Chip Saltsman sent a CD by Paul Shanklin that was a compilation of parodies, many of which appeared on the Rush Limbaugh program including the Limbaugh favorite, “Barack: The Magic Negro.”
Numerous myths are floating around about this. This is not a CD that Saltsman “compiled” as one news report said as if Saltsman burned the CD of his favorite songs. “Barack: The Magic Negro” was not even the title track of Paul Shanklin’s CD. It was smack in the middle of the CD at Track 16.
Paul Shanklin didn’t coin the term “Magic Negro.” It was African American writer David Ehrenstein, writing for the LA Times who first referred to Obama as a “Magic Negro” in March 2007 and suggested he was a less authentic Black person than Al Sharpton or Snoop Dogg. Saltsman has correctly pointed out that Ehrenstein’s original piece was not criticized. The song is not so much a riff on Obama as it is Ehrenstein’s column and Al Sharpton. Paul Shanklin pushed the envelope of satire a tad too far, but it’s not “Birth of the Nation” or anything near the racial severity it’s being made out to be.
That said, Saltsman is most likely done as a serious contender for RNC Chairman. He may remain in to save face or to be a power broker in the final outcome, but he will not win. While Saltsman has some crackerjack ideas for improving the Republican Party, the hits he’s taken over the past couple of days from within the party have been too hard for him to hope of gathering enough support to lead the Republican Party. Most members are the RNC are not going to want to spend the next two years explaining this issue.
There are many knaves and losers in this affair, and only one winner. So let’s break down:
Knaves:
Whoever leaked this story: Saltsman didn’t post Shanklin’s song on his website. He sent the CD out to 168 members of the RNC. That means someone who was a recipient of the CD went to the press about it. We would not be talking about this had someone not leaked the CD.
The results of the story: putting Republican Party members at each other’s throats. Many members of the huge Rush Limbaugh audience were not feeling happy with the GOP and this doesn’t help. In addition, RNC members need to be able to be free to express their opinions. With knowledge that a blabbermouth is in the room, expect people to be guarded and meetings of the RNC to more closely resemble episodes of Babylon 5 than a real working political party.
In order to score points against Saltsman (or one of Saltsman’s former clients), whoever leaked this story: created several news cycles of bad PR for the party, put different factions of the party at odds, and have hindered the effectiveness of the RNC. Heck of a job, Mister or Miss Slash and Burn. Hope you’re proud of yourself, wherever you are.
Mike Duncan and Saul Anuzis: The incumbent RNC Chairman screamed outrage” at the top of his lungs, as did Saul Anuzis. Declared Duncan, “I am shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is appropriate as it clearly does not move us in the right direction.
Shocked and appalled? Which is worse? That Saltsman sent out a CD with the song on it privately to 168 members of the RNC, or that the biggest conservative talk show in America has played the song, about 1,000 times? Either Duncan is so incredibly out of touch with the grassroots of the party that neither he nor anyone on his staff with good sense knows what’s happening on the Rush Limbaugh program, or he’s saved his outrage for now like a good hypocrite. Take your pick, or maybe it’s a combination of both.
As for Saul Anuzis, he said, “Just as important, anything that paints the GOP as being motivated in our criticism of President-elect Obama by anything other than a difference in philosophy does a disservice to our party.” Only the title of the CD paints this picture. While others haven’t listened to the song, Anuzis, as someone who actually has a copy of the CD, really has no excuse for not knowing what the song’s about. And again, where was this outrage when this was playing non-stop on Rush.
Losers:
Chip Saltsman:
Some would put Saltsman in the knave category. Everyone who does this seems to think that they would have known Track 16 of 41 would ignite into a national controversy. While there were clearly safer gifts than the Shanklin CD, like bath towels, Saltsman thought he’d go for something the political types would enjoy.
However, whether deserved or not, Saltsman is done as a viable candidate for RNC Chairman. The Shanklin CD will follow him wherever he goes and will be a story whenever he joins a campaign for anywhere between a few hours and a day.
Conservative Satire
My brother has often told me that conservatives need an answer to the Daily Show, a satirical counterpunch to Jon Stewart. This story is an illustration of why that is unlikely to happen. While I’ll admit that Shanklin’s parody was beyond the pale, the decision of some on the right to act as if he burned a cross on an African American’s lawn illustrates why there’s a satire deficit. Those who attempt satire on the right are either idiots who think being offensive for its own sake is hilarious, or they’re so banal in their satire they offend no one and entertain no one.
Satirists on the left can get away with far more on the right even with their own side. On Obama’s visit to Germany, Jon Stewart remarked that seeing hundreds of thousands of screaming Germans cheering for a Charismatic leader “gives me goosesteps-I mean goosebumps.” Try making that type of joke on the right and you’ll be drowned in press releases from conservatives calling for you to be imprisoned.
Conservatives need to develop some sense of proportionality. Until then, expect people on the right to be afflicted by lame things such as the “Half Hour Newshour”
Winner:
Ken Blackwell. Ken Blackwell issued the following statement on this matter:
“Unfortunately, there is hypersensitivity in the press regarding matters of race. This is in large measure due to President-Elect Obama being the first African-American elected president. I don’t think any of the concerns that have been expressed in the media about any of the other candidates for RNC chairman should disqualify them. When looked at in the proper context, these concerns are minimal. All of my competitors for this leadership post are fine people.”
