Redstate

No, we do not disagree. I only meant to convey my thought that we approached the subject a bit differently. Sorry I was not articulate enough to make that clear.

I personally would be ecstatic the day the GOP can seat someone with the name Muhammad in either the House or the Senate.

Romney/Pace 2008

Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion

I'd be about as ecstatic if we could just get a black man elected Governor or into a House seat; Jindal's victory in Louisiana is probably one of the best things to happen to the GOP in a very long time - if we are able to parlay it properly. Fundamentally, it (the election of black/Muslim/Asian/etc. Republican) wouldn't mean anything is different about America or the GOP.

In the realm of politics however, it would be a major blow to the popular perception of the GOP as being a Party with a closed door policy towards minorities - whether it be racial, religious or ethnic. It's not an accurate perception but it exists and we continue to do ourselves a disservice by ignoring it.

The vast plurality of the electorate (i.e. the "middle") votes based on perceptions - primarily centered around the candidate but in huge part influenced by the popular view of each candidate's party. It's the reason why Democrats are more vulnerable to charges of insufficient patriotism than Republicans and why Republicans are very much more vulnerable to shrieks of "racism!" ...

If George Allen had been a Democrat, "macaca" would have been like water off a duck's back. But because he's a Republican its potential to torpedo his campaign was exponentially higher ... and it did.

Much as I fear a slippery slope into full fledged racial preference policies, I think Republicans ought to begin a massive effort into headhunting as many members of minority communities into a farm team of future challengers and successors, and, yes, that includes Muslims.

And not necessarily because I am a Muslim myself.

Romney/Pace 2008

we stand for nothing....Republicanism is based on attraction to something not to the nothing that represents Democrats....how many people have you seen who say "I didn't leave the Democrat Party they left me"....the day Republican's start down the "slippery slope" of identity politics is the day I say "I didn't leave the Republican Party it left me".

Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion

Precisely because Martin is not advocating for affirmative action. Affirmative action is about equality of outcomes. What Martin, and I for that matter, want is a broad recruitment effort in the minority communities to show that conservatism is color blind. That way we have a greater pool to select from.

communities will make a difference the Democrats have co-opted that memo that they are the party of diversity and the MSM helps them keep it alive.....Do you remember President Bush asking blacks for their vote? He didn't get it and he never would....Democrats never ask for the minority vote it is a given....Republicans are not going to break the back of that which is no longer theirs....I understand the desire to attempt it but it will not make any difference....I personally am hoping for Hillary to go all the way to the convention and "steal" the nomination just for us to jump in and take the minority vote....I don't think that will happen but I like yourself and Martin "HOPE" for it.

Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion

"the ones who were largely responsible for the attack on US Embassy, so how can one realistically hope they can be negotiated with?"

Ask Ollie North

Based on the results, I'm pretty sure that he'd say that no, they can't be realistically negotiated with.

"A man does what he can and endures what he must."

this is a bit simplistic in all honesty. the relationship between the united states and iran is a bit more complicated than just the take over of the embassy (even that was a fairly complex ordeal).

i'm not trying to be an apologist for the islamic republic, far from it. but to engage the current regime requires a more nuanced understanding of the history of interaction.

briefly: we can look back to the constitutional revolution in the early 20th century as a signal of progressive (albeit ill informed) strains of political thought in the country. or perhaps the 1953 CIA sponsored coup of prime minister mossadegh which is a very, very sour point even amongst those within iranian who have sympathies for the west. or perhaps consider the substantial aid to the shah's infrastructure of thuggery, primarily the SAVAK, from the US.

now of course, the current regime has done quite a bit to exacerbate the situation. this is hardly arguable. but it takes two to tango. i guess that is my point.

of course its simplistic. it wasnt meant to be taken quite so literally. the point is that Obama's view is even more simplistic and much more dangerously naive.

I'm told that "jaan meekh khain" means "incoming nuclear weapons" in Farsi

"A man does what he can and endures what he must."

in Farsi?