COLUMN
By Raynard Jackson
(ThyBlackMan.com) Why am I seemingly the only one that is pissed off at the lack of preparation for the aftermath of Sen. Tim Scott’s rebuttal to President Biden’s speech before a joint session of Congress this week?
Where was the RNC, the Senatorial Committee, the House Campaign Committee, and outside conservative groups?
Where were all the supposed Black conservatives who like running their mouths on all the talking heads TV and radio shows?
I was disgusted and thoroughly embarrassed by the lack of a coordinated media strategy to support Sen. Scott. Scott is the junior senator from South Carolina who was asked by the party to give the rebuttal to Biden’s speech earlier this week and by most accounts, hit it out of the ballpark!
The most memorable part of his speech was: “…Hear me clearly: America is not a racist country. It’s backwards to fight discrimination with different types of discrimination. And it’s wrong to try to use our painful past to dishonestly shut down debates in the present.”
The Democrats have not changed their racist playbook since the 1960s. No one in our party thought to set up a communications war room to insulate Sen. Scott from the inevitable attacks that were sure to come. This inevitable attack on Sen. Scott was so obvious that even Stevie Wonder saw it coming!
This is what happens when you don’t see and understand the value of diversity. Yes, you need Blacks who understand our community, understand politics, and understand strategic communications. And yes, they MUST be “credible” Blacks; not the buffoonish Blacks conservatives seem drawn to.
There should have been an inside/outside strategy to push back on the racist attacks Scott was subjected to.
As asked above, where were the RNC, the Senatorial Committee, the House Campaign Committee, and other conservative groups?
Where were all the supposed Black conservatives who like running their mouths on all the talking heads TV and radio shows?
Well, I have taken care of this problem. I have a group of Black conservatives who are media savvy and standing at the ready to prevent this from ever happening again. These are Blacks that have credibility within the Black community and certifiable credentials within the conservative movement.
These are not folks who measure success by how many Facebook followers, likes, and tweets they have; but are folks who have media sophistication and relationships, both nationally and locally. They measure success by winning elections!
To the RNC, the Senatorial Committee, the House Campaign Committee, and outside conservative groups, I am willing to train your staff on how to substantively engage with the Black community, especially on the thorny issue of race from a conservative perspective.
I have made this a standing offer for years and heretofore, no one has taken me up on this offer. This offer is not just for staffers, but also for principals—elected officials, CEOs of conservative organizations, etc.
I talked with senior officials at the White House after Biden’s speech and they were giddy with laughter at the beating Sen. Scott was taking on social media. They were stunned that there was no coordinated inside/outside strategy being executed to defend Scott.
Is there even room in the Republican Party or the conservative movement for Blacks who understand strategic communications? I am not talking about Blacks who have certain titles with no authority; I am talking about Blacks who have a proven track record that shows their understanding of strategic communications.
I am so tired of being lectured to by white folks about racism and the Black community. Really? I mean really?
Am I supposed to listen to whites talk about racism towards the Black community with not one Black person involved? How tone deaf can one be?
I would never give a speech about Judaism to a group of Jews. I would never ask Michael Jordan to teach me how to play soccer. I would never make a vegan the face of a McDonald’s Hamburger advertising campaign.
But conservatives will have a discussion on race with absolutely no involvement from “credible” Blacks. Go figure.
The mere fact that my friends in the White House were laughing and high fiving each other over the poor response by Republicans from Scott’s speech should tell you everything you need to know.
Here it is, in 2021, and conservatives still can’t answer my simple question.
Is there room in the Republican Party and the conservative movement for Blacks? Are conservatives willing to get rid of their minstrel show Blacks and begin to substantively engage with “real” Black conservatives to move the ball forward?
I think it is pathetic that Republicans are jubilant at getting 12% of the Black vote last November. We should be embarrassed by this number, especially when former President Trump does have a decent story to tell relative to the Black community.
The story simply has not been competently told.
As my buddy and former Prime Minister of Great Britain once told me, “To every man there comes a time in his life, when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a great and mighty work; unique to him and fitted to his talents; what a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the moment that could be his finest hour.”
What a tragedy if this moment finds the Republican Party and the conservative movement unprepared or unqualified for the moment that could be their finest hour when it comes to substantive engagement with the Black community!!!
Raynard Jackson is a Pulitzer Award nominated columnist and founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (BAFBF), a federally registered 527 Super PAC established to get more Blacks involved in the Republican Party. BAFBF focuses on the Black entrepreneur. For more information about BAFBF, visit www.bafbf.org. You can follow Raynard on Twitter; Raynard1223.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal.
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