From a Black New York Republican

I’m a Black American. I’m a Registered Republican. I Became a Republican way back in 1980 because My mother was a Republican and active in Local GOP Politics…which at that time was a lot of Conservative Black New Yorkers.
Her reason for being Republican: “The Democratic Party (post President Johnson) did not actively work AGAINST me as a Black. SO I had no qualms about their Policies. But the GOP was mostly White and because it didn’t have a lot of Black Republicans I am a Republican to add my Voice and my Vote in the Primaries to the Mix to hopefully steer them away from policies that work Against me because I’m Black. To get them to see me as Black Tax Payer and a Constituent.”

That was the reason I became a Republican. Because I wanted to be part of the Party of the old Rockefeller Republicans. The Fiscal Conservative Republicans who Governed from Washington and kept the wheels running.
Fast forward to today, I am still Republican, but I see a Party that No longer even wants to acknowledge I exist. Worse, I see the intelligent, Broadminded Politicians retiring and leaving the party. What’s left are, frankly, the people who aren’t as smart as they think they are.

In the last two Mayoral Elections in NYC, the Democrat De Blasio spoke to ALL parts of the City: White, Black, Latino, Asian. He had personal appearances in EVERY BORO. I did not agree with everything his stood for…but he came to speak to MY community.
The Republican Candidates? They essentially only went to the White Districts in Staten Island and glad-handed those people while re-assuring them that when he became Mayor, he would make sure that the ‘Rest of us’ would be taken firmly in hand and Crime would be dealt with.
The ‘Rest of Us’, many of whom are Non-White and Majority Home Owners thru-out Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx (Which isn’t Burning anymore, Thank you very much!) We Own homes. We own very NICE Homes. We pay Taxes. We have Mortgages. We have Jobs. We’re Not all on Welfare. We don’t all Have criminal relatives in Jail.

And we VOTE.

I did not get one Mailing. I did not get even a Single Robo-call to my answering machine. Hint- I’m a Registered Republican. Duh! Once I called or sent an emailed question to the campaign of Joe Lhota…The response: ‘Go to the Website’
The Republican Candidate didn’t tell the white Voters in Staten island to ‘Go to the Website’. He got into his car and went door to door. The other near 70% of the City did not exist as far as his campaign was concerned. So imagine his disappointment when the tiny 20% or so insular White Voters from one small Boro did not propel him into Gracie Mansion and City Hall.
This is emblematic of the entire GOP nationwide today. It’s basically that they DON’T KNOW HOW to Campaign to anyone except White Suburbanites anymore. The Smart and Broadminded politicians who do are retired and leaving. And all the GOP is left with are the racist, xenophobic, angry White-Flight leavings of the 70’s who want to see the world turned back to 1955.

I can be a Conservative and STILL pull the lever for a Democrat.
I can be a Republican and STILL pull the Lever for a Democrat.
I can be a Black American who Works hard, Pays Taxes, has a Mortgage and STILL pull the lever for a Democrat even if that person tells me that he will be raising my Taxes…and EXPLAINS WHY IT’S NECESSARY.
If you’re NOT going to TALK TO ME as a Voter, but the OTHER SIDE DOES…why should I give it to you?
If you’ve condensed your Base of Primary Voters to a distillation of people to proudly and forthrightly proclaim their HATRED of me because because I’m NOT White…and refuse to separate yourselves from them…Why should I give you my Vote?
To tell me I should give you my Vote simply because I AM a Republican is telling me that I’m Stupid…and I’m assuredly not.
So yes…I’m STILL a Republican. Hopefully once the Trump Trainwreck has run off the cliff and they have to pick themselves up from the ruins…I’ll be there to VOTE and help the SMART Conservatives Take back control of the Party that used to be the Party of the Rockefellers.

And the SMART Conservatives will be the ones who accept as a Fact the realization that It Ain’t 1950 no mo’ and Never Will Be Again.
The Economy is Forever Changed. The Huge Plant Factories ARE GONE and will NEVER COME BACK.

The Country is Forever Changed and We will NEVER GO BACK.

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