Friendswood, Texas, neighboring Santa Fe and other predominantly white enclaves of Texas ignorance and religious intolerance South of Houston do have some non white residents. The Houston Chronicle recently ran a pleasant personal piece on one such African American success story. Republican leader downplaying race
Robin Armstrong, not to be confused with fired Friendswood principle Robin Lowe, is a local physician who lives in Friendswood, Texas. He is also the first black vice chair for the Texas Republican Party. First in 100 years it seems. An African American has to hold some very hardcore conservative values to pass muster in Republican politics, especially down here in Texas and especially in a town like Friendswood.
Mr. Armstrong passes all the tests. He is strongly against Affirmative Action for African Americans other than himself, wants no part of any national health care plan and says Barack Obama is a "socialist". But that is not what drew me to the Chronicle interview.
When asked why a black man from an area so seeped in racial discrimation became a conservative Republican he replied that it was because he became an evangelical Christian while at college. Which in turn brought the singular issue of abortion as the impetus of his politics. When asked by other blacks who vote Democratic why he is a Republican he says he wins them over by saying that he is just like them, against abortion and gay marriage.
So there you much have it, the various aspects of religious sexual intolerance is what most drives the GOP over the past generation or so. Looking out only for the wealthy, and not giving a crap about anything or anyone but themselves is secondary to the Republican ideology.