NIT – The Republican party might have finally “got it” in the wake of publishing a controversial “is someone a racist” flowchart to its Facebook page, after it has apparently fired the man responsible for the post.
Shane Vander Hart of Des Moines, a blogger and self-prolaimed “Follower of Jesus” admitted that he was the man behind the offensive graphic, which was published to the Iowa Republican Party’s Facebook on Friday, January 24, 2014.
Vander Hart later admitted that he “runs” the GOP’s Facebook page, which has thousands of followers. He then admitted that he made the post and was subsequently fired by the Iowa GOP.
“Mea Culpa: I’m Responsible for the Controversial Republican Party of Iowa Facebook Post,” Vander Hart tweeted Sunday.
He then wrote a detailed explanation of his action on his website:
I wrote accompanying the post above “Because it’s Friday night and we don’t need serious political posts on Friday night we are sharing this. Happy Friday and LIKE and SHARE! Unless you think the chart is racist, then don’t.”
It was an attempt at humor which perhaps would have been ok for my personal page, but not for the Republican Party of Iowa. My intent was to make light of how the race card is often played in American politics, regardless of my intent it was inappropriate. It was an error in judgment, one I deeply regret, and take full responsibility for. I apologize to those whom I offended, as well as, to Iowa Republicans. This is not the message we need to send. It is distracting to our mission of electing Republicans. I also would like to publicly apologize to A.J. Spiker for the problems this has caused him.
I did not mean to cause offense or to be disrespectful, and again I am truly sorry.
I have had the opportunity to talk with my kids in terms of how important it is to be careful about what we post on social media and to use this example of what not to do. Granted mistakes most people make won’t cause a media firestorm, but they can carry negative consequences regardless.
As of this morning my working relationship with the Republican Party of Iowa has ended. I completely understand their decision and I wish them all the best.
Showing that he can dish out nastiness but not necessarily take it, Vander Hart then closed the comments on his post.
Update 1/26/14 5:39p: Comments have been closed as they were getting out of hand by people who could not follow a simple comment policy. No personal attacks. No vulgarity. Stay on topic. It seems as though some folks don’t know how to leave a comment without personally attacking the person they are replying to in the comment or attacking me. This is my website, I pay the bills here. I don’t have to put up with it.
Iowa Republican legislator Josh Byrnes of Osage on Monday said that the firing of Vander Hart wasn’t enough.
“It’s a start but still not good enough. Mr Spiker needs to step down and resign,” Byrnes said in a surprising;y pointed remark to a member of his own party.
A. J. Spiker is the State Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa.
Locally, the Cerro Gordo County Republican Party ignored the situation, until prompted by NIT Publisher Matt Marquardt.
A call was placed to Gabe Haugland, Cerro Gordo County Republican Party Chairman, at his place of employment – First Citizen’s National Bank – to ask for a response, but Mr. Haugland did not take the call. However, he did reply via email saying “I denounce the flow chart.”
so how is that flowchart racist again?
Typical right wing nut. The American public doesnt’t like Obama, but they are so turned off by the far right loons in the Republican party, that they go into the voting booth, hold their nose, and vote for the Democratic candidate anyway. The Republicans are going the way of the whig party.
And it turns out he was really a Democrat pretending to be a Republican.
It is the Dems that are the haters.
Well the Republitard’s has fired this snotty kid now he never will get to be the next Toddy boy Blodgett.
watchdoggy and phalosapus, move to Mexico or stay in the cornfield with your inane opinions!
Remember that there are wing nuts in both parties.
Our local left wing nuts like the people who register as Republicans and then put this nonsense out to purposefully harm the Republican Party and an agenda that would put this country back on the path of economic recovery.
Anyone in their right mind knows that the Republican Party is not a racist party. Nor are they the demons that the media portrays them to be. The constant barrage of foolish issues raised in today’s world only serve to confuse the public and help keep big spenders in office and constantly undermine out freedom.
This flow chart is nothing more that an effort to keep our focus off the real issues like a bankrupt government and a President that has spent the last 5 years making things worse.
People are worse off today. The worst part it there is no hope on the horizon for any policies that could lead us out of our economic mess.
Flow charts don’t matter to me, especially when I know they are Democrats posing as Republicans. That is as wing nut as you can get, and it isn’t right.
Really? You believe this to be a ‘dirty trick’ that came from the democratic side of the fence? You are paranoid. Really paranoid. The Republicans do enough damage to their image without any help from their opponents. All you need to do is look at some of the tea party nut jobs who advocate hanging our President, seceding from the union or leading a revolution to oust the present administration from office.
If the media is misrepresenting the republicans, just where do you get your information? As to things being worse under President Obama, I don’t know how anyone can make this claim considering where we were when he took office and where we are now. But again, I don’t know your source for these ideas and I’d enjoy understanding what makes you think as you do.
Get your head out of your ass, we are way worse off then when Comrade Obama took office.
7 trillion dollars more debt and a real unemployment rate that is over 20% if you use factual numbers.
Get real
I think you must have revised history to forget the situation we were in at election time in 2008. We were in real peril of collapse. The $4T costs of the Iraq/Afghan wars coming due were rolled into that debt, along with stimulus from Bush years and the TARP funds. To call any of that Obama’s debt is to simply misapply history. Our unemployment rate (which has little to do with who is president) is better than when Obama took office and over 2.5 million jobs have been created. (again, not exactly because of the president, but since you want to give him the blame, don’t you have to also give him the credit?)
