I was puzzling over this sentence of Steele’s from the CNN Political Ticker:
“We want to convey that the modern-day GOP looks like the conservative party that stands on principles.”
So, it’s just about image?
I’m embarrassed for them.
This isn’t going to work. Right wing talk radio has created a monster out of their success. The Limbaughs and Hannitys and their local copycats have driven off all the moderates and are left with the very far right as listeners, and they expect their red meat to be thrown to them every day. As long as these guys have three hours of airtime to fill every day, they can’t back off on their targets, and that includes urban blacks and hispanics. Reverand Wright may turn out to be the greatest gift the Democrats ever received, as it solidified the negative feelings of the talk radio audience to black people. Today the target is Eric Holder.
Just this morning while driving my kids to school I heard a caller to one of these shows drag out the old saw about how she knows a bunch of black families who tell her how happy they are that their ancestors were brought here in chains because otherwise they’d be suffering in Africa. This was from a white woman of at least 60 who I’ll bet hasn’t spoken to a black person as a peer perhaps in her life.
Steele, if he is serious, is biting off way more than he will be able to chew, and way too fast. He’d be better off trying to attract younger voters of any race, and let them influence the party with their more modern views on race and sexuality.
Damn, I had Hillary in the conservatory with the candlestick. I never win this game.
Nice!
To those arguing that this is a potentially savvy strategy, if perhaps a bit silly sounding: First, I don’t believe that “urban suburban hip hop” youth are especially stupid. They are not going to vote for you because you flash bling, display some “flip chapeau insolence,” or talk about losing your cool up in here. If the Republicans want to get their vote, they are going to have to actually, you know, appeal to these voters on issues.
Secondly, the Republicans have had the success that they’ve had over the past 40 years largely due to the Southern Strategy. By and large, America does not agree with the Republicans on most issues. So I have a hard time imagining how they can carry out a balancing act of appealing both to “urban suburban hip hop” youth and racists.
Finally, if they do somehow start appealing to the “urban suburban hip hop” youth in practice and in policy, then they’ll probably start appealing to me too, because they will have had to tack pretty hard to the left.
Well, Bill can’t complain: he had Monica in the office with the cigar.
What’s really going on here is that Steele has given up on winning elections, and is actually making the sequel to Putney Swope.
A few observations, please. You concentrate on Daschle and ignore all other Democrats - plus throw out a string of Republicans. That’s convenient for you, sure, but it indicates your bias in a big way.
After all, the latest big political scandal to hit the papers involved Rod Blagojevich and Roland Burris. Mark Foley was replaced in Congress by Tim Mahoney, who hired his mistress from the campaign to his staff and then paid her hush money after the relationship went south. The investigation and the divorce case are still pending here, and the seat is now held by Republican Tom Rooney.
William Jefferson didn’t leave Congress until January, and Charles Rangel is still there.
As for the scandals on the horizon, the one I’m watching involves Congressman John Murtha and the firms and lobbyists that have supported him and that he has likewise played the benefactor for many years.
After giving Mr. Steele’s plan some thought, I’ve decided that I’m strongly in favor of it. This could just the thing to make hip-hop not longer cool, thus leading our nation’s youth to listen to decent music for the first time in thirty years.
I’m ashamed that my bias showed, Mr. Moto. I shall endeavor in the future to follow your example.
Now, howsabout you go watch for Democratic scandals in a thread to which that would be remotely relevant, because it sure isn’t this one.
My favourite bit:
Classy!
You don’t think? We were talking about rebranding a party and the risks involved in such - so this sort of thing becomes relevant. Lo and behold, this AP article appeared today essentially saying the same thing.
Mr. Moto, in 3 of 31 posts in this thread, you’ve failed to remotely offer an opinion on the hip hop GOP strategy.
Please take your effort to distract and derail to another thread.
This forum has moderators, and you ain’t one of them.
Junior.
Now, as to overall strategy, we’ll see how this all plays out. I recall that in remarks to the Congressional Black Caucus, Howard Dean said the Republicans could get that many blacks in the room if they brought the hotel staff in. He caught a lot of flack for that but never backed down from those remarks.
Among the people most critical of Dean for that statement was Michael Steele.
Thanks for finally being on point.
Senior?!?
They need to break out MC Rove.
Thanks. I’d forgotten that, but now I’m going to need to start drinking heavily again.
Ah, what the hell! May as well share again. I love the part where he starts texting.
What happened to that guy? He was funky fresh.
Honestly, I don’t know if there’s much more to be said about this except jokes that write themselves. The Republicans stand no chance of being credible in appealing to ‘hip-hop’ or ‘urban’ sensibilities, and only stand to alienate their base by trying. They have had some success in peeling off minority votes with the gay marriage wedge issue, but it only bought them a slim majority in 2004.
True, but people watching the 1924 Democratic convention would have been convinced that African-Americans would be Republicans until the end of time. Certainly they were one of the strongest voting blocs the Republicans had then.
You never know how history will turn.
That’s certainly not your granddaddy’s Soaring Eagle.
Yep. What changed that, though, was not a rebranding effort, but rather a near-complete reversal of the two parties’ respective platforms concerning racial integration and civil rights.
If such a major tectonic shift in political ideology happens again, then yes, a lot of currently Democratic black voters will become Republicans. So will I, for that matter. But I don’t see that as very likely at present.