BY: NCVIKING

There is an excellent editorial in the Wall Street Journal by Shelby Steele about the historical and societal obstacles Republicans face in order to entice minorities to vote for the party. Steele is a self-described black conservative, author and fellow at the Stanford University Hoover Institution specializing in the study of race relations.

While the column covers many items, I do believe he missed something in his rationale assessment of why minorities rarely support Republican candidates and how it relates to conservatism. On the one hand, he rightfully points out that blacks and Hispanics often poll more conservatively than whites on most social issues. Yet he later goes on to point out a sub-cultural resistance to conservatism, which is not entirely accurate. I believe it’s more about a resistance primarily to the GOP.

(Grievance-focused) identities calls minorities to an anticonservative orientation to American politics. It makes for an almost ancestral resistance to conservatism. One’s identity of grievance is flattered by the moral activism of the left and offended by the invisible hand of the right. Minorities feel they were saved from oppression by the left’s activism, not by the right’s discipline.

Conservativism is certainly not just about an invisible hand. What is missing is the moral and personal aspect of the ideology and it’s natural fit for struggle. For example, a struggling family would be more interested in discipline, hard work, paychecks and family than worry about ‘Green’ living or the beauty of performance art. Not that there isn’t any merit in the later, but these are typical liberal luxuries of the affluent. This is likely why minorities poll conservatively. A larger portion were not born into affluence and have to work harder to achieve success than white families, due to the nature of immigration and/or the hurdles of past and present racism. So it’s not about conservatism, it’s about Republicans.

The GOP has done a poor job of promoting their favorable minority mettle and civil rights credentials, and have allowed Democrats and the media to wrongly define them. An insistence on bashing welfare, affirmative action programs and immigration reform have also played a large part in the discourse. Democrats and liberals have used this negativity to erroneously define the party as callous and haters of the poor and minorities. The party would have been much better served promoting the advantages of self responsibility, excellence and hand-up programs as the best way to be lifted from poverty. It would have been much better served promoting examples as proof, like the great success of welfare reform in the 1990’s. It also would have been better served addressing the gross systemic failures of the INS, politicians and law enforcement in the handling of legal and illegal immigration, instead of claiming we are being invaded by Mexico (as some loons did).

It’s not about hate, it’s about love and compassion. It’s about two opposing philosophies on how to help someone. Democrats and liberals tend more towards government providing a handout or money; where Republicans and conservatives believe in providing assistance, or a helping hand up, and supporting the overwhelming kindness of private citizens. Both are far from evil, they are just different means to an end.

Michael Steele has also suggested that the Republican Party get a ‘hip-hop’ makeover to remedy this disconnect. Others, want to promote an inexperienced up and coming Rock Star figure in Bobby Jindal so the GOP has an ‘Obama’-like candidate. This is all not necessary. A good education on the facts, clearly communicating the party’s history, philosophy and current inclusion of minorities, and the natural fit of conservative principles with aiding in struggle is all that is needed.

Here is a taste:

• The Republican Party was founded to fight the expansion of slavery and is the party of emancipation.
• Abraham Lincoln, our greatest president and the historical symbol of equality is the father of the Republican Party.
• The Democratic Party was the party of Jim Crow laws and segregation.
• Democrats did not begin a slow move away from this position until after Franklin Roosevelt.
• Johnson is often credited with the passing of Civil Rights but the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed with overwhelming support of Republicans (80-20%), more so than with Democrats (60-40%); and it’s foundation was set by Republicans in the Civil Rights Act of 1875 under the Republican Grant, 1957 Civil Rights Act and 1960 Civil Rights Act under the Republican Eisenhower.
• The highest ranking African American man in government prior to Obama was Colin Powell, Secretary of State in a Republican administration.
• The highest ranking African American woman in government was Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State in a Republican administration.
• Bush Sr. nominated African American Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas.
• Alberto Gonzales (Bush Jr.) was the first Hispanic American to serve as United States Attorney General.
• Michael Steele, an African American, chairs the RNC.
• Bobby Jindal, the heir apparent in some Republican circles and Governor of Louisiana is of Indian descent.

It’s time for a re-branding campaign for the GOP based in conservative principles. The sooner the party gets this, the sooner it will be back in power.

Click here for a link to Shelby Steele’s column.

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