Young Republicans' new prez faces criticism

Audra Shay, the 38 year old military veteran elected national president at this weekend's Young Republicans conference in Indianapolois, has unleashed a barrage of liberal blog attacks over a recent exchange found on her Facebook page. 

WIND 560 AM's conservative talk show host Guy Benson blasted Young Republicans Sunday night for choosing Shay for president after Shay's seeming tolerance for racial slurs became an issue, giving fodder to Republicans' hard-to-extinquish anti-black political stereotype. Daily Beast and Huffington Post are having a hey day with this latest Republican mini-crisis. Daily Beast writes:

Shay came under fire for a Facebook exchange, in which she posted that “WalMart just signed a death warrant” by “endorsing Obama’s health care plan.” A friend named Eric S. Piker weighed in: “It’s the government making us commies… can’t even smoke in my damn car… whats next they going to issue toilet paper once a month .. tell us how to wipe our asses…” Two minutes later, Piker posted again: “Obama Bin Lauden [sic] is the new terrorist… Muslim is on there side [sic]… need to take this country back from all of these mad coons … and illegals.” Immediately after his post, Shay responded: “You tell em Eric! Lol.”

That "LOL" may be the last one Shay ever writes on Facebook.  Huffington Post writes more problematic exchange has been found:

But more controversial comments from Shay were found by the Daily Beast. After an effigy of Sarah Palin was hung, she said "What no 'Obama in a noose? ... I am wondering if the guys with the Palin noose would care if we had a bunch of homosexuals in a noose." She's also written that President Obama "attacks white people" and posted a video claiming Obama believes he has to help African-Americans over whites to "ensure his own salvation."

Shay's explanation is:

I immediately deleted the derogatory and outright disgusting comments and subsequently posted a statement on my Facebook Status stating that in no way, shape or form are the comments posted by other individuals a reflection of me or my beliefs as an American, a Veteran, a Mother or a Candidate. I do not, nor would I ever, condone that type of language or behavior.

We'll see how heated this new Republican woman controversy gets over the next few days. Stay tuned.

Comments

[suzy]

She defriended 2 people who protested the "coon" remark.

When two of her other friends--including Sean L. Conner, chairman of the D.C. Young Republicans--complained about the racist language on Shay's Facebook thread, Shay responded, not by unfriending the author of the "mad coon" comment, but by unfriending the two who complained.

In his two articles, Avlon reveals a disturbing pattern of similar viewpoints expressed by Shay in previous Facebook posts, larded with misspellings, and with syntax that would embarrass a marginally-educated 16-year old, including one from October 2008 where she employs a lynching motif, suggesting "Obama in a noose" as a Halloween decoration, defending it as "freedome [sic] of speech," and that "no one in Atlanta would mind."

In spite of Shay's attempts to sanitize the 2009 "mad coon" exchange by deleting the posts and issuing a statement to the effect that racist slurs did not represent her position as a candidate for the chairmanship of the Young Republicans--and would not be tolerated on her Facebook wall--screenshots had already been taken of the post, and of her response, Avlon reported.

A final post from Piker stated his position quite clearly--the position Shay appeared to endorse with her You tell em Eric lol! response to Piker's previous post (that is, before she claimed she didn't endorse it)--

"...this is still America...freedom of speech and thought is allowed...for now any ways...and the last time i checked I was still a good ole southern boy...and if yur ass is black don't let the sun set on it in a southern town..."

of course when she deleted her facebook page it was too little too late....

[IR]

There's no defense for racial slurs, but Guy Benson reported last night that the story was not well known among YR voters at the conference. The fact that Shay was elected is important, but how the YRs handle this development will be more important.

[Bakersfield]

Ugh...Shortest tenure of YR's Chairs Ever.

[spintreebob]

Every nutcase has freedom of speech. But every nutcase does not have entitlement to a leadership position.

[PeteSpeer]

I would hope that, the lady would act in the best interest of the Young Republican movement by resigning. And, the quicker, the better.

The Young Republicans have the opportunity to be the new "Grand Army of the Republic" leading on so many issues in these days when we see the Republic that is the United States threatened by the challenges of Democratic statism.

That will require each State's organization reflect the particular beliefs of that state, just as the original GAR -- the Union Army -- did in preserving the Republic at great cost during the Civil War. The country is under siege as the Democrat Party by its actions seeks to destroy the Republic with its fifty states and replace it with a more easily controlled National government and fifty week provinces so filled with central government mandates as to require continuing and increasing national financial support from the central government.

This ia the sole issue that should either consume and destroy the State Republican parties or bring within each state people overcoming different viewpoints to unify for the protection of the Republic.

I expect to see below this comment, snide remarks from pseudonyms and feisty replies from conservatives. We must not let these remarks weakn our resolve to restore the Republic to its rightful place.

[Conserned Conservative]

Why don't the racist Democrats resign? Why is the focus on Republicans? Are you sure this is a conservative blog?