Michael Jackson: Sinner or Saint?

by Javier E. David

The exact cause of death has yet to be determined; but even still, Michael Jackson is quickly proving as controversial in death as he was in life.

The iconic singer’s tragic and untimely demise on June 25^th triggered spontaneous outpourings of commemoration and grief across the world. In the process, Jackson’s death managed to eclipse news of the death of another entertainment powerhouse, “Charlie’s Angels” alumna Farrah Fawcett.

Even Michael Jackson’s sharpest critics will acknowledge his enormous talent, even as they decry his controversial and increasingly unsettling personal choices. An article in today New York Times succinctly captured the singer this way:

Mr. Jackson was a global pop icon whose behavior and appearance turned more bizarre as his career went into decline and he appeared more frail in recent years. He was haunted by lawsuits, failed plastic surgery and, according to several reports, had debts of hundreds of millions of dollars. As reports about the pop star’s shaky health and finances began to emerge, legions of grief-stricken fans around the world were swept up in spontaneous flower-laden memorials and emotional tributes.

The circumstances of his death – and the relentless media circus that often surrounded him when he was alive – has provoked a debate about whether Michael Jackson’s artistic accomplishments can (or should) ever be separated from the tortured and dysfunctional existence he led.

Over at the National Review, contributor Jonah Goldberg sounded off earlier today in a thoughtful piece on the saturation coverage and hagiographic treatment Jackson has received from major media outlets. In their rush to honor Jackson, many of these same reporters managed to largely whitewash the singer’s numerous personal imbroglios over the years.

For certain, Goldberg make very legitimate arguments. The mainstream media often demonstrate a frustrating tendency to vilify and sensationalize public figures in life, only to deify them once they depart this mortal coil. Despite his sensational success on stage, Jackson became more associated with his poor judgment and delusional behavior when he was out of the spotlight, which in the latter part of his life managed to dwarf his professional accomplishments.

In their portrayals of Michael Jackson the artist and Michael Jackson the man, both critics and his apologists are correct: he was a gifted singer and dancer worthy of accolades, yet his personal demons will always make him a tragic figure in the eyes of many. Clearly Jackson was a controversial, complex and melancholy figure, but his legions of fans worldwide tend to separate the talent from the physicality which housed it.

Though according to some, therein lay Jackson’s problem:

In many ways his tragedy was to mistake attention for love. I will never forget what he said when we sat down to record 40 hours of conversations where he would finally reveal himself for a book I authored. He turned to me and said these haunting words: "I am going to say something I have never said before and this is the truth. I have no reason to lie to you and God knows I am telling the truth. I think all my success and fame, and I have wanted it, I have wanted it because I wanted to be loved. That's all. That's the real truth. I wanted people to love me, truly love me, because I never really felt loved. I said I know I have an ability. Maybe if I sharpened my craft, maybe people will love me more. I just wanted to be loved because I think it is very important to be loved and to tell people that you love them and to look in their eyes and say it."

In short, the coverage of his death is largely representative of the chiaroscuro effect his fame cast on his everyday life. King of pop, or pederast? Music icon, or washed-up pop singer? While history will be the ultimate arbiter, it will probably rule in favor of all of the above.



Javier E. David is a native New Yorker and a contributor to HipHopRepublican.com. He writes about various subjects including popular culture, entertainment, business, finance and public policy for sites such as Parcbench.com and Examiner.com. He is a U.S. Army veteran who has worked on Wall Street and as a reporter for the international news agency Reuters. Fluent in Spanish, Javier is an avid sports fan and enjoys literature, music (especially independent hip-hop and soul), movies, good food and wine, and is also a self-confessed comic-book geek.

Q&A: Dambisa Moyo

Dambisa Moyo, author of “Dead Aid: Why Aid is not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa.” The book argues that western financial aid to African countries has actually hurt instead of helped.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3hZAgbuWsM

Program from Sunday, April 5, 2009.

VIDEO: Ryan Frazier: A New Way Forward

HT- Booker Rising

Mr. Frazier, who sits on the city council in Aurora - Colorado's third largest city - is running for the U.S. Senate in 2010. The 32-year-old politico is already on the campaign trail and lining up some endorsements. He is a moderate-conservative Republican (fiscal conservative/social moderate/foreign policy conservative), with a libertarian streak. Too bad ol' boy ain't running in my home state of Illinois because he is singing much of my tune:

Ryan Frazier on Blog Talk Radio: Sunday at 1pm

HHR Blog Radio is proud to have Aurora, Colorado councilman and business exec Ryan Frazier as our guest on this weeks show. Ryan is seeking a Colorado Senate seat in 2010 and is being called by many commentators as a rising star in the GOP often touted by some as "The Republican Obama".

Ryan will be on this Sunday at 1:00 PM --don't miss it!

About the show: The Andrew Simon show is a new online podcast sponsored by HipHopRepublican.com and will consist of interviews and opinions by award wining host Andrew Simon.

Date / Time: 6/21/2009 1:00 PM - This Sunday at 1pm tune in!!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hhr - Link to show or you can listen to the show on the blog.

About Ryan:

A husband and father of three, a military veteran, a small businessman, an elected representative, and co-founder of a pre-K through 8th grade public charter school - these are a few experiences that have so far shaped the life of Ryan Frazier.

Ryan grew up in a working poor neighborhood that often was characterized by good and earnest people having to endure pressing circumstances around struggling schools, rising crime, and no matter the economic conditions, rarely enough good paying jobs. He was raised by a strong mother who worked two jobs, at times, to provide her three boys all that she could. His mother is his hero and she raised Ryan and his brothers to have faith in God, to do what's right, and to go make a life for themselves. So it was when Ryan started out with his wife, Kathy, she was pregnant with their first child and all they had to their name was a Honda Civic, a 13 inch TV, a pillow, a blanket, and their clothes! That's it. Yet, they also had a dream - that somehow, some way, they would make a life for themselves.

