Simmons endorses Lt. Gov. Steele (R-MD)
Hip-hop mogul should help in outreach efforts
By Adam C Posted in Archived — Comments (8) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Mr. Simmons is an entrepreneur and businessman who is one of the leading figures of the hip hop movement. Although he doesn't appreciate labels, his track record is generally on the left although without the irresponsible comment history of Sharpton or Jackson. Mr. Simmons is also somewhat of an icon in many hip hop circles which are disproportionate represented by young, black men. And although the Post attempts to bury this at the end of the article, Mr. Simmon's words are important:
"We're not looking for a hip-hop Republican," he said. "We're looking for someone concerned about the war on poverty and ignorance, and anyone who is open-minded about that, as the lieutenant governor seems to be."
The endorsement itself may help Mr. Steele get his foot in the door with groups of voters who are somewhat suspicious of all Republicans. More important, however, is what Mr. Steele is able to do once his foot is in the door. According to the WaPo
Simmons said he first came to Maryland four years ago to campaign against Steele, but Steele won him over. "Every time we've had a discussion, it boils downs to the same two things: education and opportunity," Simmons said. "The lieutenant governor is clear on his mission."
Read that again. Mr. Steele won over a skeptical Mr. Simmons. It is the persistence of message, a commitment to education reform and opportunity, and a messanger with talent taht won over Mr. Simmons. These same abilities are why Mr. Steele is a formidable opponent in a blue state. He wins over new voters while still exciting the smaller base of Republican activists.
Maryland Moment notes that Mr. Steele has endorsed increasing the minimum wage but couples that with a call to "lower the taxes that kill so many small, women and minority owned businesses before they even get started." His style, positions, and ability to win over new voters has put a Republican within a few percentage points of winning a Senate seat in Maryland. It may be winning over just a few more people like Mr. Simmons will be what it takes to heat the 50% mark. If you'd like to help the Lt. Gov., you can volunteer or donate now.
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Simmons endorses Lt. Gov. Steele (R-MD) 8 Comments (0 topical, 8 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
I love Russell Simmons, and I love Mike Steele. I've posted on this endorsement on my site, too, though I've added some personal observations from when I've chatted with Steele: http://www.gopprogress.com/story/2006/8/25/102043/551.
Everyone, get on Steele's site, donate and sign up to volunteer!
Liz Mair is the editor of WWW.GOPPROGRESS.COM, a RedState-style blog for libertarian, mainstream and moderate Republicans
I think this represents a major tear in the fabric of the Democrats' constituency. When I've heard African American voters interviewed over the years, it seems to be an article of faith with them that all Republicans are inherently evil.
But this changes things.
Mr. Simmons' street cred is beyond reproach. I don't think anyone is going to call him either a traitor or an oreo. Therefore, his actions represent a statement to the African American community that not only is it okay to listen to Republicans, but it's also okay to support them when you agree.
If that's the case, we've just reached a major tipping point in the history of African American voting behavior. If that happens, the Democratic Party as we've known it could cease to be viable literally overnight.
Time will tell.
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"It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race." - Chief Justice John Roberts
John McWhorter in CityJournal, "How Hip-Hop Holds Blacks Back."
Simmons is surely not the worst, but he's still a purveyor of crude, hate-filled dysphony that does enormous harm to American and especially black culture.
Culture does matter, even in an election year, doesn't it? Do political tactics have to trump decency, just because a black Republican candidate has a chance at victory?
Mr. Simmons owns Def-Jam records who promote extremely violent and disturbing music whose focus is often on the joys of illegal drug use, violence against women, pre-marital sex, and overall loose morals (morals that fit much better with one of Mr. Steele's opponents, the womanizing, morally bankrupt Kweisi Mfume). Its also interesting the Mr. Mfume served on the board of Mr. Simmon's "hip-hop summit" project. Perhaps they have some bad blood between them?
Mr. Simmons is respected in the Black Community, but his empire is built on promoting values that are damaging to the Black community.
I guarantee you this, Mr. Simmons will not attract Black Conservatives who may have been looking for a candidate who would rise above the Hip-hop standard, not stoop down to it.
Blue Crabs are nice, but everyone knows they are best when they are bright RED!
He gave money to Howard Dean.
He also promoted the artist Jadakiss, who you may recall had the song that accused our President of knocking down the twin towers.
I dunno, this will play well with African-American democrats, but will it play well enough to get them to vote republican?
