Black Republican Will Hurd Plans To Make GOP More Diverse By Leaving
We told you last week about the House Republicans who'd decided to retire rather than go down in flames with Donald Trump in 2020. One of them is Teas Rep. Will Hurd, who is the GOP's only black House member, leaving Senator Tim Scott as the only black Republican in Congress. We guess he got lonely without having Mia Love to sit with in the House cafeteria.
Hurd survived the 2018 blue wave because Beto O'Rourke stuck with the bro code and refused to endorse Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones, who lost by just 926 votes. Hurd went on to vote with Trump 51 percent of the time, which is a steep drop from his 94 percent toadying during the previous congressional session. We still think Jones was the better choice. She was up for a rematch but will now face whatever creep the GOP runs in Hurd's place.
You might assume Hurd is quitting because he represents a district Hillary Clinton won in 2016 and O'Rourke might be too pissed off with Trump to help him out this time. Rather than go through all the trouble of running for re-election and losing, he can coast to the finish line and prepare to re-enter the private sector. Besides, as Hurd sort of admitted on "Face the Nation" yesterday, Congress sucks.
HURD: [E]verybody thinks the end all or be all is actually being in Congress. The party is defined by the people that are in it, not necessarily the politicians. And so this gives me the freedom and flexibility to operate in other parts of the country.
That is such a colossal cop-out Hurd almost looked embarrassed saying it. He said he'll "stay involved in that nexus of technology and law enforcement." He can manage this outside of Congress -- even at home in his pajamas -- because it doesn't really matter where you work on projects that sound silly.
HURD: When you look at issues like artificial intelligence -- and artificial intelligence is important because whoever matches it is going to rule the world. And the -- the most interesting things that's happening in -- in that area is outside of -- of the federal government.
Yeah, Congress is for dummies, but Hurd also plans to spend his free time helping elect more dummies. There's Wesley Hunt in Houston, who Republicans hope will unseat Lizzie Fletcher in yet another district Clinton carried. Hunt is a conservative Iraq War veteran. He's also black and Hurd thinks we need more black Republicans. (We really don't.) That's one of his stated reasons for quitting politics like a spineless coward. He wants to lure more black people to "the sunken place." Maybe that's the only way he can leave.
HURD: I -- I -- I'm interested in -- in helping other candidates like me. I -- I think -- I want to see a -- a Republican Party that has more folks that -- that look and -- and sound and operate like I do.
Wow, the black person inside of him is fighting for control! He keeps having trouble saying "I," as if he's not sure which "I" is actually speaking. Major Garrett politely reminded Hurd how politics works and that he can more effectively raise money and campaign for candidates if he's still serving in Congress. Even the token head of minority recruitment at a tech company or law firm, who just shows up for interviews and meetings with prospective clients, is still employed there with an office and everything. But private citizen Hurd's got GAME! Check out how he sells us on Brother Wesley.
HURD: [Hunt] cares about his country, served his country in the military, has a beautiful young family, worked in -- in the -- the private sector ... and wants to continue to serve.
It sounds like Hurd's just reading from Hunt's campaign website (no, we won't link). Has the soon-to-be-former congressman ever met Hunt? We wouldn't blame him if he hasn't. Hunt's your standard Trump-enabling stooge. He recently drew on his combat bonafides to suggest that President Bone Spurs is a better commander in chief than any commie Democrat.
ICYMI: @Johnny_Joey and @WesleyHuntTX draw back from their own experiences in the military to see who will make a g… https://t.co/Vgq5kY73Hc— The Daily Briefing (@The Daily Briefing) 1564758331.0
After her 2018 loss, Mia Love tried to guilt us into voting for black Republicans, as if liberals are hypocrites if we don't help the GOP look less like a 1950s restricted club. Electing more Republicans who "look and sound and operate" like Hurd or Hunt won't help anyone, especially not minorities.
Now go donate to Gina Ortiz Jones and Lizzie Fletcher.
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Stephen Robinson is a writer and social kibbitzer based in Portland, Oregon. He writes make believe for Cafe Nordo, an immersive theatre space in Seattle. Once, he wrote a novel called “Mahogany Slade,” which you should read or at least buy. He's also on the board of the Portland Playhouse theatre. His son describes him as a “play typer guy."
