But do the Republicans love those negroes? KUOW carries GOP "debate"

A black Eastside Republican told us, "We know they think we're not good enough to sit down with, but now our votes aren't fucking good enough for them to even ask us for?"

In one of the most puzzling developments in the weird Republican 2008 presidential race, the top tier candidates, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain and Mitt Romney are avoiding Tavis Smiley's Republican Presidential debate at Morgan State University.

Only the goofball also-rans: Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, Ron Paul and Tom Tancredo have signed up. The latest asterisk to enter the race, the noisy little Alan Keyes also will also attend.

KUOW will carry the 90 minute forum live tonight at 6p. PBS' channel 12, KBTC will run it from 8 to 9:30p.

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Republicans (except for McCain) turned down a chance to debate for a Univision debate aimed at Spanish speakers earlier this month.

Who's the genius handling these Republicans? David Duke? (whose silly name, btw, is Gidget Bubbletush)

Republicans have probably cinched their minority status for a few generations to come with this symbolic snub to minorities. Also their anti-immigration reform stance; and the Bush administration Katrina disaster disaster which was seen to most have impacted poor blacks.

The GOP had been seeing some gains with these minorities as recently as 2004, but these decisions are a huge setback. Latinos are the fastest of the fast-growing new populations.

"I'm puzzled by their decision. I can't speak for them. I think it's a mistake. I wish they'd change their minds — they still have a few days — and I wish they would in fact go to the debate Thursday night," said Newt Gingrich, who is considering entering the race for the GOP nomination.

The Republican Party, despite its noble beginnings with Abe Lincoln, has had a hard sell with African-Americans. After the 1960s-era civil rights movement did its work, the Dixiecrats- the Southern conservative wing- realigned with the Republicans, and its been all states rights, and bootstrap-your-ass-or-die ever since, and the black vote has been a given for Democrats ever since. 

Comments

[wutitiz]

It is my impression that Tavis is left of center. Why then would R's want to participate in his primary debate? It would be like the Seattle City Council attending a debate held by Dori.

[wutitiz]

Dems have this game rigged so that they always win. Recall the 2000 R convention when W invited every prominent black R he could get on stage. For this he was roundly derided by Dems, who made endless jokes about there being more black faces on stage than in the crowd.

It is for this reason that I wish Condi Rice would have run for '08 pres. She probably would have gotten nominated, and the whole game would have been instantly changed. Maybe there's still hope for a VP slot for Condi.

[whatshit]

If Bush had invited every prominent black, as you put it,back in the day, why did he take so long to attend the NAACP convention for several years?

[sarge]

Sorry wutitiz, Condi Rice's association with the most disastrous foreign policy since Millard Fillmore's has sidelined her for a future in politics, if she ever considered it in the first place which I doubt. She couldn't stand up to Cheney or Rumsfeld, how could we trust her to stand up as the C in C?
R's have blown it, it's self destruct, as Michael's excellent photo demonstrates. I ll say it. Republicans are racists. They don't give a shit about minorities, they haven't since reconstruction. It's going to bite' em but good, they've just crossed off the support of 26% of the population.

[WAstateGOPer]

Great photo, Mike, it sums up the Republican Party I've known all my life.

[Andrew]

But much like with the Sharky incident, you can cry technicalities all yuo want, he/they came out looking like asses. What have they accomplished when all is said and done?

[ron stevens]

The NAACP smeared Bush;trying to say he was a racist because he wouldn't support hate crime legislation.That's why he didn't attend the NAACP convention.

[wutitiz]

Sarge: regarding your charge that "Republicans are racist," I am a Republican, and I'm not a racist. Care to rephrase that???

[nevets]

Well there goes Michael again stereotyping Blacks. Who is this picture supposed to be of, Obama?

[chucks]

Why the heck should the Republican candidates debate on Morgan State with Tavis Smiley. This is a primary. The idea is to appeal to the base.
Is this not the same reason that the democrat candidates would not debate on FOX. The dems are trying to attract dem voters to get nominated. After she gets nominated, she will move to the center to win the election.
Why would any candidate go beg before the racist NAACP anyway?

[Andrew]

I don't see this as cutting losses, I see it as snubbing black folk, and so does everybody else. But, do continue to entertain us with your apologetics.

[chucks]

So by not having the balls to appear for a debate on FOX, are we to assume that dems snub white folk?
Keep grasping Andy. Hold the bat up and keep your eyes on the ball. Be patient, don't swing at crap. One day even you will be able to hit the ball like a big boy.
Have any of you ever noticed that our party does not divide people by "different" groups and then pander to them with a bunch of empty promises. Gays, Blacks, Hispanics, etc. No, we believe that all are welcome. Just be for smaller gummint and a little personal responsibility.

[whatshit]

Yes. even gays like Larry Craig and his husband too

[sarge]

Chucks: you and I know appealling to the base, but we're wonks thzat sit around listening to talk radio. To people who discounted all their lives and whose grandparents were enslaved, it doesn't look like tactics, it just looks dismissive. Terrible retail politics. Ask Newt Gingrich or Michael Steele.

