CNN contributor Roland Martin quipped on Wednesday that "I'm a black man at a Republican convention. Of course I stand out." Martin then went after black RNC speaker Artur Davis as a "political fraud."
"[Y]ou can have Artur Davis, former Democrat, we don't know what he is now, with that ridiculous speech he gave last night, I call him a political fraud, he is," sounded Martin. [Video below the break.]
Martin was none too happy about Artur Davis' Tuesday speech at the RNC, and grilled him over, among other things, not reaching out to President Obama during the health care debate. Martin also attacked Davis on Twitter after his CNN appearance, accusing him of a "punk move" for not promising to come on Martin's TV One show.
Davis, for his part, responded via The Daily Caller, saying "“I have zero interest in going on Roland Martin’s show because there aren’t too many people who are potential voters who watch Roland Martin’s show for a Mitt Romney candidate."
ROLAND MARTIN: I'm a black man at a Republican convention. Of course I stand out.
(...)
CAROL COSTELLO: I wanted to talk about the Republicans and their featured speakers. Most of them were young. Many of them were not white. Mia Love, Ted Cruz, Nikki Haley, Artur Davis. Republicans say this is the new Republican Party. Is it? Anna?
MARTIN: Okay, the Republicans have been saying – the Republicans have been saying this is the new Republican Party every time they have one of these conventions. It's not a question of who you put on the stage to give a speech. It's who is voting for you at the ballot box.
ANA NAVARRO: All right, Carol. Now introduce me as Roland so I can answer.
MARTIN: When you look at the numbers, the bottom line is, the question is, you can have Artur Davis, former Democrat, we don't know what he is now, with that ridiculous speech he gave last night, I call him a political fraud, he is. You look at Mia Love, she is running for Congress. But you have to connect with the voters as opposed to this person, this person here. That's where the rubber meets the road.
COSTELLO: I do want you to weigh in, Ana, since you're the Republican, and I must say that Mia Love kind of stole the show yesterday. But go on, go on Ana.
NAVARRO: Look I think you're seeing these diverse faces on stage because they are part of the party, because they are winning elections as part of the party. Whether my friend Roland likes it or not –
MARTIN: Well, actually Mia hasn't won one, Artur hasn't won one as a Republican.
(Crosstalk)
NAVARRO: Let me talk a little bit this morning. Calm down, take your meds and let me get some time in. I'll tell you what's a fact. The fact is we have got the – the Republicans have got five elected statewide office holders to your one. You have Bob Menendez. We have got five Republican rising stars that are Hispanics. We have got Marco Rubio. We've got Susanna Martinez, we've got Brian Sandoval, And they are not niche Hispanics, and they are not niche minority.
(Crosstalk)