Ryan believes that every Coloradoan, every American wants to make a life for themselves and their families and that's why liberty matters so much. He is motivated to work for a Colorado that's prosperous with jobs and business, where everyone has an opportunity to make a life for themselves, and the liberty to live their life as they believe best.

Ryan Frazier was elected to the Aurora City Council in November 2003 and re-elected in 2007. He serves as an At-Large member representing all of Aurora's 312,000 citizens in Colorado's third largest city. As an elected representative, he has worked as member of a non-partisan council to balance budgets over $750 million, to support the $4.2 billion public/private life-sciences city on the former Fitzsimmons Army Medical base, and to shape a community where folks can live, work, and play. He has led on advancing Cop-Link, a now statewide effort to connect law enforcement agencies with critical information, he garnered unanimous support for small business enterprise goals in Aurora while striving to eliminate the business personal property tax, and he fought to have one of Colorado's few ‘boundless playgrounds' designed for disabled-children, so that every child can have access to a playground.

He is also a business partner in a small Information Technology business, Takara Systems, that delivers web-based solutions to clients of various sizes throughout the world. Previously, he worked in the Telecommunications industry with Avaya and the Aerospace industry with Raytheon. Ryan served 5 years in the U.S. Navy, assigned to the National Security Agency, where he played an instrumental role in helping defend our country. He led a team of intelligence analysts and reporters responsible for a high-priority mission critical to national security. It was during his Naval service that he truly learned what service to one's country meant and it was from this life experience that he embraced the core values of honor, courage, and commitment.

Growing up, Ryan saw and experienced the opportunities afforded those with an education and the lack of opportunities for those without one. This is why he deeply understands the importance of every child having a good education and is a founding board member of Highpoint Academy, a Pre-K through 8th grade public charter school that will educate over 600 students per year. Ryan and Kathy put their children where "their mouths are at" by enrolling all three of their children into Highpoint. He has also served on Colorado's Private Occupational School Board, is currently a board member of Africa Agenda, and he is a national advisory board member with Engineers Without Borders, which helps underdeveloped and developing communities in places throughout Africa, South America, and Asia to engineer quality of life improvements such as clean water.

Ryan Frazier has unyielding faith in the power of freedom & principle. He will advance a freer, more prosperous Colorado with more opportunities for folks to make a life for themselves. He supports free markets and will uphold fiscally prudent, common-sense, and responsible government.

He is a graduate of Columbia College (B.A.) and Regis University (M.S.). Married to Kathy, their diamonds are their children - Jalen, Sven, & Elise.

The Republican Party And Its Potential Influence With The African-American Base

by Demetrius Minor

The historic election of Barack Obama was indeed an electrifying moment for the United States. The election of the first African-American President was a monumental step in racial equality and harmony. It was truly a sign that America is the land of opportunity and that regardless of race, people can succeed.

In particular, the Democratic party has historically seen high number of African-Americans vote for their candidates. African-Americans turned out in droves to elect Obama. Obama has not been the only African-American Democrat to capture the attention of blacks. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Charlie Rangel and others have become a beacon in the Democratic Party.

I will not waste my time addressing issues of the past regarding the Republican Party and its relationship with the African-American community. However, I will talk about how the GOP can move forward and establish a good relationship with the black community.

1.) The GOP must ATTEMPT to outreach to the black community. If the GOP will put forth the effort, African-Americans will listen. Blacks are not one-side minded people. They are very diverse in thinking, acting, and…living. Many blacks are frustrated with the GOP because they feel ignored. One of the ways the GOP can regroup and revitalize is to have “kitchen-table” talks with blacks, hear their ideas, and provide solutions.

2.) The GOP must realize that many blacks are socially conservative-minded. Family values are a huge concern and the central part of the African-American family. The culture of life is indeed sacred and valuable to the black community. With regards to the detrimental and devasting outcome of slavery and segregation policies regarding the lives of blacks, the African-American community deeply knows how precious life is. It was Martin Luther King, Jr and others who proclaimed that God is not a respecter of persons and that all men should be equal, therefore the culture of life reigns as an integral factor in many African-American lives.

3.) The GOP must have a sound economic message. Blacks for many years have been victims of economic disparity. They know how it is to work hard for minimum wages to provide food and shelter for their families. While many Caucasian individuals have seen wealth at the top of the economic ladder, many blacks have been in economic bondage. While The Obama Administration continues to expand government by massive spending, which is causing the national debt to increase, the GOP must counteract with a message that is helpful. Many African-Americans believe that they can achieve their goals and pursue their dreams without the government interfering. For so long governments have made promises that have turned up being empty. The GOP must proclaim its message of fiscal conservatism to the black community, so that their children and grandchildren do not have to spend their lives paying off the government’s debt, but can pursue the American dream joyfully.

In Michigan alone, where there is a heavy African-American presence, the GOP can do some serious outreach, This state, under heavy Democratic leadership, has seen its economic system turn to decay. With the auto industry, located in Michigan, fall to the captivity of bankruptcy, the GOP has an opportunity to emerge and help out the black community by making them aware that they will not only pay for Chrysler’s and GM’s incompetence, but that the government is making it worse on them by making them pay for their lack of discipline.

4.) The GOP should outreach starting in a non-election cycle. African-Americans and minorities in general, find it highly offensive when politicians try to reach out to them months before an election. Since the GOP is not in majority right now, they have the perfect opportunity to go into the African-American community and share its ideas and concerns. Showing up right before an election appears phony and simply “staged.” The GOP should not be afraid to go in the ghettos and the inner cities to outreach. The time for simply allowing the Democratic party to take advantage of the black vote is over. The GOP needs to take a visit to Black America and let its presence be known. They need to make their presence known on black radio, black television, magazines, etc. They should not be dominated by fear or anxiety, but be confident, optimistic and sincere.

