Friday, February 23, 2007

GOP Rethinking Support For Parker

Today at noon is the last day for filing paperwork to be a candidate in this year's mayoral election, but the Marion County GOP has yet to settle on a candidate. That's because the party has been forced to reassess its planned support of the candidacy of businessman Bob Parker after he made offensive comments about Jews in an interview with Star political reporter Matt Tully. Marion Co. GOP Chairman Tom John released this statement late yesterday according to the Star's Brendan O'Shaughnessy:

Dating back to the days of Abraham Lincoln, the Republican Party has always been the party of inclusion, and rebukes any statement that could be construed as disrespectful or offensive to any person or people within our community," Party Chairman Tom John said in a statement. As a consequence of Parker's remarks, the Marion County Republican Central Committee would review the "appropriateness" of slating him as the party's choice in the 2008 mayor's race.

The man Parker would run against, Mayor Bart Peterson (D), thought Parker's comments were "appalling." A political science professor is comparing Parker's comments to the infamous remark of former Sen. George Allen (R-VA) during last year's campaign describing a non-white staffer for his political opponent as a "macacca". Parker was supposed to file his paperwork with the Elections Department yesterday and formally announced his candidacy today. Matt Tully has more on how the GOP chose the wrong candiate here.

6 comments:

Wilson46201 said...

We have all seen on some comment threads (particularly the Indpls Star) incredibly hateful anti-gay bias. Racism too is alive and well lurking in comment threads. It's been scary this morning seeing the number of rightwingers trying to brush away Parker's obviously anti-Semitic remarks.

We have made great progress in America on diversity issues but anonymous comment threads reveal the bigotry still lurking ... at least, most folk wouldn't dare use their name when making such horrendously prejudiced statements.

Anonymous said...

Wilson, you're a broken record. People sometimes post anonymously for very good reasons.

The problem with Mr. John's statement is, now that they've found themselves in this pickle, if they file no one by noon today, and Parker, or Genghis Kahn, walks in and files, and is the sole Republican filer, guess what?

He's the nominee this fall if he merely votes for himself. One vote is all he needs.

Which is one damned good reason our election system needs massive reform. A party shouldn't be saddled with someone they don't want.

For a hearty dose of "it could be you," harken back to the mid-80s when Democrats couldn't find anyone to run. These kinds of difficulties were legendary, on councl district races in particular. Goofblal candidates ended up being the aprty's nominee in the fall.

Anonymous said...

Wilson, you're a broken record. People sometimes post anonymously for very good reasons.

The problem with Mr. John's statement is, now that they've found themselves in this pickle, if they file no one by noon today, and Parker, or Genghis Kahn, walks in and files, and is the sole Republican filer, guess what?

He's the nominee this fall if he merely votes for himself. One vote is all he needs.

Which is one damned good reason our election system needs massive reform. A party shouldn't be saddled with someone they don't want.

For a hearty dose of "it could be you," harken back to the mid-80s when Democrats couldn't find anyone to run. These kinds of difficulties were legendary, on councl district races in particular. Goofblal candidates ended up being the party's nominee in the fall.

Anonymous said...

It seems to me the question that ought to be asked is why is the Republican party might even planning to back Parker in the first place? His last attempt was pretty pathetic as I recall, and I also seem to recall that his foot-in-mouth disease is pretty chronic.

He is doomed to either drop out, gaffe his way out, or get trounced in the election. The Dems should be happy to see him in the race.

Anonymous said...

Just stopped by the election board, Parker didn't file.

Anonymous said...

Newman, speaking as a Democrat, I can assure you that it does not make me in the last bit ‘happy’ that Parker may be running … or that he has found a accepting home within the GOP tribe!

If anything, the emotion I feel is further hopeless–particularly in regard to lgbt equality—that any sort of GOP endorsement may have been in the offing.