Haiti — Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin urged Americans not to forget Haiti yesterday, as she wrapped up a weekend visit to the embattled nation in support of a Christian group assisting in the country’s ongoing cholera epidemic and earthquake reconstruction. The question that made its way around the black blogs and magazines last week when Palin announced the trip was more or less does Palin really care about black people, or is she going to Haiti with an ulterior motive?
I think it is a question worth exploring as we consider that Sarah Palin, who hails from Alaska, has had very little interaction with African-Americans in her lifetime. Palin who has been very highly critical of the first lady and President Obama in her latest book, appears to be preparing for a 2012 presidential run. Whether or not she can win a GOP primary remains to be seen, but I for one have no doubt she is going to run.
Yet, we all know that if she is to truly have a shot at becoming president of the United States she must appeal to a broader swath of Americans beyond the Tea Party and conservatives who adore her. Perhaps I am cynical, but if I were considering running against the nation’s first black president in 2012, I would darn sure make clear to my political team that I need more events with people of color surrounding me and more photo-ops showing my concern for the less fortunate, down-trodden and disenfranchised among us.
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