Via Politicalwire and (sorry for the Politico link, but I got it from Politicalwire)Ben Smith comes word of the new beta GOP.com Republican website. Now, we've all had some good laughs at Steele's and the GOP's "hipness", but most of those have been relegated to sound bites or "Reagraham Lincoln" Daily Show parodies. Now comes something that can be a source of daily mockery, depending on how often Steele updates his blog. Or how often they cycle through the "faces" of the GOP.
The header of the new site features "Republican Faces" and each time you refresh the page, you see a new "Republican Face". I refreshed the page 6 times and of those 6, popped up the 3 pictures below:
Riiiigggghhht. The Republican brand is synonymous with inclusion of minorities. But nevermind that. What struck me was the inclusion of one Octavius Catto in these "Heroes of Republicans". Really? From the Wikipedia Page:
Octavius Valentine Catto (22 February 1839 – 10 October 1871) was an African American educator, intellectual, and civil rights activist. He was also known for being a cricket and baseball player in 19th-century Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Catto became a martyr to racism, as he was shot and killed in election-day violence in Philadelphia, where ethnic Irish attacked black men to prevent their voting.
This is disingenuous at best. It's the old "Martin Luther King Jr was a Republican" tactic. See The Southern Strategy
Then there is the wall of Republican Faces that you are encouraged to send in your photo with a short "I'm a Republican Because" quote and maybe you too could be featured on this wall! Of 3 screens of faces, 180 faces all together, I could only count 3 African American faces. Anyhoo. Let's move on to the Future Leaders section.
What, no "Future Leaders"? Where's Palin, and Pawlenty and Sanford and Perry? Or Cantor or Jindal? Really? They couldn't find ANYONE for this page? But look, it's another African American "Hero" of the Republican Party. Do they honestly think anyone is buying that?
But I saved the best for last. This could potentially be a gold mine in the coming weeks. It's Steele's latest attempt at hipness, his What Up? blog. Words fail, so here's a screen shot.
Now THAT'S Minority outreach done right folks. Enjoy your day :-)
UPDATE: H/T to gooner in the comments. On the Accomplishments page, most of their major accomplishments happened in the 19th and early 20th century. Once you get past 1950 or so, the list goes like this:
- Nixon goes to China
- Reagan Tax Cuts
- "Tear Down This Wall"
- Contract With America (really, how'd that work out for ya?)
- Welfare Reform
- Operation Enduring Freedom (accomplishment?)
- Republican Tax Cuts (Welcome to the recession folks)
- Operation Iraqi Freedom (again with the failed war that got you kicked out of power?)
- School Vouchers (who the eff needs public education?)