Matt Lewis over at AOL suggests that Blackwell’s move is a stroke of political genius:
First, it is important to note that only 168 RNC Members get to cast votes, and presumably, many of them are conservatives who will view Duncan’s statement as pandering to the politically correct crowd. Some of them may have been supporting Saltsman or Dawson, after all, as well. They will object to Duncan’s criticism, and possibly view it as appeasement…
Lastly, and ironically, it may prove the point that the GOP desperately needs an African-American to serve as the face of the GOP as we go head-to-head against the first African-American President in U.S. History. After all, Blackwell was able to get away with defending Saltsman, whereas a white candidate may not have been able to do the same.… Having known Blackwell a bit, I can tell you that this move was consistent with his core beliefs. He has never played the race card — or the “reverse” race card — even when it would have helped him — and I do believe he views this as having been an instance of, “hypersensitivity.”
Having said that, coming to Saltsman’s defense will likely also prove to be a brilliant political stroke which may propel him to the head of the RNC.
Lewis is right. And I think there’s another reason Blackwell may be helped. Whoever gets elected RNC Chairman will need to lead the whole party. The type of response Duncan and Anuzis has issued will make it very hard for them to unite the party and will lead to them being sniped at in talk-radio-land and looked on with a great amount of distrust among the base. Blackwell’s statement is graceful and avoids picking a fight. The vote for Chairman will require a majority support, which means that if Saltsman and Katon Dawson are trailing after the first ballot, their support will end up going elsewhere, and Blackwell’s set himself up to be the recipient of that support.
Bottom line: Saltsman’s loss is Blackwell’s gain. I was skeptical of Blackwell’s candidacy, but his savvy response coupled with numerous recent endorsements from members of the RNC indicates that Blackwell has become a top tier candidate.
December 29th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Adam, do you not f’ing understand that people in America don’t freaking want to hear our president called a “negro”?
Jesus Christ, you hardliners are tone deaf to the wants of the average American.
December 29th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
I think that Chip was trying to get some attention – it backfired and he is done.
Blackwell has got to be seen as the frontrunner now and he will become RNC Chair, as I predicted weeks ago.
Blackwell will be a strong and visionary leader for the Party, giving it an inclusive and diverse face and helping it compete for minority and African-American votes in 2012. He is a proven winner and walks the walk as well as talks the talk.
December 29th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
#2:
Sorry to quibble JA Pruce but Blackwell was massacred in the 2006 Ohio gubernatorial election. There are many parallels between that race and now; enormously unpopular incumbent Republican and a GOP nominee who couldn’t articulate a reason for why voters should trust the GOP after that. No knock on Blackwell, I don’t support Anuzis either; 06 should have been a good year for the MI GOP and we lost badly.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:03 am
#1:
people in America don’t freaking want to hear our president called a “negro”?
Perhaps we should tell that to the Columnist at the LA Times who coined the phrase. We seem to be blaming the satirist rather than the guy who said it straight up.
#3:
Unless, you’re one of the 168 on the RNC, it’s largely irrelevant who you support.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:06 am
#4:
Who says I’m not??
December 30th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Perhaps we should tell that to the Columnist at the LA Times who coined the phrase. We seem to be blaming the satirist rather than the guy who said it straight up.
Do you not realize, though, that people don’t know that? It’s not about who’s right, okay? It’s about what people perceive. And people don’t like the fact that someone called our president-elect a negro.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:11 am
#3,
Respectfully, you are comparing apples and oranges. The bottom line is that putting forth an African-American opponent to Obama such as Blackwell, Steele, Lynn Swan or even J.C. Watts is the most ideal strategy for the GOP as it takes the race issue off the table and demonstrates the Party’s inclusiveness and diversity.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:12 am
I understand that it it has little to do with who’s right and that most American are uninfomred. This is totally unfair. What we as a party choose to do is to throw people under the bus and play games of political positioning rather than telling the truth. I’ve said that Saltsman is done as a serious candidate, not sure what else you’re looking for.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Good ‘ol Adam. The bad guys are the current chair and someone who pointed out what Chip had done (as if a present to all 168 members of the RNC can, or should, be some kind of state secret). And, we have no idea if this was really a “leak” or someone become aware of the CD and made a story out out of it. Regardless, Adam simply mounts his automatic Huckster defense mode.
The only thing Adam got right is that, fortunately, Huckabee’s manager is DONE!
December 30th, 2008 at 12:23 am
This episode says more about the current state of GOP “leaders” and their mentality these days than anything else. It’s kind of a subliminal acknowledgment of the incredible shrinking party phenomena. Note that there is relatively little braying about this incident by the Democrats and or the mss. What’s that old saying….When your rival is about to step off the cliff, the last thing you want to do is yell stop.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:26 am
I understand that it it has little to do with who’s right and that most American are uninfomred. This is totally unfair. What we as a party choose to do is to throw people under the bus and play games of political positioning rather than telling the truth. I’ve said that Saltsman is done as a serious candidate, not sure what else you’re looking for.
But you don’t think he should be done. If it were up to you, he wouldn’t be done.
Yes, we need to throw people under the bus. It’s not about Chip Saltsman. I don’t give a !* about Chip Saltsman. It’s not about him, it’s about the party and the position.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:26 am
And its not throwing someone under the bus. Honestly, how stupid is this guy? Regardless of its origin, etc., sending out a CD with “Barack the Magic Negro” is simply beyond dumb. Wouldn’t anyone with an ounce of common sense think “hey, maybe this Obama and Negro thing isn’t a great idea.” Thank goodness the GOP dodged that bullet.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:36 am
Adam,
Although I believe that Blackman or Steele are now favored – who do you think will win if they split their vote?
December 30th, 2008 at 12:37 am
“Those who attempt satire on the right are either idiots who think being offensive for its own sake is hilarious, or they’re so banal in their satire they offend no one and entertain no one.”
Now that is something that Adam wrote that I can completely agree with. I’m reminded of it whenever i see another cartoon on the front page.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:37 am
The above comment (#13) should read “Blackwell.”
