Republicans Are Only White?

Melissa Hung
September 4, 2008

But it doesn't matter what I think, because I live in San Francisco. Clearly she was meant to stoke
the fires of the base. I wonder how she appears to people who are on the
fence.

Speaking of people who are on the fence, does the GOP think that the only people who matter
are white? I mean, I knew the Republican party was mostly white, but man, I didn’t
know it was that white. When the camera panned the convention audience, you
could see one black man in the crowd. Considering that many voters of color are
politically independent, you'd think they'd wise up to that and show a little
diversity.

Categories: 
News and Politics
Race
Contributor: 

Melissa Hung

Founding Editor

Melissa Hung is the founding editor of Hyphen. She was editor in chief for the magazine's first five years and went on to serve in many other leadership roles on the staff and board for more than a decade. A writer and freelance journalist, Melissa has written for NPR, Vogue, Pacific Standard, Longreads, and Catapult. She grew up in Texas, the eldest child of immigrants.

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Comments

Comments

giles wrote on Thu, 09/04/2008 - 2:00pm
i know! i couldn't help but notice that when they did audience closeups, there was a fair number of POC "represented" on screen. but when they did wide-angle views of the audience...WOW. it gave me flashbacks to the time i got beat up at an IHOP in rural new hampshire 12 years ago.if only white people support your cause, your cause is probably morally wrong.
melissa wrote on Thu, 09/04/2008 - 2:40pm
It's like an alternate universe, a universe where everyone is white and cheers for oil-drilling. Newsflash to the GOP: that is not what America looks like.
please wrote on Thu, 09/04/2008 - 7:31pm
I think out of thousands of delegates, there are 32 black delegates and they showed all of them as if the party is diverse. he he, what a joke.
Jack B wrote on Thu, 09/04/2008 - 8:03pm
Please do not let this die. They dare mock real patriots who help this country at the very roots? They should be ashamed.
Liar Liar, McC... wrote on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 4:57am
How about some FACT-CHECKING for the Repugs?!http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_fact_check;_ylt=Aud.T5QEQkCd469tSFuBEa4DW7oF
Harry wrote on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 8:20am
CBS telecast showed an Asian American guy dancing around on the floor of the convention last night.
lisalee wrote on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 9:43am
oh the token asian guy. nice.and yes, i feel exactly the same way about their attacks on community organizers. wtf? do they not have anything better to pick at? if that's the only thing that's wrong with barack, then they better find something quick to back up their bs.for those that missed it, here's what was said:"He worked as a community organizer (laughs along with crowd). What? He worked -- I said -- I said, OK, OK, maybe this is the first problem on the resume."-Rudy Giuliani"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities." -Sarah Palinto quote my friend julius:"Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that Barack Obama's only political experience is being a community organizer, for three years right out of college. So we're assuming that it doesn't matter that Obama taught constitutional law for 11 years, worked as a civil rights attorney for 4 years, was a state senator for 8 years, and federal senator for 4 years, and was the first black editor of Harvard Law Review. Okay then. So that means all Barack Obama has ever done was improve communities at the grassroots level by coordinating social programs relating to health, jobs, financial welfare, and voter registration. So community organizers are the impetus of "bottom-up" politics, and by definition, contribute to a strong participatory democracy. So when Giuliani, Palin, or any other Republican ridicules community organizers, they are spitting directly in your face, and the face of your community, the face of anyone trying to improve it, and the very face of American democracy."
PLEASE wrote on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 11:17am
THATS WHY I CANT WAIT FOR THE DEBATES! Obama will dissect McCain and Biden will murder Pailn.
Cbro wrote on Mon, 09/08/2008 - 10:12am
yeah i loved how they kept showing closeups of the SAME black dude. like we wouldn't notice. Guess they didn't have many black folks present to choose from. classic tactic from the Bush years!
Anonymous wrote on Wed, 09/10/2008 - 6:56am
Their audience and rhetoric wasn't a mistake, it sent a very clear message: this is the America we understand, we support, and we'll work for in the future. Screw the rest of ya'll. You don't even exist! Did you ever hear the Republicans mention racism or equity? No. I know it sounds overdramatic, but this election is really a fight for the definition of "America" and "American." And yes, it's racial.In contrast, Obama's community outreach offices all post and attempt to follow a three-word mantra: "Respect, Empower, Include." 180 degree difference in outlook.p.s. Newsflash to Sarah Palin: Jesus was a community organizer.