A huge Ohio GOP OOOPS . . . and the media buries it

[zbdent]

From the Akron Beacon Journal:

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/2006/04/16/news/14355263.htm

Here's the "OOOPS" -

It's early evening on the last day of March when Blackwell arrives at the Carroll County Republican Party's annual Lincoln Day Dinner. Inside the Atwood Yacht Club in Dellroy, a couple hundred party faithful are busy finding a seat in the crowded banquet room.

Blackwell is the only black man in the room.

As guests make their way to the buffet line, Mike Clarett, a field representative for the secretary of state's office and Youngstown City Councilman Richard Atkinson, Blackwell's Mahoning County campaign chairman, arrive late.

They increase the African-American population of the room to three.

With every seat taken, Clarett and Atkinson squeeze onto a bench in the back of the room at a table that had been used by the women collecting tickets at the door. A middle-aged woman approaches the table, glances at a photo of Blackwell on the program and extends her hand to Clarett: ``Mr. Blackwell, I presume?''

Clarett nearly chokes on his pork tenderloin, laughs, shakes his head and tells her: ```We don't all look alike.''

Atkinson offers to introduce the woman to Blackwell and escorts her to the head table. She later reappears, still clutching her program, and tells Clarett that the only difference between him and Blackwell is that Blackwell has ``just a few more freckles.''

[tanyev]

1. Really not understanding why these guys want to be Republicans.

[GOTV]

2. There's a political market for Black Republicans...

... and they're exploiting it.

[tanyev]

3. It's got to be galling when there are only 3 black men in the room

and they still can't tell you apart.

[zbdent]

4. Yeah, but I bet the money train leaves the station

when the Repukes get their quota . . .

[OzarkDem]

5. No doubt

I can't imagine the GOP sharing the wealth to that degree.