December 30th, 2008 at 12:47 am
Adam
I dearly love you for this column.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:47 am
#13:
I doubt it will come down to a 2-man shootout like that. I think that Duncan will probably be the runner-up. My best bet at the moment on the pure number of RNC endorsements is that Blackwell will make the final cut and win. However, I wouldn’t bet any money on that. There’s all kinds of horsetrading that goes on in one of these things.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:50 am
#11:
Young talented Political Strategists aren’t falling out of trees and given that this was Track 16 on a 41 track CD, I think this is a crying shame.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:53 am
Anyone who doesn’t see the idiocy of sending out a CD like this is as hopelessly oblivious as Saltsman.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:54 am
#18:
Will you admit Adam, that in retrospect that if Saltsman wants to head the RNC, he should be able to perceive that this could backfire and lead to a massive PR headache?
December 30th, 2008 at 1:01 am
Young talented Political Strategists aren’t falling out of trees and given that this was Track 16 on a 41 track CD, I think this is a crying shame.
They aren’t exactly falling out of the Huckabee campaign either, clearly. And only one such strategist needs to be RNC Chairman.
Maybe if there had been 79 tracks, it would have been even less offensive to people. Maybe it would have legitimately offensive had it been track one!
December 30th, 2008 at 1:10 am
#20:
In retrospect, he should have sent out hand towels.
December 30th, 2008 at 1:12 am
[...] Adam Graham writes a brilliant piece on this news at Race 4 2012. Excerpts below. Read it all. [...]
December 30th, 2008 at 1:21 am
Ha, ha, ha.
Saltsman is afflicted with Huck disease. 2 peas in a pod. Neither one has a lick of sense about what not to do.
December 30th, 2008 at 1:23 am
Yes, I must admit this gives me great pleasure. It’s always fun to see individuals get exactly what they deserve.
December 30th, 2008 at 1:33 am
It’s considered a good thing when individuals with poor judgment get weeded out in the process.
December 30th, 2008 at 1:43 am
One would think that the guy running to be chief strategist for the party would know a little bit about, ya know, PR strategy.
One would also think that most people over 7 years old understand that two wrongs don’t make a right, and that just because one person says something dumb doesn’t absolve everyone else from being just as dumb when repeating it.
Glad this happened before the election and not after the chairman was chosen.
December 30th, 2008 at 3:06 am
[...] Adam Graham writes a brilliant piece on this news at Race 4 2012. Excerpts below. Read it all. [...]
December 30th, 2008 at 3:06 am
[...] Adam Graham writes a brilliant piece on this news at Race 4 2012. Excerpts below. Read it all. [...]
December 30th, 2008 at 3:09 am
If this is something worth throwing a person under the bus over, we’re gonna run out of treadless bodies quick.
There’s nothing here but gutless cowards on the GOP and race-baiters in the media. The song is not objectionable in the least.
December 30th, 2008 at 4:06 am
Saltsman and his defenders are insane.
Here are the lyrics:
SHANKLIN (Sharpton impersonator):
Barack the Magic Negro lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times, they called him that
‘Cause he’s not authentic like me.
Yeah, the guy from the L.A. paper
Said he makes guilty whites feel good
They’ll vote for him, and not for me
‘Cause he’s not from the hood.
See, real black men, like Snoop Dog,
Or me, or Farrakhan
Have talked the talk, and walked the walk.
Not come in late and won!
[refrain] Oh, Barack the Magic Negro, lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times, they called him that
‘Cause he’s black, but not authentically.
Oh, Barack the Magic Negro, lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times, they called him that
‘Cause he’s black, but not authentically.
Some say Barack’s “articulate”
And bright and new and “clean.”
The media sure loves this guy,
A white interloper’s dream!
But, when you vote for president,
Watch out, and don’t be fooled!
Don’t vote the Magic Negro in –
‘Cause — ’cause I won’t have nothing after all these years of sacrifice
And I won’t get justice. This is about justice. This isn’t about me, it’s about justice.
It’s about buffet. I don’t have no buffet and there won’t be any church contributions,
And there’ll be no cash in the collection plate.
There ain’t gonna be no cash money, no walkin’ around money, no phoning money.
Now, Barack going to come in here and –
http://conservativeculture.com/2007/05/drive-by-media-matters-magic-negro-and-secret-service/
Here’s another one from the Shanklin CD that Saltsman sent out, called “Star Spanglish Banner”:
Jose can you see
By the dawn’s early light
Cross the border we sailed
As the Gringos were sleeping
What broad stripes and bright stars
We like red, green, and white
On the day that we marched
We were gallantly screaming
And the rally was where
We waved flags in the air
As proof in daylight
That our flag was not theirs
Jose does that star spangled banner yet wave
For the land of weak knees
In DC, no one’s free
http://24ahead.com/star-spanglish-banner-and-barack-magic-negro-tear-rnc-chart
Can Gamecock or someone else please explain how this type of fifth-grade “satire” either (1) scores points in the policy debates on race relations or immigration, or (2) broadens the Republican coalition? If not, why the hell does Saltsman judge that it is worth the price of perpetuating the myth that we are out-of-touch WASPS at best and bigots at worst? For making this “gift” part of his pitch to be the new face of the Republican Party, he deserves to be thrown under the bus at the earliest possible moment – then backed up over and never heard from again.
December 30th, 2008 at 5:15 am
I don’t like Saltsman for his ties to Huckabee. So I’ll throw that out there from the beginning. But why is it that Republicans should constantly have to cower in fear over being labeled a racist? It wasn’t even Saltsman’s song and I suspect he had little to do with it being distributed. The race police are not going to stop here. I am sick and tired of it. The blacks can say whatever the hell they want. They can have whatever radical associations they want and it doesn’t matter because of their race. It’s perfectly okay for Obama to sit in the pew with Wright on his soapbox for twenty years. What if McCain was so intertwined with a church that preached hate against blacks? We all know the answer. It’s a double standard and it’s getting really old. Saltsman distributes a CD with a song that contains the word “negro” and he is tarred and feathered, but candidate Obama can say “typical white person” and typical white liberals cheer him on. Geraldine Ferraro is right. It’s not racism that is rampant. But there is a hell of a lot of racial resentment out there. And with good reason.
