The New Ice Age of the Young Republicans

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-rowe/the-new-ice-age-of-the-yo_b_230125.html

Michael Rowe
Award-winning journalist and author of Other Men's Sons
Posted: July 12, 2009 04:00 AM

The New Ice Age of the Young Republicans

snip//

If the Republican Party is serious about "rebranding," it might begin by joining the 21st century. It's ironic that one of the only young Republican voices exhorting this change is not even an elected official, but the daughter of one--Meghan McCain, who wondered out loud how a 38-year old "Young Republican" who thought racial epithets were funny could possibly move the Party forward in the service of a generation of genuinely young Republicans who are, even as you read this, wondering what the hell is going on with their Party, and why the titular organization of its younger members is moving, not forward, but into a new ice age.

Coming as Audra Shay's election did, at the end of a week over the course of which the American public was presented with the sickening sight of a crowd of devastated black schoolchildren forced to evacuate a Philadelphia swimming pool full of white children on a blistering summer day lest they "change complexion," the question of how much lower the bar can be moved before something breaks, is begged.

For better or for worse, the Young Republican National Federation is now headed by a 38-year old, spelling-challenged "event planner" who finds references to America's 44th (and first African American) president as a "mad coon" to be an occasion for great merriment.

It would be comforting to believe that Audra Shay, endorsed by Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, is not the racist her Facebook shenanigans suggest, but merely a profoundly stupid, tactless woman with no judgment--one whose first instinct upon seeing a wall-post of untrammeled racism from her friend Eric was not to repudiate that racism, delete his post, and unfriend him, but instead to "LOL" and encourage him in it, like a desperate-to-be-popular teenage girl.

On the other hand, Shay might also be a saturnine, manipulative neophyte politician, one who accurately gauged the climate of resentment towards Obama roiling beneath the surface of the organization, and knew the electorate would forgive a spoor of racial prejudice on the part of its leader, and might even celebrate it as "mavericky."

Furthermore, that it might not even care if the Young Republican National Federation becomes tainted, in the minds of the public, as being led by middle-aged chairwoman who laughs at "coon" jokes on Facebook.

Or, as Shay would doubtless express it, "LOL@that!"

[Enthusiast]

1. Thank you, Sister.

We can only hope they will continue to marginalize themselves.

[madrchsod]

2. here`s another from huffington`s chicago page

80`s music for 80`s politics....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/01/aaron-schock-80s-music-he_n_223273.html

max blumenthal`s huffington post....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/generation-chickenhawk-t_b_56676.html

meghan is the only intelligent spokesperson the republicans have. instead of listening to her they ignore her.

[NC_Nurse]

3. So true. WTF are they thinking? And since when was 38 a "young" person?

Yes, people are living longer...but not THAT much longer. Just goes to show you how the Repubs are
not speaking to anyone under 35. Good, they continue to alienate all of the fastest growing demographics - Hispanics,
young people, women, people of mixed-race, etc. Soon they will only be the party of old white men and white women
with daddy complexes.

[babylonsister]

4. I find it amazing that a woman who has proved she's a racist

was elected into this spot. I imagine moderate rethugs, if they know about this, must be appalled.

[MadMaddie]

5. Yea, we shouldn't be surprised though

this is the new (same as the old) Repug party. Led by ignorant and racist people. They think by electing a woman that will help them. She is going to be another Bachman mark my words.

[mod mom]

6. The GOP has taken pride in becoming the white racist party. No surprise here.

Watch for Pat Buchanan to throw lavish praise toward her. Perhaps she's ready to ascend as the next GOP VP contender. :eyes: