Posted on 10/25/2004 12:33:49 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
Vernon Lynn is a man in a hurry - and with good reason. Every evening the Democrat activist races around his home town, Milwaukee, trying to persuade residents to vote. But he has only eight days to go.
Senator John Kerry's hopes hinge on the efforts of people like "Vern", the head of a team of canvassers in the key "battleground" state of Wisconsin.
Mr Lynn is one of tens of thousands of Democrats in the 12 swing states trying to inspire the party's "sleeping" supporters to turn out on polling day. National opinion polls give President George W Bush a slender lead, but Democrats pin their hopes on the estimated millions of potential supporters who need nudging to vote.
Nowhere is this push as acute as in Milwaukee, the once great commercial hub on the edge of Lake Michigan, now best known as the home of American beer.
With its large black population, who traditionally vote overwhelmingly for the Democrats, Milwaukee is crucial to the party's hopes in Wisconsin, which in turn Mr Kerry must win.
"Milwaukee is critical because of the density of Democratic voters. Everyone knows it," said Barbara Lawton, the state's Lieutenant Governor and a Democrat. "But Republicans have learned what the Democrats have always known, that the ground war is what matters. We can't pretend they haven't done a quick study on this. This is not rocket science."
Mr Lynn is one of 100 canvassers in Wisconsin paid by Americans Coming Together, a liberal group backed by George Soros, the billionaire anti-Bush financier, which has a $125 million budget for its get-out-the-vote drive.
Since late May they have visited hundreds of thousands of homes in Milwaukee while staying within the laws that prevent them from campaigning for Mr Kerry.
"The more we hit base voters the more we remind them about turning out," said Tamara Pogue, ACT's state director. "You see television ads, candidates pay visits - it's all important, but it's the ground game that wins elections. The more who vote, then the greater chance the Democrats have."
Mr Lynn is confident that black Americans will defy tradition and vote in large numbers, after a high turnout for the city's mayoral election earlier this year.
"Before this year, African Americans never voted. They'd say they'd vote but then when tallies were done it was clear they hadn't," he said.
Aaron Fields, a 19-year-old business student, has worked for ACT since June. He said his contemporaries remain apathetic, but that may say as much about the youth vote as the black vote. "They think it doesn't matter and say that Bush will do what he did last time and steal the election [a reference to the Florida voter dispute]," he said.
Moreover, a poll last week by the Joint Centre for Economic and Political Studies found that 18 per cent of blacks would back Mr Bush, twice as many as in 2000.
Yesterday Mr Kerry attended a black church in Florida, and today Bill Clinton, once dubbed America's "first black president", campaigns in Philadelphia.
Phil Walzak of ACT said anger against Mr Bush had not translated into voters committing themselves to Mr Kerry. "But there is a week to go, and they will," he said.
ping
It must be election season, here is yet another offering of the democrats and the black vote.
Don't you think the appointment of Rice and Powell shows the Black community that the Dems are their WORST enemy!
I've a small wager with a black co-worker that President Bush will win and shock the Dems into atrophy by attaining 25% of the Black Vote on November 2nd.
What's worked for the Dems in years past (Plantation, Scare Tactics, etc)has started to show signs of decay and sloth. Resulting in cracks and break aways.
Due to those many of those being "bought" in the 1970s. While in their teens, have used the system to their benefit. Attained degrees. Become professionals and entrepeneurs. And want to hang onto what's in their wallets.
Now the Dems need a solid minority voting block. Since Motor Voter and AmeriCorp haven't worked to their benefit. My guess is that the next "minority" the Dems will go after will be felons. Who shouldn't be allowed to vote, anyway.
Jack.
I live near Memphis, Tenn. where the black population is 60%. The Democrats preach racism 365 days a year, and are constantly harping about how bad the conservatives are for minorities and then fill their own pockets and do nothing for the people. We finally got our fill and moved out of the county. There are many wonderful blacks that attend our church and I would hope that they do not feel like so much cattle in a herd, because they are not.
Dems consider Rice and Powell uncle Toms instead of what they are. They worked hard to get where they are today. For all the lip service the Dems give to blacks they have yet to appoint blacks to positions that could have an impact in past administrations.
I hope it's cold and rainy all day November 2nd.
I wonder about those felons as voters.
The ones in on drug charges/pedophilia will vote for the Soros' party, IMO.
But the ones who are bikers, who sport MIA/POW insignia, I wonder about them. They are macho. Would they vote for the wet fish D candidate?
I haven't known any of these guys for decades, but back 30 years ago, they were patriots.
I agree Jack, many Black Americans are throwing off the yoke of the dem plantation owners. We need to get more of the White Americans off the plantation too. Initiative, hard work, a superior mind/attitude will open many doors thought to be permanently closed for all Americans. (It is not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country) I guess the Demo-commies forgot about this ephithet, and still attempt to hoodwink good, but uninformed Americans.Bush/Cheney 2004
The Dems also want Black Voters to think that it was Republican Governors in Southern states that sicced police dogs and high-pressure hoses on blacks during the Freedom Marches. When it was Democratic Governors who oversaw that blight on American History.
They also want Blacks to forget that it was Republicans who pushed the Civil Rights Bill through stiff resistance in Congress and the Senate.
Jack.
Jack, I remember those times of unrest, but good does overcome evil in the long run. Unfortunately, we have the Kerry's,Kennedy's, Jackson's and the Sharpton's trying to perpetuate the flames of racial hatred/class warfare. Bush/Cheney 2004
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