A Black Republican Criticizes Mitt Romney for His Poor NAACP Appearance
by Raynard Jackson
As anyone who has followed me knows, I have been extremely critical of President Obama’s non-engagement with the Black community. Obama has deliberately ignored the plight of the Black community while giving preferential treatment to the homosexual and Hispanic communities.
But I can’t in good conscious criticize Obama and then give the Republicans a pass when they display similar behavior towards the Black community. I can’t excoriate Black Democrats for following Obama blindly and then remain silent when Black Republicans do the same towards Romney.
Yesterday, as I watched Mitt Romney address the NAACP, I tried to force myself to be optimistic about what he would say. But my years of being an avid Republican prepared me for the worst. And that’s exactly what I saw.
Romney had a golden opportunity to make a credible argument for Blacks to support him. But because he doesn’t have experienced Blacks in his inner circle, he thoroughly embarrassed himself and deserved to be roundly booed. For Romney to speak before a Black audience and not talk about the Black entrepreneur is like going to church and not mentioning God.
This is what happens when you don’t have the right people around you, people who understand communications, messaging and the nuances of the audience being addressed. That’s the elephant in the room.
Contrary to what the White media thinks, the preachers and politicians are not the leaders in the Black community – businessmen and businesswomen are. That Black business person is typically head of the board of trustees or the deacon board of the church. So, if you get the business leader on your side, he or she will bring along the minister and the congregation.
Business leaders have a vested interest in having an educated Black community because they have to hire people in order to grow their business. Like everyone else, those leaders care about crime and don’t want employees to be victims as they travel to and from work. More than anyone else, business leaders understand the cost of capital issues and therefore are more likely to support a reduction or total abolition of the capital gains tax. He or she is more likely to support school choice and vouchers, all topics the NAACP members can relate to.
So, the point is, the Black business leaders are the most important entry point to the Black community and Republicans, of all people, are totally ignorant of this fact. And they will remain ignorant of what’s important to the Black community until they have campaign staffs that look like America.
Like Jeremiah of the Bible, I have been labeled as one crying in the wilderness. And I am not about to surrender that label now. Am I the only one who is offended that Romney has fewer than five Blacks on his national campaign staff and none in top decision-making positions? I am talking about someone who controls a budget, has the final say on hiring, and has the ability to put an event on the candidate’s calendar or arrange a private meeting with the candidate.
Am I the only one who noticed the optics of Romney not having photos of any Black Republicans on his campaign web site? Am I the only one who is puzzled as to why Romney has never met with a group of Black entrepreneurs?
I was stunned to learn that Romney had chosen a recently converted Republican, Ashley Bell, to be one of his surrogates and to help him craft his speech to the NAACP. Bell is a decent guy, but
am I to believe that Romney couldn’t find any veteran Black Republicans who have both party credentials and relevant presidential campaign experience to help him craft the speech that would define his relationship with Black America?
Does his staff know people such as Shannon Reeves, Allegra McCullough, David Byrd, Aaron Manaigo, Francis Johnson, Ada Fisher or James House? If they don’t, I will be happy to put Romney’s staff in touch with them and many other able Blacks. For Romney to pick a Republican-come-lately over Party vets who have taken all kind of criticism for supporting the Grand Old Party is a grand old insult to those Black Republicans who have toiled for years in the fields of Republican politics.
Where are the voices of Black Republicans who know better? Their silence is deafening. In this respect, they are just as bad as the Black Democrats I have been criticizing.
With Romney’s speech to the NAACP and making Bell one of his surrogates, the candidate has spent more time with Black Democrats than he has with Black Republicans. Where is the outrage from Black Republicans? Oh, they can criticize Obama for his treatment of Blacks, but when Romney does the same thing they get laryngitis. As I often say, “the best way to get attention from the Republican Party as a Black Republican is to be a Black Democrat.”
Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm. His website is: www.raynardjackson.com.
Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC is a internationally recognized political consulting, government affairs, and PR firm based in Washington, DC. Jackson is a internationally recognized radio talk show host and TV commentator. He has coined the phrase “straticist.” As a straticist, he has merged strategic planning with public relations. Call RJA to discuss how they can get you to the next level of your career.
16 Responses to A Black Republican Criticizes Mitt Romney for His Poor NAACP Appearance
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Why are you surprised? Mormons view Black people as inconsequential, insignificant, inferior, invisible, immoral, and irrelevant. If you want to support him, go ahead.
Thank you!! When are people going to wake up to the Mormons. At one Blacks could not join the Mormons. They thought we were not worthy of heaven.
