# Romney For President Announces Black Leadership Council. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 16, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905 "2012-09-16T18:20:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/1 "2012-09-16T18:20:56Z")
[http://www.mittromney.com/news/press/2012/09/romney-president-announces-black-leadership-council](http://www.mittromney.com/news/press/2012/09/romney-president-announces-black-leadership-council) > [@](#): > > Romney for President today announced its Black Leadership Council. In the months to come, this group will help facilitate dialogue between Mitt Romney and respected leaders who provide unique expertise, experience and knowledge on a range of issues impacting black American communities. I can’t do anything but giggle at this. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/2 "2012-09-16T18:49:19Z")
“Excuse me Mr. Romney, I speak Jive.” ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/3 "2012-09-16T19:00:39Z")
Just in the nick of time! ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/4 "2012-09-16T19:01:48Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > [http://www.mittromney.com/news/press/2012/09/romney-president-announces-black-leadership-council](http://www.mittromney.com/news/press/2012/09/romney-president-announces-black-leadership-council) > I can’t do anything but giggle at this. Well I was expecting it to be an all white council. I have to give Romney credit for going out of his way to find some color, but oh boy did he find some winners. Representative Tim Scott (SC-01) First term congressman who refuses to be on the National Black Caucus. He also believes Obama should be impeached for um reasons? Representative Allen West (FL-22) One of our favorite Tea party lunatics, with a long list of accomplishments in crazy. Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, I don’t know much about her other then sitting second seat to Rick Scott which in itself is pretty crazy. Rick Scott’s first choice refused the job. Otherwise unlike the other 2 she seams qualified for the position. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/5 "2012-09-16T19:10:11Z")
Yet another example of that “leadership” they’ve been nattering on about lately. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/6 "2012-09-16T19:41:16Z")
Doesn’t hurt to try, I guess. > [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Just in the nick of time! Yea, the bit says “Romney for President today announced its Black Leadership Council. **In the months to come** , this group will help…” One way or another, Romney for President is only going to be a going concern for less then two months. There aren’t any “coming months” for its Black Leadership council to work whatever magic its supposed to work. Also seems kinda cold to leave out poor Michael Steele. They could’ve at least put him on as an adviser. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/7 "2012-09-16T19:52:43Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Well I was expecting it to be an all white council. The white guys have been instructed to [blend in](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Minstrel_PosterBillyVanWare_edit.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/8 "2012-09-16T19:57:26Z")
Boy, that’s one big pool of “Who?” lead by some proven crazy. I can’t wait to see what advice they give the Romney campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/9 "2012-09-16T22:08:40Z")
In fairness, I’m fairly certain that Obama also has “leadership councils” that have no actual input to the campaign, beyond window dressing. ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/10 "2012-09-16T23:10:21Z")
A waste of time. Blacks-- moreso than probably any other group in the U.S.-- are a monolithic voting bloc. Aside from the Democrats launching a nuclear strike against every major city in the U.S., and probably not even then, the overwhelming majority of Blacks will simply vote for the Democratic candidate, in this case Obama, least because he’s (half) Black. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/11 "2012-09-16T23:52:07Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Also seems kinda cold to leave out poor Michael Steele. They could’ve at least put him on as an adviser. They seem to have adopted the policy of pretending that he doesn’t exist. If this was the old Soviet Union, they’d be airbrushing him out of photographs. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/12 "2012-09-17T00:00:36Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > Aside from the Democrats launching a nuclear strike against every major city in the U.S., and probably not even then, the overwhelming majority of Blacks will simply vote for the Democratic candidate, in this case Obama, least because he’s (half) Black. The decades of white racism from the Republican party don’t exactly hurt the Democrats either. Most blacks aren’t foolish enough to vote for their enemies, and the Republicans are their enemies. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/13 "2012-09-17T00:06:47Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > …the overwhelming majority of Blacks will simply vote for the Democratic candidate, Santorum was right; smart people avoid the Republican Party. > [@](#): > > … in this case Obama, least because he’s (half) Black. How black do you have to be before pointing out mixed heritage is no longer necessary? 3/4? 7/8? 15/16? ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/14 "2012-09-17T00:22:42Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The decades of white racism from the Republican party don’t exactly hurt the Democrats either. Most blacks aren’t foolish enough to vote for their enemies, and the Republicans are their enemies. I’ve been over this once before, but Blacks have been overwhelmingly voting Democrat for the last eighty or so years. > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Santorum was right; smart people avoid the Republican Party. But college graduates don’t. > [@](#): > > How black do you have to be before pointing out mixed heritage is no longer necessary? 3/4? 7/8? 15/16? I don’t know. A better question would be why if you’re mixed with Black and White you’re considered Black and not White. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/15 "2012-09-17T00:26:06Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > A better question would be why if you’re mixed with Black and White you’re considered Black and not White. Shouldn’t the answer be whatever the person self-identifies as, rather than what anyone else pins on them? ---
**Author:** ![G-SE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f0a364/32.png) [@G-SE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G-SE)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/16 "2012-09-17T00:44:44Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Shouldn’t the answer be whatever the person self-identifies as, rather than what anyone else pins on them? No. 1/2 + 1/2 != 1/2 , no matter how many times you say it to yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/17 "2012-09-17T00:49:16Z")
> [@G-SE](#): > > No. 1/2 + 1/2 != 1/2 , no matter how many times you say it to yourself. Are you talking to me? ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/18 "2012-09-17T00:51:39Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > I don’t know. A better question would be why if you’re mixed with Black and White you’re considered Black and not White. What makes you think this is so? People at large only consider you what you look like. You could be 3/4 black but if you have blonde hair, blue eyes and delicate features, no one will either believe you, or acknlowlege your blackness either way. I have a lifetime of personal experience on this issue. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/19 "2012-09-17T01:46:15Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > What makes you think this is so? People at large only consider you what you look like. You could be 3/4 black but if you have blonde hair, blue eyes and delicate features, no one will either believe you, or acknlowlege your blackness either way. I have a lifetime of personal experience on this issue. And moreover, in the US, if you don’t “look white” even if your mother is, people won’t consider you white. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905/20 "2012-09-17T02:22:31Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > How black do you have to be before pointing out mixed heritage is no longer necessary? 3/4? 7/8? 15/16? About one drop or so. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-for-president-announces-black-leadership-council/634905.md?page=2)