Secret RNC Files Reveal Republican Strategy

Republicans were seriously busted this week. An RNC fundraising presentation reveals the core of their overall strategy. The files reveal what many of us have been saying for years regarding how the Republicans manipulate the public. It confirms how the Republicans use fear (this is why their propaganda is so ridiculously over the top)...and it is also why they target the ill informed. But the papers reveal something worse...that the leadership of the Republican Party has a certain contempt for their own base voters. Stunning (not in the sense that this is what really goes on...many of us already knew that. But stunning in the sense that it is now out there for all to see). Sadly though... stupid American voters will still support these people.

Hear Howard Deans take on this.

From TPM

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele appeared on Fox News this afternoon, and had to answer some tough questions about the recent internal fundraising presentation that included negative depictions of President Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- and the RNC's own donors.

The fundraising presentation, which was originally reported by the Politico, included the infamous illustration of Obama as the Joker, and also compared Pelosi to Cruella de Vil. It also directed how to appeal to "ego-driven" large donors, and to appeal to small donors through "fear" and "extreme negative feelings" and "reactionary" attitudes against the Obama administration.

Watch as Steele fumbles in his attempts to explain... lol

Former Evangelical Slams the GOP

Former Evangelical Frank Schaeffer smacks down the crazies running the GOP during an appearance in the DL Hugley show:



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Related Post

The Christian Right In America (sorry, some links are dead).

Michael Steele Is Forced To Bow Down To His Masters

Michael Steele was forced to bow down to Rush Limbaugh after getting a little too brave on CNN yesterday when he stated that Limbaugh was not the leader of the Republican Party. Limbaugh and Veteran Republicans had to quickly correct Steele and remind him of his place. And they did it in public *ouch*.

Here is Steele on CNN speaking with DL Hughley (Carlton Ridenhour also on set):



But Rush Limbaugh was not amused by Steele's comments. Limbaugh had to remind Steele who was in charge.

Limbaugh also stated:

“It's time, Mr. Steele, for you to go behind the scenes and start doing the work that you were elected to do instead of trying to be some talking head media star, which you're having a tough time pulling off,” “But it seems to me that it's Michael Steele who is off to a shaky start.”

Steele immediately called Rush: (my paraphrasing)

I's Sorry Masta.... Please forgive Me... don't hurt me please. I understand sir that I am simply here to fill a role.... the role that you chose for me. I know I'm the token Nigra... I in no way meant to challenge your authority as leader. I just got carried away talking to that DL Hughley on CNN... I don't know what I was thinkin'. Masta... Please forgive me.

I hope I can stay in my position... I sure does like it here Masta... I hope this situation won't get me removed. I'll do anything you want me to just to make up fa dis. Can I shine your shoes the next time we meet? Just let me know where you need me...and I's make sure I bring ma shoeshine bag wit me. I'll shine those shoes so clean you'd be able ta see ya reflection.

Just as I have been saying here (and elsewhere) for years... Limbaugh and Co. represents the leadership of the Republican Party... they are the ideological and spiritual compass of the Party....and they speak for the Party. It has been this way for at least the past 20 years.

Somehow Steele actually believed that he was running something (funny). All this time... he has failed to realize why he was chosen as the figurehead leader of the Republican Party.

I have to admit...this kind of nonsense is disturbing... to see a grown man...an adult Black man... having his dignity stripped so publicly. It almost reminds you of another time. But it's equally bothersome to watch Black men like Steele, Keyes, Blackwell, and others... offer themselves up for this kind of public castration and submission to a Party that seeks to exploit them.

Whenever a Republican challenges the Right Wing Republican Media apparatus... they are quickly reminded of how powerful this group is...and they are made to apologize. This has happened about 3 or 4 times in the past week, and it happens all the time. Even Republicans are afraid of Rush Limbaugh and the other figures in Conservative Talk Radio and TV. In many ways...the Republican Party operates like an organized crime syndicate. What we are seeing now is a lot of infighting...and jockeying for position during a time of change....just like in the Mafia.

This is likely to go on for quite some time as the Republicans search for a new identity...try to determine what they stand for... as they try to find a message...and as they seek some sort of "official" figurehead leadership, now that Tricky Dick II, Tom Delay, Trent Lott, and other GOP stalwarts have all moved out of their official positions of power and influence.

I have been saying forever that it was past time to force Republicans to admit the obvious... that Right Wing nuts like Limbaugh are the spokespeople and the leaders of the Republican Party. Progressive strategists are finally learning. Once you shackle the Republican Political leaders with their Spokespeople they will be shamed... but would likely have no choice but to be content with the connection. The GOP's political success is dependent on the Right Wing media apparatus and its reputation for filling the airwaves with lies, distortions, propaganda & hatred. Republicans simply can't make it if they are forced to deal with real issues, real people and if they have to come up with solutions to real problems. They don't operate in the real world with the rest of us. If they do, then they are wearing blinders.

In years past... Republicans operated alongside the Conservative Talk Radio and TV lunatics... but in a more subtle way. Right Wing Talk Radio has always been more of a shadowy parallel companion to the official Republican Party. It was more of a wink and a nod relationship...where officially... Republican political figures were able to distance themselves from racist and incendiary comments from their media cohorts. This arrangement almost always allowed Republican political figures to claim plausible deniability...whenever their friends in the media (many whom they know to be racist and sexist jackasses) made offensive comments.

Now Republican Politicians won't be able to do that so easily anymore. And that's a good thing. I say... let their Conservative media buddies drag them down even further...and let them continue with their infighting. But if Progressives don't know how to exploit this... then they will miss an opportunity IMO.

