MLK was a Republican?

Frances Rice of the NBRA tells us they've put up seven of these babies locally: two in Manatee, one in Sarasota, Charlotte, Highlands, Hillsborough (Busch Blvd, east of I-275), and this one in Pinellas off US 19 south of Ulmerton.

The billboards are part of a campaign by the National Black Republican Association in Florida and South Carolina, and has provoked fierce debate across the South. Click here to read today's Associated Press story.

Comments

What's the point? Abe Lincoln was a Republican too. So was Barry Goldwater. That Republican party that they belonged to does not exist anymore. The Republican philosophy that was once actually practiced, exists no more. So what is the point?

[Cynical Idealist]

9:49....

Truth is, there's no point.

This is simply a sad attempt by some misinformed individuals to lead their brethren down the primrose path.

Neither political party is what it once was. But, I guess it's too much to expect that they remain true to their founding ideals.

Both parties now are all about the money. They want to secure the majority so they can plunder the treasury and reward their base.

It's time people woke up and realized politicians are only the scab on the festering wounds caused by the parties.

The strife inherent in politics and the deficits deficits are both caused when politicians kowtow to their parties efforts at securing the majority.

Ban the parties!

[Donald Lance]

The point is that the Democratic party philosophy that was once practiced exists no more either. Check out this letter from Barry to a PAC of gays:

Dear Friends,

Thank you for the opportunity to welcome everyone to the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club's Pride Breakfast and to congratulate you on continuing a legacy of success, stretching back thirty-six years. As one of the oldest and most influential LGBT organizations in the country, you have continually rallied to support Democratic candidates and causes, and have fought tirelessly to secure equal rights and opportunities for LGBT Americans in California and throughout the country.

As the Democratic nominee for President, I am proud to join with and support the LGBT community in an effort to set our nation on a course that recognizes LGBT Americans with full equality under the law. That is why I support extending fully equal rights and benefits to same sex couples under both state and federal law. That is why I support repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy, and the passage of laws to protect LGBT Americans from hate crimes and employment discrimination. And that is why I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states.

For too long. issues of LGBT rights have been exploited by those seeking to divide us. It's time to move beyond polarization and live up to our founding promise of equality by treating all our citizens with dignity and respect. This is no less than a core issue about who we are as Democrats and as Americans.

Finally, I want to congratulate all of you who have shown your love for each other by getting married these last few weeks. My thanks again to the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club for allowing me to be a part of today's celebration. I look forward to working with you in the coming months and years, and I wish you all continued success.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

Another reason why this guy will kill the American society as we know it! Another reason not to believe in "Change".

The point is...the Republican party has a history of fighting for TRUE equality....the Republican party believes in the possibilities of every person regardless of the color of their skin, the Republican party fought to remove the shackles of physical slavery and now fights to remove the shackles of economic slavery.

The Republican Party of Abe Lincoln, Barry Goldwater AND MLK is alive and well, and thankfully, now free of the agents of intolerance whose "death rattle" some confuse with relevance.

Go John McCain!!

Um, 10:09, suffice it to say you've skipped over quite a bit. So African Americans who support Democratic candidates overwhelmingly are what? It is only by delivering a woefully incomplete history that you can even make the case that Republicans somehow deserve the support of a large portion of African Americans. I hope they'll drop the Southern Strategy for which former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman apologized (before the Tennessee "call me" ad) and actually work hard on developing more support among blacks, and Hispanics, and Asians, and gays, young people. I think the difficulty is that when you repeatedly use hate and fear as a motivator for your base as Republicans have, it makes it difficult to reverse course. And it makes it difficult for billboards like the one featured here to mean anything at all.

The type of judges NObama will appoint:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1031611/Sharia-law-SHOULD-used-Britain-says-UKs-judge.html

Remember THAT in November!

[Omega83]

I often hear Democratic strategists talking about the "black vite - Hispanic vote - gay vote - poor vote" etc, etc.

Why does the party that claims to be inclusive find it necessary to categorize and separate every single group of voters?

Why do they assume certain groups of voters will always vote a certain way, solely because of their race or gender?

