Convention images show lack of diversity in the GOP

Source News-Press.com

by Deron Snyder • September 6, 2008

I’m actually a bipartisan type, one who believes in reaching across the aisle and bridging ideologies to work for the common good.

If we were free to vote in the primary elections for both major parties, my voter registration would read “independent,” not “Democratic.”

So, please, don’t get hung up on my party affiliation.

I would be equally concerned if the Democrats’ national gathering looked like the Republican convention.

That was hardly an accurate portrayal of America as TV cameras scanned the crowd, a decidedly homogeneous group.

The delegates were 93 percent white and 68 percent male. Only 5 percent were Hispanic. Just 2 percent were black.

Before my fine Republican brothers and sisters start pointing fingers and assessing blame, I hope they honestly see the lack of diversity as a serious problem for them.
It should be obvious.

In case you missed it, 25 percent of all Americans are in minority groups. By mid-century, minority groups are projected to comprise the majority of all Americans.

Better for everyone involved if the Republican delegation was more like the Democratic delegation that assembled in Denver a week earlier.

There was roughly an even split between men and women. Blacks comprised 23 percent of the delegates and Hispanics were 11 percent.

I hear some readers’ questions at this point:

“Why does this matter? What difference does it make?

Glad you asked.

Allow me to answer with a question of my own:

When you take a big group photo — say, a class picture or similar shot of a large gathering — what’s the very first thing you do upon seeing a copy?

Quite naturally, you look for yourself in the picture.

If I was a Republican, I’d want blacks and Hispanics to see themselves in my party’s picture.

Heck, I’m a Democrat and still want to see more blacks and Hispanics in the Republicans’ picture.

It’s simply not healthy for our political system if large segments of certain groups are taken for granted and/or written off by major parties.

Unfortunately, despite Republicans’ protestations to the contrary, I have a nagging sense that the Grand Old Party isn’t truly perturbed.

I get the feeling that the Republican Party chafes at America’s rapidly-changing demographics, viewing the shift as a negative and finding little value in diverse people.
Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer acknowledged the party’s historic struggle to attract minorities.

But then he suggested that Democrats used a quota system to rig their multi-hued delegation in Denver, putting quantity over “quality.”

“I don’t agree with that concept,” Greer told The News-Press Capital Bureau. “If you have major outreach like we have, why do you have to have percentages?”
Clearly, the outreach isn’t working.

If it was done right, the percentages would take care of themselves. Because there’s certainly no shortage of “quality” non-white men.

It’s odd. The Republicans portray themselves as the blue-collar party and paint Democrats as “elitist.”

But in actuality, the Democrats’ picture looks more like working-class folks.

The Republicans’ snapshot looks more like corporate America’s upper management. And the GOP trots out the same old, tired alibi:

“We’d have more minority representation, but we can’t find qualified candidates.” In that regard, both sides are missing out.

The GOP bypasses intelligent and talented people of color, while those minorities forsake opportunities to build coalitions and display leadership.

Republicans exacerbate the problem when they complain that such detailing constitutes the undesirable politics of demography and identity.

“At the end of the day, we have great delegates to the convention that are black and that are Hispanic,” Greer said.

He doesn’t get it. Something’s wrong with the picture.

Blacks make up 15.9 percent of Florida's population, but were 2.7 percent of the state’s Republican delegation.

Florida is 19.6 percent Hispanic; the state delegation was 8 percent Hispanic.Females comprise 51 percent of the state, though only 29.8 percent of Florida’s GOP delegates.

I think Republicans are sadly mistaken in their notion of identity politics. Blacks, Hispanics and women aren’t “special interest groups.”

They’re Americans, facing challenges like everyone else.

But while many challenges are common, others are particular to a group.

Life in America mixes us together — men and women, whites and non-whites — and gives everyone a taste of the others’ situation.

As a result, all of our situations are influenced by the others’ circumstances, too.

That’s why I found the pictures from Minneapolis disturbing, wondering how in the world my Republican brothers and sisters could have a true sense of America and appreciate her full beauty, while being so bereft of diversity.

A picture of America doesn’t look like that picture.

A picture of the Republican Party — or the Democratic Party — shouldn’t look like that, either.

— Deron Snyder’s column appears on Saturdays. E-mail  Deron Snyder or call 335-0358.