[deviant pup]

White people should have their own political party, it's only fair. That is the Republican. In 25 years or so, whites will be in be the minority in many parts of the country. Wonder what Republicans will think of minority rights and affirmative action then?

[Proregressive]

Some might find this recent article from Salon.com interesting:

So long, white boy

Could 2008 be the year that Democrats finally admit an old sweetheart is never coming back, and stop pandering to the white male voter?

[wutitiz]

Sarge: You accuse an entire block of people of being racist ("I'll say it. Republicans are racist.") As Carl Jeffers once pointed out in a Seattle Times column, the tactic of hurling multitudinous baseless allegations of racism has the effect of diluting genuine complaints, making it more difficult for the truly oppressed to get justice. In other words, it ends up being a racist tactic--sometimes unwitting, sometimes intentional. Which is it in your case?

[Sam]

While it might be fun to point out the flaws of the opposing politcal party, that fact is, in the big picture, and especially on a global scale, there isn't that much of a difference between democrats and republicans.

One example? The number of U.S. military bases in foreign countries stays about the same about the same no matter who's in power. The U.S. has about 700 military bases in over 130 countries. We dominate the world through our military power. And as far I can tell, that doesn't change even fractionally whether a D or R is in office.

[Andrew]

Damn you're smug. If Al Gore was in the White House we wouldn't be in Iraq. The Supreme Court would be leaning progressive as we speak. Had any other revelations lately?

[Sam]

You're not concerned about the United States encircling the earth with its garrisons, but then you're surprised when we invade another country? The naive comes to mind.

[joanie]

Seems to me a lot of those bases were the result of a little war called WW2. Since when do bases equal invasions?

Historically uninformed comes to mind.

[Sam]

So Joanie, are you saying your are surprised and outraged when a country who dominates the earth with over 700 military bases in 130 countries actually uses its military might against another country?

[wutitiz]

Gotta love the courage of sarge, who says I'm a racist and then runs off and hides. If all libs were such cowards, we never would have made it out of the Jim Crow era.

[pugetSound]

Wutitiz
You know the deal, it's called the 'skedaddle.'
A time tested debating technique in which inconvenient facts are ignored.
It's what happens when a poor debater pulls something out of their 'rumble seat' and then when asked to provide some proof can only show their backside inflight.
Not to worry Wutitiz, we know your not a racist.

[wutitiz]

Thanks, PS, now I see how godawful annoying it can be.

[PugetSound]

Wutitiz,
See this isn't a liberal or conservative thing.
It's a 'phoniness' thing.
Easy to spot. Smug/self congratulatory tripe.
They engage in namecalling but when they get a little back on them they cry 'foul'
They engage in throwing out charges but when asked to back 'em up they 'skedaddle'

They refuse to look at both sides of an issue.

Chucks is a person I can respect. He holds opinions different than mine but he isn't one to dismiss the opinion of others out of hand. He actually wants to learn what others think. AND he is willing to accept the fact that others think different than him without thinking they are bad people. I have seen him on this website take a look at one of his opinions and then after carefully considering the other points come back and say, 'hey, i was wrong.'

That is huge. Which is why, of course, he is my leader. :)

[Andrew]

Sam says You're not concerned about the United States encircling the earth with its garrisons, but then you're surprised when we invade another country? The naive comes to mind.

What part of Al Gore wouldn't have invaded Iraq don't you understand?

[wutitiz]

Al Gore would have halted the production, distribution, and firing of ammo pending further investigation of environmental and health consequences of lead. Al Gore would have emasculated the military to the point where Iraq would have invaded us. Give me Bill or Hill with their fingers on the button any day.

[Sam]

Al Gore may not have, but I'm looking at the bigger picture. It's a very small step from having military bases in about 3/4 of the countries on earth, to using that military power to "protect our interests." You're talking about how a Democrat wouldn't have invaded Iraq, which is fine, but I'm trying to address one of the roots of America's problems: The mindset that it is America's role to control, and play policeman to the entire world. And that mindset doesn't change when a Democrat is president.

[whatshit]

We've done a shitty job of "policeman of the world" Read Peoples History of the World sometime.

[William Stevens]

What you perceive as running and hiding could possibly be that those people have a life aside from this blog, and do not hover, waiting to see if someone will reply to their comments.

[PugetSound]

"What you perceive as running and hiding could possibly be that those people have a life aside from this blog, and do not hover, waiting to see if someone will reply to their comments."

yeah right, i'm willing to roll the dice on that premise. otherwise you wouldn't be posting under the name william stevens.

[Bill]

If it was Giuliani that said this, there'd be a firestorm that'd last for weeks.

"....pretty soon we’re not going to have a young African-American male population in America. They’re all going to be in prison or dead. One of the two.”

-- John Edwards

[Jimmy Kowalski]

Why would Giuliani bother to say that, he hates minorities anyway.