As minority voters abandoned the GOP in droves this past cycle, those who will vote on the next chairman of the Republican Party are struggling with the difficult issue of race.

The Democrats are seen as having advantages: Traditionally they have won more minority voters, and now the party will be led by the first African-American president. And, for Republicans, race proves to be a particularly thorny issue that can cause problems for even the most adept political operators.

That incident came on top of a number of gaffes throughout the 2008 election. In September, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) told The Hill he thought then-presidential candidate Barack Obama was "uppity," a racially tinged word. Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ken.) apologized in April for referring to Obama as a "boy."

At rallies held for the Republican presidential ticket, media focused on attendees who called Obama a "terrorist" and emcees, most famously Cincinnati radio host Bill Cunningham, who frequently invoked Obama's middle name to rile up a crowd.

This year, outreach to African-American and Hispanic voters is a key part of most chairman candidates' pitches to RNC members. In 2008, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) attracted just 4 percent of the black vote and 31 percent of the Hispanic vote, significantly below levels of support for previous Republican nominees.

The candidates themselves preach the importance of casting a wider GOP net, emphasizing proximity to minority voters who are generally more conservative on social issues. But there have been moments when even the most experienced operatives have displayed a tone-deafness that startles some of their fellow Republicans.

Though Saltsman told The Hill RNC members would understand the song, written by conservative satirist Paul Shanklin, was nothing more than parody, several other candidates issued strong statements attacking their rival.

"I am shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is appropriate as it clearly does not move us in the right direction," incumbent RNC chairman Robert "Mike" Duncan said in a statement.

"In my opinion, this isn't funny and it's in bad taste," added Saul Anuzis, chairman of the Michigan Republican Party and a candidate for the national job. "Just as important, anything that paints the GOP as being motivated in our criticism of President-elect Obama by anything other than a difference in philosophy does a disservice to our party."

Others around the country agreed. Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer issued an unusually strong statement, and CNN quoted outgoing RNC online communications manager James Richardson, who wrote a surprisingly upfront assessment of the gaffe. Sending out the CD "shows a serious lack of judgment, tact and the necessary level of racial sensitivity expected of public officials," Richardson wrote on a conservative blog.

Surprisingly, it has been the two African-American candidates running to head the RNC, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and ex-Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who have been the easiest on Saltsman.

"I know Chip Saltsman, I know his character; and while his attempt at humor was clearly misplaced, it does not make him indifferent to the important work of building the coalitions necessary to make our party stronger," Steele said in a statement.

Blackwell blamed a "hypersensitivity in the press regarding matters of race" for the most recent blowup. "I don't think any of the concerns that have been expressed in the media about any of the other candidates for RNC chairman should disqualify them," he said. "All of my competitors for this leadership post are fine people."

Saltsman isn't the only candidate who has slipped up on race issues. This summer, South Carolina GOP chairman Katon Dawson resigned his membership from the Forest Lake Club, a prominent Columbia country club that prohibited African-American membership in its deed.

The club's leadership said the deed was invalid, and Dawson has a record of promoting African-American candidates for both internal party positions and in the state legislature. (Two of the RNC's three African-American committee members back Dawson's bid for national chairman; the third backs Anuzis.)

Still, the lack of African-American members at the club proved an embarrassment, one that several of Dawson's rivals don't hesitate to bring up in private as reason to question his leadership ability.

Dawson, too, held back from attacking Saltsman, calling him "an honorable, experienced campaign operative" Dawson considers a friend. "Everyone makes mistakes and Chip made one last week. But for the media to dwell on it distracts from the real issues that we must debate in order to move the Republican Party forward," Dawson told The Hill.

But as the party saw its vote share decline, ethnic voters are very much on the minds of top Republicans around the country. "The [GOP] has to have Hispanic voters, African-American voters, any minority bloc consider the party as [a] home," Greer told The Hill. "We're talking about the issues that are important to those voters, but we also remember that Hispanics and African-Americans and minority voters are also Americans."

Though RNC members and those watching the chairman's contest say race will not be a deciding factor in their votes, many are asking the two black candidates about the issue, with sources saying it's not a faux pas to address the elephant in the room. Steele has said publicly that he does not want voters to consider his ethnicity when deciding whether to vote for him.

Though economic issues dominated the 2008 elections, Republicans stress that on key social issues, they align more closely with minority voters than do Democrats. Especially on gay rights — political analysts credit an increased turnout among African-American voters for passage in California of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage — many in the GOP see an opportunity to use a wedge issue among an electorate that would otherwise vote overwhelmingly Democratic.

But just belaboring the point won't work with minority voters, candidates and committee members alike say. Whether it's meeting with black and Hispanic leaders, attracting new spokespeople to the party or simply investing in new infrastructure in communities where the GOP has largely been absent, all agree that some steps have to be taken.

The real question, then, becomes one of patience. Obama will be on the ballot again four years from now and Republicans will likely face initial disappointment by the early returns on those investments. If the party decides to focus resources elsewhere, many worry they will continue to be seen by minority voters solely as the party of white people.

Perhaps more important than a national strategy that seeks to emulate Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean's 50-state strategy, appealing to minority voters could prove key to GOP chances among a growing segment of the electorate. Gaffes aside, if the party doesn't seriously commit to engaging in outreach and building common bonds, Republicans will continue to lag behind Democrats.

How seriously RNC members and the candidates they will vote on will take those warnings remains to be seen.