Why Conservatives Love Unqualifed Black Candidates

[bobloblaw]

Going back to 2000, there has been a phenomenon of conservatives supporting unqualified blacks candidates in GOP primaries.

Keyes, Cain and now Carson. Though Carson is far more serious than the first two. This also extends to down ticket races such as EW Jackson in VA two years ago.


I know the reason for this, but do others think is the reason for this phenomenon?

Hint: it isnt racism but is race related.

[IceSpear]

To "prove they're not racist" and to "stick it to the libs".

[King]

Cain was more serious than Carson.

[eric82oslo]

Cain was more serious than Carson.

Even in Uzbekibekibekistan his 9-9-9 plan would have sounded like the plan of the devil.

[Penelope]

I would imagine it is mostly because the GOP has put forward few black candidates to offices other than the GOP presidential nomination, meaning that any qualified black candidates are mostly either Democrats or very lucky independents.

[Famous Mortimer]

Keyes was the most serious of Keyes, Cain, and Carson because he had actually held a government position (Assistant Secretary of State).

Anyway, conservatives would probably rather love a qualified Black candidate, there just are none. JC Watts never ran but I'm sure he would have done well. Also, I'm sure Tim Scott will be a very strong candidate in a couple of cycles.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Keyes was the most serious of Keyes, Cain, and Carson because he had actually held a government position (Assistant Secretary of State).

Anyway, conservatives would probably rather love a qualified Black candidate, there just are none. JC Watts never ran but I'm sure he would have done well. Also, I'm sure Tim Scott will be a very strong candidate in a couple of cycles.

Was just about to mention Scott.

[Del Tachi]

To "prove they're not racist" and to "stick it to the libs".

It probably goes a bit deeper than this.  When White GOP voters hear a Black messenger delivering their agenda, it validates the common belief in Republican circles that a majority of racial minorities are victims of the Democratic welfare state. 

[Famous Mortimer]

To "prove they're not racist" and to "stick it to the libs".

It probably goes a bit deeper than this.  When White GOP voters hear a Black messenger delivering their agenda, it validates the common belief in Republican circles that a majority of racial minorities are victims of the Democratic welfare state. 

Haha. No. No one except internet libertarians think that free housing and free food are forms of oppression.

[IceSpear]

To "prove they're not racist" and to "stick it to the libs".

It probably goes a bit deeper than this.  When White GOP voters hear a Black messenger delivering their agenda, it validates the common belief in Republican circles that a majority of racial minorities are victims of the Democratic welfare state. 

That's true. I remember browsing Free Republic in 2012 and hearing a lot about how "liberals hate Cain because he escaped from the Democratic plantation" or something.

[tpfkaw]

In my experience a lot of older Republicans, even well-educated ones, are convinced that black candidates will "win the black vote," and no amount of polling data will convince them otherwise.

[Gog]

The last major serious black republican, Colin Powell, endorsed Obama. That should tell you why they resort to doctors and activists. Though Keyes did something at least.

[umphursmcgur]

Powell is way to moderate for the modern Republican base, probably why he never made a serious run.

[Zache]

Powell is way to moderate for the modern Republican base, probably why he never made a serious run.

I think Powell could've won the nomination in 1996 and 2000. IIRC, he never liked politics too much and the WMD speech ruined any potential political future for him, just in case he changed his mind.

[bobloblaw]

To "prove they're not racist" and to "stick it to the libs".

No

[bobloblaw]

To "prove they're not racist" and to "stick it to the libs".

It probably goes a bit deeper than this.  When White GOP voters hear a Black messenger delivering their agenda, it validates the common belief in Republican circles that a majority of racial minorities are victims of the Democratic welfare state. 

Closer

[bobloblaw]

Here is the reason.

Black conservatives are a minority within a minority group. Thus they have nothing to lose by speaking their minds. All of the previously mentioned black candidates were extremely outspoken. There is a large segment of conservatives who are starved for someone to just speak their minds, be fearless and not cater to the PC media. Also black conservatives tend to be extremely socially conservative and make all sorts of inflamatory remarks about abortions and gays. The reason conservatives liked Palin was similar.

[Asian Nazi]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tom

[HagridOfTheDeep]

To "prove they're not racist" and to "stick it to the libs".

It probably goes a bit deeper than this.  When White GOP voters hear a Black messenger delivering their agenda, it validates the common belief in Republican circles that a majority of racial minorities are victims of the Democratic welfare state. 

Haha. No. No one except internet libertarians think that free housing and free food are forms of oppression.

That's just not true at all. Real radicals understand. Read Paulo Freire and pay attention to what he says about "false generosity."

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Herman Cain was the reasonable one, but the Black GOP, for the exception of JC Watts havent been able to put the black & Latino coalition that Obama successfully put together, against Alan Keyes. He built off the positive coalition that Carol Mosley Braun put together. This includes Herman Cain bad statement that he would put a boarder  between Mexico & US.

[Mr. Reactionary]

One point on E.W. Jackson. I was a delegate at the convention where he won the nomination. While he was black and a non-politician, he was also a religious leader at a fairly large evangelical church. He spent a large portion of his primary money busing in his church congregation, which was a large convention presence because of the area he's from (Chesapeake). Chesapeake is the 3rd largest city in Virginia, and it is within a half drive of both Virginia Beach and Norfolk, which are the 1st and 2nd largest cities in Virginia. Chesapeake is also close to the cities of Suffolk, Newport News, and Hampton. Delegates were awarded on previous party vote totals, and so because the Hampton Roads area has a lot of delegate slots, he was able to register a lot of his congregation in several different slates.

At the convention, there were 7 candidates for Lt. Gov. and there were like 4 or 5 ballots. E.W. Jackson won every single one including the first. It was mostly due to the geography of his church and the kickass speech he gave at the convention. So I would argue that at least in his case, it was less about being black and more about a Ron Paul esque strategy of micro organizing around a charismatic religious figure.

[Asian Nazi]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tom

Prime example of left-winged racism.

Says the guy who supports a neo-confederate that wants to repeal the Civil Rights Act.

[Mr. Reactionary]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tom

Prime example of left-winged racism.

Says the guy who supports a neo-confederate that wants to repeal the Civil Rights Act.

Oh look, someone reads Salon.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Because black conservatives tend to be very religious and conservative and so the evangelical/Tea party wing loves them even though it should be by merit there is a degree of "I'm not a racist I vote for black candidates" in there as well

[pbrower2a]

And liberals have qualified candidates?

Unless you want to call Barack Obama a 'conservative'. He's an above-average President, which is about as good as anyone could ever expect. 

Blacks are more likely to thrive in urban political machines than elsewhere. We have Barack Obama as President in part because the Chicago Machine distrusted him. They wanted him as far from Chicago as he could get, and they got their way. Just imagine him as a prosecutor or a judge. He'd be a nightmare. Aldermen and ward bosses would be going to prison on corruption charges.