4063857796?profile=originalMichael Brendan Dougherty wrote an article stating that the only way for conservatives to reach black voters is to drop their colorblind idealism.

Dougherty wrote... “Conservatives in the GOP like to assail identity politics and tout their own ideology as one of color blindness. Sometimes this is stupidly marketed to black voters as a selling point for Republicans. "We don't categorize you by race," brags a Republican. The black audience hears: "We don't take the most salient part of your American political identity seriously." http://bit.ly/OqSMDT

I am a real-live black person. When I hear Republicans say "We don't categorize you by race", I think, “Thank you for respecting my intelligence enough not to pander to me.” Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, a Republican, dreamed of a day when Americans would focus on principles such as character rather than skin-color (race).

Civil rights leaders and Democrats have abandoned Dr King's vision of a colorblind America. Especially since Obama, the exploitation of race is the Democrats' super weapon to win every political battle. Anyone daring to oppose the black president's socialist/progressive agenda is bombarded with accusations of racism. Checkmate!

Dougherty appears to suggest that we conservatives can not simply stand up for what is right and true. We must adjust our message to fit the Democrats' false accusations and false assumptions.

For example. Dougherty thinks the GOP should back-off from their push for voter I-D laws because it looks like they are attempting to suppress the black vote. Mr. Dougherty, as a black conservative, I find the concept that blacks are too incompetent to find their way to acquire a photo I-D extremely insulting, demeaning and offensive. Democrats are fighting voter I-D because they seek to steal elections via voter fraud. Will Republicans waving the white flag on this issue win them black votes? I think not.

Dougherty thinks America's history of racial injustice causes blacks to deal with the issue of race every day. I beg to differ. Neither myself nor my black family, friends and associates deal with racial issues every day.

Despicably, liberals and Democrats strive to make race an issue, polarizing Americans; keeping the fires of racial tensions burning bright for political gain.

I reject Mr Dougherty's call for conservatives to abandon colorblind politicking. Why must we always allow Democrats and their media buddies to determine the rules of engagement?

We are all Americans and should be dealt with accordingly, rather than doing what the Democrats do; divide Americans into supposed victimized voting blocs and pandering to each group for political exploitation.

In the 1980s, as a young black kid clueless about politics, Ronald Reagan's one-size-fits-all conservative message of American exceptional-ism spoke to me. Reagan inspired me to be all I could be. His speeches made me feel good about myself and my country.

Admittedly, Conservatism will not resonate with everyone. Some people are born leeches and lazy; always looking for a free ride. These types feel entitled to the fruits of other folk's labors. Democrats love to pander to them.

But I believe in the character and goodness of a majority of the American people. When presented unfiltered by liberals, conservatism will find a lot of Americans eager to embrace it. Why? Because Conservatism is in-sync with the human spirit.

Please understand. Packaging the conservative message to appeal to various audiences is an excellent idea. However, watering down our principles or choosing not to challenge the Democrats' false narratives is foolish and wrong.

Certain principles have a universal appeal. Such principles bridge racial divides.

In the 1970s, I was a student at the Maryland Institute College of Art. My fellow black students at the mostly white college were extremely militant and anti-whitey. A group of them demanded that the Black Panthers be allowed to rally on campus.

I was stunned when these same black students approached me extremely excited about this awesome movie, “Rocky”, the Italian stallion. It was remarkable to witness these particular black students so passionately embracing a white boy. The magic ingredient was the “colorblind” principles espoused in that movie which spoke to the humanity in us all.

Mr Dougherty, I respectfully disagree with your article. As an American who happens to be black, I do not desire a “black version” of Conservatism which is rooted in true compassion and common sense.

We are Americans.

Lloyd Marcus, Proud Unhyphenated American
Chairman:
Conservative Campaign Committee
LloydMarcus.com

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Comments

  • Speaking a different message to every different crowd is the demonrat way of doing business
  • Do we see that being honorable citizens comes to mind?

  • So now there are different rules of engagement regarding how we honky's are allowed to address our message depending upon whether the recipient is a Black Democrat or a Black Republican?  Talk about political correctness and even reverse racism gone wild,  it's as if we can't even engage in a conversation with a Black person until we determine their political affiliation ! 

