Comments on: Michael Steele Will Woo Blacks To GOP With “Fried Chicken & Potato Salad”

By: Oliver Willis

Oliver Willis — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:58:15 +0000

But one day, they’ll screw up and misstep, and that will be it for them.
As long as the GOP maintains its pandering to racist whites…

Look, nobody is stopping the Republican party from appealing to blacks except for the Republican party.

By: Frank DiSalle

Frank DiSalle — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:15:37 +0000

Lots of white players
Yeah, more than a “few”.

Ever see the commercials for an NBA game? Who stars in them? What products do they sell?

“I know Black people who do not care a bit about basketball” I guess that skews the sample, eh? You ever see “Streetball”? You ever check out the audience in the Gym at a basketball game? Just jam packed with white folks.

And let’s not even mention the “soft bigotry of low expectations” that assumes that a black student needs help getting accepted to a good college; a young black entrepreneur can’t compete for a low – bid contract; or get a job that a white person wants without extra compensatory points – and that’s 45 years after the Civil Rights Act. We know who the racist is , all right: It’s the elitist left.

By: Repack Rider

Repack Rider — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:42:03 +0000

Pres Obama, when he plays basketball in the White House and gives us the benefit of his wisdom on NCAA picks ? No phony appeal to the ‘hood there, right?

A former varsity B-ball player still enjoys the game? Stop the presses.

I’m a white guy and I do that stuff, so I guess he’s trying to appeal to me and all the other white folks like me. OTOH, I know Black people who do not care a bit about basketball. Who would have ever guessed?

If you never heard of a white guy who played basketball or followed the NCAA, you have definitely been isolated from society. Have you ever seen an NBA game? Lots of white players. I used to have season tickets to an NBA team, and I saw lots of white people at the games.

There goes your argument. Pffft.

By: mike in dc

mike in dc — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:43:17 +0000

Actually, Frank, statistically and socioeconomically speaking, African-Americans are better off because of all those policies promoted and supported by Democrats.

And you still haven’t addressed the question. What is the GOP willing to do to win over minority votes? We know what they did to win over Southern white votes, to win over social/religious conservative votes, and to win over gun owners’ votes. What are they willing to do to win over minority voters?
Your answers so far seem to suggest “not much”.

By: Duros62

Duros62 — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:02:07 +0000

when he plays basketball in the White House and gives us the benefit of his wisdom on NCAA picks ? No phony appeal to the ‘hood there, right?

Lots of white folks do that too. So, no.

By: Frank DiSalle

Frank DiSalle — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:54:55 +0000

“I could cite continued Democratic support for … ”

The end result of which was : zip, zilch, nada, bupkus, zero…

Like I said, “We haven’t done a damn thing, but we care

By: Kitibo

Kitibo — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:39:12 +0000

I am still trying to figure out if Michael Steele is either Man Tan or Pierre DelaCroix. Also trying to figure out when the Mau Maus will come around.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:18:09 +0000

Killington, you can be black and conservative if you want. But be prepared to have people point and laugh. Shit, you can be a black member of the World Church of the Creator too, if you want. But you will be a fucking moron to do so.

By: mike in dc

mike in dc — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:32:14 +0000

“African-American community”, Frank. Not “Afro-American community”. And there are dozens of different strains of black culture, including southern, urban, rural, Caribbean, African Immigrant, upper class, middle class, street, etc.

You’re still ducking the question, Frank. In what way are Republicans actually reaching out to, or targeting the black vote? the Latino vote? the Asian vote? etc.

I could cite continued Democratic support for the Voting Rights Act, immigration reform, educational opportunity, criminal justice reform, equal employment opportunity, opposition to racial profiling, nominating and electing the first black POTUS, poverty-fighting measures, middle-class growth policies in the Clinton era which greatly increased the size of the black middle class, etc., but I guess that pales in comparison to what Republicans have done for them in the past 40 years, huh?

By: Frank DiSalle

Frank DiSalle — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:17:13 +0000

Mike in DC : So there’s no Afro-American community; no “soul food”, no black culture. Each and every one is unique.

Gotcha.

Someone better tell Kenneth Clark he no longer exists.