Anyway – the song itself wasn’t even about Obama, but rather about how Obama’s image was being handled within the black community and the media. Jackson and Sharpton and the media bore the brunt of the criticism.
I would caution other Romney supporters (Martha et al) here to think about the implications of this witch hunt before basking in the glory of the loss of Saltsman. If someone cries foul over the fact that Romney said “Who let the dogs out?” in an awkward manner to a black kid, is it going to be ok to tag Romney as a racist? Someone needs to stand up and say “Enough is enough” with this shit. If we throw Saltsman under the bus, it will only make it easier for the race police to go after others.
December 30th, 2008 at 5:34 am
I do not actually support Mr. Saltsman for the position of party chairman, but this is getting down-right funny. The other day, some people claimed it was not racist to target Black children for Abortion and now a Conservative Republican is accused of being racist against African Americans for quoting a statement made to the LA Times. I suppose these characters now think that Mr. Limbaugh is racist since the EIB made up the song.
I am finally understanding the new rules of the game. Those of us in fly-over country are automatically idiots and Liberals, but not Conservatives are allowed to do the trashing. Great post Adam Graham, too bad only a few people are listening.
December 30th, 2008 at 7:40 am
I’m indifferent to the ultimate RNC chairmanship, and from all I’ve seen of Saltsman, I find he comes across as affable.
That said, I also find this “inside joke” intended for inner-circle consumption only to be quite offensive. And this is exactly why it should have been avoided: It was entirely unnecessary.
If there are several available paths separated by a minefield to follow, the wise choice would be to avoid the minefield altogether by staying on the path.
The simple reality is that perception becomes reality in instances of race. Individuals from the racial majority have no need to chime in with remarks about racial minorities. Such acts can and will be construed in the most negative paradigm by minorities and members of the majority.
An incapacity to recognize this is a serious failing in polite company, and much more so in the realm of politics.
December 30th, 2008 at 7:46 am
As a matter of what the political fallout will be, I agree with you. I’m just lamenting the fact that it is the way it is. Sometimes certain minorites in certain situations tend to be quick to cry out with a persecution complex.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Terrorism and the political correctness are the biggest enemy of democracy.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:27 am
enemies
December 30th, 2008 at 8:41 am
Actually after rereading what I wrote earlier, I should amend,
to
I suspect he probably didn’t even know most of the songs on the CD, which was commercially available and widely sold, without incident.
December 30th, 2008 at 9:12 am
MarkG:
I will not disagree that this CD was unecessary, but it is certainly unecessary to call Mr. Saltsman a racist. This is afterall, a funny song, not an act of trashing.
December 30th, 2008 at 9:17 am
In the next to last paragraph of Graham’s posting he states: “Whoever gets elected RNC Chairman will need to lead the whole party. The type of response Duncan and Anuzis has issued will make it very hard for them to unite the party and will lead to them being sniped at in talk-radio-land and looked on with a great amount of distrust among the base.”
This statement and its implications are very revealing. Think for a moment what this is saying about the character of the party and particularly “the base” or maybe it’s Adam Graham’s PERCEPTION of “the base.” A couple of apparent revelations:
–The Party is in the tank; the country faces some horrible problems; the most recent era of Republican Governance has been less than stellar (and that’s putting it kindly)….BUT,
–The most compelling qualification for election to RNCC is that one endorse or refrain from critiquing the Saltsman CD or it’s content, style and tactics. God forbid that any potential Republican Party leader talk about substantive issues and discuss how to get the Party out of the tank. To do so would arouse suspicion among “the base” and the talk radio crowd, and apparently, “the base” gets its thoughts from talk-radio-land.
–Since a large number of current RNC members were essentially hand-picked by Karl Rove in 2004 or earlier, the conclusions and prognostications of this posting are likely.
December 30th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Action A occurred and evoked reaction B. The biggest problem here is that Saltsman did not have the political insight to know that action A would evoke reaction B. After all, we’re talking about electing him to a position wherein it is absolutely necessary for him to understand all of these kinds of things.
Btw, Adam (not G), I agree with you that its a pretty sad state that allows blacks to say and do whatever they want without repercussion, and whites have to toe the line so perfectly politically correct.
December 30th, 2008 at 10:06 am
#39:
Do you really think the CD is a “substantive issue” rather than a silly distraction?
December 30th, 2008 at 10:58 am
39:
It’s not about being “in the tank”, but after listening to McCain lecture us for a year on what we can and cannot say, I’m in no mood for another (remember Martinez?) RNC Chair wading in and calling members of his own party racist for no reason.
RNC Chair: Jelly Spines Need Not Apply
December 30th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
As a big Huck guy, Chip did a great job for the campaign, but this was just plain dumb. Mike often inserts foot in mouth (Mormon & shoot Obama comments), but Chip thought this through and decided to put this on his CD.
The idea that because Rush plays the song in some way excuses it is equally ridiculous.
That said, I’m kind of glad that Chip is out because it increases the chances that we can get an African American
in the job. It’s critical that we take race off the table, so the GOP needs to do anything in our means to
put minorities in high profile jobs.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
BULLSHIT! The GOP will NEVER EVER EVER EVER take race off the table NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO. The minorities that vote Democrat vote Democrat because they are poor and Democrats hand out more money. That’s it. Pure and simple. It’s not social issues, because minorites are more socially conservative than your average white liberal Democrat.
