Dubya and the NAACP

[jgruber]

I understand that the president has declined an invitation to speack to the NAACP national convention, and that this would make him the first president since Harding who has not addressed the NAACP during his term.


Why did he do that?

How do blacks feel about that, especially black republicans?

Comments?

[buster]

Sorry to nitpick, but it was Hoover.

I'm not black, but it's quite the irony that even as the Republican Party makes all sorts of noise about being more inclusive, Bush seems to go out of his way to piss off blacks.

I understand that the president has declined an invitation to speack to the NAACP national convention, and that this would make him the first president since Harding who has not addressed the NAACP during his term.


Why did he do that?

How do blacks feel about that, especially black republicans?

Comments?

[EnglishToLaw]

The right-wing noise machine has already spun the snub as a response to Julian Bond's supposed vitriolic statements about the president. (Nevermind if Bon'ds comments have merit. That's not the point. Just like it's not the point what "liberal" means. You just tell folks that John Kerry is the most "liberal" senator, and that's supposed to be an argument. Teddy Kennedy supports him? Nuff said. Can most people actually point to specific legislation that Kennedy has either introduced, supported, or opposed? Well, no, of course not.) I don't think it's productive to charge those on the right with racism all the time, but it's clear that George W. has no desire to court the black vote. The GOP trafficks in self-righteousness, turning the tables and calling the left-wing "elitist" and suggesting that black interests are not represented fairly by groups such as the NAACP or the Congressional Black Caucus. I, for one, am not surprised by W.'s maneuver. The neocons will keep working to destroy the Democratic party, using "values," patriotism, the culture wars, whatever. Their hope is that minorities will simply turn to the GOP as the only alternative. Hopefully that backfires.

[mukhia]

I think EnglishToLaw is right.  I also heard a spin about how the snub is in response to some "choice" remarks made by a few members of the NAACP.  One opinion is that a few members of the NAACP have become too extreme in terms of their accusations of racism against the Bush administration thus overshadowing a few who do recognise key minority members such as Condi and Colin.  Also, I think Bush is attempting to "court the black vote" via other avenues such as meeting with the Urban League.