Can Raffi Williams win the minority vote for Republicans?
theGRIO REPORT - Raffi Williams has a tough job ahead of him. He’s just been named deputy press secretary at the Republican National Committee, tasked with taking the party’s message to young and African American voters and black media...
Looking for quiet conservatives not converts
“We need to avoid appearing that we’re pandering to anybody because we’re not,” he said, so the GOP should not change its core principles. “I work for the party so I’m on board with the party platform.” That’s the one that opposes same-sex marriage, which puts it at odds with increasing numbers of young voters the GOP would like to win over.
“We have to show people we’re open to other ideas, and while these may be in our platform, we’re not going to attack people,” Williams said. “If you agree with us 80 percent then you’re our friend. … A lot of times Democrats don’t agree on 100 percent of the party platform.”
Williams defended the voter-ID laws being passed primarily in states controlled by GOP legislatures, laws criticized by Democrats and some Republicans such as Colin Powell for targeting minorities, the young and the elderly.
“People seeing this as a hostile issue to them is another case of not being there in their community to explain it properly,” Williams said. “Voter ID legislation is not meant to pick out any particular race; it is meant just to insure that our elections are done fair and properly. … That’s a noble goal.”
His stand is not likely to gain many converts among Democrats and African-Americans.
Once the Obama era is over
But will some black Democrats give the GOP another look as President Obama’s second term draws to a close?
“There definitely is some loyalty to President Obama,” Williams said, “and that doesn’t surprise me. He’s an historic figure.”
Then Williams mentioned another role model.
“Senator Scott is a shining example of an African-American who is a Republican,” Williams said of U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who was appointed to his seat few months ago. “He is a Republican for the right reasons. He truly believes in the platform, and is a great example of what we can do when we do proper outreach in the community and talk about people picking themselves up by their boot straps.”
“Building up these networks, these relationships to allow people to understand, isn’t going to happen overnight,” he said. “We don’t expect it to. But we do expect to make slow progress, to be there and see this work out in the long run.”