Black republicans are a bunch of brainwashed house boys and girls…It’s not Obama fault that the unemployment rate for Blacks are 20%+. nor the wide gap in salaries between Blacks and Whites…..Its the robber baron companies who hire and layoff Blacks….It’s the robber baron companies who set the wages of employees…….It’s the robber baron companies who discriminate against Blacks…….It is well known now that the robber baron companies run this Country since the Supreme Court has rule that they are people. They have been running it all along…..
The President do not have the power to make these low down robber baron companies hire Blacks nor equal pay…..The President has limited power….He is merely just a figure head…..Congress has much more power than the President……Most Americans are just plain ignorant of the Government roles and some act like they never took History…This is the reason we always get the short end of the stick.. We got to stop being mentally lazy….
Well said, Our country is controlled by the congress of the united states. And you have the super rich of this country who pulled the strings of this group like the puppets they are. Every person of color better hope/pray that the republicans don’t get control of the senate, house of representatives/and white house, because if they do, its going to be the big payback for having a man of color in the highest office in the land over the past four years.
Preach!! The president is not responsible for the problems in America. People you need to know the consitution. Obama can not do a d**n thing without approval.
Black Republicans are a sad lot. None of the Republican policy work for the vast majority of black folks. Going back to Reagan they have enacted policy that harm black people. To wit: they are staunchly in favor of harsh laws and sentences regarding non-violent and petty crime and lowest-level dealing; they are in favor of union-busting, easing pollution laws, getting rid of regulation of banks, finance, etc., and they cast a soft eye on fraud and abuses that come in regualation’s vacuum.
They have little power to sway black Americans, and the Republican Party has never had any respect for them. In their case, Black rhymes with sad sack.
IMO neither republican or democratic party has any respect for black people. But this guy must be living in a cave not to have seen the republican party for what it is. Since the civil rights movement the republican party has only seen black people as bait to serve to their white racist base. Surveys have shown that most black voters are conservative but can’t vote republican because of the overt racist mentality in the republican party. Mitt Romney wasn’t speaking to the NAACP’s black audience. He was speaking to his white racist base that like the ideal of him standing up to blacks.
As far as black businessmen and women being the leaders of black American, the last time I checked the main businessmen and women in the “black” community are Asian, Hispanic, Arab, India, White. Where are these black business people he’s talking about? Most of them have affirmative action jobs in white corporate America not owning businesses in black communities.
To all my brothers and sisters that are in the struggle….Why is the world shocked about the behavior of those in power. One must realize that it always been a lie of American History that it was found on Christian values. How could that be with slavery and hatred for the people of color. It has always been a lie that Chris discovered America – THE INDIANS WERE ALREADY HERE. Was it not reality when we saw how they pushed the Indians off ther land – this was a shameful act. When we realize that GOD is in the plan and gave us a Black President, with 6 different culturesin his spirit.. it was all by design that GOD wanted to show man of HIS Hatred that is inbeded in the fabric of our society. When America stands up and tell the TRUTH and stop ROBBING people of color and only then will we ALL have life and life more abundantly. The word of GOD did not say, “FOR WHITES ONLY” GOD will not judge a liar nor a thief -SO some folks are in trouble. Do you know that the Powerful and Greedy do not care about anybody no matter what color. It’s shameful time in American History. For all of you who have not read PSALMS 24 – I sugguest that you read it, beleive it and live it. Because at the end of the day DEMS nor REP’S have control. Let us PRAY for one another and pray for the DEMONS of greed and power into the pits of h**l to judgement day. Let us take back the land for the Building of GOD’S KINGDOM not MAN’s. Let us PRAY and live peacefully among the brothern. AMERICA BLESS GOD. Peace and Blessings!
Wanted to make it clear that the DEM’S or REP’S have NO control over what is going to happen. To all the Pastors and Ministers in this country we should be PRAYING AGANIST the EVIL ONE tatics that GOD has already informed us of through the word of GOD. WHERE ARE THE PRAYER WARRIORS – I will not bow down to this situation. I know a man name Daniel and a women name Deborah. Where are they. I take a stand up for the WORD of GOD!. Pray for our President and leaders that what my word tells me. The enemy is using his tatics to get US not to FOCUS on what GOD said. Who is this Mit Romney? He has shown you already who he is – and he dosen’t love all of God’s people – when a man doesn’t want another man to have healthcare!
