WASHINGTON, July 30, 2016 – The presumptive label of racist Republican is both oxymoronic, and a non sequitur. It is a senseless claim.
Such strawman attacks are strong evidence of the degree of fear that liberal progressives have for the current Trump movement.
“Political realists see the world as it is: an arena of power politics moved primarily by perceived immediate self-interests, where morality is rhetorical rationale for expedient action and self-interest.” (Rules for Radicals, Alinsky, p.12)
The best indicator of who/what progressive liberals fear is to determine where most of their attacks are aimed. In recent years, the political group that has been vilified, besmirched and ridiculed the most has been the Conservative tea party movement.
Incidentally, neither the tea party nor Conservatives have a national or centralized hierarchy. Neither officially subscribe to the Democrat, Independent or Republican Party platforms.
Their battle cry is ideological, and rooted deeply in the U.S. Constitution.
So, why are Conservatives and tea party affiliates often identified carte blanche with the Republican Party?
The pared-down short answer is that the Republican Party platform most closely aligns with the U.S. Constitution, even though many of its operatives do not practice what they preach. Uncompromised Republican principles are Conservative principles and therefore are Constitutional.
Unfortunately, too many who have the “R” suffixed to their political candidacy/affiliation only wear the label and they are nominal Republicans (i.e.: in NAME ONLY).
In modern vernacular, it is Republican In Name Only (R.I.N.O.).
The current political movement that is backing Donald J. Trump has done so with a groundswell of grassroots support. Volunteers affiliated with the tea party, Libertarians, and so-called “blue dog” Democrats have long given the clarion call that enough-is-enough from career politicians in Washington D.C.
But as their voices were going unheeded, an the unexpected came from an outsider: billionaire real estate mogul, Donald J. Trump.
Without rehashing Trump’s seemingly meteoric rise in the polls and eventually securing the Republican nomination, we are now only a few months away from the general election in November. With that the long knives are out and the Republican nominee is being attacked with the race card.
It’s standard operating procedure for the Democrat platform that revolves among the promise to maintain the status quo: more of the same!
While we are able to find evidence of increasing numbers of people of color in the ranks of the Republican Party (coast-to-coast), we would do well to fixate our gaze on the “Tarheel State” of North Carolina, a state perceived by some to be a stronghold of racism in America.
The most recent U.S. Census (2010) identified Wake County, N.C. as the fastest growing county in the USA. It was also noted that Wake County and its vicinity had the greatest concentration of grassroots tea party organizations in the nation. Wake County also has the largest number of Republicans in the state.
With this as a backdrop, consider the following:
- Felice Pete served as President of the Wake County Republican Women’s club for three (3) consecutive terms, serving with distinction.
- In 2010, the late Dr. Timothy Johnson (retired U.S. Army Major) was elected as the first Black Vice Chairman of the Republican party in North Carolina.
- Four years later (2014) Hasan Harnett was elected by state delegates to serve as the first black chairman of the North Carolina Republican party.
- Ada Fisher has served well for several years as one of a handful of Republican chairpersons representing the state. She was the voice at the recent (2016) Republican convention that announced the tally of delegate votes for Donald J. Trump.
Republicans would do well to target specific areas as well as concentrate on a national plan.
(Bill Randall is a contributing writer and retired U.S. Navy Command Master Chief residing in Dallas, TX)