So, I think you may have misapplied your head placement hypothesis and should look at something more reflective to understand your error.
I believe something needs to be said here about the democratic and the Republican party. If you have not concluded that both parties are nothing but a sham that serves to divide and separate Americans from their wealth and maintenance of a Free Democracy you are still under the influence of a clever form of brainwashing. Try to remember that every time that you open your mouth you are making a fool of yourself and everyone knows exactly how uninformed you really are even if they don’t tell you. They also know that you are susceptible to all kinds of tomfoolery and you are an easy mark. The two political parties that you support don’t give a damn about you and your family. You should have figured that out by now given the tremendous amount of evidence on display for everyone to see. The rest of the world knows how misinformed most Americans about their political system and it’s ability to fool the American people. They also know that out economic system is a ponzi scheme just like the one that Madoff ran at some point in tome if will collapse. So eyes opened.
Clearly the publisher of NIT suffers from a chronic condition that causes an endless need to destroy the good character and reputation of decent people. This syndrome is usually caused because the level of the offenders character and reputation is lower then those he is most envious of in the community. People often disagree on political and social issues yet maintain good reputations because they keep their disagreements to the issue or cause. And, when the need or opportunity arises they will band together to work to support community. Grow up Mr. Publisher.
Al Winters, Cerro Gordo GOP Treasurer, you really disappoint me… but you don’t surprise me. Standing behind your party chairman is no shock; cronies stick together.
Al, let me help you understand something, as it seems to be escaping you. The only “condition” here at NIT is blunt truth. If you do not like that, you are in the wrong place and should head over to the Globe where they lie every day. Really, Al, you seem angry that your party is imploding before your very eyes; that has to hurt and frustrate you, as evidenced by your attack. It seems Gabe Haugland has taught you how to play dirty; good for you for listening in class.
I get the impression, Al, that to you and your crony Gabe Haugland, the only “decent people” are right wingers who believe as you do. For the record, I am an Independent, I follow no party. I don’t like either one. In truth, Al, you and your entire GOP seem to suffer from an endless need to denigrate and belittle the poor, minorities, those who believe differently than you do or happen to lead different lifestyles, or want to earn a decent paycheck after a hard day’s work. That makes you a bigot, where I come from. You can keep your advice, I don’t need it.
You’re right, Matt. I see Al is a big Catholic, a huge Christian just like Gabe says he is. What does Jesus say about name-calling, attacks and dirty politics? Al seems to be a self-proclaimed authority on the subject.
I’m not concerned about Al Winters. I find him amusing yet alarmingly out of touch with the modern world. I see he wrote a piece for the Globe a few years back attacking another writer for “opening the wounds of priest pedophilia” … as if it never happened or wasn’t a big deal. Al is blind to the thousands of victims around the world who suffered sexual abuse; they are an afterthought to him, apparently, just as the common man is an afterthought to the likes of Al and his GOP cronies, like big banker Gabe Haugland. Hey Al, I didn’t post the racist flowchart, your party did. You might want to direct your nasty communications to AJ Spiker and rest of the GOP. If you are still angry on Sunday, go to church and ask for forgiveness, guidance, and understanding.
Hey Al. Explain where NIT attacked anyone in this story? Did you post because you are a member of the Cerro Gordo Republican Party? I read your post above and I’m trying to figure this out. Thanks.
@al4usa-I have said it before and I will say it again. If the Republicans do not change on their holier than though attitude and far right B. S. you will lose the election again. It just amazes me that grown men can not learn from their mistakes and continue to do the same old crap over and over. Get off the abortion and gay rights issues, get off the racist remarks and stop trying to take food away from people who need it. You can rationalize it any way you want but when your whole platform is to take way from the poor you can not expect them to vote for you. And that will really piss me off because some twit will vote in the communist Hillary just because she is a woman.
Racism is actually very common in Iowa because there are so few opportunities to know people of color in a lot of our communities. This allows others to unduly influence people to believe stereotypes.
The best test I know to find out if you are racist is to realize whether you act differently when you are around a person of color. This type of racism can be overcome easily, but it exists and lends to white privilege.
For example, if you were driving down the road and see a man walking along the road, do you act differently if that person is non-white? Do you think you know something about that person without knowing who they are? These are signs that you’ve fallen for a stereotype. Same thing for age and gender. If you treat everyone the same, great! Isn’t that what all of us would want?
Much to-do about nothing. To think the Republican Party is racist is nonsensical.
You can’t win elections and be a racist. This is Basic Politics 101.
Now there IS plenty of stupidity to go around. The Republicans don’t have all of either. Democrats are just as stupid.
What is that old saying, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
@Watchdog-that is what Liberals do when they know they can’t win. They always play the race card but it doesn’t work anymore.
Spoken like a true republitard.
Not a Republican at all but I am an AMERICAN and I want my country back.
It was never yours to begin with. Founded on a lie. America was doomed the moment they sanctioned slavery. Such a nation cannot survive with such horrible evils in its past.
I’m not understanding what you want back. Can you elaborate?
@Philly-did the Sun tell you that liar?
Yes they can and yes they do for example Steve King. A loud mouth Iowa born racist.