My GOP Party has abandoned me.

by Staff October 31, 2012 10 Comments News Opinion Politics Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) During the past year, as my columns have been syndicated to more outlets throughout the world, I have been asked by many leaders in the Republican Party why I am so critical of our party. The short answer is that I am very concerned about the direction my party is taking. It has increasingly become the party of old, White, balding males.

To those I have had these conversations with, my response was quite pointed, “Stop questioning my motives and address the issues that I write about.”

Last week, John Sununu made another racially incendiary comment towards a prominent Black. First, he called President Obama “lazy” and now accuses Colin Powell of supporting Obama only because Obama is Black. Sununu is national co-chair for Romney’s presidential campaign. What has been Romney‘s response to Sununu’s rhetoric? Absolutely nothing. Whether Barack Obama and Powell are Black is not the issue; Sununu’s use of race-baiting language is unacceptable.

Romney’s refusal to distance himself from the likes of Sununu, Richard Mourdock, Todd Akin, or Sarah Palin is repulsive to me. We are supposed to be a party of principles. Does Romney want to be president so bad that he is willing to forfeit these principles in order to win an election?

Do Romney and the Republican Party not understand or care that Sununu has thoroughly offended Blacks specifically with his comments about Obama and Powell; but also Americans of good will in general. Why is my party loyalty always called into question when I criticize a Republican who crosses the line into racially charged language?

Fortunately, there are a few White Republicans willing to stand up to Sununu. Retired Army Col. Lawrence Wilkerson told Ed Schultz on MSNBC, “Let me just be candid: My party is full of racists, and the real reason a considerable portion of my party wants President Obama out of the White House has nothing to do with the content of his character, nothing to do with his competence as commander-in-chief and president, and everything to do with the color of his skin, and that’s despicable.”

It’s too bad that Romney does not exemplify that same courage.

I am a Child of God first, then an American, and then a Republican. I will not check my Blackness at the door because I am a Republican. The language coming from Sununu and my party is counter to the founding principles of the party that I am a proud member of.

For many years, I have approached the party and its supporters about underwriting programs to bring together Blacks who are Republican or lean Republican so we can weave them into every facet of the party structure. The answer is always, no!

But, twice this year some of these same people have approached me about funding for some election year tricks that they (White Republicans) have conjured up and simply need a Black face to execute the plan. On these two separate occasions, these funders were willing to spend upwards of $20 million to have me organize a national campaign to identify Blacks who would be critical of President Obama.

I was deeply offended by these approaches, but it’s not the first time in my life that I have had similar conversations within the party. So, the party and its funders will spend millions on negative initiatives within the Black community, but are not willing to spend a fraction of that amount on something substantive and positive. Interesting, to say the least.

I joined the Republican Party upon graduating from Oral Roberts University because I believed in the principles the party espoused: lower taxes, especially for job creation for small businesses; equality of opportunity for all; a party based on Christian principles, to name a few.

I was brought into the Republican Party by the likes of Bill White, Curtis Crawford, Art Fletcher, Ed Brooke, Bill Coleman, and Sam Cornelius. These are legendary Black Republicans who are responsible for me being where I am today.

Once in the party, I was further schooled on Republican principles by the likes of William H.T. “Bucky” Bush (brother to Bush 41), Bert Walker (cousin to Bush 41), George H.W. Bush, Robert Mosbacher (former Secretary of Commerce), James M. Baker (former Secretary of State), and Jack Kemp, just to name a few.

Sununu could not have existed in the Party that I joined in the 1980s. Donald Trump would not have been allowed to have a role in the party that I joined.

Mitt Romney and all the other leaders of the party are too afraid of taking principled stands when it comes to Blacks and issues of race. They are too afraid of alienating the right wing of the party.

I will not vote for Obama because he has totally insulted the Black community at every opportunity (I refer you to his speech before the Congressional Black Caucus last year as exhibit A); and I cannot vote for Mitt Romney because he has, with his silence, endorsed the behavior of the likes of Sununu, Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock.

I take my stand based on my principles. Mitt Romney and the Republican Party, what are you basing your stand on?

Staff Writer; Raynard Jackson

Mr. Jackson is also founder of a political and industrial consultant firm which is based in Washington, DC; Raynard Jackson & Associates.

