Yesterday was a bad day for those Republicans who want to diversify their party. After the way GOP members of the Senate Judiciary committee treated Ketanji Brown Jackson, Republicans have lost Black women for another 25 years. And the NC GOP’s rising African American star, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, paid for an abortion back in 1989 despite virulent anti-abortion views.
In the modern Republican Party, African Americans who work hard, play by the rules, and reach the top of their profession are people to be scorned. African Americans who are bigoted, bullying, and hypocritical are put on a pedestal. They put down an accomplished woman like Ketanji Brown Jackson and raise up a hypocrite like Mark Robinson. That’s probably not a winning formula for attracting Black voters to the GOP.
As I watched clips of Jackson’s confirmation hearing, I cringed at the way Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz addressed her. I was taken back to my childhood in rural Anson County where I watched groups of White men treat African Americans like that. Whether those Republicans recognized it or not, they tried to make sure that Katanji Brown Jackson knew that she’s not quite their equal. I’ve seen it dozens of times. I suspect every African American, at least those from the South, saw the same thing.
Republicans will, of course, deny it. It’s hard to pin down, but it was in the mannerism of their discourse. They were condescending in a way that indicated to Jackson, “You don’t belong here.” They interrupted her while she was trying to answer their questions. Lindsey Graham even cursed at her. Brown shouldn’t be treated with kid gloves, but shouldn’t have been treated like that, either. And, again, African Americans watching knew it, especially women.
As for Mark Robinson, I’ve always thought he would eventually implode. I suspect the abortion is just the tip-of-the-iceberg. He’s a man who plays to an audience and his audience is the most extreme wing of the GOP. Self-righteous bigots tend to be massive hypocrites. The strict standards to which they hold other people don’t usually apply to themselves.
Yesterday, Republicans damaged any efforts to attract African Americans to their party. Instead of celebrating the first Black woman nominated to the court, GOP Senators were full of disdain. They showed America that they don’t value diversity and have little respect for a woman as accomplished as Judge Jackson. Even those who were respectful tried to put her into a box in which she doesn’t fit. They may not even be aware of what they did, but, I assure, you African Americans across the country know.
I moved out of SC because of Miss Lindsey. Although I loved Charleston, I didn’t want a creep like him to “represent” me.
From the linked article:
“NC GOP spokesman Jeff Moore said the party wouldn’t comment because it was “a personal matter.”
They certainly don’t have a problem making it their business when it’s anyone ELSE’S “personal natter”.
And how is it that guys like Robinson and Kavanaugh (and let’s not get into Tangerine Cthulhu and his “locker room talk”) get a pass because “it was 30 years ago”, but they pillory Obama because a preacher he knew 30 years ago said something they didn’t like? Not even anything he did, just whatever they could find to tar him with.
Robinson carries a whiff of hypocrisy with him, but his supporters and apologists positively REEK of it.
The word hypocrite has no meaning for those who have no honor. They say, “I did wrong” and ask for god’s forgiveness. But given the same or similar circumstances, they have and would do it again. It borders on psychopathic behavior. But what can one expect from pseudo moralists? As for Cruz and Lyndsey they have long ago sold their honor to the gods of politics. There can be little doubt honor is a word that is nonexistent in their thinking. But for some folks, it makes truly trivial difference. They will twist the facts, and vote to keep this kind of person in office.
Because he hasn’t “moved on.” He’s made it the cornerstone of his political persona. Because he won’t afford anyone else the luxury of making the same mistake. And for excoriating everyone who pursues the same (for now) Constitutionally-protected option he did, way back when. Not exactly a model of penitence.
How on earth can you call Robinson a hypocrite over this? The big expose comes from one post where he both confessed he had paid for an abortion and said that it was wrong. Changing your view is not hypocrisy. Is everyone required to stand by and defend everything they did 30 years ago? Or can they acknowledge it, acknowledge that it was wrong, and move in?
He is a hypocrite because he wants to take away a right from others that was fine using when he was put in the situation. Actions speak louder than words.
It was 1989. Mr. Robinson had been exposed to a great deal of debate and argument about abortion– unless he was living under a rock. Plenty of time for even a 21 year old to have understood what his/her choices were. Regret is one thing; deciding that others are immoral for making that same choice is not his right — in or out of public office.