Romney and the NAACP: A Missed Opportunity
Commentary by Raynard Jackson
NNPA Columnist
July 12, 2012
As anyone who has followed me knows, I have been extremely
critical of President Obama’s non-engagement with the Black community. Obama has
deliberately ignored the plight of the Black community while giving preferential
treatment to the homosexual and Hispanic communities.
But I can’t in good conscious criticize Obama and then
give the Republicans a pass when they display similar behavior towards the Black
community. I can’t excoriate Black Democrats for following Obama blindly and
then remain silent when Black Republicans do the same towards
Romney.
Yesterday, as I watched Mitt Romney address the NAACP, I
tried to force myself to be optimistic about what he would say. But my years of
being an avid Republican prepared me for the worst. And that’s exactly what I
saw.
Romney had a golden opportunity to make a credible
argument for Blacks to support him. But because he doesn’t have experienced
Blacks in his inner circle, he thoroughly embarrassed himself and deserved to be
roundly booed. For Romney to speak before a Black audience and not talk about
the Black entrepreneur is like going to church and not mentioning God.
This is what happens when you don’t have the right people
around you, people who understand communications, messaging and the nuances of
the audience being addressed. That’s the elephant in the room.
Contrary to what the White media thinks, the preachers and
politicians are not the leaders in the Black community – businessmen and
businesswomen are. That Black business person is typically head of the board of
trustees or the deacon board of the church. So, if you get the business leader
on your side, he or she will bring along the minister and the
congregation.
Business leaders have a vested interest in having an
educated Black community because they have to hire people in order to grow their
business. Like everyone else, those leaders care about crime and don’t want
employees to be victims as they travel to and from work. More than anyone else,
business leaders understand the cost of capital issues and therefore are more
likely to support a reduction or total abolition of the capital gains tax. He or
she is more likely to support school choice and vouchers, all topics the NAACP
members can relate to.
So, the point is, the Black business leaders are the most
important entry point to the Black community and Republicans, of all
people, are totally ignorant of this
fact. And they will remain ignorant of what’s important to the Black community
until they have campaign staffs that look like America.
Like Jeremiah of the Bible, I have been labeled as one
crying in the wilderness. And I am not about to surrender that label now. Am I
the only one who is offended that Romney has fewer than five Blacks on his
national campaign staff and none in top decision-making positions? I am talking
about someone who controls a budget, has the final say on hiring, and has the
ability to put an event on the candidate’s calendar or arrange a private meeting
with the candidate.
Am I the only one who noticed the optics of Romney not
having photos of any Black Republicans on his campaign web site? Am I the only
one who is puzzled as to why Romney has never met with a group of Black
entrepreneurs?
I was stunned to learn that Romney had chosen a recently
converted Republican, Ashley Bell, to be one of his surrogates and to help him
craft his speech to the NAACP. Bell is a decent guy, but
am I to believe that Romney couldn’t find any veteran
Black Republicans who have both party credentials and relevant presidential
campaign experience to help him craft the speech that would define his
relationship with Black America?
Does his staff know people such as Shannon Reeves, Allegra
McCullough, David Byrd, Aaron Manaigo, Francis Johnson, Ada Fisher or James
House? If they don’t, I will be happy to put Romney’s staff in touch with them
and many other able Blacks. For Romney to pick a Republican-come-lately over
Party vets who have taken all kind of criticism for supporting the Grand Old
Party is a grand old insult to those Black Republicans who have toiled for years
in the fields of Republican politics.
Where are the voices of Black Republicans who know better?
Their silence is deafening. In this respect, they are just as bad as the Black
Democrats I have been criticizing.
With Romney’s
speech to the NAACP and making Bell one of his surrogates, the candidate has
spent more time with Black Democrats than he has with Black Republicans. Where
is the outrage from Black Republicans? Oh, they can criticize Obama for his
treatment of Blacks, but when Romney does the same thing they get laryngitis. As
I often say, “the best way to get attention from the Republican Party as a Black
Republican is to be a Black Democrat.”
_____________________________________________________________________________
Raynard Jackson
is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public
relations/government affairs firm. His website is: www.raynardjackson.com.
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