The GOP needs to TEACH that they needn’t be beholden to government. The GOP needs to get its message out. Its not going to attract minorities by simply offering a few token minorities leadership spots.
The GOP needs to put the *most qualified* people in high profile jobs, regardless of whether they are black, white, green or blue.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Sheesh.
There are so many false assumptions in these comments and in the OP itself it’s ridiculous.
First of all, nominating a black RNC chair in no way, shape, or form insulates the GOP from charges of racism. Remember Ken Mehlmen? He was supposed to be our in with the Jewish voters of the country. Instead, Jews still vote overwhelmingly Democrat and we still get charged with racism.
Remember Bush’s cabinet? It was literally the most racially diverse cabinet in history. Remember Condi? Colin? It was supposed to prove that we Republicans were not racist. Instead, charges of racism against the GOP are still going strong today.
Remember Mel Martinez? He was supposed to be our in with the Hispanic voters of this country. Instead, Hispanics still vote Democrat (and by larger margins than in the past), and we still get charged with racism.
Who the hell cares what color somebody’s skin is? Martin Luther King, Jr. must be rolling in his grave right now. Whatever happened to content of character?
When it comes to RNC chair, whatever happened to vision casting, fundraising, and organizational skills?
Blackwell is one of the most divisive guys we’ve got in the GOP when we ought to be moving toward some semblance of party and country unity. He’s never run an organization or a campaign – the closest he’s ever come is being the national chairman of Steve Forbe’s flopped campaign in 2000. He’s lost some of the most important elections he’s run in. His grand master plan of making the GOP a national party again is by raiding church membership lists and getting evangelicals even more involved in voter registration – a plan that’s sure to work in the Northeast and West Coast.
But nevermind all that. The guy is black. And that’s all that matters.
C’mon – we are a better party than this.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Adam (#44): AMEN. Exactly what I was trying to say.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Here’s my problem with assessing this horserace– how does one judge the effectiveness of these candidates at organizing, recruiting, fundraising, etc.? These are largely behind-the-scenes activities that the general public is not privvy to. I don’t feel like I know what metrics I need to be looking for.
I criticized Steele as an affirmative action pick who, while quite affable, has not appeared on cable news to be a particularly effective spokesperson, has no track record of organizational leadership, and does not seem to have a consistent vision of where he wants to take the party. Merely saying that we need to attract new voters is not the same thing as having a message that will attract those voters.
Blackwell, on the other hand, has a consistent ideology, but I’ve never seen him handle the press, and don’t know what his track record is for networking and organization. Obviously his gubernatorial run was not a great success, despite the fact that I contributed to it.
December 30th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
First, the problem I have with Saltsman goes beyond his stupidity in distributing the CD. As Huck’s campaign manager, he did NOTHING to stop the anti-Mormon moves Huck was making, and on Hugh Hewitt the other day, he actually denied that there was any anti-Mormon comments on the website. B A L O N E Y. The guy was part and parcel of the most divisive campaign, and then continues to lie about it and refuse to take responsibility. That is not the kind of leader we need. He already told the Huckabee family that he would be with them in 2012. Maybe he was just being nice, but nobody really knows, do we now?
So, I’m as happy as a clam that a guy as clueless as Saltsman about so many things is not going to be in charge of moving the party forward. None of the candidates really ring my bell, but Saltsman and Dawson are unthinkable.
December 30th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Amen #31
December 30th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Adam, it doesn’t matter how right you are, it was DUMB of Saltsman to open the door. We don’t need these kind of unforced errors. We’ve got enough trouble already when it comes to African Americans and the GOP.
December 30th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Adam, it doesn’t matter how right you are, it was DUMB of Saltsman to open the door. We don’t need these kind of unforced errors. We’ve got enough trouble already when it comes to African Americans and the GOP.
December 30th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Adam, I’ll be the first to say that Romney’s who let the dogs out was painful and cringeworthy. But Saltsman didn’t get caught in an off the cuff comment. He deliberately sent out the CD.
I don’t have a problem with Rush playing all this stupid stuff on the radio, but we’re talking about a high-profile leadership role here. I don’t want a guy who is so clueless about what that entails.
December 30th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
#39 – No, it most certainly is not a substantive issue. That’s the point in my commentary, Adam. The fact that a candidate for RNCC would waste time doing something like this as opposed to addressing substantive issues says a lot, but your assertion that criticism of Saltsman’s poor judgement offends the base says even more. IMHO, the content of the CD is not nearly so bad (or offensive) as the apparent implication that this is the kind of thing GOP leaders focus on these days rather than focusing on the substantive issues facing the country and on strategies for getting the Party out of the tank.
December 30th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Bottom line: Chip and Katon are done and probably Saul as well.
This thing will come down to either Blackwell or Steele with Blackwell now gaining fast. This is a good thing as they are both proven winners and each has a superb vision for the Party. If Blackwell wins it also portends favorably for Palin in 2012.
December 30th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Adam is overly dramatic in this posting; calling others knaves because Chip Saltsman made the stupid mistake of sending out this cd. Chip needs to explain his actions himself, and he needs to effectively answer for them. I wouldn’t condemn him for this one misjudgment, but he sure needs to answer a lot of questions for people. Did he know this song was on the CD? Has he listened to the CD before? Did he not read the songs on the CD? Why did he put such little thought into a gift he gave out to 168 people? How does he spend over $2000 on a gift without knowing what’s on it?
December 30th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Adam (not Graham) & Matt C,
MLK need not roll over; Blackwell, Steele and Watts are qualified. Yes, we should be the party of merit but race is, unfortunately, still a factor. Who cares about skin color? Per 2008 election results, about 98% of voting African-Americans.
