Revelations of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s remarks, made in 2008 about President Obama’s race, have sparked a national brouhaha that is quite unfortunate.
To my mind, it tells me that Republicans have not learned the lessons that they need to learn to grab back hold of leadership in our country.
Who exactly are Republicans trying to gain points with in dragging this incident out?
Is it not the Republican Party that has the problem with race? Ninety five percent of blacks voted for the Democratic candidate in the last election.
Recent polling by Gallup shows that nationwide, there is a correlation between party affiliation and religiosity. The more religious an individual, the more likely they vote Republican.
Except for blacks. Ironically, blacks have the highest church attendance of any ethnic group in the country. Yet, only 11 percent of the most religious blacks – those who attend church at least once per week – identify as Republicans.
Republicans are the ones with the race problem. So, when in 2002 then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi praised Strom Thurmond, once one of the nation’s most notorious racists and segregationists, is it any surprise that blacks reacted and Democrats made hay?
Reid’s observations about Obama’s speech and skin tone as factors influencing his acceptability as a nationwide candidate reflected a reality that most, including most blacks, would not have disputed. It is a fact of life in a country still laced with racial sentiments.
Blacks themselves did not believe that Obama could be considered a serious candidate until his victory in the mostly white Iowa caucuses suddenly opened eyes that he could actually do it.
When Trent Lott tried to redeem himself and save his job, he went to the BET and groveled. So do we want Reid to go on Fox and apologize?
Republicans need to wake up that the conservative message that supposedly defines their party is a message that blacks badly need. But they aren’t going to sell it to them as long as blacks do not feel comfortable pulling the lever for Republicans.
Republicans leaders should be using air time to be talking about why limited government, low taxes, school choice, private social security accounts, market driven health care paradigms, and traditional values that are friendly to family integrity are crucial for low income Americans.
These truths need to be delivered with conviction and credibility.
If Republicans looked at blacks as potential customers like any business looks at potential new markets, they would try to understand their unique mentality and learn how to market their product to them. A product that this community badly needs.
The tea party movement now sweeping the nation reflects grass roots disgust with the political establishment and business as usual in Washington. The movement reflects grass roots sentiment for reassertion of American principles of limited government and seeks sincere American leaders – as was Ronald Reagan – who live to embody these principles.
Americans are sick of political hypocrisy.
Perhaps worst of all, Republicans insult blacks to think that they do not see the obvious. That alleged Republican outrage about Reid’s remarks is simply a political game.
Or that blacks do not appreciate the transparent hypocrisy when a black RNC chairman, who is in his job because of his race, expresses outrage that a white Democrat expresses the truth that we are not in post-racial America – yet.
By continuing to do business as usual, Republican hurt their party and our nation.
They need to wake up that our country is in trouble, that the conservative agenda that is supposed to define their party is the answer, but that they will never sell it by continuing with political games.
Examiner columnist Star Parker is an author and president of CURE, Coalition for Urban Renewal and Education (www.urbancure.org). She is syndicated nationally by Scripps Howard News Service. Her regular column appears on Mondays.
