Black leaders divided on whether to view Rand Paul as friend or foe

[jct74]

Black leaders divided on whether to view Rand Paul as friend or foe

by Perry Bacon Jr. | May 15, 2014 at 1:35 PM

Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) aggressive outreach to the black community over the last several months is dividing African-American leaders, with some excited that a prominent conservative Republican is embracing their causes, while others argue that working with the Kentucky senator and likely 2016 presidential candidate is a mistake.

Paul, openly acknowledging the Republican Party’s longtime struggles with black voters, is giving speeches at black colleges and meeting with key African-American pastors and leaders across the country. He is also taking stances, such as urging the restoration of voting rights for convicted felons and reducing the use of mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, that are unusual for a Republican.

“It’s extremely significant and I think quite encouraging for Senator Paul to just not raise these issues, but also to be such a passionate advocate,” said Jotaka Eaddy, a senior director at the NAACP. She added, “It’s always positive when you have unexpected voices that are advocating around these principles.”

But Gerald Neal, one of Kentucky’s two black state senators, says that Paul is using this black outreach to cast himself as a different kind of Republican in preparation for his near-certain presidential run, while doing little to actually change policy. Paul is also a strong critic of President Obama, who remains deeply popular among blacks.

African-Americans who work with Paul “give an unnecessary and unwarranted pass to an individual whose actions are antithetical to the interests of the black community,” Neal said in an interview. “He is using you to his benefit.”

...

read more:
http://thegrio.com/2014/05/15/black-leaders-divided-on-whether-to-view-rand-paul-as-friend-or-foe/

[Crashland]

I like the way they picked the two individuals to represent the divided black leaders. The senior director of the NAACP is encouraged by Rand. The democratic politician is not.

[Danke]

What do White leaders think about Rand? I want to know who to vote for.

[jtstellar]

What do White leaders think about Rand? I want to know who to vote for.

lmao

[carlton]

Divide and conquer!

[Superfly]

So strange that black people have to be "united" in whom they vote for.

[fisharmor]

So strange that black people have to be "united" in whom they vote for.

Yeah I've never understood how it's bad for white people to think black people are all the same, but it's an expectation among the black community for them actually to be the same.

[asurfaholic]

What do White leaders think about Rand? I want to know who to vote for.

Better call the National Association of the Advancement of White People.

Oh wait that would be racist.

[mrsat_98]

What do White leaders think about Rand? I want to know who to vote for.

Who's his daddy ?

[tod evans]

What do White leaders think about Rand? I want to know who to vote for.

My initial thought too...

Who are the "white leaders"?

For that matter who are the "Mexican leaders" or the Chinese.............

How about the hillbilly leaders?

Or are there subsets of "Whites" that should demand recognition?

The English, Italian, Irish, Greek, Russian...........Hell man when ya' break it down the white race is a bunch of mutts!

Special consideration from all government agencies for white people!

[Superfly]

Yeah I've never understood how it's bad for white people to think black people are all the same, but it's an expectation among the black community for them actually to be the same.

I understand it's totally by design...the black "leaders" under the guise of liberation actually subjugate the very people who trust them...but I can't fathom how deep the group-think must be.

[economics102]

The inclination to seek out and follow leaders is universal to humans. Only about 1% of us have the abberation in which we are inclined not to look to leaders to lead us.

[Keith and stuff]

African-Americans who work with Paul “give an unnecessary and unwarranted pass to an individual whose actions are antithetical to the interests of the black community,” Neal said in an interview.
Wow! So having the ability to vote is antithetical to the interests of the black community now? Why is Senator Gerald Neal so against black people voting?

[FindLiberty]

Sorry, IMO it's all just BS anyway.

[Tywysog Cymru]

Good that they're divided on Rand, there was no division on Romney.

[Vanguard101]

Rand needs a black person to defend him and explain why he's a friend and not a foe. When he's ready to do it, he can always contact me and I'll gladly do it :)

[philipped]

Look I'm just gonna go on record and say: I'm black, and I live in a suburban area in the south and not all black people are subscribed to groupthink weekly. If anybody still thinks we do, they need to adjust the time on their time piece because their stuck in the 20th century.

[FriedChicken]

Look I'm just gonna go on record and say: I'm black, and I live in a suburban area in the south and not all black people are subscribed to groupthink weekly. If anybody still thinks we do, they need to adjust the time on their time piece because their stuck in the 20th century.

So is it offensive to hear discussions like the one in the article that want to lump everyone with a nice tan into a collective, seemingly mindless, group?
I've always wondered why more people don't take offense at that.

I've always been at least irritated when assumptions were made about me based on just my beliefs (Christian, liberty minded, old fashioned, etc.) but at least the assumptions are made on things I believe, not the color I was born.
I'm white but growing up my two best friends were black. I was so young when I met them I didn't even know racism existed and couldn't even fathom how people could be racist.

Now that I'm older everyone is trying to box people into groups - I'm white, you're black, my people, your people, your leaders, my leaders, your neighborhoods, my neighborhoods, black music, white music, etc.

All the separation in the name of "celebrating" diversity.
When I was 7 years old I didn't know there were all these separations - now that I do its hard to fathom why their isn't MORE racism.

[Peace&Freedom]

I can just barely accept the person heading the NAACP being designated a "black leader,' since he was put at the head of a national racial organization through some kind of process, but who exactly elected the black politicians as national "black leaders?" Could it be that the 'divided' issue is code for saying black liberals are losing control over their neo-enslaved plantation?

[Rudeman]

Well keep in mind the civil rights era wasn't that long ago so imo that's a big factor in why there were "black leaders" to begin with and it still continues today.

[Crashland]

"Black leaders" doesn't necessarily mean "leaders of blacks". It could also just mean "leaders who are black". sheesh

[philipped]

So is it offensive to hear discussions like the one in the article that want to lump everyone with a nice tan into a collective, seemingly mindless, group?
I've always wondered why more people don't take offense at that.
I do get offended by it, but not as much as you would really think only because I really am just very used to it. But I will easily get behind changing this though.