5.) The GOP should avoid any slanderous commentary. The GOP should not advocate anything racial slanders or commentary regarding Barack Obama, his nominees, Cabinet or any elected official. While I do not advocate racial slanders, I do not believe the GOP should not provide an alternative message to Obama’s and the Democratic party’s “government-only” message. Like I previously said, African-Americans are not one-side minded people. They like to hear the issue being portrayed from different sources. Just because many voted for Obama does not mean they will not hold him accountable. African-Americans are looking for results instead of rhetoric. The GOP should provide solutions and answers, not condemnation or meaningless criticism, because it will not prevail.

Last, but certainly not least, the African-American community needs to give the GOP a chance. It is a good thing to see an African-American President AND an African American leader of the GOP–Michael Steele. This is good for the black community. It is healthy and constructive to have a dialogue with two different leaders that can help brighten the approach to political policies. It gives the black community two perspectives to look at. It gives them another voice to adhere to. It enables them to see that intelligence is promoted in both parties. The African-American community should not be resistant to the GOP, but should convey with the GOP their concerns and ideas.

To the GOP: get involved with the African-American community. Don’t expect things to change overnight, but a build a relationship.

To African-Americans: If and when the GOP comes into your neighborhood, hear them out.

Demetrius Minor is a new contributor HHR blog he is a senior at Augusta State University and a former White House intern.

Saving Capitalism and the Free Market

by Esteban G. Camacho

The economy is in rapid decline, the government has spent record amounts in an attempt to "fix" the economy, and the country is seeing a rise in unemployment levels. To some, there seems to be no end in sight. According to Ben Bernanke, "2009 will see a rise in unemployment...greater than our last predictions."

With the new administration, this government seems to be taking on a Keynesian stance, and really injecting massive amounts of money into several sectors. Talk by the Federal Reserve of nationalizing large banks have been very real, and government bailouts to large corporations are giving government power over the markets.

In this capitalist, and free market based economy, the notion of more government involvement must stop. The free market system has been able to fix its wrongs before, and it will do it again, if left alone. In addition, the free market system creates an invisible, and indirect method of benefits to all, and is based on the ability of the people to do as they choose in a market. Government exists to establish rules and regulations, and with more government intervention in the market, it is only a matter of time before we see conventional freedoms diminishing.

"Capitalism is an economic system in which wealth, and the means of producing that wealth, are privately owned rather than commonly, publicly, or state owned and controlled." (Arleen J. Hoag, John H. Hoag. Introductory Economics. World Scientific, 2006. pp 43-44.) In order to have capitalism as a form of an economic model, we must have a free market.. Capitalism and the free market model have been proven to work throughout many economies and countries. One example to follow would be post socialist China.

In the present, China's economy is largely a free market economy with individual ownership of business. Before this was the case, China was not an emerging power, and their economy was in slumps. Now, China's GDP growth is much larger per quarter than that of the United States and Japan, growing at a 10% rate per year, compared to the U.S. average of 3.4%. (World Bank, years 2001-2007) This is a great example of how a free market, capitalist system is favorable over one that is state controlled, or with too much government intervention.

Looking at a domestic example, the states of California and Texas can be compared. California has strict regulations on business, emissions, money, and financial matters. Texas, on the other hand, is quite different.. The state of California is currently in such a large deficit, the state government is on the brink of cutting their government workforce, cutting jobs.

Corporations and businesses alike are failing, and therefore giving much less tax revenue to the state budget (even though California has one of the highest tax rates in the Union), this means that California will receive less money from workers and businesses alike.

Texas is in much less of a struggle. As a matter of fact, the state seems to have gained from California's losses. An article published by the LA times on December 18, 2008 says that most people "fleeing from California are moving to Texas, including businesses." (David Pearson, LA Times) This information was gathered by the State from companies like U-Haul, who said that the traffic going to Texas, Nevada, and Arizona is much stronger than any of the other states.

Another way to compare would be to learn a lesson from history itself. the presidency of Jimmy Carter was ran by regulation. The introduction of the Windfall Profits tax, an amended alternative minimum tax, regulation on oil, more power to unions, and many other forms of regulations plagued businesses. The 1970's saw a time of economic uncertainty, with two recessions resulting.

The Reagan administration took office in the 80's and passed ERTA (Economic Recovery Tax Act), cutting taxes across the board by 25%. Reagan put a stop to the windfall profits tax (which created a surge in the price of oil during Carter), and lowered regulations on businesses. This created an economic boom that led well into the 90's. Another good point to be made is the average life of a recession.

The average life of a recession is approximately 6-11 months, if the market is left alone. The last time we saw a recession such as the one we have today was in 1982, when we saw a GDP decline of approximately 6% (2008 saw a growth of 1.4%), due to stock and housing markets. The market was relived of regulation, and it reversed itself in the average time frame.

A question of sustainability of the current economic model has also come into question recently. The fact is that there is no perfect economic model, as there is no perfect model of government.

The ideals brought about by critics of capitalism are unrealistic, and require this country to change the freedoms held by the citizens. Conventional thought would say that the government need manage more of the markets in order to have a more just and fair society. A fair argument to this is in a book by Adam Smith called "Wealth of Nations."

Here, Smith gives an example of three men, which by unintentional means benefit each other by selfish interest. " The Butcher, the Baker, and the Brewer provide goods and services to each other out of self interest, the unplanned result of this division is a better standard of living for all three."

Government intervention of the market gets rid of several things, the most important being freedom of market opportunities. Let the market define wealth, let the market fix the problems it has caused, and let the free market be free.

