Another official, racist, email from the GOP

When I told a British friend about the email that was sent out last week from the Pennsylvania GOP, likening voting for Barack Obama to the Holocaust, and falsely alleging that Mr. Obama “taught members of Acorn to commit voter registration fraud,’” he was flabbergasted. In Britain, he pointed out, the newspapers would be all over this. In the US such outrage is reserved for $200 haircuts. The story seemed to have no traction here.

Anyway, here’s another outrageous email from a GOP leader, this time in Florida, where it’s of great concern that so many black people are coming out to vote, and that this might result in a black president. I wonder if this will get as little attention as the Pennsylvania story?

Temple Terrace, Florida – The long lines of early voters at the Temple Terrace Library have caused concern for the Republican Headquarters a block away. It has also caused a major storm in local politics.

The head of the Hillsborough GOP, David Storck, distributed an email from a Republican Party volunteer saying the voters are a threat.

That’s because, as the volunteer says in the email, he sees “car loads of black Obama supporters coming from the inner city to cast their votes for Obama.”

It goes on to say, “This is their chance to get a black president and they seem to care little the he is at minimum a socialist and probably Marxist in his core beliefs.” The Republican volunteer says that is because, “After all he is black- no experience or accomplishments but he is black.”

Hillsborough Commissioner Kevin White says, “There’s no place in our community for those types of views.” White, who can’t believe the email was distributed, says Storck should resign.

White says when he reads emails like this, he realizes hatred and racism is still alive and well.

Storck says he didn’t pay enough attention to the email before he sent it out. “Now I know that was a mistake. I never should have done it. I do not agree with the statement or anything else. That’s not what we’re all about.”

Despite Storck’s apology, Curtis Stokes, an African American Republican who is also the head of the Tampa NAACP chapter, echoes White’s call for Storck to resign.

Earlier in the day in Sarasota, Barack Obama told supporters that America is five days away from change and color doesn’t matter; anybody can be president. But it seems not everybody feels that way.

Obama supporter Terrance Dryseale, who is African American, says “Of course there still is racism and a lot of people have said they don’t want to vote for a black man.”

The e-mail sent out by a chairman of a major political party drives that point home.

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