Do they not think these groups intelligent enough to make rational, informed decisions on their own? Is that why they created the superdelegates?

Is that not latent racism/sexism of the worst kind?

[itsmygovmttoo]

9:57 You are right on target. Both parties need to go. They have sold out along time ago. The American people need to realize NOW that partisan politics does not work. As I have said before, both parties s--k. Time for a REAL change. Not Obama of the Democrat party, not McCain of the Republican party. A REAL change is a must and it has to occur soon.

10:49 you are either a Kool Aid drinking fool, or you are just so young and imature (w/o life experience) that you just have no clue. Both parties have lost their way and platform a long time ago. They need to go. The people are sick of it. Our country is collapsing before us and our leaders are still playing partisan politics just to be in power. They s--k!

Ironic that the day these billboards go up, Jesse Helms dies. Today's republican party is no longer the party of Lincoln; it is the party of Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond.

And one other important point, the King family has gone on the record saying MLK was NEVER republican, he was an independent. I would think that the fact that the billboards contain a falsehood would be newsworthy and deserves a mention.

Today's vote in the Electoral College, based on the latest polling:

Obama - 320
McCain - 218

http://www.electoral-vote.com/

Good luck with those billboards.

You're still gonna lose!

Neither party remembers what they stand for. The Republicans have long since lost their real platforms and make NO mistake the Dems sell out just as often as the Repubs. They both
s--k PERIOD.

[Wesley]

i would vote for mlk jr, but not obama. or mcain.

I love how the Repubs started this blog with the argument that they were great on civil rights and are now arguing that neither party is worth anything.

It really is a bad time to be a Repub. They don't stand for anything anymore.

[Andy]

Martin Luther King Jr. was a socialist. People seem to forget all of the work he did in his last years, with his Poor People's Campaign. There he focused on the economic inequalities of America, hoping to one day see an economic Bill of Rights for all people of all colors. King understood this as the second phase of the civil rights movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_People's_Campaign

As far as party affiliation goes, King wasn't really concerned as he was not a politician. Shame on those who try to twist his life's work to their own ends.

11:36 Cut the bull. What I said is that thr R and D parties BOTH forgot what they stood for. Their actions in the last several decades proves it. They could care less about the real world. They live in a political partisan world where their main goal is to be in power, not to make good policy. They make MONEY off the political process and that is what they both have come to. So dont give me that bull about it just being a R issue. I am a R (soon to be NPA) and we had a great philosophy. It is NOT practiced anymore. Neither is the D philosophy practiced anymore. Both parties platform is MONEY and Power, and loads of
bulls--t.

MLK was for equal rights for all. Not unequal rights, or racism, which exist today in the black community as well as the white.

11:36 Clearly, it was the D (left-leaning) posts that led off this discussion.

The facts remains it was the GOP which led the way in Civil Rights (Lincoln), sffrage (Women's right to vote introduced by R Sen. from California). All the Ds ever do is pay lip service to ideas thy don't stand behind.

I didn't think MLK was a member of a political party. Remember he was neutral in 1960, although his father endorsed JFK. And in 1964 endorsed LBJ.

[White Master]

Who cares about a dead assclown. The White House is called that for a purpose.....whites only! MLK wasn't so great that he needs hundreds of roads named after him. In fact....most blacks don't really know about (MLK) and haven't learned anything about black history. They would rather wear thier pants like Gay men in prison do(underwear hanging out),put gold in thier mouth, and sing rap songs about some Black Bitches babys daddy. Friggen Stupid!!
And as for Lincoln.....that's a whole other story...

[Cynical Idealist]

Bottom line....

Neither party believes in anything except money, power and gaining/holding a majority so they can reward their contributors.

For those of you who vociferously argue on behalf of one party or another, while you're earning your life experience, take some time to check out the political history of America.

Back in the day, I was a D, but after being active in the electoral and legislative processes and maturing, I've cut myself loose from both parties.

It's like a breath of fresh air. Not only am I not beholden to either, I can toss sacrasm assed futé at both.

I invite all of you D's and R's to meet me in the center, it's nice here...

