The next BREC meeting will be held on

Monday, February 22nd

at the Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek Ft. Lauderdale

555 N.W. 62nd Street Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309
T: 954.772.5400 · F: 954.772.5490

Sign in begins at 6:00PM

Meeting starts at 7:00 PM

 ____________________________________________________________

Representative Jennifer Carroll

Speaking to the Broward Republican Executive Committee

Date: February 22, 2010

Location: Sheraton Suites Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Greetings - Chairman LaMarca

                      National Committeewoman Sharon Day

                      Members of BREC

• Since this is Black history month, I thought it would be fitting that my speech shares some Republican Black history.

JOKE

Tony, Maria & Giuseppe (focusing on the wrong thing)

We just completed an election for Chairman and our focus must be on Party unity and rebuilding.

I don’t need to tell you that the Republican Party has a lot of work ahead-- to not restructure, but to rebuild. Not to revamp, but to recapture our conservative principles, the principles that differentiate us from the liberals. Contrary to what some are saying, I believe that conservatism does not need to be redefined. It is what it is. Conservatism is less government intervention in our lives and the free market, it is creating opportunities for all who want to succeed regardless of race creed or color, it is less taxing so people can keep more of what they earn, and it is about personal freedoms and protecting that at all cost.

What happened in the 2008 presidential election and in 2006 congressional elections was that Republicans created a platform for the liberal victory pattern.

Conservatives forgot what it meant to act and be conservatives and the liberals saw that.

The liberals, in order to win back the congress in 2006, campaigned on the conservative message of tax cuts, creating opportunities, personal responsibility, etc.  

When the voters saw no difference between the parties, they went with the bold new fresh ideas of the “conservative” liberals. Unfortunately, what the voters got from electing “pseudo-conservative” liberals was the same old liberals of no new ideas just tax and spend government infringement, and fewer liberties.

The challenge Conservatives have for elections in 2010 and beyond is how to reach out, educate and recapture a population that is duped by the liberals.

Well, I will tell you, the last thing we need to do is tuck our tails between our legs and say it’s a near impossible task and give up. Giving up should not be an option.

Liberals have seen our weakness. They did not stay away from voters of any ethnic group or party affiliation in the 2008 elections. They went after every voter with the hopes to capture

50 +1

This kind of outreach is something Republicans have not done very well.

Our thought process has been that we have our base and that will be enough.

Enough is not going to help us win back the seats we lost. Our goal and mission across this country is to be as bold as the Obama machine and go to voters where they are regardless of who they may be.

Our focus should be to educate, inform and cultivate relationships so that when the liberals and their messaging come around, we have at least a foot in the door with a cross section of voters. And then it would not be so easy for the left side to manipulate their minds.

Look at the Black population, they overwhelmingly vote for the Democrats. Why, because Republicans have not done a good job to educate, cultivate and inform them. Nor have we aggressively countered and challenged the liberal brain washing that occurs on Black radio and Black news papers.

But before Republicans can go out and educated the Black population, we need to know our own Party’s history as it pertains to Black America.  

The Republican Party was formed in 1854. It was created to oppose the spread of slavery into new territories as the United States continued its borders.

Republican President Abe Lincoln freed the slaves at the advisement of a Black Republican: Fredrick Douglass who also served as President Lincoln’s advisor

Black Democrats celebrate a day called “Junetheenth.” This was the celebration when in 1865, slavery finally ended throughout the entire U.S., all because of the actions of Republican President Abe Lincoln. Today, Black Democrats have taken over this celebration as if they were the ones who created the freedoms for Blacks.

President Abe Lincoln’s successor Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, did all he could to prevent Blacks from experiencing President Lincoln’s freedom of no slavery.

Democrat President Andrew Johnson campaigned against ratification of the 14th Amendment and vetoed the Republican’s Civil Rights Act of 1866. It was Democrat Johnson who quashed Republican attempts to provide 40 acres and a mule to emancipated Blacks. And it was Democrat Johnson who vetoed a bill to extend voting rights to African-Americans in the District of Columbia, saying that he wanted a completely white man’s government.

Booker T. Washington a Black Republican: Founder of the Historical Black College Tuskegee Institute, was a confidential advisor to presidents. For years presidential political appointments of African Americans were cleared through him.

Senator Hiram Revels a Black Republican: He was a minister of an AME Church in Baltimore, MD. In 1870 he was the first African American Senator of Mississippi.

Senator Blanche Kelso Bruce (B.K.) a Black Republican: Born in Slavery in Virginia. He was tutored by his masters’ son, graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio. He was appointed to the United States Senate and was the first Black to serve a full term in the Senate.

Senator Edward Brooke a Black Republican: Graduate of Howard University and Boston University Law School, U.S. Army Captain. In 1966 he was the First Black ever to be elected by popular vote as US Senator of Massachusetts.  

Mary McLeod Bethune a Black Republican: Founder of the Historical Black College, Bethune Cookman College, right here in Florida.

George Washington Carver a Black Republican: Born a slave and earned a Master of Science Degree, becoming one of the best known agriculture scientists of his generation. He invented the many uses for peanut.

James Weldon Johnson a Black Republican: Wrote what became the National Negro anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” He also started the first Black Republican Club in New Your and was one of the of founders of the NAACP.

Congressman Oscar DePriest a Black Republican: Elected to the congress in 1929 and served until 1935. When asked by a democrat Mayor in the 1930’s if he would consider supporting Democrats, DePriest made the famous remark “Democrats support slavery and oppression for decades. No black man, unless ill advised, or sick; would recommend for other blacks to vote Democrat because of his Depression.

