GOP Candidate: Federally Mandated Civil Rights Destroy Freedom

At an Ohio Town Hall last night, an African-American constituent asked GOP candidate Jim Renacci why people of color should support his candidacy. “I’m concerned about the civil rights and the diversity of your campaign in terms of why anybody of color should be in support of you as a congressman.”

Renacci’s adroit, politically savvy response? The Federal government should really stop infringing on the right of states and localities to treat blacks like second-class citizens:

RENACCI: [...] A lot of the problems you’re talking about are local issues. And I’m also a firm believer that the federal government and our Constitution was based on freedom, and was based on the freedoms that our number one goal of our military is freedom. We need to get our federal government out of the way and we need to allow our local governments to become more involved in many of the issues you’re talking about. I don’t believe these are federal issues to come down. I believe the federal government’s number one goal is to protect our freedoms. So the answer to your question is I believe a lot of things need to come back to the local level, and I believe things like you’re talking about do need to go back to the local level. And they need to be looked at in the cities. I was a mayor of my community. I think those are important ways of looking at all that. It’s not the federal government’s job.

In other words, Republicans plan to do a lot for black people, like let local governments decide if they deserve rights.

h/t Think Progress.