The public sector and the private sector have no need to be interdependent; instead, allow one to exist without the other. This is because having regulations on the market is the same as having regulations on people.

The market is not comprised of entities, it is comprised of people, and people who own and run businesses. To regulate the market would be to further regulate citizens of the United States of America.

Esteban G. Camacho is a contributor to HipHopRepublican.com he was born in 1989 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. There he lived in a lower class family with his single mother for 11 years before moving to the contiguous states. Esteban became involved with politics when he reached his senior year of high school. When he got to college, he immediately pursued further education in the fields of government and economics. A staunch conservative and an advocate of the free market economies of the world, Esteban spends his time researching political backgrounds, economic titles such as Wealth of Nations, and strengthening his conservative base. Esteban believes in personal responsibility, individual liberty, equal opportunity, and in the American dream. Among his favorite quotes is: "What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?" Esteban resides in Las Cruces, New Mexico and is currently pursuing a degree in Political Science.

Esteban's YouTube Video Page - http://www.youtube.com/user/ConservativeE

Republican in Harlem? Brandon Brice Showing the Community Side of Republicanism

by Tiffany Shorter

Brandon Brice is a community organizer and an active Republican in Harlem. Republicans working in the black community is not generally a normal concept. Self-empowerment, financial success and small government are words usually associated with the Republican Party, but not community involvement. Brandon, however, shows that Republicanism and community work are not mutual exclusive but can co-exist.

Why are you in Harlem? You have a Bachelor's degree from Howard University in Business, worked for the United Nations as well as corporate America, so why drop the larger salary to work in the community?

I've lived in Harlem for five years now and have seen a lot. The increasing numbers of single mothers, black folks losing their homes and livelihoods and seniors being displaced at rapid rates across uptown- it just isn't right. I decided that I wanted to help my neighbors because Harlem is my community.

Do you think your community efforts fit within Republican values?

Yes! Getting people to understand how taxes, affordable health care, housing and small business opportunities affects them is being Republican. Educating people about certain opportunities and policies helps them to make informed decisions. This allows them to create the life they want for themselves.

What is one of your successes since working in Harlem?

I helped get a lot of kids get into college this year- some got into top schools including the Ivy League. For four years I have been in mentoring program that helps young black and Latino males get into college. I knew I had to commit myself to this program when I realized kids from the South Bronx and Harlem were not being asked questions like, " what do you want to do with your life?" Or ,"what college do you want to go?" That to me was just unacceptable. If you want to keep kids out of jail, get them educated. Get them into college.

Where did you go to college?

Howard, and it was a great experience. It is a liberal school, so it was a good training ground for me to defend my ideas as a Republican.

So you were a Republican before college? Did you come from an affluent family?

I am a son of a single mother. And I became Republican while going to Howard. In high school, a teacher of mine told me to always keep an open mind about politics and to take a look at the history of the Republican Party. He was a Republican. I wasn't sure about the Republican Party until my junior year at Howard, when I interned for J. Dennis Hastert, former Speaker of the House and Ken Melman, former chairman of the Republican National Committee. After working with these leaders and looking at the history of the GOP, I am convinced of two things- that Republican policies can work and that Republican ideas are badly marketed.

What do you think are areas of development for the GOP?

We got to talk about the issues that matter to people. We can't talk about stem cell research to people who got no jobs. We've got to address the issues by region and by need.

How can you be a black Republican in an Obama America? How can you tell other African Americans to consider any other party than the Democratic Party without feeling like a sell-out?

I'm a Republican, but I am a black man first. So deciding to become a Republican is based on who I am and what ideas can work best in the black community.

Brandon Brice is a graduate of Howard University and is a former fellow of the New Jersey Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. As a long time member of Republicans for Black Empowerment, Brandon is an active contributor to HipHopRepublicans.com. Brandon Brice has worked as a policy intern for the former House Speaker Honorable J. Dennis Hastert and has served as a fellow at the United Nations. He has been featured on C-SPAN's Road to the White House, BET's What's At Stake and Hot97 with Lisa Evers. Brandon is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, and attends the Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church.

Lenny McAllister Statement on Recent GOP Racially-Incendiary Comments

Political and social commentator Lenny McAllister gave a statement regarding the recent racially-incendiary comments from GOP operatives in South Carolina and Tennessee.

"When people ask me why I am a member of the Republican Party, I point them to the proud history of the GOP, the principles that we stand for collectively, and the reflections of Americanism found in our political philosophy. However, when people ask me why I remain a member of the Republican Party, they do so as they point to recent ugly examples of intolerance and racism, including the incidents of racism that we have seen recently from state operatives in South Carolina and Tennessee.

"Sentiments like the insensitive and repugnant ones expressed this past week have no place in the Republican Party. They do not reflect conservative values. They do not reflect free market principles. They only reflect bigotry. Further, they have no legitimate place in any American political party nor do they rightfully have a home in the United States of America. Leaders cannot lead with hatred nor can they pursue growth and freedom with moral decay and bondage.

"I strongly abhor the words and actions of my party members and ask that their malignant presence and behaviors be swept out immediately and replaced by an invigorating momentum that can be inclusive, respectful, yet loyal to the true essence of the Republican Party - the protection of equality and inalienable rights given by God and defended by limited government. I forgive them as a Christian, but I will not condone this behavior as a Republican.

"I realize that as people continue to ask me why I am proud to be a Republican in light of the recent incidents, I must point to the beacons of light that we possess and not ponder upon the mistakes of the visible minority. I proudly work to make sure that the majority of wholesome, respectful, and patriotic Republicans that labor to promote their political values with zeal but without malice are not typecast with the broad stroke of the ignorant few. As well, I refuse to allow the best that our party and our country can offer to be overridden by those that refuse to be inclusive on the grounds of racial and gender differences. I see my refusal as a patriotic obligation that I hope others will share with me."

