A Hill Worth Dying On?
Here in Ohio our wonderful new governor, John Kasich, has stepped in racial quicksand: Among his 23 cabinet appointments, there is not a single minority.
Big deal, says Kasich: "I don't look at things from the standpoint of any of those sorts of metrics that people tend to focus on, race or age, or any of those things...I want the best possible team I can get, and, hopefully, we will be in a position that we are fully diverse as we go forward."
Rep. Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland), president of the Ohio Black Caucus, will have none of it. As she explains, since 12.1% of Ohio is black, 12.1% of Kasich's cabinet should be black....and she intends to take legal action to make it so (whatever that means, though you just know Eric Holder will be involved).
It's been over a week since the kerfuffle began, but Kasich's not giving an inch, despite some devestating press coverage, most especially from the Cleveland Plain Dealer (the Pain Feeler, as we call it) and the Columbus Dispatch.
Question: Given both the consevative principle at stake but also the importance of the popularity of Ohio's Republican governor as we approach 2012, do we say, "Give'm steel, John!" or "Give in."?
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Jul '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
Um, how many blacks voted for Kasich? Live by the racial spoils system, die by the racial spoils system.
Aug '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
I think it was foolish not to appoint any people of colour in the first place, because in today's day and age any politician with an iota of savvy should recognize that they're just asking for a headache if they don't do it. It may be unfortunate, but it's reality.
That being said, now that it's been done, he absolutely should NOT give in. He would end up looking weak and the opposition would just take it as an invitation to cause even more trouble. A chief executive needs to stand firm on the decisions he makes. He would lose far more respect by flip-flopping than he'll lose for the original decision.
Dec '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
I am so tired of this crap. Williams is fighting for turf, not for rights.
If a governor is expected to get the very best people available for a position, and they can justify that position, the color of skin of the appointee is, at the very least, secondary.
Williams should be asked repeatedly if she believes there's any truth in MLK's famous line about color and character.
May '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
Exactly! And Kasich's the type of guy who will make just this point if they keep pushing.
Can I put you down for "Give'm steel, John!"?
May '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
I should note that Kasich says he offered positions early on to two minorities, but they refused.
Aug '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
That does, indeed, mitigate my opinion, a little. I wouldn't expect him to bang his head against a wall just to fill a seat with a person of colour. I just hope he had a communications plan in place before officially announcing the cabinet appointments. His team HAD to know this would be a PR issue.
May '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
Misthiocracy
His team HAD to know this would be a PR issue. · Jan 28 at 1:27pm
Ya, he's very shoot-from-the-hip, which is refreshing but also problematic.
May '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
Kasich is one of the few state politicians outside my own state that I'm familiar with. I watched him occasionally guest-host for either Beck or O'Reilly years ago, and he seemed like a good egg.
He's doing the right thing. We'll never get beyond all the PC and Affirmative Action nonsense without headaches like this. He's made his point. Now he should ignore the accusations until Williams abuses the law to force her way.
If she can use the courts to force Affirmative Action in cabinet selection, that's when he needs to be loud and clear. If liberals are going to spit on the Constitution and common sense, make them do it in clear sight of the public and don't let voters forget it.
Draw the line. Make a stand. That's what the Tea Party movement is all about.
May '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
I also get the feeling, Aaron and Jerry, that in a post-Obama world, more and more people are responding to this stuff with rolling eyes. We've got a black president for godsakes.
Jun '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
Governor Kasich's response should be to pardon that young mother who just went to jail for sending her kid to a better school. Let principled action speak for him.
Jul '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
A hill worth dying on? Heck, how about a hill worth taking and conquering.
Hopefully every One of His Cabinet Members has the steel to say," I'm qualified for My position."
How many Members of the Ohio Black Caucus are white?
May '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
Nice. I stand corrected.
That "Berlin Wall" moment would triple enrollment in suburban schools by next week. Might be worth it.
Oct '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
Ken Blackwell and Michael Steele need to come visit us in the Ohio capital city and set the record straight. This tactic of attacking Republicans with the racism charge must be fought at every battle line.
May '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
Give 'em steel! We're supposed to be past all of this racism miasma. In that utopian society the leftist tout no one has a skin color because we're all God's (or... some universal deity character) children. Pahleeeese! The truth is more in line with keeping racism alive. And that is Sandra Williams' real motivation.
Nov '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
Advice to Governor Kasich:
Act like a man and defend your statement! You are not alone...
May '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
JFK chose LBJ in order to "balance the ticket" geographically. This sort of thing happens constantly in national politics. BHO chose Biden to provide young-old/insider-outsider balance. Isn't choosing for white/black balance the same thing.? It's just political common sense.
Oct '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
What ever happened to simply picking the right person for the right job ???
If the Guv. were black, he or she would appoint blacks and not whites, sorry to say..
Just who is keeping racism alive here...
Nov '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
Fix bayonets!
Whatever advice any of us might have given Governor Kasich before he announced his selections, there is NOTHING GOOD that can come from knuckling under to such silly people now.
Governor Kasich is supposed to be a man of personal and political courage; let him display it now and give this person what she deserves: not the time of day.
May '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
I wonder what percentage of black Ohians have the kind of education and professional background that puts them in the running for high office?
I'm with Casey. This could be an opportunity for the governor to "raise consciousness" about school choice, fatherless families, welfare dependency--the false and failed liberal policies that are keeping black Americans disproportionately down and out.
If there's a conservative out there who wouldn't warmly welcome more African-Americans at the highest level of every field of human endeavor, I haven't ever bumped into him (or her.)
But the way is personal qualification, not political patronage.
Edited on Jan 28, 2011 at 6:56pmDec '10
Re: A Hill Worth Dying On?
Facts, reason, and logic do not apply here. This is purely a political smear. Kasich didn't appoint a black! Or a non-white minority! This means he is de facto a racist and bigot. Because obviously there were many, many qualified minority candidates available who agreed with him and with the policies he wanted to implement. And if there weren't that too is evidence of racism and bigotry.