Let’s talk a bit about Mia Love. Yes, that Mia Love, the lovely New York-born daughter of Haitian immigrants currently running for Congress from the state of Utah. The same Mia Love who gave such an incredibly naïve speech at the Republican National Convention. Much of her speech made sense; at least the parts where she talked about how her parents came from Haiti and built a life without government assistance, pulling themselves up, as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas would say, “by their own bootstraps”. Never mind that Thomas benefited from the very same government programs, such as affirmative action, that he more-or-less regularly excoriates.

Of course, Ms. Long didn’t offer any evidence beyond her word, but that’s neither here nor there at this stage of the game. The fact of the matter is that she is the only one of her generation in her family born and raised in these United States. As such, she doesn’t have a personal historical background as do the many black people living here descended from the slaves set free (on paper at least) by Abraham Lincolns’ Emancipation Proclamation a hundred and fifty years ago.

She has no inherent or inbred comprehension of why the rules, regulations and laws put into effect after the supposed end of legal slavery are still necessary today. And thus she, too, has jumped on the Republican bandwagon of less regulation and rolling back the very rules, regulations and laws that allow her to openly speak and act as she does. Remember, the Constitution originally counted “negroes” as 3/5ths of a person under the control of their “owners” and therefore ineligible to vote or to benefit from most of the other benefits of the new nation.

However, even if she should win her seat, it still opens a door to the future. Consider this. She may be considered the “top token negro” in the Republican Party at the present time, displacing such luminaries as Colin Powell for example. But it’s clear that she was given her spot at the convention as a means of detracting from the clear racism endemic to the Republican Party as a whole, which is evident from the tone of that party ever since Barack Obama won the election, and even before, while he was still running.

Yet and still, it opens the door, just a tiny bit, for more black Americans to be come out as Republicans, to be suckered into supporting policies that don’t benefit them or any other working American but only those in the highest income brackets. And by opening that door even a fraction of an inch, if a sufficient number of black Americans decide to join her, bring with them their own historical perspective having been raised up in this country for many generations and endured what has gone on regarding them since before its’ founding, then the Republican Party will be forced to change.

It will be changed, returning to a more moderate platform similar to what it embraced before the Nixon era. Why and how? Simply because it would be unable to keep the gains it makes in terms of minority membership if the far-right radical bigots maintain their stranglehold on the party. And that being so, those radicals will be forever consigned to the fringes from whence they came. I’m not suggesting th at this will happen in this upcoming election, or even in the next Presidential election four years from now. But it will happen nonetheless, because if it doesn’t, then the Republican Party will sooner or later be consigned to the dustbin of history.

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We had a good laugh about the possibility of such an existence which seems to contradict everything about black folk and politics. I realize it’s hard to believe that there aren’t a more black folks willing to spew turds from our mouths to find favor with “certain people” who make up the Republican Party, the Tea Party, or whatever those crazy, slightly-wealthier-than-average white folks, decide to call themselves these days — yes Allen West, I’m looking at you, buddy. But lo and behold, I came across someone today that just totally blew my mind. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Congressional candidate, from the great state of Utah, Mrs. Mia Love:

Amid the crowded field of House candidates across the country in 2012, expect to hear a lot about Mia Love, a Republican who is an African American and a Mormon and who on Saturday defeated a handful of rivals to clinch the party nomination in the campaign for Utah’s fourth congressional district. Love is preparing to face incumbent Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson. Victory in November would make her the first black Republican congresswoman in history.

A Brooklyn-born Mormon convert, Love is a marathon-running mother of three and the daughter of Haitian immigrants who came to the United States with $10 in their pockets, she says. Her mother cleaned houses and worked as a nurse at a retirement home while her father worked for a painting company, toiled as a janitor at a Catholic school and drove a school bus to support their growing family.

“I am a product of that hard work,” she said in an interview with Yahoo News, “a product of the American dream.”

Love’s political career began when she was elected to the city council in the small town of Saratoga Springs, Utah, in 2004. She became mayor six years later and her House candidacy has received cash from an impressive list of Republican big wigs like House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Budget Chairman Paul Ryan and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy.

