Debate No-Shows Worry GOP Leaders

Washington Post

Key Republican leaders are encouraging the party's presidential candidates to rethink their decision to skip presidential debates focusing on issues important to minorities, fearing a backlash that could further erode the party's standing with black and Latino voters.

I really can't believe the moderate Republicans actually think their party stands a chance with minorities. Considering that the last 6 years has seen nothing but race baiting and the use of divisive issues to secure their base; that any token legislation towards minorities presented by the Republicans when in the majority was either removed in negotiations between the two chambers, or simply watered down; that their main drive for votes was to scare the populace with tales of brown skinned boogie men.

"We sound like we don't want immigration; we sound like we don't want black people to vote for us," said former congressman Jack Kemp (N.Y.), who was the GOP vice presidential nominee in 1996. "What are we going to do -- meet in a country club in the suburbs one day? If we're going to be competitive with people of color, we've got to ask them for their vote."

I'm sorry Jack, but what party have you belonged to all these years? Obviously you have not noticed it's been over run with Minute Men, the John Birch society, and other isolationist groups.

Besides, in the end, the pattern of the current crop of Republican politicians points out the obvious......

Giuliani, Romney and McCain also declined to appear at events sponsored by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials and the National Urban League, which Smiley said suggests a pattern of ignoring minority voters. He said debate organizers will set up lecterns showing the names of the absent candidates.

"When you reject every black invitation and every brown invitation you receive, is that a scheduling issue or is it a pattern?" he asked. "I don't believe anybody should be elected president of the United States if they think along the way they can ignore people of color. That's just not the America we live in."

They are a racist party.