Michael Steele seems like a great guy, from what I can tell. He's engaging, he's likable, he's intelligent, and he has a sense of humor about himself. Overall, the guy seems to be a pretty fair and level-headed person. I could be wrong, because I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of the man, but my take on him is that he seems to be fairly decent.
But he's a Republican, and that's where we split ways.
It doesn't have anything to do with politics, either. Believe it or not, sometimes, the Republicans are right. I know, I know, they really shit the bed with that "War in Iraq" thing, and being a friend of the rich at the expense of everyone else is a really stupid idea, but here and there, they have an idea worth listening to, like securing the Mexican border and while I don't think eliminating the estate tax will ever work, lowering it wouldn't be a bad idea. The problem is, every so often, one of them or someone who represents them says something that is just crazy racist.
It can't be defended or explained, but the Republicans will try like it's going to bring Ronald Reagan back. And that's when they trot out all of the black Republicans to tell us why massa didn't mean what you thought he said. And that's when I lose respect for them, because the Republicans are not interested in doing anything to help us out at all. I'm not talking about getting handouts from white people, because that's what they believe all black folks want. I'm talking about things like fixing the school system in lower-income areas or trying to lower the recidivism rate. You know, things that they've shown no interest in doing. Their solutions have always been school vouchers and "three strike" rules.
They can talk about being "the Party of Lincoln" all they want to, but everyone knows that they stopped being "the party of Lincoln" in the 60s, during the Civil Rights era. See, there's a reason why black folks stopped joining the Republican Party; they're bigots and racists. It's led by people like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly, and if those people aren't racist, then Ann Coulter actually possesses a soul, and we all know that's not the case.
I can respect a difference of opinion. We probably aren't going to see eye-to-eye on things like tax cuts, abortion, Homeland Security, or many other things, but when you're accepting of people who say things like "I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship,"(Bill O'Reilly) or [To an African American female caller]: “Take that bone out of your nose and call me back.," (Rush Limbaugh) well, it's pretty hard to say, "Now, that's a guy who's on my side." I know they're not going to work with me, because they don't even believe I'm an actual human being.
They are the voice of Republicans. They watch Fox News. They listen to Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann; Rand Paul and Louie Gohmert, instead of reasonable people. They don't condemn the crazy or racist shit they might say. They make excuses for them and blame the media for taking statements out of context. Now, maybe it's me, but I don't see how you can take something like, “Look, let me put it to you this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons,” out of context. Rush Limbaugh again, in cause you were wondering.
I don't believe that all Republicans are racist, but they sure do have a lot of racist buddies. Sean Hannity's ties to and apologies for white supremacy groups are well-documented; many supporters of Palin and Bachmann are unrepentant racists. And then, of course, there's Fox Nation, which is like accidentally wandering into stormfront.org. So, why would a black person want to hang around with people like this? Because you believe you have something in common with them? Because Abe Lincoln and Martin Luther King were once Republicans?
They don't like you, black people. And even the ones who do like you tirelessly defend the ones who don't. No one ever calls out these people. No one. And to think your presence will change this party from the inside is hopelessly naive. You're better off trying to prove that Taco Bell's meat has meat in it.
I'm not suggesting that you should become a Democrat, either. Hell, I'm not even a Democrat, because I don't want anyone thinking that I'm a pussy. But instead of trying to get in good with Republicans, why not form your own party? You can keep your conservative views and your dignity. You don't have to explain to anyone why you're okay with being second-class in your own party. You can earn the respect of your family and maybe, just maybe, get someone to take you seriously.
I'm just tired of seeing my black folks play the fool. The Republicans include you when they need you or when you further a goal for them. They think by having you parrot their talking points, that other black people will listen. And since people like Lil Wayne or the folks at BET aren't gonna change, I might as well try to appeal to people who appear to give things some thought. So let me conclude by saying this: By standing with them, you are the house negro who defends the slaveowner, even at the expense of himself. The above paragraphs have explained why.
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