Nothing Grand about this ‘Old’ Republican Party
October 7, 2008
Raynard Jackson
Efforts by the Bush administration to involve more Blacks in the Republican Party are well documented. While well-intentioned, their approach has been flawed from the beginning and destined to fail.
The Bush administration, unlike John McCain’s campaign, has an unassailable record when it comes to the appointment of Blacks to prominent positions. But what Blacks have any power within McCain’s campaign or relevant campaign committees or in the Capitol Hill offices of Republican Members of Congress? When I say “power” I mean either budgetary or hiring authority. The answer is none!
The former party chair, Ken Mehlman, was very committed to getting more Blacks in the Republican Party. But how many Blacks did he have on his personal staff? Zero! How many Blacks worked for the RNC with budgetary authority or the power to hire? Zero.
The GOP has proven to Blacks that it is a color-blind party. Every time I go to their offices I rarely see people of color. So they are either color-blind or just blind to people of color.
This colorblindness is so pervasive that when Blacks are pondering a run for office these same GOP committees recommend their White friends as their campaign managers, finance directors, media firms, etc. Why do they never recommend Blacks? The party is truly color blind.
Last month the AFRO interviewed several Black Republicans about the dearth of Black delegates to the Republican convention in Minnesota. The Black Republicans quoted in the story continue to be an embarrassment to and make it very difficult for them to get respect from their own community.
Asked about the low number of Black delegates to their party’s convention, C.J. Jordan, McCain’s African American Coalition coordinator, said “the figures reflect the division of Black conservatives in the primary election. The number of African-American delegates is not a negative reflection on Sen. McCain at all. We’re very excited about the number of African-American delegates and other minority delegates that have joined us here at the Republican National Convention.” Huh? Thirty-six Black delegates and it’s not a negative reflection on McCain? Thirty-six delegates and you are excited?
This is why Black Republicans are not taken seriously within our own community. This is a direct reflection of McCain! If he wanted more Black delegates he could have made it known and it would have been done.
Jordan added, “We have done a tremendous job in various legislative accomplishments and initiatives that benefit the African-American community but there’s a double standard” that cause those accomplishments to go unacknowledged.
How can you control the bully pulpit of the White House and a presidential campaign and not be able to get your message out? The McCain campaign is not willing to spend the political capital to make their accomplishments known (because they don’t exist)!
Also quoted in the article was former NFL pro and 2006 Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann. He gave a long meandering answer that meant absolutely nothing. By the way, how many Blacks did he have on his campaign that had hiring or budgetary authority? Zero! Were any of his senior consultants Black? Did his campaign spend money with Black vendors? The answer is no!
Most Black Republicans have no credibility within our community because they seem weak and afraid to challenge the party’s leaders. We are accused of saying whatever we think the party wants us to say. And in most cases that’s true. So the party will underwrite campaigns run by Black Republican Frances Rice in Florida to try to personally belittle Obama. Disagree with him on issues, but don’t do to him what the party is afraid to do. We are the only people who will destroy our own for the benefit of another group. She is a total embarrassment and makes it almost impossible for people like me to exist within today’s Republican Party.
Neither the Republican Party nor the McCain campaign is spending any money with Black campaign consultants, political operatives or vendors. Yet Black Republicans continue to allow themselves to be used, without regard to their professional skills. In the words of one party leader I spoke with, “Why pay them when they are willing to work for free?”
I was asked during a press conference what it was like being a Black in the Republican Party. I responded, “It’s sort of like pissing on yourself in a dark blue suit. It gives you a warm feeling but no one ever notices.” Everyone in the room erupted in loud laughter, but the point was just as true then as it is now.
Black Republicans should stop embarrassing themselves just to be accepted in a party that has shown there is no place for them anymore. This Republican Party is all about taking care of a small group of White operatives and their friends. If Black Republicans make a principled stand, maybe then the party will behave differently. But at the moment, there is nothing grand about this old party!
Raynard Jackson is president and CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates LLC., a D.C.-based political consulting/government affairs firm. He can be reached at Raynard@raynardjackson.com and Web site at: www.raynardjackson.com
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