Because Liz Carter is white, she’s banned from debating Democrat Rep. Hank Johnson and the other black candidates running for his Georgia congressional seat at a candidate forum in Atlanta tonight.
Read the article. Seriously. Where are the ACLU, et al, who are “so concerned” about racial diversity? This is not a Democrat/Republican thing – the black republican candidate has been invited. The moderator of the event told Carter that “because she’s white, she is not allowed to participate.” But, oh… She can sit in the audience and keep her mouth shut.
So… Imagine this situation in reverse. Don’t you think main stream media, ACLU, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and all the rest would have their panties in a huge wad over it? I do.
But this is apparently OK. I mean, other then a few conservative bloggers, I haven’t seen much about this.
Now, because of the bad PR, and because conservatives nationwide hit twitter, and emailed the Moderator and the Forum, she was allowed in, and rawked it so hard, Eaton now wants to write about how awesome she is. Ms. Carter was allowed on. She did a great job, despite being relentlessly attacked by the moderator. Red State has the link to the Ustream video of the two republicans.
I find it interesting that all the men leading into the debate claimed that the only reason she was not invited was because they, “did not know about her.” Yet as she posted on her facebook page,
“I was shocked to be told I could not participate tonight when it is a Democrat and Republican debate and to be told it is for Black Candidates only. Diversity is a good thing in Corporate America, but when it comes to politics a race card is pulled? It’s sad actually that my republican challenger knows and posted it on his facebook last night. “
I actually believe it is entirely plausible that the organizers did not know who Liz Carter is, despite her strong candidacy. I believe, based on my own life experience growing up in predominantly liberal, black areas of New Jersey and Maryland, that what we have here, is an organization focused solely on black politics, with an emphasis on Democratic politics. If you listen to Jim Welcome, the exec producer, pontificate at the onset of the debate, you will hear him say that he was “outvoted” on the appearance of Ms. Carter – in other words, he didn’t want her there. Then the moderator, Manyard Eaton admits that only reason they knew about Corey Ruth was because he “has been around here.” The moderator even expresses his incredulity at the idea of a black Republican.
Jim Welcome comes back in at the end of the debate and says that Liz Carter is “Sarah Palin-ish in her approach to politics” and that Corey Ruth, “represents African-American people at the Republican side of the world.”
So… is the Newsmakers organization racist? Draw your own conclusions.