The RPOF (Republican Party of Florida) emailed me Chairman Jim Greer's article below criticizing “racially divisive rhetoric.” Preceding is my response to the RPOF.
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Corley
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 12:55 PM
To: 'RPOF Communications'
Subject: RE: In Case You Missed It - GOP must reject racially divisive rhetoric
Dear RPOF -
I don’t buy into the premise that the Magic Negro parody is “racially charged” or that “diversity matters.
“Diversity” is a false premise the Left uses to pit groups against each other and vilify opponents of government growth and the Left’s ever-expanding political power and control of American life.
Only the Left’s propaganda fog is “racially divisive” in attempting to smear the opposition and put it on the defensive – not the Magic Negro parody.
Only the accusation that opposition to “diversity” and its premises is “racist” is in fact “racist,” or bigoted at the very least – ideologically bigoted.
Someone supporting the RPOF statement below might well call the Rush Limbaugh show and ask James Golden what he thinks about the parody and the RPOF’s statement on it.
The GOP in part keeps losing because it attempts to win by “parodying” Democrats in appealing to groups – “diversity premises,” “out-reach,” “Big Tent,” etc. - rather than individual Americans as such regardless of group identity.
Freedom can’t be defined or promoted in terms of group rights or group identities – rather the opposite obtains. The GOP will never be able to win the day or champion the principles of universal individual liberty through obeisance to the false premises of “diversity,” group sensitivities or putative group offenses.
The GOP keeps losing because it buys into or shrinks from the opposition’s false premises rather than stalwartly championing, as did Reagan, the principles of individual liberty at all levels of life framed in limited constitutional government.
For example, Gov. Christ, like his counterpart in California and Senator McCain as well, apparently buys into the man-made global warming hoax for which there is no substantive scientific proof whatsoever – only the ceaseless drum-beat in mainstream organs of an impending “crisis” mongered with unsubstantiated anecdotes and speculation.
Unable to learn the lessons it needs to learn, the McCain debacle was the latest chapter and case-study in the GOP’s continuing slide and failure.
Basically the GOP as a whole still doesn’t know how to wage political war and win. So overall it continues to be the also-ran party, as it has been since New Deal days - now upon us again with a vengeance thanks in large measure to the GOP’s systemic ineptness.
The Magic Negro parody is what it is – a parody. Kowtowing to the Left’s smear on this is just another losing step in the wrong direction.
Paul Corley
Cape Coral FL
-----Original Message-----
From: RPOF Communications
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 2:44 PM
Subject: In Case You Missed It - GOP must reject racially divisive rhetoric
GOP must reject racially divisive rhetoric
Jim Greer | Special To The Sentinel
Among all the punditry and analysis of this election cycle, two things stand out above all else: the historic nature of Barack Obama's win and the fact that the GOP must reconnect with voters across the board on a national level.
In Florida, a snapshot of the nation, there were more than 240,000 new Hispanic registrants between 2006 and 2008 and an additional 220,000 African-American voters since the end of 2006. Nearly 22 percent of Florida's 11 million-plus voters fall into these ethnic groups. That means it is more critical than ever that the Republican Party of Florida continues to focus on coalition building and minority outreach. We've laid a strong foundation with our minority-outreach department and the hiring of a new Hispanic coalitions director, but we must hit the ground running in 2009.
On the national level, we will succeed only with new messaging and bold ideas. To be successful, we must remain committed to our party's values and principles, while focusing on the issues discussed at family dinner tables across the nation. In short, the GOP must reconnect with voters.
Unfortunately, in recent days the Republican Party's efforts to move beyond the 2008 election cycle and start anew has met a serious roadblock: Chip Saltsman, a candidate in the race for the Republican National Committee chairmanship, recently distributed to RNC members a music CD that includes lyrics from a song called "Barack the Magic Negro."
The story might as well end there. It doesn't matter that the song is a political parody created by a close Saltsman friend, parodist Paul Shanklin. It doesn't matter that the CD clearly satirizes liberals, or that the song in question was played on the Rush Limbaugh show, or that it was created to poke fun at a "cultural critic" who wrote a column by the same title in the Los Angeles Times.
It doesn't matter, because the bottom line is this: One Republican leader, and a candidate for the GOP's highest office, no less, distributed a racially charged song to other Republicans. End of story.
Fortunately, other RNC chair candidates took a strong stance on Salts- man's action, rejecting this behavior and denouncing the racially divisive rhetoric.
As the GOP chairman in one of our nation's most ethnically and culturally diverse states, as a proud American and as a father raising four children to be compassionate and respectful citizens, I am disappointed that this story casts a cloud over the GOP.
In Florida we have worked hard to reach out to all citizens to promote the Republican Party's principles and values while ensuring that our commitment to African-Americans, Hispanics and other minority communities is sincere and credible. Distributing this CD, regardless of intent, serves only to divide us into discordant camps, while distracting us from our common goal of building our party.
Over the next month, with the election of the new RNC chairman, the GOP has an unprecedented opportunity to embrace change and inclusion. The candidates for RNC chair should have an open, honest dialogue on how to repair a significantly damaged national image. We must create a new messaging strategy based on bold new ideas to get our economy back on track and help families and businesses that are hurting.
We are either going to welcome this opportunity or watch it slip through our fingers. American voters will not and should not embrace the GOP unless our leaders reject racial and any other divisive rhetoric. It's time to create solutions to the challenges discussed around family dinner tables across our nation, instead of focusing on those issues that only serve to divide us.
Ultimately, words are not enough. That is why, in Florida, the Republican Party will not expect the vote of Hispanics, African-Americans and other minority communities; we will go out and earn those votes.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/views/orl-opgreer0809jan08,0,4585501.story