Follow Lenny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lennyhhr

Join Lenny's page on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/lennyfacebook

Lenny McAllister is a political commentator featured regularly on Fox Television in Charlotte, NC, on XM Radio and Sirius Radio, and online as a syndicated writer nationally. McAllister is an socially-conscious conservative with a mission to make positive changes to the status quo within politics, social issues and other issues that hamper our American way of life.


For more information, please visit http://www.lennymcallister.com/

HHR Note: The South Carolina Republican Party recently launched a campaign to reach out to minorities who have, for decades, wanted nothing to do with the state's GOP. On Sunday, however, longtime Republican activist Rusty DePass seemed to be doing everything in his power to thwart that effort when he was caught making a racist joke on his Facebook page about First Lady Michelle Obama.

Over the weekend, a gorilla escaped from a zoo in Columbia, and according to the New York Daily News, DePass just couldn't resist what he saw as the perfect opportunity for humor, updating his status message to read,

"I'm sure it's just one of Michelle's ancestors - probably harmless."

Late last month, an email went out from an administrative assistant working for a Republican elected official in the legislature here in the state that was titled "Historical Keepsake Photo."

The photo was this: http://newscoma.com/2009/06/15/racist-and-ridiculous/

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/06/15/south-carolina-republican-compares-michelle-obama-to-escaped-gor/

HHR Blog Radio Presents: Ryan Frazier

Host Name: HHR Online Radio - Sunday

Show Name: HHR Presents: Ryan Frazier

Length: 30 min

Description: HHR is proud to have Ryan Frazier on the program, a rising star in the GOP touted as "The Republican Obama" and currently running for Senate in Colarado--don't miss it!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hhr/2009/06/21/HHR-Presents-Ryan-Frazier

Congratulatons Dr .Timothy Johnson, on becoming North Carolina's State Vice Chairman.

HHR Blog would like to congratulate Dr.Timothy Johnson for winning the Vice Chairman's Race in NC.

In a strong showing of delegates, Dr. Timothy Johnson (Chairman of the Buncombe GOP) defeated State GOP Vice Chairman David Sawyer. Congratulatons Dr .Timothy Johnson, on becoming North Carolina's State Vice Chairman.

Please contact him via his site and offer a huge congratualtions

http://www.ncgopvicechair.com/ContactUs.html.com/

Concert Review: Keyshia Cole

by Javier E. David

It's perhaps appropriate that Keyshia Cole's third and most recent album is entitled "A Different Me". Judging by her appearance Saturday night at Pier Six Concert Pavilion in Baltimore, Maryland for her nationwide tour, this is indeed a newer, more improved artist than the one who debuted a scant five years ago.

Ms. Cole's excellent, kinetic performance - complemented by her raw, emotive voice magnified by the Amphitheater-like venue on Baltimore's Inner Harbor - appeared to put any remaining skeptics on notice that she is separate and distinct from the crop of urban female singers often cannibalized by the music business.The singer warmed up the crowd with her first hit single, "I Changed My Mind", which featured Kanye West on the album but who did not appear at the concert. Ms. Cole proceeded to weave together a highly entertaining medley of songs that drew most heavily from her sophomore album "Just Like Me." Her songs, including the crowd pleasing "Let it Go" (sans collaborators Missy Elliott and Lil' Kim), the upbeat "Shoulda Let you Go" and the power ballad "I Remember", were performed vignette-style in a way that tantalizes the listener, but sufficient enough to inspire audience participation.

Ms. Cole's performance in Baltimore was the hallmark of a singer who is clearly coming into her own. She knows how to work the stage with verve, throwing in a few diva-esque flourishes for effect: she punctuated her performance with a few costume changes and a brief intermission that featured solo performances by her two talented back-up singers. Though the large video screen hovering above the stage was somewhat of a distraction, Ms. Cole completely owned the stage with both her singing and dance moves, in a way few young artists can emulate.

In fact, the temptation to compare Ms. Cole to her fellow Imani/Geffen label-mate and reigning R&B powerhouse, Mary J. Blige, is near-irresistible. Both women draw power from the recurring themes of love and heartbreak throughout their songs, which serve as manifestos of female empowerment. Admittedly, Ms. Cole doesn't occupy the same strata as Ms. Blige (though to be fair, virtually no other contemporary female singer does), but her voice has its own distinctive, edgy timbre that alternates in its ability to project vulnerability, strength, and sexiness without vulgarity.

Despite the fact that she was the headliner, Ms. Cole's performance seemed almost too brief, given the length of time spent on stage by her co-billers, Bobby Valentino, Keri Hilson and The Dream. Mr. Valentino's thin-voiced crooning and shirtless antics got the attention of the females in the audience, while the men looked on in bored silence. Ms. Hilson - perhaps best known for singing the hook on Timbaland's hit "The Way I Are" and who's collaborated with Britney Spears and Usher - provided passable yet undistinguished entertainment with songs from her newly-released album. The Dream gave a vulgar, unfocused and overly-long performance that suggests he might be better off behind the scenes rather than in front of them.

By the time Ms. Cole closes out the show with selections from "A Different Me", featuring a surprise appearance by Monica on the ballad "Trust", she appears to be living the words of her song "Make Me Over". Wearing a form-fitting gold dress and an elaborate coif to match, Ms. Cole sings: "Make me expensive, make me high price, And when you done, oh I wanna be right." However expensive and high price she might claim to be, seeing Ms. Cole live is well worth the cost of admission.