Well aware that she is unique when lined up next to most Republicans in the caucus, Love doesn’t shy away from being a poster child for her party.

“We have an opportunity to reach some of our fellow Americans that we haven’t been able to reach, ever, on the conservative side,” she told Yahoo News. “And if I can reach our fellow Americans and get them to believe what we believe–that the way that they’re going to realize the American dream is through hard work and that they can do it, then I’m happy to play that role. I’m happy to be the example.”

While talking policy, she comes across as a tax- and regulation-slashing, tea party conservative infused with a leave-us-alone libertarian streak, a hallmark of western Republicans.

“I know what the proper role of government is,” she said. “I don’t really want to know what’s going on in somebody’s backyard. It’s not my job to know what’s going on in their backyard and I try to stay out of everyone’s personal lives and their property.”

During the Republican primary, Love raised less than $120,00, falling short of three other candidates vying for the nomination. On primary day, however, she received 70 percent of the vote, walloping  state legislator (and lead fundraiser) Carl Wimmer, who had the backing of tea Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a tea party favorite.

Matheson, her new Democratic opponent with a $1.2 million war chest, could be her greatest challenger yet.

If she makes it to Washington, Love said she plans focus on opposing federal regulations–particularly those set by the Environmental Protection Agency–and will immediately join the Democrat-led Congressional Black Caucus with Florida Rep. Allen West, currently the only Republican member of the group, with hopes to “change it from the inside out.”

“I told Congressman West to hang in there, reinforcements are coming, and while I respect the ideas of some of these representatives to care for the poor in their community, I reject the notion that government dependency is the way to do it,” Love said. “I am ready to go in and change it from the inside out.” (source)

When I read the above piece, my first question was: how in the hell does the child of Haitian immigrants raised in Brooklyn wind up in Utah? But then I realized that I’m the son of West Indian immigrants from Trinidad & Tobago, and that I’ve been getting the very same question for the last twenty five years myself. Yep, I get the the, “Why do you talk funny, and how did you wind up in Memphis,” question all the time. But even so, I’m still shocked that she has surfaced in Utah.

I am because for a long time I didn’t know there were black folks in Utah other than the players on the NBA’s Utah Jazz, and Gary Coleman. But once again, I’m proven wrong; and this time, by a female Black Republican Congressional candidate from Utah with a name that sounds like it could be mentioned as the feature act at a local strip club. OK, so that sounded kinda sexist, but if you say her name with that perverted strip club DJ voice, it really isn’t once you do it.

That aside, Mia Love could possibly be the next GOP rags to riches story; she’s like Sarah Palin, but a lot more intelligent. Not that I expect her to be on anyone’s GOP presidential ticket any time soon. But don’t be surprised if she is in the future once her stock rises, providing that she wins:

As a child of Caribbean immigrants myself, just like Mrs. Love, I would be interested in hearing her thoughts on immigration reform. I wonder what are her views on Haitian immigrants seeking asylum here in the US, and just how the broken system slows their attempts to live the American dream she touts in the following campaign ad. According to her website love4utah.com, her stance on immigration, or more specifically “illegal immigration” as it says is pretty typical: Protect our borders and remove the magnets.  Only after we have plugged the hole in the boat can we begin to deal with the water in it. No word on whether she supports comprehensive immigration reform, or even a guest worker program much like the one recently passed in Utah that was subsequently struck down by the Feds.  Nope, just more of the same right-wing immigration talking points that ignores the fact that illegal immigration from Mexico has declined sharply since 2005 according to a Pew study.

I must say that though we may differ when it comes to political ideology and philosophical debate. I am however encouraged to see a black woman running for office in a district that is indeed predominantly made up of people of un-color. Truth is, we need more women in government, and we can never have too many people of color in government. That is, unless they’re not willing to focus on the needs of we the people; in particular, the lives of women and minorities.

Best of luck to you, Mrs. Ludmya “Mia” Bourdeau-Love!

The post Mia Love: She’s Black, She’s Mormon, & She’s a Rising GOP Star Running for Congress appeared first on Madness & Reality.