 

[kjxxxx]

Has anything changed?

RNC head is black

 

[thoughtone]

RNC head is black

What does he control and they are about to kick him to the curb.

 

[kjxxxx]

What does he control and they are about to kick him to the curb.

So would that be a glorious occasion for the black community ?

Has there ever been a black person heading the DNC ? I don't know. Just asking. Seems to me if blacks have more influence over both parties that is a good thing but yet folks seem to that think we should all belong to the Democrats party. That is so not Democratic. I am still going to vote on issues, you can keep your party.

 

[Costanza]

Has anything changed?

What prompted the bump?

 

[Costanza]

So would that be a glorious occasion for the black community ?

Has there ever been a black person heading the DNC ? I don't know. Just asking. Seems to me if blacks have more influence over both parties that is a good thing but yet folks seem to that think we should all belong to the Democrats party. That is so not Democratic. I am still going to vote on issues, you can keep your party.

This is like saying it is better for blacks to have influence over both the Klan and NAACP when the truth is that one group is clearly hostile to the interests of black people and cannot be influenced.

This very old rhetoric was also damaged by one recent, huge development-- concentrated black influence over one party produced a black president.

 

[QueEx]

So would that be a glorious occasion for the black community ?

Has there ever been a black person heading the DNC ? I don't know. Just asking. Seems to me if blacks have more influence over both parties that is a good thing but yet folks seem to that think we should all belong to the Democrats party. That is so not Democratic. I am still going to vote on issues, you can keep your party.

This is like saying it is better for blacks to have influence over both the Klan and NAACP when the truth is that one group is clearly hostile to the interests of black people and cannot be influenced.

This very old rhetoric was also damaged by one recent, huge development-- concentrated black influence over one party produced a black president.

Is that (Klan/NAACP) really a good analogy?

Isn't that like saying that one party is inherently evil and the other inherently good? If so, I think that logic might be inherently flawed.

There are elements (people) in both major political parties who don't appear to have our interest at heart.

But, What are our issues -- What do we want" ???

QueEx

 

[Costanza]

Is that (Klan/NAACP) really a good analogy?

Isn't that like saying that one party is inherently evil and the other inherently good? If so, I think that logic might be inherently flawed.

There are elements (people) in both major political parties who don't appear to have our interest at heart.

But, What are our issues -- What do we want" ???

QueEx

The comparison is as I stated-- one group is clearly hostile to the interests of black people and cannot be influenced.

The intent was not to compare the Dems to the NAACP. The NAACP is not beyond reproach, BTW. The "klan" part is more important than the NAACP part but the difference is that dramatic.

 

[thoughtone]

^^^^

 

[BrainChild09]

This is like saying it is better for blacks to have influence over both the Klan and NAACP when the truth is that one group is clearly hostile to the interests of black people and cannot be influenced.

This very old rhetoric was also damaged by one recent, huge development-- concentrated black influence over one party produced a black president.

Black people vote overwhelmingly Democrat. It's not like if Obama never ran for President and it was Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, or any other Democrat for that matter, then there would have even been a chance that Republicans would have gotten more than a negligible amount of black votes.

Blacks don't have considerable influence over the Democratic party because their vote is assured, Democrats don't even have to fight for it. They basically just remind black people that an election is coming up and they may show up to a few things but we're far from a priority when we're in. Just keep us subservient is their agenda for blacks at best.

But I digress. The point is, it wasn't black people that made the difference in getting Obama elected. Hate it as much as you want but it was white people who got him in. Yes, it is true that a little under a half of all whites who voted, voted for Obama. Besides the fact that that isn't bad considering how that's the same percentage Bill Clinton got in 1996 from white voters and only 4 percentage points lower than Jimmy Carter in 1976. More whites seem to be Republican or have conservative leanings than not in this country. So that's a good percentage to have received. And that 43% of whites in sheer number had a much bigger impact on the total votes Obama received than all the black people that voted for Obama.

I know it was a very proud moment for all of us but sadly even though we had an impact it simply isn't true that the black vote was the key to producing the first black president.

 

[thoughtone]

So would that be a glorious occasion for the black community ?

Has there ever been a black person heading the DNC ? I don't know. Just asking. Seems to me if blacks have more influence over both parties that is a good thing but yet folks seem to that think we should all belong to the Democrats party. That is so not Democratic. I am still going to vote on issues, you can keep your party.

Has there ever been a black person heading the DNC ?

 

[thoughtone]

Black people vote overwhelmingly Democrat. It's not like if Obama never ran for President and it was Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, or any other Democrat for that matter, then there would have even been a chance that Republicans would have gotten more than a negligible amount of black votes.

Blacks don't have considerable influence over the Democratic party because their vote is assured, Democrats don't even have to fight for it. They basically just remind black people that an election is coming up and they may show up to a few things but we're far from a priority when we're in. Just keep us subservient is their agenda for blacks at best.

But I digress. The point is, it wasn't black people that made the difference in getting Obama elected. Hate it as much as you want but it was white people who got him in. Yes, it is true that a little under a half of all whites who voted, voted for Obama. Besides the fact that that isn't bad considering how that's the same percentage Bill Clinton got in 1996 from white voters and only 4 percentage points lower than Jimmy Carter in 1976. More whites seem to be Republican or have conservative leanings than not in this country. So that's a good percentage to have received. And that 43% of whites in sheer number had a much bigger impact on the total votes Obama received than all the black people that voted for Obama.

I know it was a very proud moment for all of us but sadly even though we had an impact it simply isn't true that the black vote was the key to producing the first black president.

More whites seem to be Republican or have conservative leanings than not in this country.

I challenge you on this broad generality.. Republican and conservative are not synonyms. In fact, from your comments on this board, I find you more republican than conservative.

 

[BrainChild09]

I challenge you on this broad generality.. Republican and conservative are not synonyms. In fact, from your comments on this board, I find you more republican than conservative.

Yeah dude I know Republican and conservative are not synonyms. Look up the definition of the word, "or". It's what I used between them in the post you quote from me.

I wouldn't classify myself as a Republican or (there's that word again) a conservative (as their popularly understood). Try harder.

As far as the challenge to my broad generality, which I admit it was(I guess you've never made broad generalities that can be challenged on this board), go Google "2010 midterm election result."

I already know what you're going to say. I hope I really don't, I hope you actually surprise me.