CPAC Minority Outreach: Zero; Rand Paul: Standing Room Only

March 2013

Reince Priebus, RNC Chair, suturing wounds from the November 2012 General Election losses. 

ABC News RNC Completes ‘Autopsy’ on 2012 Loss, Calls for Inclusion Not Policy Change Excerpt…. “To be clear, our principles our sound, our principles are not old rusty thoughts in some book,” Priebus said, but the “report notes the way we communicate our principles isn’t resonating widely enough.”  Priebus added: “I think our policies are sound, but I think in many ways the way we communicate can be a real problem.”  The report also specifically states that there needs to be more inclusion. “We need to campaign among Hispanic, black, Asian, and gay Americans and demonstrate we care about them, too. We must recruit more candidates who come from minority communities. But it is not just tone that counts. Policy always matters.”

Many Americans may have been  “snookered” by Priebus’s words. As we looked back on the Romney Campaign, the need for a major GOP paradigm shift was obvious.

Let’s take a look.

Mitt Romney’s website front page the evening of, and early hours of the day after the 2012 General Election. Do you see the problem?

akanarchists.blogspot.com

Allow me to give you a hint, if you failed to answer the question above, check this out. 

                                                             

Romney so thought he had the election won he didn’t even bother to develop two election night addressees: victory and concession. All presidential candidates develop both prior to final election results.  

A Romney concession speech was noticeable in its absence.  

As Romney came out of post-election hibernation, he followed Paul Ryan in lamenting they lost the election due to the “urban vote”. Of course, Romney was a tad more sophisticated than the brash Ryan by indicating he didn’t get the minority vote.

Two points related to Romney, Ryan and the GOP. Romney’s major campaign problem was his chief campaign manager/adviser: John Sunnunu. The man has obvious issues with race, diversity and inclusivity. It is impossible to avoid attributing the following to Romney’s inner political circle of which Sunnunu was the center of the campaign universe.

thegrio.com

Back to Priebus.

The Grand Old Party moved forward. RNC Chair, Reince Priebus, declared the need for a “autopsy.” The RNC Chair was prophetic in his use of “autopsy” as it denotes an after death procedure. Most on the Left properly posited the GOP needs a “lobotomy.” The party has done nothing to advance its lack of diversity and seems to find inclusivity a major aversion. Manifestation of GOP and conservative America’s lack of interest in diversity continued un-abetted and has become almost “in-your-face” as a lack of party diversity and lack of support for immigration reform. 

The following is what happens when a supposed leader like Priebus makes a proclamation. He had to know as he spoke he was spewing “Smoke in Mirrors.” When offset by the reality of their congressional districts Fox News and Right-wing AM radio, the party continues down the path of what you are about to see. 

The annual Republican Ooozfest event CPAC, Conservative Political Action Committee, is in full ooze. We will spare the you the parade of ooze as I am sure you are seeing and hearing it via electronic media.  

Of much more importance is the progress of Priebus’s (diversity) proclamation. GOP outreach doesn’t seen to me going very well.  It seems the party’s 92% white membership has not changed (and may have slipped to a higher figure). As indicated via media, evidence of a diversity paradigm shift among the 92% has remained steadfast. 

CPAC Minority OutReach

#CPAC2014 panel. Topic: minority outreach. View: largely empty room. pic.twitter.com/LQKQ0QwwVc

John Hudak @JohnJHudak

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Big problem for GOP. Most important #CPAC2014 panel. Topic: minority outreach. View: largely empty room.

1:09 PM – 6 Mar 2014

Mother Jones ‏@MotherJones Mar 6

RT @JohnJHudak Big problem for GOP. Most important #CPAC2014 panel. Topic minority outreach View: largely empty room pic.twitter.com/gFtdPX1aQZ

Steven Benen wrote for the Rachel Maddow Blog

Even before the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) got underway yesterday, it appeared the right had a diversity problem. Of the 25 confirmed speakers scheduled to take the big stage, 22 are men. What’s more, 19 are white.

But the underlying issue looked even worse after the event got underway. Brookings’ John Hudak published a fascinating report. 

Thursday afternoon, CPAC hosted a panel on GOP outreach into minority communities. The panel included Virginia Senate candidate Ed Gillespie and a panel of Republican political strategists: Jason Roe, Elroy Sailor, and Robert Woodson. The panel delivered a remarkably pointed review of GOP voter outreach (largely its failures) and explained, in very straightforward terms, how the party can (and must) do better.

However, the most revealing part of the experience was not what happened on stage, but what happened off stage, and reflects the national electoral struggles Republicans are facing.

Read more linked above

Of course, the various CPAC speeches are well attended with a standing room only crowd for Rand Pauls’s “ooze.” 

Alex Seitz-Wald ‏@aseitzwald  6h

*Completely* packed house for Rand. Have not seen this many people for anyone else. pic.twitter.com/yFifFenQT3

Need say more?