KATHLEEN PARKER: GOP Must Appeal To African Americans

Source: Kathleen Parker / The Washington Post

The impression that Republicans don’t welcome blacks and other minorities is, however, demonstrably false. Note the number of minority Republican governors recently elected: Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Brian Sandoval of Nevada and Susana Martinez of New Mexico. Even so, the party is undeniably and overwhelmingly white, and minorities (and increasingly women) don’t feel at home there.

It is not helpful that two convention attendees threw peanuts at an African American camerawoman for CNN and said, “This is how we feed animals.” Disgusting. They were promptly shown the door, but the damage was done. A few bad apples can and do spoil bushels of good intentions.

African Americans are not a monolithic group, obviously, and many likely would find comfort in the promises of smaller government, lower taxes, balanced budgets, school choice and so on that Mitt Romney put on the table Thursday night. But this isn’t likely to happen. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found 0 percent support for Romney among African Americans. (Zero doesn’t necessarily mean none but is a statistical null.) Obama also leads Latinos younger than 35 and women. Romney, alas, leads whites.

Appearances matter, and the GOP simply doesn’t look that friendly. Regardless of what is true, when an arena full of white people cheers jabs aimed at the first African American president, it feels wrong. This may not be a conscious recognition, but the subliminal is powerful. It was with a deep, inner sigh of relief that white Republicans heard Romney say that he had wanted Obama to succeed because he wanted America to succeed. Bless the speechwriters.

To read this article in its entirety visit The Washington Post.

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  • robjh1

    Both parties need to do a better job representing the people. And the media should stop race baiting.

    Here is what I don’t understand: why are black people associated with welfare and not wanting to work? For nearly 200 plus years blacks worked on plantations and were not paid. From sun up to sun down, these poor souls worked in the hot summer sun and sometimes winter months. All they got was a small shack in the front yard of the ma’sa or in the backyard of slave quarters. Under fed, barely dressed, raped, beaten, killed and everything else. Then when the slaves were emancipated, they went back to work on these same plantations and were cheated out of pay. From the 1800’s to the 2012 still some blacks are still cheated when it comes to pay (sure other groups are cheated as well, but I am focusing on blacks). Why won’t the media dissect this reality instead of reporting “they said blacks don’t want to work.” With a background and history like blacks my God someone is lying and needs to be called out! I don’t care what “they” said or are alluding to. Prove the “they” wrong with the facts and dispel this myth. It is 2012 can’t we get the truth out there????!!!!!!!! Everytime this lie by “they” is put out there prove it wrong with the facts of history!

    Sure there are some who would choose not to work but the majority of blacks will and want to work for an honest day’s pay. Speak truth to POWER!

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwYig2CP66Q&feature=related Phaerisee

    Mormonism teaches that black skin is a punishment from God. I doubt that will attract many black voters.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGFAph3lWqw

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