The Grand Old Party, also know as the Republican Party, has traditionally been seen as a party of rich old white men. In the South, most states are run by Republican governors as well as members of the House and Senate. These include Mitch McConnell, Haley Barbour, Jeff Sessions, Jon Cornyn, Saxby Chambliss, Bob Riley and Sonny Perdue. This has been problematic for the party, since on the surface many see it is the party of wealthy and old white men, even folks within their own ranks.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty recently warned that the GOP should encourage candidates outside its usual demographic to run for office.
“Our party needs to have more faces and voices that aren’t middle-aged white men,” he said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
That sentiment would be a great start in the South, but its doubtful that such a tactic would attract younger people or ethnically diverse groups of people to the Republican Party.
The fact remains that Southern states will never obviate their affinity to the Confederacy. The states of Alabama and Mississippi both celebrate and have a state holiday honoring Jefferson Davis’ birthday. In fact, Alabama and Mississippi have more holidays to honor the Confederacy than any of the other states. To add insult to injury, Alabama and Arkansas celebrate Gen. Robert E. Lee birthday on the same day as Dr. Martin Luther King on Jan. 18. Just this year the aforementioned governor of the state of Alabama, Bob Riley, proclaimed March 22, 2010, Confederate History and Heritage Month.
Yes, the Republicans have a long road to tread to truly attain diversity and youth in their party. But the GOP is not alone in being a party of rich folks. Financial disclosure forms for the 100 U.S. senators show there are at least 40 millionaires, 22 Republicans and 18 Democrats and with the exception of six, they are all men.
The bottom line is diversity will not change the history of America and neither party has the true interests of African Americans at heart. Their main concern is to collect as many votes as they can so that the singular party — that of rich and old white men, will continue to rule in the interest of their bank accounts first. –torrance stephens, ph.d.
For more with Dr. Stephens, visit twitter.com/rawdawgbuffalo and rawdawgb.blogspot.com.
