Booker Rising Quote of the Day

Shay from Booker Rising posted this "Quote of the Day"

"The top four Republican presidential candidates are in hot water with black and Hispanic voters (well, at least with the people who claim to speak for all of them; myself included)....I’m sure they are [interested in addressing issues of concern to blacks], but not on the terms defined by Smiley — where all the debate panelists are on the left, and most of the questioning will be based on 'The Covenant With Black America', a statement defined by its backers to be 'a national plan of action to address the primary concerns of African Americans today — from health to housing, from crime to criminal justice, from education to economic parity.' I’ve read the CWBA when it was announced last year, and most of it consists of proposals and goals based on leftist, collectivist thought. Most of the answers that would be forthcoming from GOP candidates (attendees and no-shows alike) would run counter to what CWBA is demanding, as conservative solutions are mostly rooted in individualism, and not collectivism. However, I agree with Newt Gingrich, Michael Steele, and others who expressed grave disappointment at the top tier candidates declining to attend. Whether they had legitimate scheduling conflicts or just simply felt that participating in a heavily biased, agenda-driven forum would be a waste of their time is already being discussed, debated, or maligned by pundits everywhere. Just as I took black Republican no-shows to the 2006 State of the Black Union (another CWBA themed event) to task, I’m doing the same for the Top 4 — especially Fred Thompson, whom I support for the presidential nomination: Show up anyway. Yes, you’re damned if you do (and of course damned if you don’t), but you’ll earn a lot more respect from those who may not necessarily agree with you. Some may even open their minds and consider your plans and proposals for the future. And just maybe some of those who consider your arguments may come over to your side, lend you their support, and even cast a vote for you. Well, at [least] such sincere efforts convinced me a few years ago. I exhort the Top 4 (especially Thompson) with the following from last year: Hold your head high, present your case, and take the high road. If you’re drowned out by ad hominem attacks and epithets masquerading as 'civil dialogue', then shame on Tavis (and double-shame on the 'open-minded', 'tolerant', and 'peace-loving' left-wing intellectuals). Don’t back down — and don’t get intimidated by the haters. For the sake of political diversity among blacks, browns, and for all Americans who make up our republic, step up and represent." — D.C. Thornton, black libertarian blogger