[Dr_Dug]

Cynical Idealist....you hit the nail on the head! The problem is with our elected officials. They are voted in to REPRESENT us and suddenly become our LEADERS. Thier not our Leaders..period! Thier suppose to be our representatives.... a mirror of the people they represent and the voice of the people that voted them in office...period!!
And I'll say it again...thier NOT our leaders....thier our representatives....it's the people that lead this nation!!

Dr_Dug (aka the fascist assclown) has undergone an epiphany! I doubt it.

Many conservatives, seeing the writing on the wall, hope to "meet in the center", a place from which we can all sit around and nitpick inconsequential issues while our country continues to self destruct on a path far to the right of moderation. Sorry all you acccomodators, I'll meet you in the middle later, when we've undone all the destructive Bush and Reagan policies that are still leading us to collapse.

A lot of Southern African Americans were Republicans back in the days of segregation because of Lincoln, reconstruction and racist George Wallace Southern Democrats. LBJ changed that with the Civil Rights Act and Nixon cemented the change with his Southern Strategy.

So, today's GOP -- built on the Nixon, Helms, Atwater strategy of racial divisiveness is 180 degrees away from the GOP of MLK, Lincoln and Goldwater.

Note to NBRA hypocrits: You don't have to suck up to the GOP anymore, becasue they're not going to be in power after November.

12:53 Cynical idealist. I couldn't agree more. I have been saying this for the last decade. I wish there was an organized movement that really could get out in front and push the "neither party" banner forward. I have been in politics and I know from the inside that both parties are the same. We are in trouble if we cannot get rid of them both. I would be willing to devote hours of time, passion and my money to help move forward a nonpartisan party. Is there anything like this? I know Lou Dobbs has been promoting it, but is there a real movement?

[Dr_Dug]

Post at 1:16....your another example of the classic assclown. What the hell are you talking about? You appear as some AssGod when we all know that the Democraps have made thier fair share of "bad calls" too. In fact, you have no arguement in some areas because history tells the truth in plain english. So what are you going to correct fron the Bush/Reagan years? And during that time, what was your contribution to the Country and the people living in it? What events did you create? Come on assclown...tell us all the facts!!

Is there any proof Miss Rice is lying?

Maybe MLK was a Republican.

If voters blindly vote based on party or race, maybe it serves them right if their vote goes to someone's political philosophy they did not intend.

Who cares about this ad.

11:15am, flip 2 states (MI & OH) and McCain is leading. If Romney is the VP, Michigan (his childhood-home state) and Ohio could go big mfor McCain

I am really thinking of switching to being an INDEPENDENT this week.

Obama is a lying politician that may even be a racist. I cannot be in a party that associate with such a person

11:11 nanunanunanunanu...

Barack HUSSEIN Obama: UNTRIED, UNAMERICAN, UNFIT.

[Billy Bob]

Wouldn't surprise me if Dr. King tended to vote Republican. In the 1960s, Republican politicians were more likely to support federal civil rights legislation than were Democrat politicians. Look up the Congressional vote on the 1964 Civil Rights act.

Not sure why that simple fact should "provoke fierce debate."

[Phil J.]

Both parties make me sick, I'm an independent who's voting for Obama.

white master:
Bush who you voted for put you further in debt. caused a 30% decline in your dollar and was THE WORST PREZ IN HISTORY OF USA and OVER 82% of the country just cannot wait til 199 days!
BTW is your last name Baiter?
just wonderin

white master = dr_dug = racist assclown.

Trying to think of a Reagan-Bush policy I wouldn't overturn...

7:04 Personal Responsibility= Taking charge of one's life; making one's own choices and living with the consequances therefrom.

Obama has let down the Democratic progressive party. He wants to keep troops in Iraq, he wants to make church a part of government. What change is he going to inflict on us next?

Abandon Obama, Go GREEN in '08

[Clyde]

01:17 and 04:37 pretty well nail it. Lincoln and the Republicans were in power during the War Between The States. During reconstruction, blacks probably were Republican if anything. That lasted until the defeated south regained political power, as Democrats, and proceeded to turn back the clock. Has everybody forgotten all the laws that were passed to keep southern blacks subjugated??? When I was a kid, Republican was a dirty word, and winning the Democratic primary was, as they said, "tantamount to election." And then cane the civil rights act; suddenly, the Democrats became Republican. Only the names change, the attitudes haven't changed much.