Javier E. David is a native New Yorker and a contributor to HipHopRepublican.com. He writes about various subjects including popular culture, entertainment, business, finance and public policy for sites such as Parcbench.com and Examiner.com. He is a U.S. Army veteran who has worked on Wall Street and as a reporter for the international news agency Reuters. Fluent in Spanish, Javier is an avid sports fan and enjoys literature, music (especially independent hip-hop and soul), movies, good food and wine, and is also a self-confessed comic-book geek.

The Irrational Hatred of Sarah Palin: Leette Eaton- White

Few things that come out of the ideological crazed super far left (not your average everyday liberals, but the real coo coo coco puffs) has anything to do with reason. But it is one thing to be irrational about issues, and quite another to be irrational about a person. Public figures have always been the butt of jokes, especially those who put themselves out there seeking attention. Politicians are no exception. Neither is Sarah Palin.

The media is free to make fun of her, by all means do so. But the media is unfortunately a part of the same crazed far left that I mentioned before. And instead of making fun of Sarah within reason, they bring her family into it. Not her husband, a grown man who could certainly handle a pun, but her kids. Her children who, some of which are just learning how to be adults; her kids who did not desire to be the items of ridicule on late night TV. But not only did they go after her kids, as it has always been from her initial entrance onto the national stage, it has become only increasingly cruel and incredibly unfunny.

Just the other evening David Letterman decided tact was of course not needed. It was a long night of dumping on Sarah but then he took it to a new low by saying this …. “One awkward moment though during the game, maybe you heard about it, maybe you saw it on one of the highlight reels. One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game, during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked-up by Alex Rodriguez.”

Wow, Letterman is one classy guy.

The Palin Camp then released these two statements.

“Any ‘jokes’ about raping my 14-year-old are despicable. Alaskans know it and I believe the rest of the world knows it, too.”

- Todd Palin

“Concerning Letterman’s comments about my young daughter (and I doubt he’d ever dare make such comments about anyone else’s daughter): ‘Laughter incited by sexually-perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is not only disgusting, but it reminds us some Hollywood/NY entertainers have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands - that acceptance of inappropriate sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone’s daughter, contributes to the atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse others.’”

- Governor Sarah Palin

Letterman released a half assed apology this morning.

I don’t need to tell you whose side I am on. But I do need to tell you why I am siding with the Palins. The rule of decency has always been to leave the children of politicians (especially non- adult children) out of the jokes and any disparaging remarks concerning their parents. But Letterman not only violated that, he reached a new low by making it sexual. Let me be clear on this point. That was a sick, perverse, cruel, unwarranted, illogical, vitriolic remark; and there is nothing that can defend it, not even for sake of comedy because guess what… it wasn’t even funny. It was just wrong.

The constant need by the public left to attack Sarah Palin and her family won’t help them make Republican’s look bad. It won’t help liberals win elections, and it won’t help change the social makeup of this country. This is just one example of the hypocrisy of the left. I mentioned their inherent racism in my last article, and now their sexism is exposed yet again. Still they say Conservatives and Republicans are the sexist and racist ones!

Just a tip for those of you just starting to wet your feet in the political world there is a saying you should know. If ever you want to know what the left is doing, check out what they accuse the right of. It never fails.

Leette Eaton- White is a native New Yorker and a full time student studying Forensic Psychology. She has been a Conservative Republican since 2002, finding her Republican roots at the age of 15. HipHopRepublican opened the gateway for her to start her political activism in urban areas and across the net.

Leette4hhr@gmail.com

Young Blacks & The Republican Party

by Richard Ivory

A few weeks back an assemblage of party activist around the nation gathered to remember the life of Jack Kemp, the former pro quarterback and politician. Jacks life work of seeking to reach out to empower urban and minority communities around the nation was truly remarkable for a politician, and even more so for a Republican. He was a strong advocate for empowering the poor and improving the inner city with common sense polices.

His campaign to make the GOP into a truly big tent party is a side of his story that few know. The Nation, a liberal magazine, had an article out a few weeks ago detailing Jack Kemp’s struggle to turn the GOP into what it called “a modern tribune of humane and enlightened conservative ideals”. This goal of Jack Kemp was based on the twenty-first-century version of the British Tory Party that evolved under the leadership of Benjamin Disraeli”. The article written by long time Kemp friend John Nichols is entitled Jack Kemp vs. the Party of No.

The GOP has over the years failed to take on Jack Kemp’s call to reach out, in a serious manner, to minority voters. This unwillingness to reach out to minority voters is evident in every major political demographic poll. Its failure to launch and create an urban common sense platform towards young black voters has been quite unfortunate. In the past, the GOP felt that older middle class blacks were their primary target. Statistics, however, demonstrate that it was their children- not their parents- that the GOP should have reached out to.

The failure to cultivate these younger voters has all but reversed any hopes of changing this course. Many see the party as stuck in the past and out- of- touch. Younger Voters have all but turned their backs on our party even though Younger Voters agree with us on many key issues.
According to The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, only 10.3 percent (learners included) of 18-25 year old blacks today actually identify with the Party. The numbers were once going in the GOP’s favor. Their latest study, however, is the first since 1984 in which younger African Americans were less Republican than older African Americans.

The study goes on to say that “this trend represents a potentially troubling datum for the GOP because for the last 20 years, the Republican Party’s best prospect for improving their African American support was through the younger cohort.” Further, the study went on to say that, the alienation of young African Americans from the GOP does not mean they oppose Republican principles. A sizable proportion of these young voters-between one third and one-half-are sympathetic to Republican Party issue positions.

As such, The Center’s 2002 national survey actually suggested that the GOP might expect to be more successful appealing to younger African Americans than older because according to studies “25 percent of this population are self-described conservatives, and 66.4 percent support school vouchers for public, private, or parochial schools. On the issue of Social Security which is a signature issue of the Democratic Party, 61.2 percent of young blacks believe they will get back less from Social Security than what they pay into Social Security, and a substantial 79.3 percent favor partial privatization of Social Security”.