Hopefully conservatives in Baltimore County and Western MD will not dig too deep into Mr. Simmon's past, or they may find themselves disappointed in Mr. Steel. I know I am.
Blue Crabs are nice, but everyone knows they are best when they are bright RED!
I am a tried and true conservative, but what we have here is what I like to refer to as a generation gap. Hip hop is no more demoralizing to Black culture (especially with the majority of the hip hop audience being white as it has been for some time) than heavy metal, country, or shock rock is to white students. Every single one of these genres has plenty of sex and violence in them; to blame hip hop is nothing more than McWhorter subscribing to the very Victimologist mode of thinking that he rails against for the rest of his books. By blaming an external force like violent music, which has somehow not damged my intellectual ability since I have managed a 3.5 at one of the top 5 rated liberal arts colleges in the nation, Wesleyan U, I think maybe we could try to shoot for something else, you know, like a little self responsibility. And like it or not, hip hop is what most younger people listen to-to not see the potential of tapping into another generation in favor of Tipper Gore morals, is depressingly short sighted, IMO. As someone said, the loss of a significant portion of the African American ends the Democratic Party as we know it, of course provided some of us can get off of our moral soapbox to make that happen.
"When possible we are bringing terrorists to justice. And when necessary, we are bringing justice to the terrorists."-Secretary Rice
I think Wesley would balk at your methodology. Let's think about your statements here: "Hip hop is no more demoralizing to Black culture (especially with the majority of the hip hop audience being white as it has been for some time) than heavy metal, country, or shock rock is to white students." Really? That's a statement that sounds nice. But by itself it is a mere dogmatic assertion and not a defensible argument. These are difficult waters in which to wade, but I submit that when suburban kids listen to hip hop they're rebelling from authority, whereas when an inner city kid listens to hip hop he's looking at a career option (i would argue that the suburban/urban distinction is more important than the black/white one regarding the effects of hip hop, but I'm not certain as to that--just an assumption). Of course, that's not always true. But that statement is as equally defensible as yours, true or not.
Regarding heavy metal, country, and shock rock; those are poor examples, by and large, to our youth as well. But they're negative influence on youth does not give hip hop a free pass. And is there any doubt that country music songs have influences, both positive and negative, on people? I'm a Texan and I assure you that I've popped open Pearl in a can while listening to that hideous man David Alan Coe. I would never drink that brew were it not for him. That doesn't mean I'm not responsible for drinking a horrible drink that purports to be beer. Rather, it means my will was influenced by another. It's not that complicated, really.
"violent music, which has somehow not damged my intellectual ability since I have managed a 3.5 at one of the top 5 rated liberal arts colleges in the nation"
Again, an interesting statement, but irrelevant to the broader issue. Perhaps you'd have a 4.0 without the influence of hip hop. It's unlikely, but not impossible. Or perhaps grade inflation is rampant at your school, as it as in most places. I can't speak as to why you have a 3.5 GPA at a good school. But I can say with certainty that an individual's experience with an external influence is no proof one way or the other of the power and effect of that externality on a larger sample of people. Consider Coca-Cola.
I love Coke. But there are lots of folks who like Pepsi and dislike Coke. Is Coke wasting its dollars on advertising, then? Could it be that the public is impervious to soft drink peddlers from Georgia? According to your logic, if we can find a drinker of soft drinks who dislikes Coke and doesn't seek to be like those Coke drinkers in the commercials, then Coke is foolishly advertising. But we know, at some level, that Coke isn't wasting its money. We know that because people emulate what they see people doing in those Coke commercials--drink Coke. Now, I've never seen a Coke commercial and said, "Gee, I'm gonna go buy a Coke." And that's not the purpose of the commercial: the purpose of all those Coke commercials is to keep Coke at the forefront of my mind, so that when I do go buy a soft drink, I reach for Coke.
What about hip hop? Like Coke commercials, not everyone who listens to hip hop acts like a gangsta. But also like Coke commercials, such trash keeps those lascivious acts at the forefront of kids' minds. Lingering thoughts like those are especially dangerous when there is no positive-dominate influence in one's life to counteract it. And just because a person, or even most people, can listen to filth without smelling like garbage doesn't mean that such music is without harm.
A Calvinist Conservative--predestined to be Republican.
Can you imagine the look on the liberals faces when the Gop wins this race. Also if you can donate to Keene in New Jersey. These two men will win if we help with $$$$$.