You want to teach voters about the merits of conservative ideals? Minorities will be much more receptive to listening to/learning from ‘one of their own.’ JC Watts has street cred in the African-American community; he’s not viewed as a sell out. He’s the right guy if we want to grow the party. The key to reaching much of the African-American community is via AA clergy; JC Watts is the perfect guy to reach AA clergy.
JC for RNC Chair
Mitt & Mike ‘12
December 30th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I’m not going to agree or disagree, but question if we should be giving the RNC top-spot based on racial preferences of the electorate.
Minorities will be much more receptive to listening to/learning from ‘one of their own.’
Is that a fact? I know it seems to work for Democrats, but does it necessary mean that we will pick up African-American votes by putting an African-American in charge of the RNC?
Once again, these are just questions, I want to hear a fuller argument.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
By the way, I don’t really care who gets the job, as long as they are a real conservative, not an elitist, or populist.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
I actually think that the best of both worlds would be to give Blackwell the RNC chair and nominate Steele as our VP pick in 2012. This would really throw the Dems off their game and present a the GOP as a party of diversity and inclusion.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Tuesday FNC Grapevine echoes gamecock, reports Blackwell and several GOP state chairs defend Saltsman and condemn Duncan for mimicking the msm lies about poor judgement.
December 30th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
#59 – Wouldn’t that look an awfully lot like we’re doing it just to get the votes?
I can just see a lot of people shaking their heads thinking these are desparate moves on the part of the Republicans. As a party, it seems to me that we must find a way to convince a certain segment of the minority population that our ideas are best for them in the long run. We may never get the majority of them as long as they are poor and as long as we stick to our guns on not becoming more socialistic. But, I would think many of them are reachable, just not that easily.
December 30th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
“This would really throw the Dems off their game and present a the GOP as a party of diversity and inclusion.”
Not that I’m disagreeing with Blackwell as RNC chair, and Steele as VP pick, but wasn’t Palin supposed to throw the Dems off their game?
December 30th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
“Tuesday FNC Grapevine echoes gamecock, reports Blackwell and several GOP state chairs defend Saltsman and condemn Duncan for mimicking the msm lies about poor judgement.”
What lies about poor judgment? What Duncan did was in atrociously poor judgment; how can there even be any debate about that? I agree with Ken Blackwell that he’s a fine man and certainly not a racist, but he’s clearly, at some level, an idiot. PR is important.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
#55 “I wouldn’t condemn him for this one misjudgment, but he sure needs to answer a lot of questions for people.”
That is exactly what he CAN’T do if he hopes to salvage himself. Once you start, it never ends (see Sen Lott). Issue one, and only one, statement denying knowledge of the song (it was one of 41 on the CD). Don’t elaborate, and refer back to this response anytime the issue comes up.
December 30th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
If he quickly said he never knew that song was on the CD, never listened to the CD, never read the titles of the songs on the CD, only picked it based on a suggestion or based on previous CD’s, then admitted that it’s an inappropriate song, and he wouldn’t have bought them if he knew about it, then that’s sufficient. Of course, he’s still a moron for not putting more effort into his choice of gifts then, and if it was me, I would tell everybody to throw away the CD, and that I was going to send them a new gift instead.
The problem is, I think he knew about the song and thought everybody would be okay with it.
December 30th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
#64
In other words, lie through your teeth and hope to hang on.
Hey, you might have a point – sounds to me like good qualifications to be GOP head!
December 30th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
That’s not true, otherwise Barack Obama would be the RNC chairman.
December 30th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
“Who cares about skin color? Per 2008 election results, about 98% of voting African-Americans.”
Actually, there does not seem to be any empirical evidence for that (not saying it is true of not true). Given that all Democratic presidential candidates of late have gotten 90%+ of the black vote, one cannot conclude that blacks voted for Obama because he is black. Hillary would have gotten nearly as much of the black vote. The evidence seems to be that blacks care about the types of policy positions that Democrats care about.
Which means that if you want to make headway there, forget about putting up token blacks as VP or GOP head, no one will be fooled by that. Rather, try to figure out how to address that big hole in your (mainly economic) philosophy – that hole that yields you no credible answers about how to address the concerns of those who are not necessarily big winners in the free market.
December 30th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
That many Republicans don’t see what the problem is, is what the problem is. I guess the GOP wants to remain the minority party. Cool.
December 30th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Yob
December 30th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Adam Graham, you are freaking kidding me. Duncan and Anuzis are the knaves??? How in the heck so? Their comments were mild and RIGHT ON THE MONEY. You said neither of them could unite the party because of their comments — that is just plain silly.
You are so transparent it’s not even funny.
December 30th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
With respect, I would like to know how either Mr. Duncan or Mr. Anuzis can now unite the party with their over the top non-sense. Calling somebody a racist for sending a CD with a funny song which contains an LA Times quote is in deed quite silly. They may not be knaves, but I for one question their ability to lead our party.
December 30th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
And you don’t question Saltsman’s??????? This was stupid, really stupid.
December 31st, 2008 at 12:16 am
A lot of people summarily dismiss Bush’s efforts to appoint a diverse cabinet and appoint ethnic minorities to head the RNC.
Keep in mind, however, that Bush won a much larger percentage of the Hispanic vote in 2004 than any Republican since Reagan in 1984. Also, Bush won a large share of the black vote for a Republican (over 16% in Ohio, a key swing state). These were important keys to his victory.
I think Bush’s attempts to diversify the party met with some limited success. Looks like we’re moving backward with all the lame defenses of Saltsman here.
December 31st, 2008 at 5:39 am
I do not want Mr. Saltsman to be our chairman either Illinoisguy, (despite the fact that I backed Mr. Huckabee, Mr. Saltsman is not actually my man for chairman) but I am sick of the double standards. People are quick to call Republicans racists, but Democrats get a pass. If the Governor of New York had been GOP, instead of defending him, the liberals would be saying ‘that disabled Black man should have been aborted,’ but Mr. Saltsman play a song from Mr. Limbaugh and we do not here the end of it. Before all this carry on, I did not officially have a dog in this fight, but I back Mr. Blackwell for sure now.
