Tennessee Republican party chairperson Robin Smith is between a rock and a hard place. Who does she endorse for RNC chair? Hometown boy Chip Saltsman, with his dubious decision-making skills and just a whiff of racism? Or current South Carolina Republican Party chair, Katon Dawson, with his politically expedient decision making skills and his big load of bigotry?
She picked Dawson. Ruh-row.
Turns out that up until last September, Dawson – who announced his candidacy for the chairmanship in November – was a member in good standing at the 80-year-old Forest Lake Club, that has no black members and a deed with a “whites-only” restriction.
Nice big tent you got there, Robin. But if it’s set up at Forest Lake, our new President can’t get in.
UPDATE: Mr. Dawson has also been endorsed by American Family Association founder Don E. Wildmon, a vocal opponent of marriage equality and a guy just nutty enough to think that he can get a boycott of McDonalds to take root. Wildmon wrote in a statement to his supporters, “if the Republican Party is to survive, it must get back to its roots. I believe that Katon Dawson…has the ability to take the party where it needs to go – to Burger King.” (OK, I added that last bit).
(Strike 2: Dawson was also kind of dick to Stephen Colbert.)
(Stike 3: Fuzzy math and the “absolute poster child for the Republican Party’s long-term demographic ills.”
Please, dig yourselves into a bigger hole! Thanks, Robin!