MSNBC is reporting today that the RNC appears to be the whitest convention in forty years of record, with only 1.5% of the total delegates being non-honkey. They also note that the Republicans have not elected a black senator, governor or house member in six years.
In fairness to the RNC, I think its safe to say that the delegation reflects as much lack of enthusiasm for the ticket as it does lack of enthusiasm for non-whites. Only the most fervent supporters of the presumptive nominee generally attend the convention. Perhaps it says something about John McCain’s support than about the RNC in general. But either way, since support is generally down for the Republicans, it makes to me that minority attendence would trend down this year. I imagine the same might be true for Democrats in a bad year, though I don’t know for sure.
Then again, since the Republicans have a forty year history of being a somewhat staunchly white party – capitalizing on the Watts riots, deriding “welfare mothers,” purging voter roles in non-white counties, and such – it’s not surprising that there is a lack of minority support. That’s about as fair to the RNC as I can be.
Oh, yeah, and one more thing: they haven’t elected a senator, house member or governor of non-white background at least in part because they haven’t elected diddly shit in the last four years other than a misbegotten president they didn’t want at the convention. So, they’ve got that going for them. . . .