Most of the Republicans in the South today are Republicans because of the civil ights movement. I lived it .. . my grandparents were Democrats, my parents became Republicans in the 1960s. Fortunately I grew up at a time when "question authority" was the idea of the day, and at 11 I became an advocate for RFK. We all know what happened to that . . . What goes around comes around. We shall see what happens in November.

Today racist come in all colors more so then ever. There are many blacks that hate whites and whites that hate blacks and so on and so on. This kind of thinking is not what the majority of people feel, thank God. But much of what I read on this blog shows the raceism on both sides.

The oreos make me sick. Our masters at the DNC will ensure that black America rises above the pverty that the evil Republicans have tried to condem us to. We shall overcome.

Down with white america.

10:52 and 10:59 It is so obvious that you are white. Stop tring to insight.

3:36..McCain will win Michigan without Romney...and Romney wouldn't do jack to help in Ohio..get over it alread...Romney will not be VP.
As for the racist comments on here..you all are being baited by an idiot.

Remember: Jim Crow was a Democrat.

[J Latona]

don't know about MLK Jr., but it is in Theodore White's account of the 1960 election that his father, MLK Sr. was going to vote for Nixon until JFK contacted them after MLK Jr was jailed and Nixon didn't. The GOP was still the part of Lincoln for many blacks.. it had total black support until the Depression and many still voted GOP until Goldwater. I think Ike got over 25% of the black vote.

Remember: David Duke was a Republican.

I hope they're satisfied. That sign killed Jesse Helms.

9:50 No Doubt!

9:49 What do you suppose Farrakhans party is? Rev. Wright?

Both parties have their extremeist, racists nuts.

Obama is hunkering down for 100 years of troops in Iraq:

He said that when he (Obama) talked earlier about refining his policy after talking with commanders in Iraq, he was referring not to his 16-month timeline, but to how many troops may need to remain in Iraq to train the local army and police and what troop presence might be needed "`to be sure al-Qaida doesn't re-establish a foothold there."

He's getting troops out but REPLACING them with more troops and maintaining a presence indefinitely!

Obama is CHANGING his core plans each day moving closer to November.

Obama is hunkering down for 100 years of troops in Iraq:

He said that when he (Obama) talked earlier about refining his policy after talking with commanders in Iraq, he was referring not to his 16-month timeline, but to how many troops may need to remain in Iraq to train the local army and police and what troop presence might be needed "`to be sure al-Qaida doesn't re-establish a foothold there."

He's getting troops out but REPLACING them with more troops and maintaining a presence indefinitely!

Obama is CHANGING his core plans each day moving closer to November.

Obama is hunkering down for 100 years of troops in Iraq:

He said that when he (Obama) talked earlier about refining his policy after talking with commanders in Iraq, he was referring not to his 16-month timeline, but to how many troops may need to remain in Iraq to train the local army and police and what troop presence might be needed "`to be sure al-Qaida doesn't re-establish a foothold there."

He's getting troops out but REPLACING them with more troops and maintaining a presence indefinitely!

Obama is CHANGING his core plans each day moving closer to November.

[Sick of Lying Swiftboaters like the McCain Toad]

Bleat Bleat Bleat = Skip Skip Skip

You're not relevant.

11:09 How intelligent of you. Wow!

This sign will be very effective in showing how far the Republican party has moved away from any sense of being decent human beings that care about their fellow man. The R leadership and party base is now worried about nothing except making themselves richer while stepping on the backs of any poor or minority folks who may be in their way and creating constant civil tension through the use of fear and so-called moral issues to hold onto their power. This party lost it's way long ago and shows no signs of getting it right again anytime soon.

I bet you would find out that Jesus would not be a Republican if he were around now.