I have been saying all along that the Rep don’t care anything about the balck community. Those who is so quick to cridicise Mr Obama ask yourself what have the white President done in the community that he was force to do. I can see what Mitch is trying to do and if you black brothers would open you eyes you can see that he not going to help those of color. I am not a bit surprise that Mitt don’t have any person of color in his adminstration. Why not join the President and try put forth somethings that are for the good of this country insted of sitting around talking about what he’s not doing in the Black community. Regan and the Bushes did nothing and where were you doing their adminstation? I didn’t nor did anyone else knew you were alive and yet you didn’t speak up. The thing this president have gone through just to get a job done I don’t believe you that claim to be a REP would be able to stand it. One Rep ca;;ed him a tar baby and another said he hope he fail not knowing if he does the whole country fails plus he said if Obama care passes he was leaving the country. He still here. You need to correct your own house and then you can critiside Mr Obama.
I have read with interest the comments of Olin Ross, James Horne, Jed Wing and others. What olin Ross had to say was right on target. With all due respect to what he had to say, if I understood him correctly, I’d like to add a nugget or two for the serious contemplation of those who actually have an ear to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to the Church.
(1) Rewinding back to Lincoln’s time–who was Republican, but because he was given the credit for freeing the slaves with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation–black folk became followers of “The Party of Lincoln.” Here is the straight of the story. Lincoln signed the proclamation but it was not to free the slaves; it was to rejoin the North and the South. Close observation will reveal that in the follow-up to that piece of legislature, the South was not obligated to live up to the terms of that document.
(2) History will validate that the Republican party is concerned with “America” not the people of America. Similarly, Democrats are concerned with the people of America, not the cost of taking care of them–which would seriously impact the rich and powerful. Thus, the current fight between the two parties. If this sounds like a farce, consider the songs which herald the greatness of America.
(a) American the Beautiful
(b) The Stars Spangle Banner
(c) My Country “tis of thee”
Note that there is no mention of the people who make up this country.
The problem with which we are faced is the Educational Institution. Education in this country is not designed to educate children; the eduicational institution is designed to perpetuate the status-quo.
The educational institution has favored the factory model since the early 1900′s when it was introduced in the industrial revolution. Unfortunately, it has enjoyed prominence ever since. The only thing it is good for is guaranteeing that there will always be a four-tiered economic strata: Upper, Middle, Lower and Under Class.
The Military Industrial Complex will see to it that there will always be “Supply and demand” at the lowest levels. In addition, the leaders of America, waving the flag of “Manifest Destiny,” will continue to take Representative Democracy–which is neither representative or a “true democracy,” around the world deciding which countries will stand or fall.
One of the writers above suggested that others who have commented did not study History. On this I could be wrong, but I don’t think so:” 80% of juniors and seniors in High school will tell you that history was their worst subject. Why is that?
My opinion is that it’s simply because in the writing of the text books, pertinent information was omitted. For example, the fact that American History subsumed and coopted that part of African history which would have given Africans in America their “propers,” was carefully omitted. And in the selection of teachers to teach it, the worst of the lot was given the assignment. How do I know?
I started in the classroom and after nine years, advanced to Director of Secondary Education on the Administrative rank in a ten year span. MY exposure and experiences validated my convictions. I retired six years ago, relocated to Birmingham, AL–the place of my birth–only to find out that Birmingham, the seat of Civil Rights, is worse off than the County and City of Los Angeles.
In addition to being a Teacher, I am also a pastor. So it is that I can say with certainty, “Preacher and Teacher is what I am, preach and teach is what I do.” However, it pains me to say that “not only does the organized Church have an ongoing romance with perpetual ignorance;” mental-laziness and apathy has taken its toll.
I believe I have said enough. Have I given up? “That is a resounding no.” I have recently published the second of three books which speak to the problem. Any interested parties are invited to check out my web site: “Revealing the Hidden Hope.Com” Or, they can contact me by email. The address is on that web-site.
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Im black man and a Mormon I find itt interesting all the comments about how Mormons are racist towards blacks maybe you should some research on Democrats when it comes to racism they wrote the book on Woodrow Wilson was white supremist democrats have been knon to hang blaks for voting
You do realize that the Dems and Repubs basically changed places when the civil rights bills were passed right? Blacks voted exclusivly for the GOP before the 60′s. President Johnson pushed through civil right legislation and the Repubs went after the southern white vote. So bringing up racist Dems from back in the day and saying see the Dems are racist is not really a good argument. The racist have switched parties and they vote republican now.
Maybe the Repubs should run candidates that are used to diversity and don’t have to be advised on how to act when they are not around white people. You know Politicians that can connect with audiences. The rich white guy robot thing Mittens does barely connects with regular White People.