You could appeal to Afro – Americans the way Democrats have: We haven’t done a thing for you in 40 years, but we care.

By: Wilbur

Wilbur — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:08:53 +0000

Buzz, of course there’s no quick solution to the poverty and unemployment problem. Supporting the sort of policies that have traditionally made the economy grow faster under Democratic presidents (e.g. balanced progressive taxation, use of federal resources for balanced supply side/demand side stimulus rather than horse-and-sparrow) would help. For the incarceration and death penalty problem, immediate improvements are easier: abolish the death penalty, stop incarcerating people for minor and victimless crimes. Improving the economy and particularly improving the poverty rate will also help to reduce crime in the first place, as we saw under Clinton. A real commitment to education and urban infrastucture would also be a plus.

I don’t really expect the GOP to move in any of these directions too forcefully, but I think it could take a significant step forward in winning the hearts and minds of more minorities simply by speaking of these problems as if they were real problems – top priority problems – while the hard-luck story of some Connnecticut firefighters, though a legitimate matter of concern, is not the sort of thing you want to grandstand your way through a supreme court nomination on.

By: sedum

sedum — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:02:09 +0000

“not the planet formerly known as Pluto”

Small correction. Not Pluto formally known as a planet.

By: Buzz Killington

Buzz Killington — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:30:11 +0000

Wilbur, what’s the solution to the poverty and unemployment problem? As for incarceration and death sentences, unless you think black people and being wrongly convicted, the problem seems to be that not enough other races are being arrested and sentenced to death.

By: mike in dc

mike in dc — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:08:54 +0000

Frank, one small step forward for conservatives would be to not refer to the “Afro-American” community. That’s a term I haven’t heard since the 70s!
I put forth some straightforward advice upthread about how to win minority votes. Thus far, in response to that, nothin’. “If you agree with us, join our party” isn’t much of a recruiting pitch. The Goldwater conservatives didn’t become the Reagan majority that way–they aggressively courted Southern whites in a number of ways. Why can’t they turn around and aggressively court minorities the exact same way, by appealing to their concerns and interests and offering appealing policy proposals which will benefit their immediate, intermediate and long term interests?

By: Wilbur

Wilbur — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:01:55 +0000

You’re overdue .

As long as the Republican party gets more worked up over a handful of white firefighters in New Haven than it does over the disproportial rates for African-Americans in poverty, unemployment, underemployment, incarceration, death penalty, etc. I doubt we’ll see much flocking in that direction.

By: Frank DiSalle

Frank DiSalle — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:40:52 +0000

So, Michael Steele is just exhibiting a kneejerk reaction by “shucking and jiving”, but Pres Obama, when he plays basketball in the White House and gives us the benefit of his wisdom on NCAA picks ? No phony appeal to the ‘hood there, right?

Let’s face it: the Democratic Party owns the Afro-American community. But one day, they’ll screw up and misstep, and that will be it for them.

Look at it this way: 1868 to 1932 = 64 years

1932 to 2008 = 76 years

You’re overdue .

By: Buzz Killington

Buzz Killington — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:40:01 +0000

Darn it, can’t be black and conservative.

By: Buzz Killington

Buzz Killington — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:39:17 +0000

And there it is, someone can’t be black or conservative… he or she must pick one or the other, and black = Democrat. That helps explain the hatred here for everything non-Democrat, but also pretty much rules out the possibility of independent thinking on the issues.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:07:50 +0000

“Michael Steele Will Woo Blacks to GOP with “Fried Chicken and Potato Salad”"
—————————————————-

Oliver, why in your commentary did you omit the part in that video after Steele responded with “My plan is to say, Y’all come. Cause a lot of you are already here.”, that someone off camera amidst laughter can clearly be heard saying

“I’ll bring the collard greens.”

To which Steele then responded with the remark about fried chicken and potato salad. He even prefaced it with “There you go.”, then “I got the fried chicken…”

How does that reply to someone offering to bring collard greens square with your headline.

And in your opinion, is your headline an honest depiction of the video?

By: Wilbur

Wilbur — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:47:19 +0000

Democrats thrive on poverty.

Republicans thrive on ignorance, as our friend Gabriel demonstrates.