Roddy Reta, you make a good point about Mr. Bush winning 16% of African Americans in Ohio. This was in deed a major key to Mr. Bushh winning Ohio. As soon as I saw a few African American set to vote for Mr. Bush on election Day 2004, I knew Mr. Kerry was finished. Ohio for one state has a sizable African American population, but it does not have very many other non-Whites. However, in 20212, nationwide, we will not do well among African Americans. We either have to reach out to Hispanics and Asians or we need to rack up the White vote like crazy. It sound like a racist analysis, but it is realistic. That is why I would entertain a Romney / Jindal ticket. The sum of such a ticket would be better than both its parts.
December 31st, 2008 at 8:51 am
#66 “In other words, lie through your teeth and hope to hang on.”
No, my assumption is that he bought it because he thought a Paul Shanklin CD would be well-received by RNC members and garner him more attention from them. I doubt he was aware of that particular song. If he was aware, he should admit he screwed up by giving the gift with an offensively-titled song. Then refuse to discuss it more and refer back. Either way, I think he’s sunk. The question is whether he drags other people down with him, and whether he gives himself a chance to rehab his image later.
#68 “Actually, there does not seem to be any empirical evidence for that (not saying it is true of not true).”
I agree. I don’t think blacks voted for Sen Obama primarily because he was black, but it made them more enthusiastic to do so. Some call it racist, but I call it racial pride (which I don’t have a problem with). The fact is that blacks in this country feel (rightly or wrongly) the system is rigged against them (foreign blacks don’t seem to have the same problem, incidentally). It is a matter of pride to break that barrier. Far from decrying it as racist, we should give blacks their due, and acknowledge the accomplishment. This isn’t to say give Pres Obama a pass, just don’t complain that it was racist.
“The evidence seems to be that blacks care about the types of policy positions that Democrats care about.”
I wholeheartedly disagree, Tano. I could name several policy positions where blacks more strongly align with Republicans/conservatices than Democrats/liberals (vouchers and social issues off the top of my head). The problem is the perception of racism, which the GOP steadfastly refuses to attempt to rectify, instead wasting their breath complaining. Yes, appointments to high places are fine and positive first steps, but where is the active recruitment and promotion? The process is slowly getting better, but there’s much more room for improvement.
Starting today, Reps should play to their strengths in minority areas and build grassroot relationships. Reach out to black churches, attend community meetings in overwhelmingly black districts. Give time, effort, and resources to help them improve their communities. Show them what a hand up, not a hand out, looks like on a personal level. Show them they aren’t ignored, and results matter. You won’t see much improvement in 2010, you won’t see improvement in 2012, but from that point on, you’d likely see a slow, but steady, bleeding of support.
Won’t work? Blatant vote-buying? Cynical? All of those things have been said, and will continue to be said, regardless of what the GOP does. Actions, however, will speak louder than these accusations.
December 31st, 2008 at 11:52 am
Richard M,
I disagree with some of what you say, but your basic thesis is sound. The GOP certainly can make headway in the black community, but it will take sincere interest, and lots of patience and hard work.
I do think I am right to say that blacks overwhelmingly support the policies that Democrats support. Pointing out a few issues where blacks might be favorably inclined toward GOP positions does not change that overall assessment.
Blacks are disproportionatly poorer than whites, in general, with higher unemployment, higher levels of all manner of social ills, less health insurance etc. The GOP, quite explicitly, follows a philosophy that seeks to reward those at the top with the hope and expectation that benefits will trickle down to everyone else. You shouldn’t be surprised that those at the far end of that chain are less enthusiastic about your promises. If you have no interest in taking up the interests of those at the bottom, then you will not get their votes. Thats pretty basic in a democracy.
The GOP attitude toward affirmative action is also a big problem. The GOP, under the sway of all the old Southerners who ran to your party once the Dems embraced civil rights, y’all seem to believe that the just way to wrap up 400 years of institutional racism on these shores, is to simply make it illegal (or better, have the liberals make it illegal) and then pretend that it never happened. No effort whatsoever should be made to try to integrate the black community into the mainstream of society that they were forcibly excluded from for all those centuries. Anyone who dares think otherwise is actually called a racist! Thats just bitterly, cruelly ironic. That you guys are entertained by those who make such arguments, and go along with them, well, that seems to me to constitute a good explanation for why you get less than 10% of the black vote.
Once again, this issue, like most other contentious issues, have good and bad arguments on both sides. The GOP seems to always find itself embracing the arguments that are counter to the interests of most black people. Coincidence? Who knows, but it is why you dont get their votes.
December 31st, 2008 at 12:49 pm
#78 Tano, I firmly believe that blacks are more open to conservatives and conservative ideas than their voting patterns. The problem (partly good pr by Dems, partly incompetent stubbornness by Reps) is it’s all overridden by assumptions of racism.
You want to make the claim that Dems are for the poor and Reps are for the rich, and this explains minority voting? Ok, I’ll bite. Are the states with significantly higher wealth per person blue or red? Significantly lower? It conflicts directly with your assessment. No, the real divide is rural vs urban, not rich vs poor. That’s more cultural than anything.
“The GOP certainly can make headway in the black community, but it will take sincere interest, and lots of patience and hard work.”
They can and they should. The target should be at least 30% if Reps hope to regain and maintain majority status (and for the general good of the country, really, as that would help keep minorities from being taken for granted and/or ignored as unattainable).
