Black Conservatives Smell Opportunity In the Tea Party
7 Apr 2010 Author: Jill Tubman (Cheryl Contee)
My respect for black conservatives has now reached an all-time low. I lived in Washington DC for a long time before moving to California and have met quite a few black conservatives over the years. I have yet to meet one that I thought did not see the Republican party as a shortcut to wealth & opportunity. Willing to wink and smile, shuffle & jive — they'd say anything necessary because they get more attention from Republicans than Democrats, since black Republicans are an increasingly rare commodity indeed. Americans value diversity and Republicans are stuck promoting as visibly as possible their dwindling handful of minority members to reassure moderate and independent voters that the GOP reflects the nation's demographics and is non-racist — even as conservative talking points consistently inflame fear & hatred to motivate the base.
You know, I even had a friend admit to my face once that she was hanging out with Republicans in hopes of eventually hopping a rocket to quick success.
So why does this article from ultra-conservative engine Breitbart not surprise me?:
"I've been told I hate myself. I've been called an Uncle Tom. I've been told I'm a spook at the door," said Timothy F. Johnson, chairman of the Frederick Douglass Foundation, a group of black conservatives who support free market principles and limited government. […]
Angela McGlowan, a black congressional candidate from Mississippi, said her tea party involvement is "not about a black or white issue."
"It's not even about Republican or Democrat, from my standpoint," she told The Associated Press. "All of us are taxed too much."
Still, she's in the minority. As a nascent grassroots movement with no registration or formal structure, there are no racial demographics available for the tea party movement; it's believed to include only a small number of blacks and Hispanics.
Some black conservatives credit President Barack Obama's election—and their distaste for his policies—with inspiring them and motivating dozens of black Republicans to plan political runs in November.
For black candidates like McGlowan, tea party events are a way to reach out to voters of all races with her conservative message.
"I'm so proud to be a part of this movement! I want to tell you that a lot of people underestimate you guys," the former national political commentator for Fox News told the cheering crowd at a tea party rally in Nashville, Tenn., in February.
Tea party voters represent a new model for these black conservatives—away from the black, liberal Democratic base located primarily in cities, and toward a black and white conservative base that extends into the suburbs.
Looks like some folks have been reading those tea leaves, honey! Basically, the Teabaggers have finally figured out their fatal flaw — the overwhelming whiteness of their movement in the face of a diversifying nation — at the exact same time a bunch of opportunistic African-Americans are sniffing around for free money and promotion-a-plenty. Republicans are between a rock and a hard place — with a few African-Americans willing to be the grease that reduces the friction.
Will racist tea partiers — the same people who bring guns to rallies and create signs portraying our President as the Joker, Hitler, Stalin or god help us, a monkey or an ape — vote for black candidates who publicly espouse their views? We'll see.
Before the 2010 election season is over, expect to hear some black people throwing out the race card in a more nasty fashion than we've seen yet in order to prove their bona fides to this rabid & fear-driven audience. It's about to get ugly, y'all. Remember Angela McGowan's face above. We'll be seeing more of her in coming days, I'm guessing. Sponsored by Fox News!
Lord knows, I've long been troubled by the growing prominence of black conservatives on TV and radio which belies their incredibly tiny numbers: polls show that blacks support Obama in the 90% range. It's a distorted picture of what blacks actually believe. For every black conservative on the airwaves, I'd really like to see nine other black people arguing against them rather than one — because that's what reality looks like.
Photo: Angela McGlowan Whips Up the Crowd (AP Photo/The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Thomas Wells)
Tags: Angela McGowan, Black Republicans, Black Tea Party Members, Tea Party