As much as I have criticized Hughley.... I believe that what he did with Steele was a pretty smart move. He put Steele in an impossible position, where he had no choice but to say something that would cause a problem within the Republican Party. But the GOP can't call Hughley the bad guy. They have been running around with these media nuts for years.... now they either have to claim them or fight it out with them and purge them. (And that's not likely to happen because the GOP relies on its media wing for its very survival). They are stuck with Limbaugh and Co. And I couldn't be happier.

Michael Steele Elected RNC Chairman

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Follow-up - Michael Steele a Black Radical? (The Republican Base Responds, lol).

More Race Nonsense from the Christian Values Folks

The Republican Party’s Latest Attempt at Restoring Their Relevance - Play Up the Racial Divide - also known as... The Southern Strategy

It turns out that the good people at the RNC have been caught peddling racial nonsense targeting President- elect Barack Obama. Not the KKK, not the Skinheads, not the Nazi’s or any other hate group. Nope… this is the official governing body of the Republican Party.

Chip Saltsman, former head of the Republican Party in Tennessee and leader of Mike Huckabee’s Presidential Campaign, apparently distributed a Christmas CD to RNC members featuring the song “Barack the Magic Negro”. Rush Limbaugh must be proud.

At a time when the Country faces a perilous economic situation, with another wave of home foreclosures on the horizon and more layoffs coming, with a health system that only works for a privileged few, and with their Party in shambles, this is how they have been spending their time? Where is their plan for the Country? And Saltsman is someone who is running for the RNC chairmanship.

They can’t lie and say that it wasn’t meant to be an attack on non-Whites, because that was the whole theme of the CD, which also contained material mocking Mexican immigrants. (see the New Yorker Article below). Apparently Mexican immigrants are fine for the wealthy GOP corporate elites and business owners who need cheap labor… but once they are of no use to them, they become evil aliens who have to leave.

Saltsman’s response was typical…. He didn’t have any regret for sending out the CD… and he didn’t admit that it was boneheaded… instead he reacted to the backlash by releasing a statement saying:

"our party leaders should...refuse to pander to the media's desire for scandal."

What? He distributes a racially targeted song to commemorate “Christmas” and that’s supposed to be ok?

Needless to say, Obama supporters (and even a few non-supporters) don’t find this to be very amusing. Is there any wonder why Republican events are almost exclusively White….with the exception of a few symbolic token minorities? And they always try to say that they are genuinely interested in reaching out to other groups…that they want their Party to be diverse. Nonsense. They have never been genuinely interested in diversity. It’s been a White Party for the last 30-40 years…. as Blacks really began switching their support during the late 1960's. This is why Republican events look nothing like the actual ethnic and cultural make-up of America.

Here is the reaction from MSNBC news host Tamron Hall, as Republican minion Kate Obenshain attempts to rationalize & sanitize the song as a legitimate parody.



See more from ThinkProgress

As expected, the GOP trotted out one of their Black representatives for damage control… Ken Blackwell quickly defended Chip Saltsman:

"When looked at in the proper context, these concerns are minimal," he said. "All of my competitors for this leadership post are fine people."

But Jim Greer, the Chairman of the Florida Republican Party, had a different response according to CBS News:

"As the GOP Chairman in one of our nation's most ethnically and culturally diverse states, I am especially disappointed by the inappropriate words and actions we've seen over the past few days," he said. "I am proud of those party leaders who have stood up in firm opposition to this type of behavior."
"Actions such as the distribution of this CD, regardless of intent, only serves to promote divisiveness and distracts us from our common goal of building our party," added Greer.

This just shows how far out in the wilderness the Republican leadership is… they remain tone deaf. It particularly shows how out of touch Ken Blackwell is, when many of his White Republican colleagues saw Saltsman’s comments as inappropriate, racially insensitive, and not in the best interests of the Party.

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Also See Article from the New Yorker Magazine

Analysis of Last Weeks Events

Hear analysis of last weeks events from On Point Radio.

Voters (uninformed voters) are flocking to McCain....as I expected they would.
Palin - The Britney Spears of Politics- is the new star of the Campaign.

Listen Here

Republicans Belittle Community Organizers

Republicans enjoyed a hate fest last night, spending a lot of time trashing grassroots community organizing. Yet they claim to understand America at the grassroots level. This was one of the best examples that i've seen that says plainly that they don't get it.

This nation was built on Community organizing.

After all of these months of the Republicans and their lap dogs in the media painting Barack Obama as an elitist... you couldn't get more elitist than the Republicans were at their Convention. Keep in mind... the theme for that particular day was "prosperity"... (Prosperity for them). Who were the speakers? Corporate elites. After the rich CEO's finished speaking...Mike Huckabee gave his speech. Huckabee, in a roundabout way, suggested that Americans who are struggling were whiners who were waiting for the Government to rescue them.
And they capped the night off with an attack on grassroots community organizing, with Giuliani and Palin.

Amazing!

Roland Martin struck back with a great response:



The Obama camp issued a response shortly after

Hopefully Obama will speak on this later in the week.

Unbelievable!

Of course, the speeches focused on attacking Obama rather than talking about their record over the past 8 years...or laying out a detailed plan for how they would deal with healthcare, jobs, and the issues that voters are most concerned about.

They stuck to their usual themes of war, 9/11, Terrorism, family values, scaring voters, and pushing the myth that they somehow have a monopoly on patriotism.

When will this sickness end?

Legendary Journalist Amy Goodman Arrested

Journalist Amy Goodman was arrested today outside of the Republican Convention in St. Paul Minnesota. The best selling author and host of Democracy Now was roughed up for wanting to talk to police regarding the earlier arrest of two members of her crew. Find more information here.