  • Paul, you are correct, but who will black Americans listen to, I mean what news? It is always the radical Commie left! Few listen to Conservative radio or TV! They do not get their freebees from Republican Conservatives, they get jobs which they may not want with all the freebees from Obama and corrupt State officials of the left!

  • Stick to Conservative principles, that will help Black Americans better than any Democrat social welfare dependency.  With Conservative in power "long enough",  a health economy will benefit all.  Most Blacks won't vote Republican anyway no matter what we do.  Blacks need to see for themselves how Obama's & Democrat polices hurt them, when the money runs out.  It already has run out....

  • Mr. Marcus, I share your opinion that conservatives continue to tout an ideology of color-blindness and to mirror the words of Dr. Martin Luther King's dream of a day when all americans are judged according to their character and not the color of their skin. I, Myself, am a tribal member from an Indian tribe here in California. I know of no Indian tribe that will allow voting in any of their elections without proper I.D. Further, an election committee, as well as an enrollment committee of each tribe will be significantly involved to determine the eligibility of the tribal member to vote. So, its not a question of voter suppression but of governmental authority to determine the eligibility and qualification to vote. If a tribal member is eligible and has no tribal I.D., he/she will contact the tribal office to obtain the required tribal I.D. Further, attendance at tribal meetings, purchasing of tribal products at discount and many other benefits of tribal membership all require proper tribal I.D.

    Additionally, the conservative principles mirror the principles of limited government with checks and balances that have been placed in the United States Constitution. The bottom line is that we are all created equal under God. Therefore, as individuals we all have capacity to excel and the responsibility to do so, and so honor God the Creator and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Further, because we are all equal under God, conservatism reflects the market based economy that rewards individual responsibility, hard work and resulting economical success reflecting the skills and knowledge of an individual using their God given capacities. Democrats think that messing with this economic market based economy and raging against the success of the few is the way to improve everyone's lives but it is not. The class warfare will only result in the clogging of a market based economy because removing the incentive to individual success occurs when the successful are penalized (taxed outrageously) because of their success and will no longer be motivated to grow their business. 

    Additionally, democrats are using the classic political approach of always giving something or promising to give something in return for votes. If anyone has a doubt this is happening, just look at the number of people receiving governmental entitlements. Democrats have created the most entitlements but President Bush created social security entitlement D, so both parties are guilty of this.

    The overall reality is that the liberals continue to use promises in their approach to elections and will do so in spite of whether we can afford it or how it will be paid for. This is not only the wrong approach but is very deceitful. We only have to look at the so-called Affordable Care Act to see a legislative approach that promised affordable health care, etc., and that it will be paid for by eliminating emergency hospital care and by the mandate that everyone is required to sign up to help pay for it. As it turns out, the Supreme Court ruled that it is a tax, therefore, the argument that ACA is an economical solution for health care is refuted. Just like many of the liberal promises, there is always a problem, because every program must be paid for and that always comes from the taxpayer-you and me. In fact, the liberals that now oppose ACA do so because of the fact that ACA does not go far enough as they would have preferred a "single payer system", meaning, government-directly paid system. Again, the required money will have to come from the ACA "tax" that will be raised higher according to the cost of the ACA each year.

    My point is, liberal ideas rarely find resulting achievements of their objective. The same happens with their race-baiting approach.

      

  • The Democrats remind me of the old saying :  The kettle is calling the pot black.  Their lies and bigotry grows daily like Pinocchio's nose 4086789082?profile=original

  • Thank you Mr. Marcus for an inspiring explanation of why we conservatives should stand by our principles.  I am proud to call you a brother conservative.

  • No, I do not.  If we are one country - we must speak with one voice and the message should contain Constitutionality and Equality for all under the law.  Enough of this BS.  That includes speaking Spanish or any other language except English.  And I don't want children being developed by Common Core.  States History as well as American History should be being taught, along with the rest of a child's curriculum, by their State Educations.  If you like being an American, act like it - if not, get the hell out!!!  

  • B.S.  I say we categorize people by their nationality.  I am an American and live in the United States of America.  I have been very proud of that until the last several years.  That extends to before obama,  I think we have had left leaning mealy mouth presidents for quite a while.  

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