The Mo’Kelly Report

Here’s the backstory…

It’s the scandal that’s rocking your world. If you happen to be young(ish), a recent college grad, a Republican, and a political activist. One of the leading candidates for president of the Young Republicans National Federation is being lambasted for alleged racial and anti-gay prejudices a week before the election. Skeptics detect a “pattern emerging from the fringe of the GOP grassroots.” It’s a sideshow — one that, absent a technological medium to spread word about it and people to summon their outrage, would be nothing more interesting than an internecine political quarrel.

The story is this: friend of candidate “A” posts racist thoughts on candidate A’s Facebook wall. Candidate “A” responds with a “you tell ‘em, LOL”   Subsequent to that, it’s discovered that candidate “A” commented beneath a picture of a Halloween festival, “What, no Obama in a noose?” and then wondered whether liberals would get mad if Republicans posted a picture of “homosexuals in a noose,” as a counterweight to a picture she’d seen of Sarah Palin in a noose.

Link to full story HERE.

Clearly, the Republicans (even the youngest of them) don’t “get it.”  And the longer they don’t, the closer they move to becoming the modern day version of the extinct Whig Party.

Audra Shay

African-American Sean Conner, (friend of The Mo’Kelly Report) is presently head of the DC Young Republicans and formerly Director of African-American media outreach for the Republican National Committee is not pleased in the least.  Today he blasted off the following letter demanding an apology from Audra Shay, presidential candidate, vying to lead the Young Republicans National Federation.  His letter is below:

__________

Dear Audra,

After much thought, I decided that I needed to address the current issues surrounding the upcoming election.  For me, it stems from a combination of the new revelations of your comments about hanging the President that have come to light (http://bit.ly/xT6aT) , the agonizingly slow response to the other racist Facebook comments (http://bit.ly/16rXlJ), and what I believe to be a general  lack of judgment displayed by a candidate to lead the YRNF in both of these issues.  After my simple

Sean Conner

“saddened” comment, your response that I was “not read[ing] the thread properly” was offensive.  To try to put the blame on me is just wrong.  While it seems easier to explain away both issues versus apologize for them, an apology (as public as the offense and the damage control) is what’s required at this point.  While an apology is important, it’s also important to know, even with that apology, your reckless actions hurt the work to ensure the GOP is as diverse as America.

This work is far more important than one YR race.  Leaders must stand immediately against racism and bigotry.  Otherwise, we suffer a continued narrative of our Party being presented to the very voters who can most benefit from our Party’s principles and policies.  When leaders don’t stand up, they must step aside.  It is neither personal nor unreasonable.  It’s time for you to step aside in light of these developments.  It’s the right thing to do.

More broadly, it’s not the damage control that concerns me the most, but the fundamental platform that YR Renewal has put forth on outreach.  Nowhere can this be more evident than in your platform where you say, “We have a diverse membership already; we should not be afraid to use them in marketing campaigns and media appearances” (YR Team Renewal Outreach Platform, http://yrrenewal.com/?p=561, accessed 7/2/09). Data doesn’t support a claim like that and goodness knows my experiences as a young, Black Republican in urban America doesn’t either.

For our Party to regain the majority, both in and outside of Washington, DC, it will take a broad diverse coalition of Americans who support our principles.  This coalition MUST meaningfully engage African Americans, Hispanics, the young, urban America, and others as well.  It’ll be important to continue to strengthen our relationships with those already in the coalition.

Audra, in closing, I came to the Party to advance our ideas, win elections, and make America as good as her promise, not to be used.

Respectfully,

Sean L. Conner

Chairman, DC Young Republicans

CC: YRNF National Committee

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