“Reaching out to our key constituency groups — including African Americans — is not a pilot project for the Ohio Democratic Party,” said Kirstin Alvanitakis of the ODP.
Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus highlighted a new direction for the party in terms of reaching out to the black community.
He said this election year will see the GOP get on its feet again. “It’s important this month to pause, reflect, and commemorate the legacy of African-Americans throughout American history.”
Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus highlighted a new direction for the party in terms of reaching out to the black community in remarks made during a Black History Month celebration in Columbus.
The event was co-hosted by the Republican National Committee and the Ohio Republican Party, and was organized to honor black Republicans from Ohio, and release details regarding “statewide engagement efforts in communities of color, and recruited applicants for the Republican Leadership Initiative (RLI),” Priebus said before making his remarks, which were delivered via video as his flight to the event was cancelled due to the inclement weather.
“But in politics, history is not enough. Voters want to know ‘What have you done for me lately?’” Priebus noted in his video statement. “So when they ask, tell them, it’s Republicans leading the fight to empower parents and families with the ability to decide where their children go to school. Republicans are the vanguard of the education reform movement because we believe that your last name, or the street you grew up on, shouldn’t determine where you go to school or the quality of your education.”
The discussion at the RNC event turned towards the RLI recruitment initiative that the GOP hopes to see blossom in Ohio and places like Butler County where the base does very well.
“RLI is a six-week national training program to equip grassroots leaders with the skills they need to work as professional field organizers in a presidential cycle and is a key aspect of the RNC’s 2016 ground game strategy that will help groom the next generation of trained Republican field staff,” according to Orlando Watson of the RNC.
Priebus added that this election year will see the GOP get on its feet again, adding, “it’s important this month to pause, reflect, and commemorate the legacy of African-Americans throughout American history.”
“I know that everyone in the political world and the media is focused on the presidential election. And that’s a good thing for our party. We’re seeing extraordinary voter turnout on our side and record viewership for our debates,” he said. “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, ‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.’”
The Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) was happy to see the GOP recognize Black History Month, but wasn’t impressed with the event.
“Reaching out to our key constituency groups — including African Americans — is not a pilot project for the Ohio Democratic Party,” said Kirstin Alvanitakis of the ODP. “It’s not something we hold celebratory programs about to pat ourselves on the back. It’s something we are committed to doing 365 days a year, year in and year out, because we believe we need to be in the community, talking with voters and addressing their concerns.”
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