All I know is this: if I wanted to invite someone to my “home,” I would do as much as possible to make them feel at home. Spin it however you like, but a CNN camerawoman (who happens to be Black) was pelted with peanuts at the GOP convention. That did in fact happen. Now, if I was a GOP leader, I would immediately, vociferously address this. And you wouldn’t even have to say “OMG that’s racist!1!!!” Simply a tersely worded statement that uncivil behavior has no place at the convention. Would it convince me that racism is not a pillar upon which the GOP has built its support? No, but at least I’d see them as being clever enough to try to camouflage that shit.
I’ll also put it to you this way. Many Black people, myself included, regularly interact in environments where we are the only Black person, or we get the feeling we’re being examined for every action we take. So for most professional Black people, I’d say few of us have a problem being in a setting where we are in the numerical minority. But I also think most of us know when we are being welcomed vs. being tolerated.
The GOP has positioned itself as an entity that believes in the “Blacks/Niggers” dichotomy (see the famed sociologist C. Rock on this one). One or two well dressed, well spoken Blacks are fine. But don’t let that number get too big, or have them address issues beyond the narrowly defined “party line.” So a Sowell here, a Rice there is terrific. But what about someone who subscribes to 75% of the “platform,” and isn’t as well spoken?
Regarding your point about Coulter et al not being racist/sexist/homophobic… surely you jest. gamerunknown pretty much disproved that with his quotes, but I sense what you’re saying is that they are deliberately provocative in their rhetoric to get attention. If that’s true, and they in fact do not believe the racist/sexist/homophobic drivel they spout on a fairly frequent basis, that’s even more despicable. Many of their followers are empty-headed and simply uncritically accept their views. Here’s the difference: I can talk to a friend about Rachel Maddow’s commentary and they’ll often say, “I agree with her here, but I think she’s wrong on this point,” but when I’ve engaged Limbaugh listeners (btw, I typically catch his first hour, and I’ve read How Things Ought to Be), usually, there’s an innate need to defend everything he says, uncritically.
I guess, then my point is this: the GOP has a paucity of Blacks, many of whom are extremely poor representatives of the demographic due to obliviousness and stupidity (Herman Cain), obviously over their heads in terms of grasping policy or excellence in their profession (Rod Paige, Clarence Thomas), or “yes men/women” (Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell). The closest they come to intelligent thinkers are hardly known (Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, John McWhorter) and I have to say “intelligent” carefully because I have real problems with the intellect in their arguments, but maybe I’m biased.
Why doesn’t the GOP tackle the issue of race, instead of pretending it doesn’t matter? Newsflash: look at any quality of life indicator in the US, and you’ll see it does. I wouldn’t have a problem with differing views if there was honest engagement on the issue. The GOP in many ways is responsible for creating and/or maintaining the societal structures that serve to oppress people of color, LGBT folks, poor people, and women, and do not take any responsibility to acknowledge this fact, or engage in solutions.
If I was in charge of the GOP I would appoint task forces on these populations - and guess what? - actually invite those who disagree with the party to voice their perspectives, and try to learn why the fear or disdain exists. Maybe it means you build in some new language into the platform, or you acknowledge that not every person that could benefit from GOP leadership subscribes 100% to the entire platform.
Anyway, the GOP is moving toward irrelevance. Here in Texas the fasting growing population are Latinos, and the Dems are working hard to increase GOTV efforts, develop young leaders - look at the Castro twins. What is the GOP doing? Increasing efforts to suppress the Latino votes, and importing Ted Cruz as an exemplar of their diversity. (Nothing wrong with Cruz’s background, but he is purported to be the Great Brown Hope for the GOP in Texas - but he was born in Cuba and raised in Canada. Most Texas Latinos have very little in common with his experience.) So I’m going to watch the GOP disappear into insignificance in the next 20 years, but I know they will not go gently into that good night. More dirty tricks and dog whistle tactics will come, I’m sure, instead of actually listening to what people in these growing communities want and need.
If you want the GOP to grow, drop the culture war bullshit. Leave LGBT people alone and stop worrying about what they do in the privacy of their homes. Accept that Roe v. Wade is the law of the land. Stop trying to Christian-ize every damn thing, and accept the fact that there are plenty of atheists, Muslims, and everything else that like to make money. Drum idiots like Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann out of the party, or designate them with the fringe membership that they deserve. Actually take a stand against racism. That will at least give you a chance for people to take you seriously.
And Stacey Dash gets death threats? Seriously? I’m sure she’s scared to leave her house now.