On the values front, the study says, “a majority (52.9 percent) of these young African Americans attend church at least once a week. Moreover, that despite the compatibility between GOP issues, positions and the views of many young African Americans, “the overly conservative, Southern White nature of the National Republican Party keeps young blacks in the Democratic Column.”

The need and the time to change this tide in younger and minority voters are now. If the GOP ignores this opportunity it could potentially loose its hold on another generation of minority voters. We need to as a party do what one person suggested on an HHR online forum and begin to see outreach not as pandering but being responsible for taking action to grow our Party in communities where we are currently under-represented. Seeing it as a valid and necessary business module for reaching our overall goals of winning elections and being politically relevant.

Richard Ivory is the publisher of the centrist blog HipHopRepublican.com; he has worked for the Republican National Committee and was the college outreach director for the Republican Youth Majority.

Lorenzo Owens - “Better Days - The Encore”

by Richard Ivory

Lorenzo Owens is one of those rare characters in the music industry who can bridge great music with a great message. Lorenzo, a native of Milwaukee shows proof of such a merge with his latest album "Better Days - The Encore". His song "Better Days" brings attention to some of the painful things going on everyday on the streets of urban America and his suggestion for its solution is a change of heart and for each one of us to “take time and hold it down and not just be about me”.

The lyrics are deep and very self-critical often mentioning the truth of out of wedlock pregnancies, poverty and the drugs within in our community. However, the songs overall emphasis is on making sure that life not be about “The Benjamin’s” but about taking time to focus on things that truly matter. If there were one CD, the folks at HHR Blog would encourage you to get it would be Lorenzo Owens - “Better Days - The Encore”



About the Artist: Like many of music's success stories. Lorenzo Owens' roots are in the church. He has been singing since he was 3 years old. As a small child he could sing with adult fervor. "I was at my grandma's house when, 'Reasons', by Earth, Wind & Fire came on the radio. I don't completely remember this but from what I'm told, I sang the whole song and floored everybody in the house. I guess that's when all this began." The Milwaukee native, now a Chicagoan, recalls. But it wasn't until he had begun attending college that he realized singing was his life's calling. "Singing was just something I'd always done. But, I never put much stock into it. It just came naturally for me. It was like breathing."

Lorenzo was going to school for business management. But he kept asking himself, what it was that he really wanted to do. "I changed majors so many times l knew I wasn't going in the right direction. I realized that what I truly loved was feeling the energy of the crowd when I sang." Lorenzo eventually hooked up with a manager and began doing showcases and traveling to other cities as a background singer. That move proved to be the right move for the young talent. The new management was Anthony Ferguson of En-Sport, Inc., who immediately put his rising star to work on his first album.

After Lorenzo was selected to compete in the Oprah's Pop Star Challenge his life has changed forever. Lorenzo was a finalist in the Oprah's Pop Star Challenge and as a result is featured on 3 songs on the Oprah's Pop Star Challenge cast album. His rendition of Stevie Wonder's "All In Love is Fair" demonstrates his rare ability to deliver a song. Lorenzo's performance on Donnie Hathaway's "A Song for You" will move you to tears. Lorenzo is poised to set the standard for the new breed of talented singers the likes of Maxwell and Brian McKnight who have crossed the charts from urban to pop.

Lorenzo's current album "Better Days - The Encore" has the artistic work that will skyrocket the singer/songwriter into the contemporary music spotlight. Lorenzo's magnificent voice, stunning sensuality and dazzling smile, coupled with the production prowess of Grammy winning Producer, Michael J. Powell (Anita Baker, Tyrese. Aretha Franklin), along with producers Gerey Johnson, Harold Smith, Jerry Dornbush and the Monkey Boyz will establish Lorenzo's fan base in record time.

Lorenzo Owens - Better Days
by UniversalMusicGroup

HHR Exclusive Interview with : "Losing the Race" Author John McWhorter

On, Friday (tomorrow) at 11:30AM Eastern Time HHR Radio will have on linguist, thinker and writer on race in America John McWhorter. McWhorter’s books have been featured on the New York Times bestseller list, and have featured numerous times on Fox News, Meet the Press, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, among countless others.

His latest book, All About the Beat: Why Hip Hop Can’t Save Black America, guarantees he’ll be a guest you won’t want to miss on Hip Hop Republican Blog Talk Radio!”About the show: The Andrew Simon show is a new online podcast sponsored by HipHopRepublican.com and will consist of interviews and opinions by Canadian conservative and award wining host Andrew Simon.HHR Online Radio Link - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hhr

T.I.’s Road To Redemption: A Solution for the GOP’s Urban Outreach?

by Brandon Brice

Rapper T.I.,whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr., recently got busted for trying to buy illegal firearms and silencers for protection, but the Atlanta judge cut his sentence for a year if he did community service by helping other kids.

MTV, a subsidiary of Viacom, decided to portray in a series of episodes titled, "T.I's Road To Redemption." The interesting concept behind this show is that it takes young at-risk youth from the streets of inner cities nationwide, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, etc., and grants these young black and latino males a second chance at life.

As an avid television watcher, I recall the one moment I watched an episode of a young black male from Atlanta, GA, who was involved in gang activity, thus headed for a life of crime and destruction. The yougn 17year old black male, lived in a single parent home in one of Atlanta's drug infested sections of the city.





The rapper T.I. traveled down to Atlanta to take the young man away from his surroundings to an undisclosed location in sunny California, where T.I. had a personal discussion about his life, and the consequences of his actions. T.I. introduced this young man to his cousin, whom had recieved life in prision for a crime he committed at the age of 18 years old in 1978. T.I's cousin, a born again christian, illustrated the negative path which resulted in his jail sentence and encourage the young man to work hard and gain a sense of hope for his future.

