GOP Pins Its Future On Wooing Minorities (washingtonpost.com): Starting with Sen. Barry Goldwater's anti-civil rights presidential campaign of 1964 and continuing with Richard M. Nixon's "Southern Strategy" of 1968 and the 1980s' appeal to white working-class "Reagan Democrats," they say, Republican strategies have proven extremely effective in attracting millions of white voters into the party fold. So efficient, in fact, that the party has extracted every possible benefit and now must steer a more racially sensitive course to avoid alienating the growing numbers of minority voters and moderate white women who will be crucial in future elections. "We have just about maxed out with white men," a key Republican strategist said. "When you look into the future, all you see is smaller numbers and more and more Hispanics. Look at Texas. Unless we do something, in a decade or so it's going to go the way of California," a former Republican stronghold that now tilts decisively Democratic. "We have to adapt to survive."
Which would explain why Lott's comments, which were fairly innocuous in context compared to what he's said before, drew such heavy Republican fire. They're trying to make nice.
Right.
And speaking of Our Mr Lott:
Asked in an interview with the Associated Press whether he was disappointed in a lack of support from President Bush, Lott said: "I don't think there's any use in trying to say I'm disappointed in anybody or anything. An inappropriate remark brought this down on my head." He added: "A lot of people in Washington have been trying to nail me for a long time. When you're from Mississippi and you're a conservative and you're a Christian, there are a lot of people that don't like that. I fell into their trap and so I have only myself to blame." He wouldn't name those political enemies.
Ah. I see. These would, of course, be the same enemies that, whenever he made similar or even far more pointed comments, gave him a pass for whatever reason.
Mind, I suppose it must be a terribly bitter experience to be thrown to the wolves by your own party, no matter what it is you said. And given that the Republicans are trying to appeal to minorities, it's probably going to be true for the near future that whenever any Republican makes a "racially insensitive" comment, the internal feeding frenzy shall commence anew. Because apparently, we're all thrilled and delighted by watching these political sharks go after chum when we're generally perfectly well aware that they don't mean a word of it. Not that I'm accusing anyone of being racists, or even racially insensitive; it's just that if it's not to their political advantage, they could care less what anyone says.
But hey! if they keep trying to seduce us with blood in the water and see that it doesn't work (which I hope it doesn't), maybe they'll try more substantive deeds. Although how they manage that without alienating the core Republican constituency is anyone's guess.
Now that they have deposed one party leader and are to elect another today, Senate Republicans are working to limit the damage that Trent Lott's words had on GOP efforts to court minority voters. "I think this will present no handicap whatsoever in our ongoing effort to convince the nonwhite citizens of our country that the Republican Party is the place to be," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, the incoming No. 2 Republican leader.
Good grief, not if they're going to say things like THAT. Haven't the Senate Republicans got even ONE person in the chamber with the gift of gab? Or, if not that, then the good sense god gave a goose not to say things that are pretty much designed to alienate everybody?
OK, guys, here's a clue, free of charge, just because it looks like you need one: the way to have said that would be, "We hope to convince all of the citizens of our great country, regardless of race, creed, color, or religion, that the Republican Party has the best interests of everyone in mind." See? Nice, simple, all-inclusive political puffery. Not that hard.
Not that anyone would believe it for a second. But it's the attempt that counts.
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