More GOP Foot in Mouth problems

MadsL

WASHINGTON – Pat Rogers, a Republican National Committee (RNC) leader, is facing calls for his dismissal after telling the staff of Gov. Susana Martinez, R-N.M., that because she agreed to meet with American Indians, she disrespected the memory of Col. George Armstrong Custer.

Custer is infamous for being a U.S. Army commander in the mid-1800s who killed many American Indians during what are historically known as the Indian Wars. He was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.

Rogers is a GOP lobbyist and partner with the Modrall law firm of Albuquerque, New Mexico. A recent member of the RNC Executive Committee, he is also an RNC National Committeeman for his state. He is currently in Tampa, Florida preparing for the upcoming Republican National Convention.

Rogers was appointed to the GOP executive committee by former RNC Chairman Michael Steele, who faced his own Indian-themed controversy after using the phrase “honest injun” in 2010.

Rogers made the Custer-friendly statement in an e-mail obtained by Independent Source PAC and publicized by ProgressNow New Mexico, a liberal advocacy organization that is urging his exit from the RNC. Organizers with the group say his writing was a “tactless and bigoted statement.”


Rogers
“The state is going to hell,” Rogers wrote in part of the e-mail. “Col. [Allen] Weh would not have dishonored Col. Custer in this manner.” Weh was a Republican candidate for governor of New Mexico in 2010 who ran against Martinez.

The e-mail was sent following a meeting in June between Martinez and the state’s tribes, according to ProgressNow. It was directed to senior members of the governor’s administration. The governor’s office has not responded to requests for comment.

“George Armstrong Custer may be regarded as a kind of military hero by Pat Rogers, but to the Native peoples of America Custer represents the bellicose imperialism that was responsible for the systematic slaughter of American Indians throughout this continent,” according to an e-mail being circulated by ProgressNow.

Read more:http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/08/24/rnc-official-says-nm-governor-disrespected-custer-by-meeting-american-indians-130958




I think I posted earlier that Romney needs a STFU edict until after the election. I live surrounded by 19 Pueblos, now whilst Native Americans are traditionally Democrats or don't vote, I suspect not a single vote will be going to Romney from the Pueblos now. That's almost 10% of the vote in my State.

Like Akin, I see no chance of this fool stepping down.

Lest it be said I'm not passing the sniff test; let me ask the question, short of demanding these guys heads on a stick; how can "Team Romney" get control of these lou-lahs that are now sabotaging him at every turn?

From rape remarks, to peanuts thrown at a Black reporter, to insulting Native Americans...surely Team Romney needs to discipline the rank and file?

Duck Soup

I outlined in the 'dogwhistle' thread how I thought that the GOP is determined to squeeze one more victory out of the grand old white Christian coalition. That's done by a mixture of the (factually challenged) welfare ads, the birther remarks, the voter suppression laws etc.

That's up to them, but let's not hear any more talk about high debate from the GOP.

The problems are two-fold, immediate and long-term. In this election cycle, the way to get as many white Christian votes on your side is to ramp up the us-and-them rhetoric. Much as the GOP wailed and gnashed about the Democrats' accusation of a 'war on women', they've been keen to talk about a war on Christmas, a war on prayer and a war on guns.

The more you talk up the tribal values, the more you give a sense to people that the tribe is under attack, the more you force people to choose a side. Which is pretty much what they want. But there are some ugly outcrops from this. People outside the white Christian tribe are not welcome, hence the peanut throwing. People within the white Christian tribe feel under attack, hence the perverse defense of the old dead white guy who killed native Americans for a living.

Romney and his campaign probably won't touch this latest mini-storm with a bargepole, but they won't be displeased with the sense that people are hunkering down, and reverting back, to old loyalties. That's their electoral strategy, after all.

Long-term, win or lose this election, they'll do a smart pivot immediately afterwards to broaden the base. You saw the beginning of this with the Jeb Bush Meet The Press interview, where he acknowledged that the Republicans have to widen their appeal. You also saw more evidence of it on the Tuesday night speaker list, where it seems every latino member of the party had a speaking slot.

The most obvious candidates for a broader Republican coalition are the latino voters - hard working and socially conservative. The Asian-American demographic is currently the fastest growing, and the small business mindset that many Asian-Americans bring would also susceptible to a Republican message. African-American voters they seem to have written off completely for the foreseeable future.

In the meantime, I suspect you'll see and hear more of the GOP foot-in-mouth disease. As long as galvanizes and solidifies the white Christian vote around the Republican party, they're quietly happy to hear it.

MadsL

^
Great post


I thought it interesting that this happened in a week that saw Gov Suzanna Martinez on the podium at the RNC. She was very comfortable up there, even getting a rousing cheer for the fact she mentioned carrying a .357 Magnum when she worked in her parents security guards business. She didn't quite get such a good reception for her comments in Spanish but that was aimed far outside the walls.

I think she does represent a future for the GOP and one they badly need to address, I'm surprised that Romney couldn't persuade Martinez to run as Veep. She's no Hilary Clinton, but I would not be overly surprised to see her run for President in 2016/2020. Romney/Martinez would have ticked a good few more boxes than the frankly boring Ryan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wCL2Hneb3w