Over to the 'Dark' Side

This next bit of news seems like a bombshell, at least a local one.

For decades, Republicans have struggled to reach out to black Americans. But now in Orange County, the GOP has to reach no further than the NAACP.

As of this week, Derrick Wallace, head of Orange County's NAACP, has switched parties -- to become a Republican.

It’s tiny victory in light of the abysmal approval rating that President Bush has among black Americans, but it’s a start.

However, Mr. Wallace’s reasons for the switch seem, at first blush, inordinately self-serving.

Wallace, a construction-company exec, was candid about the fact that his business life was a big part of his decision to change.

"It's purely a business decision. Ninety percent of those I do business with are Republicans," he said. "Opportunities that have come to my firm have been brought by Republicans."

Is Mr. Wallace’s decision a result of the proverbial handout or hand-up? Possibly both. Few people of any persuasion or get anywhere without someone lending them a hand, even those who are highly talented and/or skilled. However, the perception may exist that the area Republicans “bribed” Mr. Wallace into his conversion.

The fact that he was honest about this was very shrewd; it takes some of the wind out of the ‘sell-out’ sails. But the ship is like still afloat; that Mr. Wallace is black and the NAACP Chief in OC probably counted in the benefit column when some area Republicans were looking to throw some construction business in some particular direction.

On the other hand, area Republicans certainly don't want their buildings to collapse just because a potiential builder may have political value to them. One must assume that Mr. Wallace’s company is legitimate, in the black (so to speak), set to increase profits and has a reputation for quality work. If that’s so, then it would be likely that many a good capitalist would send business his way. In Orange County, most of the capitalists are Republicans. [My mistake. I thought this was Orange County, California. I don't whether most of the capitalists in Orange County, Florida are Republican or not.] Hard work and talent (usually) equal rewards—an axiom of Republicans, conservatives, along with capitalists of all categories.

And, isn’t this an example of minority outreach that many minority critics of the Republican Party have suggested?

We’ll see how long it takes, however, for Mr. Wallace to magically get his ‘brutha card’ yanked. It would be a nice surprise for 'never' to be the day.

(Thanks to reader Maggie)

UPDATE: California Yankee, The Real Ugly American and La Shawn comment also.