Does Mike Duncan warrant another term as Republican National Committee chairman? San Diego’s Rick Amato of KCBQ radio does an interview with Duncan on Washington Times Radio to get the answer. Listen to it here.
Of all the criticism of Republicans at the national level, what rings the truest comes down to a lack of understanding the pulse of the electorate, exacerbated by a subsequent lack of applying conservative principles to the country’s issues and problems in such a way that the voters understand those solutions as the best path of action for the nation.
If that’s too complicated, how about this? If voters rightfully want change, perhaps they don’t see it coming from a party that consistently ignores its principles by growing the size of government and ignoring common sense, while openly cow-towing to the status-quo.
Republican leaders and bloggers can laugh about Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich all they want. The average citizen, however, knows little about the idiot’s party affiliation. They do know that the "pay-to-play" story sounds just like the business-as-usual coming from both parties, or — more accurately — politicians in general.
Worse, the GOP — as part of the status-quo perception — is more readily (and wrongfully) pegged as the anti-minority party. It doesn’t help when the ranks include some idiots equal to Blagojevich.
Are we hypersensitive to racial issues in this country? Yes. Are we over-cautiously PC as a result? Also, yes. Yet, still, no excuse can be offered by those who — through appallingly poor judgment and maybe even a hint of racism itself — make inappropriate jokes about anyone’s race.
RNC chairman wanna-be Chip Saltsman apparently thought it would be funny to send to fellow party members a self-proclaimed "light-hearted parody," a song entitled "Barack the Magic Negro." The resulting criticism has him and a few others blaming the media for blowing the story out of proportion.
Whatever his motivation, Saltsman clearly thought that only GOP insiders would hear the song, not those in the media. He obviously placed all other party leaders at his gutter level, never thinking anyone would find his actions tasteless. It never occurred to him that anyone within his little status-quo clique would out him. At the worst, he is a racist. Most likely, he is an idiot. Perhaps he is both.
Again, does Mike Duncan deserve re-election as chairman of the RNC? I don’t know. What I do know is that the GOP needs leaders with good judgment. What I absolutely know is that Chip Saltsman deserves nothing.
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December 28th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I, of course, disagree. But that is because i’d like to isolate all bigots in the party of “Lincoln”, giving voters a “choice”, not an “echo”.
December 28th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Bravo, Barry.
The use of that unfunny song gives new meaning to the phrase
“Tone Deaf”. Saltsman deserves all the scorn he is getting.
Mr. Cavala, meanwhile, gives new meaning to the word
“unfunny”.
December 29th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Oh, please–what a bunch of politically correct sissies. The song is a little harmless ribbing about the incredible hopes that many have invested into Obama. It certainly doesn’t rise to the vile stuff we’ve seen for the past eight years from the Left (Bushitler et al.).
December 30th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Mr. Sobiloff:
Real Men do not belittle or demean others because of their
race or their vocal patterns (as that stupid record does.)
Making excuses for the inexcusable is the act of a “sissy”.
The fact that our opponents do this, and worse, does not
mean we should lower ourselves to their level.
January 1st, 2009 at 12:00 am
Mr. Sills,
I suggest you review the lyrics to the song in question, which substantially repeat the assertions of an L.A. Times columnist which failed to provoke any outrage when published. Nowhere do the lyrics make fun of Barack’s race or vocal patterns.
In general–not to Mr. Sills in particular–I wish Republicans would realize that they’ll be criticized any time they deviate from the Progressive hymnbook, and that humor is not allowed. Either cowboy up and stand for something, or admit that you’re more interested in being popular and liked by the press and the Georgetown cocktail circuit. If the latter, quit calling yourself a Republican.
January 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
I have heard this “song”, and its words before.
The lyrics are bad enough, but the stereotypical Black
voice singing it is even more repulsive.
No one who thinks this rubbish is funny should be a
precinct captain, much less a candidate for Chairman
of the RNC.
It was a Republican President who issued the Emancipation
Proclamation, and a Republican Congress which proposed
the 13th Amendment. Maybe this Fool’s actions will serve
as a reminder of who, and what, Republicans really are.
January 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Mr. Sills, you dodge the question; first you objected to words that weren’t in the song, and now you fall back to complaining that the singing style is repulsive. What is the substance of your complaint? A parody that exposes the Liberal double-standard on race is hardly racist.
January 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Barry Jantz, in his commentary above, is squarely facing up to Racism.
I applaud him for that, but apparently some people believe Racism does
not exisit.
Both the words of the song, and the Stephin Fetchit delivery are obnox-
ious, and have no place in our movement, which has an honorable record
for civil rights dating back to the 1860s.