Affirmative action? You talk as if blacks were just liberated from slavery five years ago, not more than 140. You talk like they’ve just now been allowed full access to society, not more than 40. Again, foreign-born black do not seem to have the same problems integrating into society that native-born blacks do. Is it because the natives are lazy and/or stupid? No, it’s cultural. There’s a perception (not a reality) that the color of their skin will hold them back no matter what. It inhibits their ability to succeed (though many have overcome it). It’s one of the reasons the GOP shouldn’t argue that Pres Obama’s victory was a sign of black racism, and should accept it as a matter of black pride. Blacks can, and will, succeed at a greater rate when they start believing they can, not when they get a new and better affirmative action program.
December 31st, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Richard,
I agree that cultural identity is an important driver of voting patterns. And that certainly plays a role with the black community. But I dont think that economic issues can be avoided. People without health insurance, for example, are far less likely to buy into a strict free-market ideology – they see directly its limitations. People who are far more likely to be earning minimum wage also understand in an immediate manner how and why an increase in that wage might be important. People who may feel badly treated by their employer, but with few prospects for other jobs, may be more appreciative of the right to organize and collectivly bargain, than is the party of the bosses.
I do agree that having a two party system operating in every demographic group is good for the group and good for the country. Good for the parties too, since the broader your tent is, the less you are able to take refuge in extremism.
As for AA – I feel, along with those who founded and always supported AA, that it is a program that should eventually fade away. Conservatives however, opposed it in the beginning, and at every step along the way. So even though we may agree at the end of the day – eventually it should go away, y’all will rightfully get no credit for anything it ever accomplished, nor should you get any credit for shepherding it to its natural and proper demise.
December 31st, 2008 at 1:47 pm
#80 “But I dont think that economic issues can be avoided.”
I’ll repeat, it’s less about rich vs poor than urban vs rural. Take the poorest per capita states (mostly southern states). Are they red or blue? Almost exclusively red, even though though Reps “don’t care about the poor, and are only concerned with the rich.” How about the richest (mostly northeast and west coast)? Almost exclusively blue, even though Dems “want to raise taxes on the evil rich to give to the poor.” Simplistic breakdown? Yes, but one that I think shows the issue’s more complex than rich and poor. Those blue states have significantly larger portions of urban population, while the red states have a larger portion of rural. Minorities tend to cluster more in urban areas than rural (which makes some sense if you think about it). There’s a significantly different thought process that does on with people in rural areas and those in urban. Think on that.
As for AA, what are the benchmarks you will use for success? Do you HAVE benchmarks, beyond equal amounts of achievements? How long do you want to let it run before you stop and assess “Hey, is this accomplishing the goals we want it to? What are the successes and how do we build on them? What are the failures and how do we turn them around?” I can understand not wanting to put a timetable on it, but do you intend it to be a blank check for another 40-50 years? What is reasonable? It’s not an all-or-nothing proposition we are talking about here.
December 31st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
“Can Gamecock or someone else please explain how this type of fifth-grade “satire” either (1) scores points in the policy debates on race relations or immigration, or (2) broadens the Republican coalition?”
Foghorn-leghorn mode on: It’s a JOKE, sonny .. a JOKE, sonny. You dont ’score points’ in humor, you chuckle or not.
I say, that boy has a funny bone the size of a sparrow’s kneecap.
You either have a sense of humor or you are humorless dried-up-old scold. How does hating humor help the world?
December 31st, 2008 at 5:12 pm
As for AA – I feel, along with those who founded and always supported AA, that it is a program that should eventually fade away. Conservatives however, opposed it in the beginning, and at every step along the way.”
Dont you hate it when liberals rewrite history? Nixon started AA. More Republicans than Democrats voted for civil Rights laws.
Since the founding of the republican party in 1854, the GOP has been on the side of blacks against slavery, then for the 14th amendment, then against jim crow, then against segregation and for anti-lynching laws. A Republican supreme court justice earl warren wrote borwn vs borad of ed ruling and republican President send the national guard to enforce desegregation against democrat southern governors.
It is absolutely BALONY that conservatives have been against ‘affirmative afction’ – the Reublicans and conservatives were again RACISM. When affirmative acion mophed into a form of reverse racism, conservatives and Republicans pointed out that 2 wrongs dont make a right. Republicans have voted to reauthothorize civil rights bill, expand it to those with disabilities (ADA), supported and reathorized the Voting Rights Act twice (in 1982, 2002), etc. It is a foul an obnoxious lie to pretend that Republicans and conservatives want anything other than a fair and level playing field for all Americans.
The fact is, however, that racial spoils in the form of affirmative action quotas is used by Democrats to keep the ‘city machines’ humming in many cities. Black vote for patronage when voting Democrat not principles. It’s about a system when the Democrat scare black voters into lies about Republicans (which you repeat) and at the same time out-pander the GOP, with affirmative action a part of the package, along with HUD, more govt spending, etc. etc.
But affirmative action qith racial quotas goes too far. It turns down more qualifies white for no reason other than race. That is wrong. Men like Ward Connerly worked to create a true
‘euqality of opportunity’ rule that forbids consideration of race in hiring. Of course, the liberals defended this form of racism, in California, Michigan, and elsewhere.
That’s the better answer… “I feel, along with those who founded and always supported AA, that it is a program that should eventually fade away.”
No better time than the present. Reverse discrimination is still discrimination and that still makes it wrong. It’s time to end any and all racial preferences.
“’all will rightfully get no credit for anything it ever accomplished,”
You are an ignorant boob who doesnt know your own history. Par for the course, I am sure some liberal prof brainwashed you to believe in your fairyland lies. The truth will set you free. The Republicans ended slavery, the Republicans ended segregation in schools, Republicans were most of the votes to pass the civil rights bill. And Republicans will end racism in America once and for all one day by making Ward Connerly’s dream and MLK’s dream a reality.