For most of my adult life I thought that my Dad was a Republican. He voted for Ronald Reagan during the 1980 election. I never asked him about it until last year. He told me that he voted for Reagan because he didn't like how Jimmy Carter was running the country. Reagan won 489 electoral votes to 49 for President Jimmy Carter that year. I guess that alot of folks agreed with my Dad that year.
Anyhow, it turns out that my father was not a Republican. He laughed out loud when I told him that I always thought he was republican based on his vote for Reagan.
The od
d thing was that we never had that conversation from 1980 thru 2007. It wasn't until the advent of Barack Obama's candidacy that I broached the subject with him. I think that I was embarrassed with the (incorrect) knowledge that my father was a Republican. I loved that he was in a 50-year marriage with my Mom. I loved that he worked as an aeronautical engineer on the Space Shuttle program. I loved that he was tight with his high school and college buddies from Oklahoma. I loved that he was corny enough to show us the Super-8mm films of past family vacations whenever I was in town. I loved that he listened to jazz and Malcolm X speeches on reel-to-reel tape. I loved many things about my father ...
d thing was that we never had that conversation from 1980 thru 2007. It wasn't until the advent of Barack Obama's candidacy that I broached the subject with him. I think that I was embarrassed with the (incorrect) knowledge that my father was a Republican. I loved that he was in a 50-year marriage with my Mom. I loved that he worked as an aeronautical engineer on the Space Shuttle program. I loved that he was tight with his high school and college buddies from Oklahoma. I loved that he was corny enough to show us the Super-8mm films of past family vacations whenever I was in town. I loved that he listened to jazz and Malcolm X speeches on reel-to-reel tape. I loved many things about my father .......but, it embarrassed the heck out of me to think he was a Black Republican.
I wonder how lonely and embarrassing it must be to be a Black Republican in this election year? I watched a Black guy at a Wisconsin rally for McCain sitting up in the front row as he dissed Obama. He seemed to be enjoying his notoriety as the token brother in the room. Is that the thrill?
The New York Times wrote an article about a young Republican blogger in New York recently. Is that the thrill ... getting publicity for being unique?
Michael Steele almost became a US Senator ... he invented the 'Drill Baby Drill' chant ... and he rec
ently substituted for Hannity on the Fox News television show. Is that the thrill ... getting speaking engagements at right wing shindigs?
ently substituted for Hannity on the Fox News television show. Is that the thrill ... getting speaking engagements at right wing shindigs?Ken Blackwell almost became governor of Ohio ... and he is a hero of right wing zealots for his role in stealing the election for George W. Bush in 2004 ... and he is seen regularly on Fox News as a political analyst. Is that the thrill ... having an open invitation to barbeque outings down in Crawford TX?
African Americans in this country are likely to give over 95% of our vote to Barack Obama next month. Can someone tell me why any self-respecting brother or sister would vote for the Republicans this year? What is the thrill for nubians in a party that never respects them?
