CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin echoed Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean on the subject of "diversity" in the Republican Party during CNN’s Tuesday evening coverage of the Republican convention: "I'd just like to make an observation about sort of the night as a whole. Fred Thompson, George Bush, Joe Lieberman -- the Republican Party, are they the party of old, white guys? I mean, this is who the Republican Party put forward first, and the only other people there were wives.... It is not a diverse party. It is not a party where women have had great success" [audio available here].
During an August 15 interview with NPR, Dean made the following remark about the apparent success of minorities and women in the Democratic Party: "If you look at folks of color, even women, they’re more successful in the Democratic Party than they are in the white, uh, excuse me, in the Republican Party." Three years earlier in 2005, he called the GOP a "white Christian party."
Host Anderson Cooper had asked Toobin to respond to a comment that had just been made by conservative commentator Amy Holmes, who compared Joe Lieberman’s appearance at the Republican convention that night to Zell Miller’s famous appearance at the 2004 Republican convention. Cooper, responding to Holmes, remarked to Toobin that "Zell Miller never was going to be [the] vice-presidential candidate for the Democratic Party." The senior legal analyst for CNN replied, " No, that's an understatement. Zell Miller was certainly not close to that."
Toobin then continued on the "problem that the Republican Party has," which, in his view, is its apparent lack of "diversity:"
TOOBIN: I'd just like to make an observation about sort of the night as a whole. Fred Thompson, George Bush, Joe Lieberman -- the Republican Party, are they the party of old, white guys? I mean, this is who the Republican Party put forward first, and the only other people there were wives. I just think that is a problem that the Republican Party has. It is not a diverse party. It is not a party where women have had great success. Sarah Palin, perhaps, will be a -- will be a great exception to that. But -- this is a very different party from the Democratic Party. You look around that convention hall. It's a very different group of people than you see in the Democratic Party. The country's changing -- I'm not sure the Republican Party is.
On August 25, during CNN’s coverage of the first night of the Democratic convention, Toobin complained about the lack of "red meat" from the speakers: "There is one big missing piece tonight I think, which is why the American people should throw the bums out. We haven't heard one word about that. We have the most unpopular President in American history, and he's barely been mentioned tonight. I just think that is an extraordinary gap..."
—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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Diversity?
September 3, 2008 - 01:08 ET by BlondeSarah Palin
Lynn Swann
Michael Steele
Bobby Jindal
Kay Bailey Hutchinson
Iliana Ros Lehtinen
Lincoln Diaz Balart
Mel Martinez
Is that enough? Well, sorry, we don't have any luuuuunatics like Cynthia McKinney. Oh well.
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
List making is generaly not
September 3, 2008 - 01:28 ET by NL207List making is generaly not useful. There are always omissions and new instances. You have omitted Colin Powell, Condileeza Rice, and J. C. Watts as good examples. There are many, many more, too many to name individually.
Dirt Breath Dean is just playing the 'race' and 'gender' cards again. He is not worth the powder.
I omitted them on purpose
September 3, 2008 - 09:13 ET by BlondeI was going for the "off the beaten path" names, rather than well known ones.
That took all of about four seconds.
I am truly sick and tired of the absurdity.
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
More Republican Firsts!
September 3, 2008 - 11:41 ET by bradbenj5952Let's not forget, the first 5 women elected to the U.S. House of Representatives were Republicans; Jeannette Rankin (1917-1919, 1941-1943), Alice Mary Robertson (1921-1923), Winnifred S. Huck (1922-1923), Mae Ella Nolan (1923-1925), & Florence P. Kahn (1925-1937). Source: http://womenshistory...
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:31
That is a lie.
September 3, 2008 - 01:09 ET by well99Bush Cabinet compared to Clinton Cabinet.Case Closed.Some talk about it others do it.
Hey Tool, I mean Toobin
September 3, 2008 - 02:07 ET by JeffWeimerIt’s because the Republican party doesn’t have a quotas
(I’m sorry, goals) for their convention delegates. Or didn't you research that?
Frankly, I find it the meanest form of identity politics, for it panders to the lowest common denominator - those that pay no or little attention to politics and party agendas. It also leaves the impression of “looking like America”, but it also papers over and reinforces the
notion of ideological purity - you can look different, but you have to think the same.