Later that evening, T.I. introduced him to hip hop musical artist, MC Lyte, Russel Simmons and LL Cool J who all supported this young man's efforts to start a new life. T.I.'s off site construction business was presented as an opportunity for the young Atlanta hipster to work and gain soem extra money, which I thought was a tremendous step in urban renewll of adolescents. One of the Republican Party’s biggest challenges are reaching out to crime infested neighborhoods and connecting the message of hope to minorities nationwide. T.I. through this program has challenged this status quo, by granting young men the ability to start over through exposure, real life experiences and building a network. The GOP has more of an obligation to create opportunties for youth through the hands of philanthropy, exposure and a network, just as that of privledged children.

Perhaps Chairman Steele should strongly critique this new style of outreach, by helping young men and women find employment which builds dignity and character, through an interest of their own. T.I. is one of the first rappers who has actively expresses the importance of entreprenuership, by hiring ex-felons through his construction business when released from prison. As I observed this documentary of this gentlemen who was in the midst of joinging a gang, and being a statistic on the local news, this two week intervention changed the young man's life. At the end of the series this 17 year old prospect expressed an interest in attending a four year college and university in the State of Georgia, after he witnessed the incredible possibilities outside his frontporch.

Brandon Brice is a graduate of Howard University and is a former fellow of the New Jersey Eagleton Institute of Politics fellow at Rutgers University. As a long time member of Republicans for Black Empowerment, Brandon is an active contributor to HipHopRepublican.com Brandon Brice has worked as a policy intern for the former House Speaker the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert and has served as a fellow at the United Nations. He has been featured on C-SPAN’s Road to the White House, BET’s What’s At Stake, Hot97 with Lisa Evers, a regular contributor on Fox News Strategy Room and Fox and Friends. Brandon is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, and attends the Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church.

The Drug Dealer & the Democrat

by Doug Knickrehmis

Many upon a time, in the years after Lyndon Johnson’s creation of the Welfare state in America two cousins were born. These two are related figuratively and quite possibly, literally. Each grew up in a working class neighborhood. During their early years these two cousins saw the world as they knew it falling apart.

Drugs, violence, sex, and sloth infiltrated their once promising neighborhood. As their parents and grandparents aged, the attitudes of responsibility faded from the area as a new era of entitlement was ushered in with help from The Great Society.

These cousins knew better than to rely on the government. They understood America as a nation of social mobility and rejected the notion of statically remaining a part of their crumbling surroundings. One cousin took to books and writing.

The other, who never was fond of school but had a mind for business, decided entrepreneurship was his path to success. Due to his outstanding record in school and enthralling essays the scholar won acceptance at a prestigious university where he majored in political science. Mr. Entrepreneur used his business sense and ruthless temperament to abolish competition on his rise to power.

By age 22 each cousin had reached what seemed to be the pinnacle of success with respect to his field. The scholar graduated with a degree in political science summa cum laude. Concurrently the entrepreneur’s company expanded due to the rapid sales of a new product.

At this point the entrepreneur began to have legal troubles due to a new government program intended to curb his field of business. The political science major was rising steadily in his career as a politician.

In his run for city council, he railed on the effort to imprison those engaged in the business in which his cousin was affiliated. He called the government’s war on drugs racist and detrimental to the community he represented.

However, he never called for drugs to be legalized-because that would thwart his cousin’s business operation. Instead, he rallied the community to petition for more funding. The funding could be for anything. It mattered not, because in his city all that was needed for election was a promise and enough substance on that promise to get by. The 80’s were coming to a close and the drug dealer was finally released from prison after a three year stint.

He still managed to run his operation from his cell, and therefore had his throne ready upon return. The streets changed during his time incarcerated. A usually business first drug world, in which the best product sold, turned into a violent pursuit of the same customers. Always cold-hearted, this troubled him in the least bit. With carefully planned executions of rivals, his crew maintained their prowess.

Rampant violence alarmed the public, and the politician knew he had to call for action. He conceived the idea of banning handguns from his city. With his pitch of social justice, which always seemed to be government dependent, he easily obtained passage of the law. Contrary to his belief that reducing law abiding citizen’s right to defend themselves would quell the violence, murders continued to occur at alarming rates in his city. The drug dealer’s operation felt no pressure from the law because he ran an illegal business and never felt the need to arm his crew with legal firearms.

By the late 90s the cousins decided to get together at the politician’s beach house. They reminisced on their childhood and paths to success relative to their interests. At this point the crack epidemic cooled, so the dealer decided to retire a multi-millionaire. His cousin, however, felt the city council awarded him too little power and was plotting his run for the House of Representatives.

They were enjoying two premium filet steaks, and engaged in a dialogue that had never occurred in their lifetime. Similarities between each cousin’s rise to power, wealth, etc were discussed at length. Overall they concluded both held the same view of their community, success, and work. Both rejected the government’s attempt to hold them static as members of the proletariat. They employed their strengths to earn success. Neither felt bad about their acquired wealth, but agreed not many from the neighborhood could accomplish half of their achievements.

Therefore, government aide was needed for the less fortunate stated the politician. The dealer retorted he was expected to meddle in a dead end job and depend on the government his whole life, but chose a different road and if he could do it anyone could as long as they use their God given talents to the fullest.

Finally, they realized the system they rejected on their roads to success was the same one the politician championed in every single election and the dealer took advantage of to earn millions. Like a sign from Above they felt a feeling in their chest that told the same thing: “I left my community only to ruin it with the same system I rejected.”

A sip of wine, a puff from cigars, and the conversation turned to the upcoming election……..

Doug Knickrehmis is a contributor to HipHopRepublican.com he can be reached at dknickrehm@cox.net