Opinion
Romney Co-Chair’s Racism is Showing
H
ave you ever known that
something was going to
happen, but still was
shocked when it actually hap-
pened? Well, to my dismay, I have
just had that happen to me. I have
been telling my fellow Republi-
cans for months that by October,
our party would start playing the
race card in an effort to gin up the
White vote. Romney’s campaign
co-chair and former New Hamp-
shire Gov. John Sununu, is the
personification of this.
Last Thursday, he appeared on
MSNBC with Andrea Mitchell.
She asked him to give his post-
debate analysis on Romney.
Sununu immediately digressed
into this tirade about the presi-
dent.
Mitchell was visibly
stunned when Sununu said, “What
people saw last night, I think, was
a president who revealed his
incompetence – how lazy and
detached he is and how he has
absolutely no idea how serious the
economy problems of the country
are and how he has failed to even
address them.”
Mitchell tried to give Sununu a
NNPA C OLUMNIST
Raynard Jackson
chance to correct his statement by
asking him, “Governor, I want to
give you a chance to maybe take it
back. Did you really mean to call
Barack Obama, the president of
the United States, lazy?” Sununu
replied, “Yes. He didn’t want to
prepare for this debate. He’s lazy
and disengaged.” A stunned
Mitchell responded, “I think there
certainly was a performance issue
there and whether or not he was in
his best form last night, a lot of
people are questioning that,” said
Andrea. “But I think to call the
president lazy and disengaged is
another
whole
question.”
Sununu’s response was, “Whatev-
er, Andrea. Whatever you want.”
This is not an isolated incident
with Sununu; he has a history of
being a blowhard, especially when
it comes to Obama. A few months
ago on a campaign conference call
about small businesses, Sununu
stated, “I wish this president
would learn how to be an Ameri-
can.”
Sununu said on Fox News that
Obama. “has no idea how the
American system func-
tions, and we shouldn’t
be surprised about that,
because he spent his
early years in Hawaii
smoking
something,
spent the next set of
years in Indonesia.”
On another Fox News
Channel
program,
Sununu said, “When
you’re not that bright
you can’t get better prepared.”
If Sununu was speaking as a
private citizen, I would just ignore
his ignorance and hatred. Howev-
er, because he is functioning as
one of Romney’s national co-
chairmen, I hold him to a higher
standard and level of scrutiny. And
Romney should, too. Therefore,
Romney should demand that
Sununu to step down from any
involvement in his campaign. If
Romney has any modicum of
decency and principles, this
should be non-negotiable.
To his credit, even John McCain
took a principled stand in his 2008
presidential campaign when a
woman, Gayle Quinnell, crossed
cipled stand. I challenge all
Republicans to denounce Sununu
and demand his immediate
removal from any involvement in
If Sununu was speaking as a private citizen, I
would just ignore his ignorance and hatred.
However, because he is functioning as one
of Romney’s national co-chairmen, I hold
him to a higher standard and level of
scrutiny. And Romney should, too
the line. During the Q & A session
at a McCain rally in Minnesota,
Quinnell accused Obama of being
an “Arab.” McCain quickly
snatched the microphone away
from her and said, “No
ma’am.”
”[Obama’s] a decent
family man, citizen, that I just
happen to have disagreements
with on fundamental issues.”
McCain was roundly applauded
for taking this principled stand.
Will Romney do the same? I
strongly doubt it. Romney doesn’t
have the spine to take such a prin-
not only the Romney campaign,
but any other Republican activi-
ties.
Sununu’s rhetoric is not what the
Republican Party should be about
and if my party cannot or will not
take a principled stand, then I can-
not and will not support our nomi-
nee for president.
Raynard Jackson is president &
CEO of Raynard Jackson & Asso-
ciates, LLC., a D.C.-public rela-
tions/government affairs firm.
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
o those choosing NOT to vote this time because nei-
ther candidate is perfect: especially those who would
otherwise vote for Obama, “except that he” (fill in
the blank). It seems the premise underlying your decision is
that voting is ALL one has to do to insure fairness, social
and economic justice, marriage equality, fair and compre-
hensive immigration policies, working wages, environmen-
tal justice, an end to Human sex trafficing and advancement
of a civil and human rights agenda.
I point out that voting, while extremely significant is tak-
ing only ONE step toward building the world we say we
want to see. Voting can help ensure the presence of an envi-
ronment in which we are allowed to work to bring about
T
If your vote is not important,
why are ‘they’ trying to take it
away?
change. For the last thirty (40?) years, people who recog-
nize the limits of voting have been organizing, giving
money, getting elected to public offices etc. etc. etc and
have been disproportionately influential in elections across
our country.
Recently, they have presented John McCain, Sarah Palin,
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan for our country’s consideration
as leaders. It is beyond arrogance to dismiss them or their
representatives as unable to win because they are ignorant,
stupid or simply out of touch. This would be denial about
what they have been able to accomplish.
They have pushed their policies into the public discourse.
Our denial leaves us vulnerable to their next steps and our
refusal to vote insures their ability to take those steps such
as getting rid of Roe vs Wade. To push for change, we must
retain rights currently being eroded or redefined. Among
them, the right to peaceably assemble, the right to be secure
in our person, the right to a speedy trial, the right to vote!
Get a “big picture” clue... without those rights we lose the
tools that we need to move towards the concept of “a more
perfect union”. Elect the governmental environment that
will be most conducive to continuing the work of social and
economic justice, then get to work to stop the drones, unjust
imprisonment, poverty, tax benefits for corporations etc. I
want you to vote (If your vote is not important, why are
“they” trying to take it away?) and help retain an environ-
ment in which we can continue to write, speak, march and
otherwise contribute to moving forward a human rights
agenda.
The day after the election, regardless of who wins, I want
to know that everyone who supports human and civil rights
is engaged in the next significant phase of democracy,
active participation in some aspect of civic life that directly
influences changes designed to improve the lives of all peo-
ple.
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October 10, 2012
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