Everyone knows the GOP has a problem with people of color. Especially black people. I think part of the problem is that their members are either too damn cynical or too damn afraid to confront issues of race (and class) with any finesse or real solutions. This could be remedied, with some work. Here are a few ideas:
1. Fire Michael Steele. Has there even been a more incompetent, controversy courting, inarticulate boob chairing any party? If he were doing his job correctly, we would barely hear his name except when the GOP has big wins. Shit, I barely remember that Tim Kaine is the chair of the DNC and he was my governor. Real talk: the RNC elected Steele precisely because he is black, they wanted to seem inclusive (i.e. "See, we have black leaders too!") and hoped he would provide an effective counter-balance to the charisma machine who is our current Potus. A more cynical me thinks that the GOP was sure that having a black man as their chair would provide cover for some of their suspiciously close to racist bullshit. Their election of Steele is cynicism at its clearest moment. The RNC took away some of Steele's responsibilities early in the game, and basically just wanted him to sit back, be black, and not put his foot in his mouth. Steele has been a spectacular failure in this regard - he puts his foot in his mouth almost every time he speaks, he refuses to sit back and just do his damn job, and when people think proud black man, they really don't think of Steele (that's mean, I'm sorry, but it's the truth). I haven't heard one person - of any color - claim that Steele really gets where they are coming from. None of the GOP's electoral wins have been attributed to Steele's hard work and brilliance (even though he has great credentials and is probably a smart guy). And finally, his pandering is pathetic (every time he mentions hip hop or being streetwise a rapper gets his wings). Let's face it, Steele is a terrible representative of both the GOP and black people. It's time to cut bait on this failed experiment and cast your line somewhere else, RNC. Preferably not with, as Wonkette puts it, southern slave owners.
2. Try to actually reach out to minorities instead of just saying that's what you're going to do. Every other year, the GOP comes out with some bullshit plan aimed at attracting minorities to the party. This is predictably around election time. The funny thing is, there are a lot of conservative minorities out there and yet instead of reaching out to those people and highlighting shared interests - the GOP comes up with a "plan" and sticks it in a drawer to collect dust. Dummies: Come up with a real plan and then enact it. All the platitudes about reaching out and "big tents" are nothing more without actual work behind them. If you honestly think your policies are better for all people, sit down and tell us WHY, with hard facts and examples, if you got 'em. Don't just give us some bullshit about good trickling down.
3. Stop courting nuts. This is very easy. Stop giving Limbaugh hand jobs and apologizing to him because he doesn't like you. Stop being inspired by Glenn Beck's rants and crying. Stop supporting dumb asses with silver spoons in their mouth like Lynn Cheney. Finally: don't nominate people to office who can't open their mouths without lying about even the smallest, inconsequential shit.
4. Stop making excuses for bigoted bullshit. Politicians like to talk about how the Tea Party people are just regular Americans standing up for their rights. Yeah some of them are, maybe even most (unlikely) but those aren't the ones that make the news. If some asshole spits on a black law maker, calls another one a nigger, and a third one a fag, you need to rebuke them in the strongest terms possible - not claim that it probably didn't happen or explain that people are upset because of something being crammed down their throats. That is easily some of the stupidest shit I have ever heard! Wake up and reject prejudice!
5. Stop using coded language. The craze about the census, the words facism, socialism, etc are all coded language. We know the president is black. He has different ideas, not all of them are great, but every time some GOP asshole goes on t.v. and calls Obama a fascist or a socialist, objects to the constitutionally mandated (for Christ's sake) census, or some crazed tea partier holds up a racist sign, another reasonable person blames it on the GOP. Since you have not followed the advice in 4, above, there's no reason not to.
6. Stop being fucking haters all the time. This is very important. Is there anything the GOP does like: you have disparaged the gays , the blacks, the hispanics, the women, the young folks, the non-christians and everyone else who is not white, over 35 and male. You keep screaming about reparations, sponsoring marriage-related amendments, demonizing gays, demonizing the President. Why not try being positive about your own policies and leave the demonization to the stupid right-wing radio nuts.
7. The Bush dichotomy. Yes, liberals demonized Bush. Yes, they called him names. Yes, yes, yes, they did all the horrible things that you are saying. Doing the same to Obama doesn't make it right. It only makes it even, but you look like fucking haters all the time (see above) and it just pisses people off. Even I can admit that Bush did some decent things but you need to admit that he did a lot of insanely stupid shit too. See Iraq, War in.
8. Do some fucking work. This is the easiest. DO YOUR DAMN JOBS. Come up with some actual legislation and some actual innovative policies and actually present them in a clear and coherent manner. Present them as good ideas rather than anti-democrat ideas (P.S. tax cuts, tax cuts tax cuts is dumb, dumb, dumb). And if Obama, who says over and over again that he wants to work with you balks, then call him on his bullshit. Right now, you seem to start with "We ain't votin' for anything this socialist is interested in" and then whine that your ideas are not incorporated (even when they are). Legislating: UR DOIN IT RONG. Maybe you should start with: "This idea will help the American people because [insert answer here]..."
9. Talk about race (and class). This is the only hard thing on this list. People don't like to discuss it because it is messy and hard and emotional. If you first recognize that "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" is easy to say when you've had it pretty fucking easy and further recognize that institutional problems (even if they don't exist anymore and I'm not convinced they don't) take generations to fix, the conversation can start from a place of honesty.
When you are ready to get started, let us all know.
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