Republican front-runners don’t want to meet with Tavis Smiley
September 12, 2007
Apparently, Republican front-runners Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani declined to participate in Tavis Smiley’s All-American Presidential Forums. Undeclared-but-likely-Republican-candidate Fred Thopson has not committed fully.
A question for all of my Black republican friends: why are your beloved republicans so against talking to Black folks face-to-face? Probably because they only do hand-picked audiences.
More from the release below.
One Love. One II
FRED THOMPSON STILL HAS NOT COMMITTED TO THE “ALL-AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL FORUMS ON PBS” MODERATED BY TAVIS SMILEY
Although Fed Thompson is expected, he hasn’t fully committed to attending the “All-American Presidential Forums.” The two other front-runners for the Republican nomination, New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney have already declined to attend. The forum is an opportunity for all Republican Republican candidates to answer questions that will focus on people of color.
Regarding Giuliani and Romney’s decision, Smiley noted, “It is a missed opportunity for the presumptive front-runners. Their timing is truly unfortunate, given that this Forum will take place 48 hours after a historic celebration of the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, an event to be attended by President Bush and President Clinton. This important milestone happened because of the orders of a Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower.”
He added, “The candidates who have confirmed will be sending a powerful and unprecedented message to people of color and all Americans of conscience and goodwill that their vote is being competed for and fought over. Perhaps the two candidates who have declined will reconsider when they realize that they are conceding 90 minutes of national prime time exposure before an important part of the electorate to Senator Thompson and the other Republican candidates. We will have two extra podia on the stage should they ultimately choose to participate.”
The first Forum was held on June 28th at Howard University in Washington, DC featuring all eight Democratic candidates. Both events have historic significance as the first-ever nationally broadcast election events specifically oriented towards voters of color.
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