The Spook Who Sat Next To The Door

Bobby Jindal is now being pushed as the answer to the Republican Party. When Bear Bryant faced a team with black players that ran circles around his all white "Tide", he supposedly said "I got to get me one of them." Now after the ass whipping the democrats just gave Republicans with "that one" at the top of the ticket, they now need them "one".

But before the democratic establishment rewrites history, lest we not forget, Barack Obama was not embraced by the democrats. He won the nomination because he went around them, over them, and through them. Obama won dragging the party of the old south kicking and screaming all of the way into the 21st century. This thing was suppose to be over by Super Tuesday remember?

Now the Republican Party needs a 21st century face to slap on their 20th century party of, being against gay marriage, immigration, affirmative action, a woman's right to choose, support of public education and sensible regulation of markets. They now looking for their spook to sit next to the door.

The genius of Obama, is that he let it be known up front that he is firmly attached to the African-American community. When faced with his first major crisis to his nomination over Jeremiah Wright, Obama looked at the world and said "I could no more disown this man than I could the black community. He is like family to me." Translation: I am a black American by choice and it is too late for me to change. Obama challenged the democrats to look in the mirror and decide what it means to be a 21st century political party.

Jindal has not used his life experience to lead Louisiana's Republican Party into the 21st century reality that the world looks like him. And if his state and party wants to compete, it must create a new paradigm that embraces diversity.

Jindal has risen to the top of Louisiana republican politics by doing what many African-Americans have done for generations to move up; put on white face, red lip stick, and get up on the table and do the gig. Jindal ran as a born again Christian and made it clear that he embraced with zeal the ideology of a 20th century party.

During his campaign for governor, there was serious discussion in Louisiana's African-American business community to support Jindal. Jindal campaign made it clear, that he was not interested in being seen as too friendly with African-Americans. Jindal never made a serious attempt to court black voters, he ran instead as a right-wing ideologue. Governor Jindal remains as isolated from the state’s African-American population as any previous Republican Governor. According to a number of African-American state legislators Jindal’s policy toward black legislators is “to ignore us”

What the Republican Party needs is not to slap a colored face on a party of bigotry, it needs to replace its “southern strategy” with an urban strategy. Republicans need not abandon its core values of little government, low taxes and pro-business.

Republicans needs to finally embrace George Bush call for compassionate conservatism. Just because the message had a bad messenger does not mean that the message was wrong. You cannot go into an urban community and tell its citizens that you are stuck here because you are morally deficient and lazy. You have to fix the schools, make sure children don’t go to bed hungry, make the streets safe and stop locking up young men for life because they sold a narcotic. Then and only then will urban voters listen to your philosophy of low taxes and limited government. Be the party of pro-life by making a moral argument not by forcing the government between a woman and her doctor.

Republicans must finally live up to the true Christian ideals that they say girds their moral core. I cannot imagine that Jesus of the New Testament would tell a loving gay couple that they are going to hell. Republicans must stop attempting to convert the world’s diversity that enlivens our cities into a white, patriarchal, Eurocentric philosophy.

But most importantly, accept the truth. Republicans did not lose the 2008 Presidential race, and congress because of George Bush, the Iraq War, or the market meltdown. They lost because they are now a white, southern, rural party. They won in large numbers only in places where low educated voters live. The Republicans won large in rural America not because of their economic principles and vision but because those voters brought into their bullshit of fear the gays, the blacks, the immigrants and the nerd with big ears and a Muslim name.

A nerdy brown governor from a small poor state, or a beauty queen from a small/big state ain’t going to change that.

America has suffered decades of dysfunction because of a limited two party system controlled by one corporate master. Imagine the damage that will be done with only one dominant political party. Democracy does not flourish without a loyal opposition. America needs the Republican Party to get it shit together real fast.