Soul Train Line and DJ Quik Performance March 20,1999

The Mother Of Hip-Hop Story (R.I.P.)

Sylvia - Pillow Talk

The Whispers - (Olivia) Lost & Turned Out

The Waynesboro Three

I remember the Waynesboro boys as three of only six black guys in Cone Hall at Georgia Southern College during my freshman year in the early eighties.  They were tough,  country dudes with whom I became close friends. We played pick-up basketball together in the old gym or behind one of the male dorms before hitting the books after class or killing time on the weekends.  I liked how my newfound buddies and I debated the future of a new type of music called Rap, with no idea how it would one day impact the world!  We even connected with our white neighbors from places like Lawrenceville,  Marietta, and Dallas,  Georgia.  The six of us joined them once on a hot Saturday night in a massive patty raid across campus.  Only one of the three hung around to graduate.  Henderson,  the toughest of the trio,  took a job in a warehouse in his hometown after his Freshman year. Gabe,  the lady's man,  relocated to Philadelphia to become a boxer at the end of three semesters.  I'll never forget those outstanding men who made life fun.

Republican Party in 2016

The Republican Party can win the presidency in 2016 by shifting strategy.

First, the G.O.P. must cut ties with radical elements within its camp.  For instance,  Republicans should distance themselves from Sara Palin,  Rush Limbaugh,  Michelle Bachman,  the Fox News Channel, and the notorious Senator Ted Cruz of Texas to be victorious in 2016. They stir up misguided passions from the past with their relentless bashing of Obamacare and by seeking to erect new barriers to voting,  such as voter identification laws.  If not, the party will appear less sensitive to the needs of the poor,  minorities, and independent voters, thus ensuring an easier path to victory for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or Vice President Joseph Biden. 

However, the most divisive element affecting Republican prospects for 2016 is the Tea Party,  a group of ultra-conservatives who caucus with the G.O.P. in Congress.  They defy compromise,  especially regarding healthcare reform, and prefer to shut down the U.S. Government instead of extending the olive branch to the president,  the way moderate Republicans would like to do.  As a result, Lincoln's party is often viewed as overly hostile to President Obama and his policies, which didn't go over well in the 2012 presidential election.

In addition to distancing themselves from extremists within their ranks,  Republicans must pivot to the center if they hope to recapture the White House.  A way to do so would be to nominate former Florida Governor Jeb Bush or Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey for president.  They, like most Americans, advocate rebuilding the nation's crumbling infrastructure and rescuing public education to promote economic growth, unlike right-wing conservatives,  who could never appeal to the middle-of-the-road constituents.  Bush and Christie also backed a balanced federal budget, so Social Security and other pivotal government programs would survive for the next generation. However, their biggest challenge is to break the gridlock in Washington, which means they must abandon efforts to abolish the Affordable Care Act and other Obama programs that don't threaten the economy or national security as a goodwill gesture.

By shifting to the center,  the G.O.P. could also double its voting base.  African Americans,  Hispanics,  Asians,  women, and voters between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five might flock to a party with moderate views on critical issues like abortion,  health care reform,  welfare spending, and gay marriage, unlike the Democratic Party.  It could guarantee victories in much-needed states like Ohio,  Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina and enable the party to hold on to Texas as demographics in the state steadily shift.

So,  for those Republicans seeking a comeback in 2016,  there exists a pathway to victory, not with a candidate who will seek to overturn the Afforable Care Act,  neglect the environment, or scale back Social Security,  but with someone who has style,  vigor, and foresight on the crucial issues of the day.