Is that what drives you? Is that as far as you can think - skin
deep? The Democrat party welcomes you. The Republican party urges you
to look and think more critically.
Thanks!
September 3, 2008 - 09:24 ET by TheCynicThat's a great link. Just used it in another forum where someone brought up how the Republicans are all "white guys". Very interesting to see that the Democrats are using quotas. Oh, sorry, "diversity seats". That's a much better word for it.
Toobin is a Nitwit
September 3, 2008 - 13:21 ET by Captain KirockWe've all been watching his pathetic, shallow DNC inspired analysis for years now.
Does anyone consider him a serious news/legal analyst? When there is a breaking legal story, does ANYONE in this world look to Toobin for any insightful analysis at all? All you ever get from him is DNC talking points. He is as interesting as this morning's half eaten piece of toast.
Oh look, I just found a diverse group of women..
September 3, 2008 - 02:16 ET by mastersofdeceitThat didn't take long.
Guess what party and state they are from.
Whereas The Democrat party had to beat, bribe and kill it's way into "diversity"
Did Jeff Tokin not see the blacks at the convention? One waiving a cowboy hat.
For more Diversity, see what I said here.
I thought his comment was extraordinarily thick in the face
September 3, 2008 - 02:41 ET by DaMavof the Republican Vice Presidential nominee. And a tribute to the stupidity of the whole commentatary team that nobody bothered to point that out to him.
CNN- The DNC's Race Baiting Tabloid
September 3, 2008 - 05:01 ET by DamianoI am so furious with CNN. The media has sunken to a new low over the past weekend. At least MSNBC gave up on trying to pretend to be a legitimate news organization some time ago.
Don Imus was fired for less inflammatory remarks than I have heard from Campbell Brown (tirade about Palin being an irresponsible mother) Blitzer's (hourly attacks on a 17 year old girl during a hurricane). Now there is this blatantly false and slanderous garbage.
Their claims of "no bias, no bull" used to be laughable, but have now denegrated to obscene.
Holding up the DNC as the poster child for diversity not only ignores this parties less than progressive role in race relations before 1970 or so and the disgusting, racial attacks made by it's members in this year's primary in TN and the barely disguised race baiting by Barack Obam; it is also an insult to the Republican parties exemplary record by comparison and it's numerous and distiguished members who do not fall into Toobin's repulisive allegation.
The joke is over. It was funny for a while, but that time is over. Decisive and comprehensive action and reform are needed.
DNC or D&C
September 3, 2008 - 05:13 ET by Cool ArrowDNC? I thought it was D&C (Dilation and Curettage, a common form of abortion)
LYDSEXICS UNTIE!
I'm still wondering, months later now
September 3, 2008 - 05:26 ET by sarcasmoWhether CNN's Toobin was ever able to track down CNN's Dobbs WRT the NAFTA Superhighway's existence. (I know, I've mocked him before on that one, but it's fun to rub some salt in clueless old media wounds sometimes!)
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Diverse...diverse...diverse...
September 3, 2008 - 08:25 ET by HeavyChevyI am so sick and tired of hearing or reading that damn word, I want freaking experience is that to hard to ask for these days!!!!
"9 out of 10 doctors agree that flag burning is the number one killer of liberals."
As is to be expected of the liberals
September 3, 2008 - 08:46 ET by c5thenThose who harbor racist thoughts and views are usually the first to accuse others of being racist.
Diversity for diversity's sake usually winds up diminishing the organization and diluting it's message. The reason why so many diffrerent kinds of people associate with the Democratic party is because they will change their message to appeal to the audience. Just look at Obama. He says very different things depending on who the audience is.
Diversity in a political party ought to come about because the political ideas and message are being embraced by more and more of the poulation, not because the party changes it's message based on what part of the population it is currently trying to 'win over'.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
Diversity will blow up
November 4, 2008 - 09:30 ET by Dennis DThe biggest loser of this election will be Israel. Despite his campaign rhetoric Obama is obviously sympathetic to Palestinians and not Israelis. Obama has embraced such nasty Anti Semites as Rev Wright and Farrahkan while his campaign is run by Liberal Jews. Will the radicals who created Obama win over the Jews who funded and helped elect him? With 75% of the Jewish vote going to Obama I can speak for myself and other conservatives. We will no longer support Israel.. Good Luck with Iran.