The Cross Connection with Tiffany Cross Saturday edition was both tragic and outrageous. Former RNC chair Michael Steele, and former GOP strategist Lucy Caldwell accused Republican women and minorities of being tokens. Both didn’t realize that their host was the same person who would make such accusations against them not too long ago.
Steele was referring to Cross’s question regarding candidates such as Herschel Walk when he stated, “You can’t just go to work with blackface and skin and start talking about stuff that isn’t resonating within the black community or the Hispanic communities or the community that their origins are from beyond politics and I think that is part of the cynical nature politics that for me, within the party for many years has been so offensive. We had some success in that, however, that’s not where we’re not where we are not where we are at the moment.
Walker is currently under the same attack as Steele when he was RNC chairman. Instead of standing up for Walker against Cross’s virtual, Cross is joining Walker.
Cross was naturally able to agree, “Yeah. I think you make such an excellent point. It’s not the people, it’s your policies. It’s not worth sending someone out to promote your racist policies. However, if you put a person with a different race out there, it won’t resonate.
Cross said to Caldwell, “But Lucy, it’s more than a racial component. Here, there’s also an gender element and so they are all men.” They kicked Liz Cheney out the boys club, you know. I wonder if, in Georgia, Brian Kemp’s discussion about anti-choice policies, did white women vote Brian Kemp more than white men?
She asked, “How do they–the conservative voting white women, how do they reconcile their choices, when the party doesn’t even look like them sometimes or reflect their interests?”
Caldwell chose to lament the existence Sens, rather than answering the question. Tim Scott, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. She finally answered the question, saying, “There’s a, well, I don’t want it to be called tokenism, but there’s an absolute attitude of “what do I do to make middle-class white people feel comfortable about what we’re doing?
Cross was more comfortable using the term “tokenism” and Caldwell dropped her hesitation. So, “I’m a woman, don’t worry, I’m anti-abortion.”
Who needs Democrats when Republicans like these are in power?
Caldwell lamented that Cross had compared pro-life women with black people who oppose affirmative actions. This week, there’s news out of Florida: Ron DeSantis, who is not a friend of people of colour and certainly not a friend of women, may win Miami-Dade County, becoming the first Republican governor of Florida in 20 years.
The media questions Republicans about the status of white men and asks them where they are. When they do nominate women or minorities, the media accuses them as tokens.
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Here’s a transcript from the October 22 broadcast:
MSNBC The Cross Connection With Tiffany Cross
10/22/2022
11:29 PM ET
MICHAELSTEELE: You have framed it right. Yes, I can put someone of color out there. You can say, “Hey, they’re part our team,” but when they open up their mouths, does the team that they are on hear them?” Number one. Do they believe there is a connection?
Because you can’t just go out in blackface and with black skin and start talking about stuff that doesn’t resonate in the black community or Hispanic community or the community they come from. That’s why I believe that the cynical nature and politics of politics is so offensive to me. We tried to correct that a few times, but that’s not where it is now.
TIFFANY Cross: Yes, and I think that you make a great point. It’s the policies that matter, not the people. It’s not about sending someone out to propagate your racist policies. But, if you put a person with color out there, it won’t resonate.
But Lucy, this isn’t just a racial element. There’s also a gender component here. So they’re all men. They kicked Liz Cheney out, you know.
The boys club. I wonder if, in Georgia, Brian Kemp’s discussion about anti-choice policies, white women voted more than white men.
So, I wonder how they–the conservative voting white women – reconcile their choices when sometimes the party doesn’t even look like them?
LUCY CALDWELL : That’s right, we were talking about peoples of color in the U.S Senate. Your three senators of color are Tim Scott and Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz.
CROSS
CALDWELL: Of Republicans.
CROSSL Sorry, I was going say Bob Menendez — but that’s not what I meant. My apologies.
CALDWELL – We are starting from a base that is not great.
CROSS: Yeah.
CALDWELL
CROSS: Yeah.
CALDWELL — People feel comfortable with what you’re doing here, right?”
CROSS: Yes, tokenism at some level.
CALDWELL, That is tokenism. So, “I’m not a man, but I’m anti-abortion.”
CROSS: Yeah.
CALDWELL — And I would never –,” right.
CROSS: “I am black, but I oppose affirmative action.”
CALDWELL: “I’m back–. “Exactly, right?
CROSS: Yeah.
CALDWELL – Every single one. The problem is at the ballot box, where, regardless of whether we like it or not, some of these GOP candidates resonate with those very audiences.
CROSS: Yeah.
CALDWELL
CROSS: Wow.
CALDWELL
We’ve discussed white women, but let’s not forget about them.
CROSS: Okay, okay.
CALDWELL: But Hispanics-Caldwell
CROSS: Yeah.
CALDWELL — Black and Brown Voters
CROSS: Yeah.
CALDWELL –to put it another way, we see you, but we don’t take your position for granted. We’re going to be a contrast to what you’re hearing from these GOP candidates that aren’t in your corner.
CROSS: Yeah.
CALDWELL: –whatsoever.