With the congress predominantly Democrat, it was over 80% Republican vote that enabled the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965 and banning the Poll taxes to pass out of the congress. All of these rights Blacks feel that it was the Democrats who pushed them through.

Under the leadership of Republicans President George W. Bush, and Republican Congressman J.C. Watts more funding to Historical Black Colleges and Universities was allocated than with any other president.

Republican President Bush was the first President to sign an executive order to direct the Justice Department to issue policy guidance to ban federal law enforcement officials from engaging in racial profiling.

Republican President Bush gave the Medal of Honor to a Black baseball icon Jackie Robinson. This medal was requested of many presidents prior, but never awarded.

Republican President Bush increased opportunities for Black owned businesses. More Blacks owned businesses under President Bush’s leadership than ever before.  

More Blacks were appointed to cabinet positions under Republican President’s Bush & Richard Nixon than any other president. Republican President Nixon appointed over 230 Blacks to prominent high level cabinet positions, I am quite sure it is 200 times more than the current President Administration.

Under Republican President Bush more funding than any other administration was given for Aids relief and prevention in Africa. Republican President Bush also increased trade with Africa where Democrats once blocked this idea.

Republicans, we have a great story to tell and we need to tell it. We need to educate and inform Black Americans of how Republican policies have benefited them.

It is time for Republicans to go back to basics. It’s time for us to outreach armed with our history and accomplishments of our Republican leadership.

In time, the public will learn the difference between liberals and conservatives and Blacks will change their party affiliation. The lack of knowledge of what conservatives stand for is due to the failure of Republicans to inform and encourage Blacks to be a part of the party.

My parents migrated to the United States in the 60’s. They wanted to take advantage of the opportunities this country had to offer. They also wanted to improve themselves to create a better quality of life for our family.

I migrated to this country when I was eight years old. When my parents received their naturalization, I overheard them discussing the reason they chose to register with the Republican Party.

My parents said that if anything on our block needed repairing, if they were not registered Republicans nothing would get done. And those words still remain true to this day. Republicans get things done!

Ladies and Gentlemen the fight we are up against is about liberalism. Liberalism is a philosophy that is the cancer for inner city America and Republicans must be willing to tell the truth and stand on the issues.  

I believe that a liberal is not happy unless everyone is equally miserable. A Liberal wants to make poor people comfortable in poverty.

If you’re hungry, we’ll give you some stamps, can’t pay your rent we’ll subsidize your rent, can’t pay your utilities, we’ll subsidize your utilities. Can’t feed your babies, we’ll give your babies some milk. Can’t find a job we’ll pay you and since you are getting all these things, and now that we’ve got you hooked, the only condition is that you can’t work because if you do, we will pull the rug out from under you and take away what we got you hooked on.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that if the people who were once poor begin to move into the middle class, begin to gain wealth, begin to own their own business, own a quality home, get an education, begin to take personal responsibility for their own behavior, then crime will go down, without people being incarcerated, government spending will go down and families will be happier. If this happens then the liberal programs will have no relevance and these people will realize that conservatism and the Republican Party is the place for them.

When we look at the majority of Black communities around this country, the economic and social conditions are deplorable and have continued to be this way for many years. In many of these same areas we tend to find several layers of liberal leadership: city council, county commissioners, assemblyman, mayors, school board members, congressmen, layers and layers of liberals. So what Republican can they blame for their condition?

My fellow Republicans, the more we educate and informed people about conservative principles and policies, the more they will tend to think outside the box, critically analyze the issues and look for logical solutions.

Black Democrats need to realize that to be taken for granted by the Democrat Party is a very sad state for their people to be in. They cannot exist in this world if they are going to be ignored or neglected.

Republicans, we can do something to inform Blacks of how our policies have improved or can improve their quality of life and personal freedoms.

We need to take on the phony activist that will come out and throw their racial bombs and be racial anarchist trying to portray Republicans as racist. We need to make sure we have grassroots folks that will stand up to these racial anarchists and tell people the truth about what’s going on. Republicans must not allow liberals to define us.

We have a great story to tell and we need to tell it. We need to educate and inform Blacks about what Republicans have done for them.

Cultivating the Black vote will be challenging, it will take some time, but it is doable.

In an interview with Life Magazine Frederick Douglass said, “I knew that however bad the Republican Party was, the Democratic Party was much worse. The elements of which the Republican Party was composed gave better ground for the ultimate hope of the success of the colored man’s cause than those of the Democratic Party.”

In moving forward, Republicans need to:

• Improve the African-American perception of GOP by going directly to the people.
• Increase trust and improve perceptions about the GOP with African-Americans, educate and inform.
• Increase coalition building and visibility within minority business communities with or without support of the traditional Black leadership. Develop synergies and establish links with sympathetic groups, businesses, business leaders/community leaders/pastors etc. within the region (Minority and mainstream individuals).
• Establish a pipeline of high caliber minority GOP candidates and support them.
• Identify and capitalize on possible public relations/marketing opportunities. We should not stay away from the Black media, Republican leaders should be accessible to talk to these people and get the message about the GOP to the African American public.

Finally,

We need our local Black Republican’s to get out of the closet. Be active within our communities to inform other Blacks as to why they have chosen to be in the Party of Frederick Douglass, James Weldon Johnson and Abe Lincoln.

Republicans, if we stay diligent and not back away from the obstacle of breaking through in the Black communities, we will see great dividends and we will receive support from them during elections.

We should not expect results over night because we did not get into this position over night, but we must try to make incremental changes to bring our Party back to be in a position of strength.

My challenge to you is to stay the course, go out and inform, educate, cultivate with conservative ideals to recapture a population that is lost. The seeds we sew now will grow a fruitful harvest for our Party.

God bless.

____________________________________________________________