Only 1 Republican shows up to a debate sponsored by the NAACP

U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Col., is the sole Republican candidate to address the NAACP convention. He was flanked by lecterns with placards for nine other GOP candidates -- all no-shows. Ricardo Thomas / The Detroit News.

I found this story through Daily Kos user Jeffrey Feldman, and it really shows the Republican Party's attitude on minority issues. First, I want you to look at the picture and read the cutline (here is the link to the Detroit Free Press). Look at the picture again. Only one GOP presidential candidate--Rep. Tom Tancredo--showed up to address the convention. The rest never bothered to show up. Now here is the story on the NAACP convention and the presidential debates. From The Columbus Dispatch:

DETROIT -- As NAACP Chairman Julian Bond entered Cobo Hall early yesterday, a woman slapped a Barack Obama sticker on his lapel and said, "Tell your mama to vote for Obama."

Bond laughed about the encounter moments before the eight Democratic candidates for president debated for two hours, acknowledging that delegates to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's annual convention have "a natural admiration" for the black senator from Illinois.

But Bond isn't sure the good will for Obama will translate into votes any more than the deep affection among blacks for former President Clinton will mean votes for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

"She is familiar to us more than any of the other candidates, but it's an open question whether his popularity will transfer African-American votes to her," Bond said. "In a way, it's a shame because the other candidates have something to say, but everybody is focusing only on Obama and Clinton."

And so it was yesterday as the candidates met in this city for at least their sixth forum nationally. Clinton and Obama, the front-runners, received the most applause in a debate mostly bereft of verbal fireworks, except for attacks against President Bush.

All of the Republican candidates were invited, but only Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado showed up, receiving a standing ovation from the audience of more than 2,000. Even though GOP presidential candidates traditionally receive little support from black voters, delegates said it was a mistake for them to skip the debate.

"A lot of African-Americans who traditionally vote for Democratic candidates are very disgusted with Democrats, especially as we see the Democratic Congress doing little on our issues," said Erica McLaughlin of Baltimore, an NAACP national board member. "I think the Republican candidates have a great opportunity to sway some African-American voters, but they've got to show up."

I think the Republican candidates have a great opportunity to sway some African-American voters, but they've got to show up. Now that is a very powerful statement, showing some potential resentment against the Democratic Party among African-American voters. But the Republican Party does not want to deal with African-American issues, or even any issues regarding minorities. The GOP is a political party that only serves the interests of the extreme rich, white, male elites, or corporate CEOs, or the Religious Right. If you do not belong in either of those three interest groups, then you do not belong in the Republican Party. And this picture shows it. None of the Republican presidential candidates can honestly present political policies to help minority voters, nor could they present any policies to these voters--they were certainly invited to attend the debate, just as Tancredo did. Instead the Republicans are writing off the African-American vote. The Republicans could even be wishfully hoping that Karl Rove will dust off his bag of dirty tricks, or even use the Justice Department, in order to suppress the African-American vote in 2008, as he did in 2006? That may be the GOP's only game plan as the Republican candidates tie their own political careers to the sinking Bush presidency. Sponsered.