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lewis orr says:
November 2, 2012 at 6:48 am
A leopard doesn’t change his spots, don’t be fooled by this last moment act of desperation. By not voting that actually benefits the republican party with a low turn out. A no-vote is basically a vote in the republican column. Vote for President Obama whether you like him or not. We know what the republican party has done in the past and now that they’re more racist than ever, as the writer has pointed out we can’t let them back in office. Every vote counts, don’t be fooled.
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DaTruth says:
November 1, 2012 at 4:21 pm
After reading this article and the comments below it is obvious that Ford’s remarks are weak and hypocritical.
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Ford says:
November 1, 2012 at 1:11 pm
…to Yeah i said: I wasnt talking about George Bush so I omitted nothing.
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hoodgirl says:
November 1, 2012 at 11:11 am
I am not a republican although I have been in the room with the elites of both parties. John Sununu was the republican governor of New Hampshire from 1983 to 1989 and his description of Obama is very diplomatic. Jack Kemp’s protege “Paul Ryan” is overrated but Romney deserves credit for selecting him as his running mate because Obama won’t even pay it forward with brothers and sisters.
We can say all we want about spending money in our community but without getting our financial house in order we’ll just be changing the names of our creditors which will not get us any closer to financial independence. There are so many black owned and operated businesses that are making HUGE strides in our community that go undetected because we’re not yelling fire in a crowded theatre.
We’re just going about our business of employing and mentoring people in our community to share with them our diverse knowledge and experience and perhaps they may use the opportunity as a stepping stone for continuous development of their own lives without any strings attached other than the hope that one day they will in turn pay it forward which is real change.
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Yeah_I_said it! says:
November 1, 2012 at 10:50 am
@Ford
If anyone sat on their hands you must be referring to George W. Bush. He sat on his hands for a good 10 minutes when thousands of Americans were being murdered, and yes there’s video of this! He sat on his hands when thousands were being drowned in New Orleans. You conveniently and deliberately ignored those facts!
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Ford says:
November 1, 2012 at 10:15 am
….what I am talking about wtf?! is exactly what I said. obama sat on his hands while the attack was being watched IN REAL TIME!!! at the White House or damn close to it. HELP was asked for and REFUSED!!! There was NO fucking protest going on outside the embassy prior to the attack. IT WAS ATTACKED BY TERRORISTS. The protest story was a cover-up. To cover-up the fact that the embassy was unprotected.
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Terrance Amen says:
November 1, 2012 at 8:47 am
I commend and feel sad for Brother Raynard for being honest about how the Republican Party has treated Blacks inside and out of the party. Having said that, I think he’s on to something. I’m voting for President Obama because I believe he is the lesser of the evils. But until we as a people can come together and build a strong economic base that will allow us to really utilize our voting block instead of being taken advantage of every election, and be able to sit out elections if we are disrespected and don’t get what we want, we will always have to choose the lesser of the evils and continue to take the crumbs the Democrats give us.
Black Unity means financial independence and happiness
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wtf?! says:
November 1, 2012 at 12:35 am
And Obama’s doing better than you think. Most Americans white or black still remember how Repubs damned this country on a war that raided social security, took beneifits away from Vets while they were dying overseas, and gave huge tax breaks to the wealthiest folks while us common folks had our retirement funds stolen by the likes of Enron and Tyco.
You haven’t forgotten about those, have you? Cause most of us haven’t!
This is the first time in history that this country did NOT prosper economically during a time of war. No humming factories building war machines…no manufacturing jobs being added. Maybe in China, but not on US soil.
Instead factories closed and shut their doors for good! And we can lay this firmly at the feet of the grand ole party, who won’t even ask the former President to come out and support their efforts to regain the white house. How pathetic
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wtf?! says:
November 1, 2012 at 12:25 am
Ford:
What in the sam hell are you talking about ‘Obama sat on his hands for 7 or 8 hours while our people were being killed…’?
Sounds like you’re referring to George W when he was sitting on his hands reading stories about a pet goat while Americans were dying in NYC and DC
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Ford says:
October 31, 2012 at 5:54 pm
….. John Sununu can call obama lazy if he feels like it. If you take that as code for hating on blacks then have at it. If Powell votes obama after obama SAT ON HIS HANDS for 7 or so hours while our people were being killed then he has his reasons. Wilkerson can say whatever he wants but from my angle I aint seeing it. Nothing I see or hear about republicans suddenly being against blacks. What I DO see is its almost election time and obama aint doing so good.
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