( CNN ) -- A recent pair of racially charged political incidents in the South illustrate the pitfalls -- and potential benefits -- that await the national Republican Party leadership if it makes good on an oft-repeated pledge to woo black voters away from the Democratic Party . In Florida , Republican candidate for Congress Glo Smith recently made national news when unknown vandals destroyed one of her campaign signs by spray-painting her face white -- a reference to the ugly , warped idea that black candidates who run on the GOP line are outcasts from the black community who are `` acting white . '' In Mississippi , the bitter endgame of the recent Republican runoff between incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran and tea party challenger Chris McDaniel included a telephone press conference held by Cochran 's aides that was interrupted by an anonymous caller insistently asking : `` If black people were harvesting cotton , why is it OK to harvest their votes ? '' It was a sign of the rage expressed by McDaniel that Cochran 's razor-close 1.6 % win was made possible by an unusual last-minute appeal to Democratic black voters , who crossed party lines to supply the margin of victory . Cochran 's victory is expected to hold up despite a long-shot legal challenge by McDaniel . And Smith is soldiering on toward her August 26 primary , after which she faces an uphill battle against longtime incumbent Rep. Corrine Brown ( Disclosure : Smith 's family and mine have been close for years ) . The rough and tumble of Southern primary politics is nothing new , but the candidates should n't have to weather these recent attacks on their own . Now would be a perfect time for national party brass and congressional leaders to prove they believe their own rhetoric about GOP outreach to black voters . A committed , earnest effort would be good for the party , for black communities and for the nation . At present , Republicans are on a collision course with diversity that will , without a course correction , spell long-term disaster for the party . In 2012 , Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney got only 17 % of nonwhite voters , and polls show only 2 % of Republicans are black and 6 % are Latino . Republicans ca n't allow those trends to continue in a nation where the nonwhite population is currently 35 % and expected to reach 57 % by 2060 . Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has taken steps to broaden the party 's base : After the Romney loss , he committed $ 10 million in party funds to hire organizers tasked with building support in black , Latino and Asian communities . That 's a good start . Even better would be to funnel support -- money , `` ground troops , '' advertising support and high-profile endorsements -- to candidates like Glo Smith when they are in the thick of battle . Even in an uphill battle like the challenge in Florida 's 5th District , the party must support black candidates who step forward and endure abuse for running as Republicans . Opinion : What GOP can learn from Cochran 's use of blacks to win . Smith 's not alone . This year , the fact that 11 black Republicans are running for office -- a record high number -- should be a major point of pride for the national party , and a high priority for when directing resources . Ditto for the fact that Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina is an odds-on favorite to make history this year : If elected to a full term in November , Scott -- who was appointed in 2012 to finish out retiring Jim DeMint 's term -- will become the state 's first elected black Republican senator . Black voters have been solidly Democratic voters since the 1960s , but some black voters gravitate toward Republicans positions on bread-and-butter issues like support for charter schools and pro-growth economic policies . And many black church-goers find the GOP a comfortable political home for their culturally conservative views on school prayer , abortion and same-sex marriage . If Republicans are smart , they 'll continue to build on those points of agreement . Even smarter would be to seize the opportunity presented by Cochran 's gambit in Mississippi . Having relied on black voters to rescue his candidacy , Cochran is now expected to return the favor by fighting against restrictive voter ID laws and by steering federal financial support to black colleges and universities . Both measures make sense in the state that is the poorest in the nation and has the largest percentage of blacks . If Cochran holds up his end of the deal , Republicans might have a road map for ways to broaden their appeal as the 2016 presidential election approaches . In this climate of political polarization , the key to the political center lies with candidates and political parties with the nerve and creativity to form broad coalitions that cross traditional boundaries . Southern black voters and candidates are showing they are ready to make that kind of deal . Here 's hoping party leaders take them up on the offer .
If Republicans do n't get more minority support , it will spell future disaster . GOP must support black candidates who endure abuse for being Republican . Comment: GOP should form broad coalitions that cross traditional boundaries .