GOP

Values Voters Summit 2013

By Jamila Bey

The government continues its shutdown, but that hasn’t stopped the political right from their Voters’ Summit.

It’s that time of year where religious voters come to Washington to commune and advance their causes. This year we learned from Dr. Ben Carson that there is no “War on Women,” the Affordable Care Act is equivalent to slavery, and that the Christian god is in charge of the world. Host of “Due Diligence,” Carmen Russell-Sluchansky joins me to talk about what they’re talking about this year.

 

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GOP making progress in outreach to African Americans, expert says

As the GOP continues to rebuild its image in the wake of an election that saw constituents of color and different ethnic backgrounds vote overwhelmingly for the Democratic Party, Republicans have started several outreach programs to gain popularity among these groups.

Most notably the issue of immigration has forced the GOP to re-evaluate its position on the matter with many politicians paying attention to the prominence of Latinos in the U.S.

However, the GOP is also focusing on outreach to African Americans.

The most recent step in this goal includes the hiring of Raffi Williams by the Republican National Committee to serve as the group’s deputy press secretary. Williams is the 24-year-old son of commentator Juan Williams.

The hiring is seen by some as a step in the right direction and now puts GOP chair Reince Priebus in the lead against President Barack Obama in terms of African American hires since his re-election.

Host Jamila Bey spoke with conservative political commentator Raynard Jackson to discuss the forward progress of the Republican Party in terms of its outreach to African Americans.

 

GOP Analyst: Republicans Suffering From Likeability Issues, Ignorance

The nation’s capital is as polarized as ever and politicians have done nothing but blame one another for the problems, refusing to compromise. Still, some predict there is a promising future, but it’s going to require all of both parties and some hard truths to be acknowledged by the GOP.

Host Jamila Bey spoke with Tim Young, a GOP analyst and managing editor of AbsoluteRights.com, to discuss the GOP’s refusal to participate in the give-and-take required to see political progress in D.C.