"Then the king will say to those bad people on his left, 'Go away from me. God has already decided that you will be punished. Go into the fire that burns forever. That fire was prepared for the devil and his angels. You must go away, because I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you did not invite me into your home. I was without clothes, and you gave me nothing to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you did not care for me.' "Then those people will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty? When did we see you alone and away from home? Or when did we see you without clothes or sick or in prison? When did we see these things and not help you?' "Then the king will answer, 'I tell you the truth. Anything you refused to do for any of my people here, you refused to do for me.' "Then those bad people will go away. They will have punishment forever. But the good people will go and have life forever." Matthew 25:41-46

Seems the Republicans forgot this one...

Obama: we will now be in Iraq for 100 years. I will say anything to get elected. I now agree with my friends George Bush and John McCain. This will help get me the votes I need and I could care less about satisfying the Democrats who supported me on the war issue. I am the Messiah and the Presidency is mine.

Obama is a racist like Jeremiah Wright.

MLK a Republican?

Bleat Bleat Bleat = Skip Skip Skip

You're still not relevant.

Bleat Bleat Bleat = Skip Skip Skip

You're still not relevant Obama Toad.

How about some new material..you're getting old with the constant BS.

Professor Roner states: “In effect, the Klan was a military force serving the interests of the Democratic party, the planter class, and all those who desired the restoration of white supremacy. It aimed to destroy the Republican party’s infrastructure, undermine the Reconstruction state, reestablish control of the black labor force, and restore racial subordination in every aspect of Southern life.”

Let's not forget it was Republicans who pushed the civil rights legislation in Congress and while Barry Goldwater voted against it, he was appalled that segregationists viewed him as sympathetic and came to regret his vote.

McCain is a HERO.
Obaba is a ZERO.

Remember: Robert Byrd IS a Democrat

The Republican Party was more hospitable to those of African heritage when Dr. King was alive. Since then by far most of the bigoted Democrats became Republicans due to the racist appeals of the Republicans, including most especially Nixon and Reagan.

Reagan's first campaign stop after winning the nomination was the birthplace of the KKK -- those in the know knew what that means.

Must have been typed in error. The correction is as follows:

McCain is a HERO.

Obamba is a HERO.

[Join now]

I am starting a new party if anyone would like to get in.

National American Zionist Isolationist Party.

We stand for getting back to Teddy Roosevelt politics, keeping the country and its people a priority not wasting money all over the globe. We stand for the Monroe Doctrine, safe borders, support for Israel, dropping out of the UN, a flat tax for all americans, we will use more bombs then troops to end problems, we will pull back to the borders of Iraq and let them figure things out.
We will offer grants to fund new R+D for energy sources, we will start a program for vehicles that use new fuel sources. We will decrease the size of the Government bureaucracy,

What do you think?

"The Republican Party was more hospitable to those of African heritage when Dr. King was alive. Since then by far most of the bigoted Democrats became Republicans due to the racist appeals of the Republicans, including most especially Nixon and Reagan.

Reagan's first campaign stop after winning the nomination was the birthplace of the KKK -- those in the know knew what that means."

I remember that campaign stop. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

[Tony]

FYI, if Congress and the Senate are controlled by the Democrats with Obama as President, at the end of his term there will be 5 to 7 Liberal "legislate from the bench" judges on the supreme court. When he raises taxes, does not drill for domestic oil, does not allow nuclear plants, raises capitol gains, keeps the borders open, creates Nationalized health care and does what Hugo Chavez did to the oil companies, the economy will be crushed. After he talks to what his name in Iran, and Iran stalls and acquires Nuclear Weapons, they will sell them to terrorists and use them on us and Irael. If your a liberal and you don't believe me, please go to the library and check out a book on basic economics and read Meinkauf by Hitler http://www.scribd.com/doc/222119/Mein-Kampf-by-Adolf-Hitler-translated-by-James-Murphy and "The Communist Manifesto" by Karl Marx. http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=yhOOvF61XKgC&dq=%22Karl+Marx%22&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=IElWI1T-nw&sig=HZ6QJSsceyIbSIkhnhXe2DZ-pek&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA28,M1
Also read some history books about dictators and their tactics. After that if you still want to support socialism. God help you!

Oh BTW, it was a Democrat President that started the seperate bath rooms for blacks and whites and seperate work areas.