Explain to me why a black man being a conservative is NOT

[Fire1]

an oxymoron. ANYBODY BLACK, please explain this to me. I'll wait.

[Kind of Blue]

1. Beats me. But I think Juan Williams was going to have an orgasm

on NPR the other morning. Though I haven't checked out his statements for myself, I just don't believe him. He was just too gushy to take seriously.

"New Black Republicans Take Obama For Inspiration" http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125554734

"WILLIAMS: Well, in just pure numbers, it's a record. You're going to have 30 black Republicans running for congressional seats this year. And 'm talking about in major places like California, Florida, Illinois, all over the country. So it's widespread, in large part, I think, generated by a black Republican vice-chairman down in North Carolina by the name of Timothy Johnson. He's one now one of four - this is interesting to me, Liane - one of four black Republican vice state chairs for the Republican party - another record.

WILLIAMS: Well, I think there're two things that pop out at me. One, obviously the Republicans have a black party chairman in Michael Steele. And he has been making an effort to reach out. The second thing I would say, Liane, is Barack Obama. He's the president. There's a black president and its raised the profile and the sense of opportunity for people who were thinking about political careers.

And the interesting - here's the twist for the black Republicans - they think, wow, you can get elected. You can win office but I dont like his agenda. And so, a lot of these people that we're talking about this morning are people who have military backgrounds or ties to the clergy, so they're sort of values voters."

[Fire1]

2. For political purposes, I can understand it but I don't think most

black people will buy it. I'm not donating any funds to any black politician in the conservative party.

[Kind of Blue]

3. I honestly wish that I knew a Black Repub just to pose the

question. It's certainly baffling to me.

[Fire1]

4. Well, the ONE i've talked to seems to separate 'conservative'

from 'republican.' How you do that is beyond me b/c one can have some conservative principles and still be a democrat. Thus, "the big tent." Says he uses it mostly as an 'identifier.' Who in their right mind would want to be identified with right wing, knuckle dragging nut jobs? I don't get it. That's a mystery for the ages.

[Kind of Blue]

5. Yeah, they are for sure a puzzle wrapped in an enigma.

:rofl:

[Blue_Tires]

7. I've known several...

dating back to the time when it was the 'trendy' thing to do (i.e., mid-90s)...And while my dad was not a conservative, he was a huge reader of all political books so he had a bunch of their works over the years (Clarence Thomas/Colin Powell biography, Armstrong Williams, Sowell, Mcwhorter, the list goes on)

They come in a lot of different flavors:

VERY pro-business/Wall Street/chamber of commerce, and they co-opt the conservatism of their colleagues and business partners (This is actually where Steele comes from for the most part)

Anti-gay/family values or obscure preacher trying to make a name for himself

Anti-anything that seems like an entitlement (affirmative action, welfare, civil rights, drug rehab, etc)

The "We shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket by just backing the Dems" -crowd

The "I want a career in politics, but in my state or region the GOP is the only game in town; OR The state GOP is really eager to promote some nonwhite faces, so I'll be on the fast track toward fame" -crowd

The shape-shifting moderate, "I want a place at the table no matter which party is in charge, so always support the winner" - crowd (cough cough *Doug Wilder*) which is why the millions of newly re-invented black conservatives in 94 and 00 have seemingly vanished now...

And finally (these make up most of the ones I knew) the ones who got fed up with a corrupt, complacent and bloated local Democratic Party machine which constantly pandered for black voters while never addressing the needs...Luckily when Howard Dean rose up, a lot of the old ways of complacency got dropped, so it isn't the issue that it was in the 90s...
======
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In a funny way, part of me is glad that the ultra-extreme, racist, misogynist, classist fringe, led by Newt Gingrich and his ilk took over the entire party and chopped off the sensible moderates, because if the moderates had their way back in 96 or 98, the GOP could have made much further inroads with minorities, IMO

[Kind of Blue]

9. Excellent analysis!

So basically I'm seeing two groups: "I got mine, so good-bye." And "Where's mine? Good-bye." :rofl:

[Brewman_Jax]

12. Very good analysis

as the last lawn jockey repubs (J.C. Watts, and now Mikey Steele) have found, the main body of repubs don't care what your political stance is, if you're black, you get no respect from them.

[Fire1]

14. That's the really sad part. They all find that out sooner or

later.

[noiretextatique]

6. i can't

and no one can :shrug: i suppose i can understand holding conservative views, but i can't understand supporting a party that promotes and excuses and condones blatant racism, e.g., the republicon party. if it's just for expedience, then they could be democrats.

[Fire1]

8. Thanks guys for your insight. A particular 'thanks' to Blue Tires

b/c yours is the closest I've ever come to a real explanation. I'm gonna bookmark this to keep it on file for future reference. Thank you again.

[noiretextatique]

10. my great uncle, a talented tenth "race man"

and president of an NAACP chapter was a republican...the only one in my family (at least the only one who would claim it). towards the end of his life in the 90's, he was having a change of heart: i believe he was appalled by the results of reaganism and the rise of the neocons in both parties. he was married to percy sutton's sister, and was ashamed of his own family, some who never went to college like he did. i can't go into the details of our family's association with the suttons after his death, but suffice it to say: it was not exactly pleasant.

[Fire1]

11. I can imagine. n/t

[noiretextatique]

13. i don't want

to get sued...even though it is all true :7

[Brewman_Jax]

15. Based on what I've seen of them,

they're both--a moron AND oxymoron.