| JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — He was introduced as the president-elect, or more simply the president. He sat stoically as he was described as the man who would be in the White House today had the Republicans not "spit on the graves'' of African American civil rights leaders. But in a potential hothouse of anger, Al Gore yesterday stood before the congregation at the Abyssinia Missionary Baptist Church and told angry black voters to channel their frustration constructively so they will never be disenfranchised again. "Love thy neighbour,'' said Gore, during a highly symbolic swing through Florida nine days before the U.S. election. Gore's two-day tour evoked bitter memories of a fight here four years ago when many blacks felt their votes for him were trashed, handing Florida's Electoral College votes — and the White House — fraudulently to George W. Bush. "If any of you felt frustrated or angry about what was done four years ago involving 27,000 votes here,'' the former U.S. vice-president said, "I want to encourage you — not to ignore those feelings — but don't turn them into angry acts or angry words. "But turn all of that energy and all of those feelings into a non-stop effort between now and 7 p.m. Nov. 2 in making certain everyone you know who is qualified to vote gets out to the polls and votes early starting today.'' If that anger can be channelled, it will be a powerful force harnessed by Democrat John Kerry in the battle for Florida's 27 electoral votes. Rev. Tom Diamond, the pastor here, made it clear that the anger is still palpable. "The Republican party threw out 27,000 of our votes,'' he told his congregation. "The Republican party tried to disenfranchise us, the Republican party is spitting on the graves of our ancestors ... spitting on their graves by taking away rights we have fought for and died for. "And by all rights, Brother Al Gore is the president-elect.'' The crowd responded with cries of "that's right,'' and "you tell them.'' "You do know he is the president-elect? Yes he is. He got elected, but they didn't give it to him, Amen? "Amen'' the congregation responded. Rev. Eric Carter, who helped officiate yesterday, made the same point later. "I want to call him President Gore, I really do.'' South of here, in Broward County, Kerry also addressed a black church and delivered a similar message, urging an early voter turnout and assuring the assembled that he has put together the best legal team possible to challenge any inequities. Gore has joined with black clergy and national and state politicians in Florida urging an early vote in this campaign so the votes will be properly counted. The black community is responding, and many churches yesterday provided transportation to any of the five early voting sites in Duval county. Black musician Isaac Hayes headlined a rally yesterday afternoon across from one polling station and Diamond told his congregation yesterday was "Super Sunday'' at the early polls, urging everyone sitting in the 68-year-old brick church to head to the voting station.
`The Republican party ... (took) away rights we have fought for and died for.' Rev. Tom Diamond |
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In 2000 in this county, 27,000 votes, the majority of which were cast for Gore by African Americans, were ruled ineligible by the Republican-controlled Office of Election Supervisor. "If you vote early,'' Gore said, "they will have plenty of time to count your vote. "There will be plenty of time to make a list and check it twice the way Santa Claus does. "You can make sure there is not any kind of ... what's the word I'm looking for?'' "Stealing,'' some in the crowd shouted back at him. Gore has long since shucked his stiff campaigning style and has been one of the fiercest critics of Bush and his war in Iraq during this campaign. Yesterday, he attacked him with Biblical quotations. He said those dispatched to Iraq from Jacksonville-area bases deserve a commander-in-chief with vision. "The Bible says where there is no vision, the people will perish,'' Gore said. "The president said he didn't see any deficits. Where there is no vision, the people will perish.'' He also struck a chord with the elderly in Florida who are suffering through a lack of flu vaccines in this country. "People having to go to Canada to get flu shots?'' Gore said. "Who is minding that store?'' In a brief interview later, the former vice-president said he was encouraged by a surge in enthusiasm among those who want the democratic process to work this time around. "I'm praying that my vote will be counted this time,'' Gwen Hall said. "In 2000, we were sold cheap.'' Glenda Mitchell says she believes discrepancies will be caught this time because of the surge in early voting. "In 2000, there were a lot of mistakes. The last election, I took my mother to the polls and it was very confusing,'' she said. "The way the ballots were lined up, it looked like you were voting for one candidate, but you weren't, it was the other candidate.'' In the minds of some black leaders in Duval County, however, the 2000 loss by Gore was not just vote fraud — it was the by-product of the Democratic campaign, as well. "We welcome Al Gore back to our state,'' said Rev. James Sampson, the pastor of First New Zion Missionary Baptist Church. "But Gore didn't do enough in 2000. He should have fought for the black vote harder.'' Gore won some of his biggest cheers when he mentioned former president Bill Clinton, who returns to the campaign trail today in Philadelphia with Kerry, six weeks after undergoing quadruple bypass surgery. |
