A White People’s Party?

[bigtree]

from Courtland Milloy at WaPo: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2012/01/03/gIQAsymCZP_story.html


Watching television coverage of the Republican caucuses in Iowa, I noticed that nearly everybody was white: white people smiling over coffee, white people applauding at candidate forums, white people singing praise songs at church. True, Iowa has so few blacks that it would probably take a hawk’s eye to spot one. But the GOP caucuses could have been held in any state, and the crowd would look the same.

White.

Which made me wonder: In a country as large and diverse as ours, how is it that one of the two major political parties has become, in essence, a white people’s party?

{snip}

Republicans like to point out that about 90 percent of black voters are Democrats and that some of them don’t advance their beliefs or their interests by supporting the Democratic Party. Many black voters are social and fiscal conservatives, they say. There are black evangelicals; black voters who believe that illegal immigrants are taking American jobs; black voters who are opposed to gay marriage; and so forth. Yet they vote with the more liberal major party.

. . . there’s the personal element. When black voters, who overwhelming support the president, hear a NASCAR crowd booing first lady Michelle Obama; Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) making crude comments about the first lady’s body; and conservative commentator Brent Bozell saying on Fox News that Obama looks like a “skinny ghetto crackhead,” it’s no wonder they lean toward the Democrats.


read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/santorums-below-the-belt-shot-at-black-people/2012/01/03/gIQARQlAZP_blog.html

[rurallib]

1. I made the same point in another thread

And as I see it it will be mostly white event in NH and SC.

[sufrommich]

2. It's what the GOPs southern stategy

looks like. Not surprising,but it's days are numbered

[cottage10]

3. IMO, it is because the Republican mindset is wanting in the "country club"

They identify with the wealthy even though most are not. Part of being in an exclusive group like the rich/country club that is discrimination against other races to help them feel superior. But you should notice that Iowa does not represent most of the US. For example, California is much more of a melting pot. So my question is why should a state like Iowa that is not representative of the rest of the US have such a big say in the presidential candidate selection? As a Californian, I am really angry that we seem to get very few choices when our primary rolls around.

[FreakinDJ]

6. +1000

[Bluenorthwest]

4. A Straight White Party...A Straight White English Only Party....

that's more like it.

[sarcasmo]

5. I noticed this back in 2008. The tea party rally isn't much different than a klan rally.

When Obama gives a speech and it it shown on TV, the nice thing, it shows the melting pot that is this country.

[Blue_Tires]

7. That's another issue I have with this whole dog and pony show

I just don't think IA/NH/SC are proper cross-section representations of the country...I think back in 2000 there was a growing movement to either do multiple states at the same time, or to get more mainstream states (like MD-PA-OH) in the front of the line...

Sadly, fewer and fewer people talk about it anymore...As the country has continually moved right, TPTB are perfectly happy catering to the small-population fringes in those states, and those states love the economic boost since so many candidates have to really throw the money around to get noticed...