Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Fighting dirty for the black vote
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/monacharen/mc20050304.shtml ^ | 3/4/05 | mona charen

Posted on 03/04/2005 6:22:42 AM PST by pissant

Donna Brazile is uneasy. She has noticed something highly threatening to her party, and she's sounding the alarm. In a column for Roll Call newspaper, Brazile, Al Gore's campaign manager, warns her fellow Democrats that Republicans are seeking to make inroads into the African-American vote. "Once they (black voters) start listening to Republicans, some may even like what they hear." Egad.

Brazile notes that in "many key states, including Ohio, Florida and Michigan, the GOP increased its percentage of the black vote by making a modest investment of resources, reaching out consistently to ministers and polarizing the black community with divisive wedge issues such as same-sex marriage."

Leaving aside Brazile's interpretation (who is polarizing, those who push gay marriage or those who push back?), the numbers are certainly intriguing. While Republicans gained a relatively modest 3 percentage points in the overall black vote between 2000 and 2004, going from 8 percent to 11 percent, the party's performance in several large states was more substantial. In Texas, the GOP won 15 percent; in California, 18 percent; and in Ohio, 16 percent.

From Donna Brazile's perspective, this is frightening. Her disquiet was not eased when she attended Tavis Smiley's forum in Atlanta last month called "The State of the Black Union 2005." This year, wrote Brazile, "in addition to debating the predictable myriad of national issues, we found ourselves discussing new players in the dialogue -- blacks who lean Republican."

Brazile is saying out loud what Democrats have been quietly worried about for many years now. As I point out in my new book, "Do-Gooders": "It is a plain fact of American political life today that Democrats are completely dependent on black votes. The day African-Americans stop casting 80 percent to 95 percent of their votes for Democrats is the day Democrats stop winning elections. ... In the year 2000, George W. Bush won 54 percent of the white vote and 31 percent of the Hispanic vote. But Al Gore won 90 percent of the black vote and thus topped Bush in the total popular vote." Democrats at the national level consistently win fewer than 50 percent of white votes.

The Democrats' answer to this lopsided equation has been to stoke racial animosity and distrust wherever possible. The more that African-Americans can be made to feel targeted, victimized and despised, the easier it is for Democrats to pose as their friends and champions. We have thus witnessed countless episodes over the past decade and a half when liberals have invented racist incidents.

Brazile herself contributed to this myth-making when she declared that the results of the 2000 election in Florida represented "a systematic disenfranchisement of people of color and poor people," adding that "in disproportionately black areas, people faced dogs, guns, and were required to have three forms of ID."

This is pure fiction. So were Democrats' claims that George W. Bush somehow condoned the dragging murder of James Byrd in Texas, or that Judge Charles Pickering was soft on the KKK, or that black churches in the South were targets of a racist arson conspiracy.

Democrats have been hoping to prevent Republicans from speaking to African-Americans by creating the equivalent of radio jamming. They've spewed so much falsehood and emotion into the air that they hope Republicans cannot be heard over the din.

But the new chairman of the Republican National Committee, Ken Mehlman, together with the ambitious President George Bush, are attempting to penetrate that barrier. By seeking out black ministers like Bishop Eddie Long and others, they are saying: "Give us a chance, and we'll give you a choice. A choice in education ... a choice to own a business, a choice to own a home."

Republicans have made this pitch before without notable success. But it does seem that Mehlman has more of a sense for the music with black audiences. Appearing at the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Mehlman told his audience of business owners that "the party of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass is not complete without more African-American support and participation."

The expanding black middle and upper classes ought to be fertile ground for the Republican message of entrepreneurship, traditional families and improved education. But Democrats have fought dirty for this constituency, and the smart money is on more of the same in the future.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: blacks; blackvote; monacharen
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last
Hopefully Bush's inspiration to the Muslim world to toss off the shackles of oppression also works for the blacks in the US, to walk of the democrat plantation.
1 posted on 03/04/2005 6:22:43 AM PST by pissant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: pissant

OMG! blacks might like what they hear! they might think for themselves! they might even leave the plantation!!

we're doomed!!! Must keep the truth out. must supress other opinions. Must keep republican opinions from reaching blacks! chaos (freedom) might result!


2 posted on 03/04/2005 6:27:13 AM PST by camle (keep your mind open and somebody will fill it with something for you))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pissant

I'd vote for the Republicans forever if they gave me 40 acres and a mule.


3 posted on 03/04/2005 6:29:36 AM PST by WorkingClassFilth (Offending all people equally - pursuant to the directives of the CRA of 1964)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pissant

Which party was that of Lincoln? Which one was the party of Jim Crow? 'nuff said.

As black people get more educated on history and start prospering, more will lean Republican. Everyone likes to keep what they earn, no matter what color their skin.


4 posted on 03/04/2005 6:30:23 AM PST by boofus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pissant
The expanding black middle and upper classes ought to be fertile ground for the Republican message of entrepreneurship, traditional families and improved education

pssst....ain't no "ought to be"....it is...right now.
5 posted on 03/04/2005 6:30:38 AM PST by stylin19a (Marines - end of discussion)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pissant

"...reaching out consistently to ministers and polarizing the black community with divisive wedge issues such as same-sex marriage."

Do those Democrats in San Fransisco and Boston had nothing to do with the "divisive wedge issues such as same-sex marriage"? It was the damn dirty Republicans, dontca know.

/sarc


6 posted on 03/04/2005 6:32:24 AM PST by L98Fiero
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pissant

No, there is still a HUGE FINANCIAL INDUSTRY to be milked with the American Blacks -- Jesse, Al, the NAACP, the ACLU -- all the opportunistic subversives that make money off the "BLACK VICTIMIZATION" SCAM keep at it --- sadly there are still Blacks that would rather BE VICTIMS and be pandered to, rather than just becoming normal, hard-working, taxpaying citizens, like the rest of we Americans!

My hat is off to those who have become real Americans. Those that have not, remain an ugly cancer on our society, along with the poverty pimps, victim-status mongers, and other scum that continue to feed off of their laziness and ignorance....


7 posted on 03/04/2005 6:35:32 AM PST by EagleUSA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pissant
While Republicans gained a relatively modest 3 percentage points in the overall black vote between 2000 and 2004, going from 8 percent to 11 percent, the party's performance in several large states was more substantial. In Texas, the GOP won 15 percent; in California, 18 percent; and in Ohio, 16 percent.


This is key. Ohio was the do-or-die state in '04. With a GOP victory of 118,000 votes, this increase in the black vote was essential.


8 posted on 03/04/2005 6:36:38 AM PST by rdb3 (The wife asked how I slept last night. I said, "How do I know? I was asleep!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WorkingClassFilth
I'd vote for the Republicans forever if they gave me 40 acres and a mule.


Then you would not be voting GOP. Forty acres and a mule never happened.


9 posted on 03/04/2005 6:37:56 AM PST by rdb3 (The wife asked how I slept last night. I said, "How do I know? I was asleep!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: pissant
But Al Gore won 90 percent of the black vote and thus topped Bush in the total popular vote.

They keep saying this, but I don't believe it because I believe the overeas absentee votes are not counted where the margin of victory is greater than the number of votes. Maybe I'm wrong, but was every vote counted in 2000?

10 posted on 03/04/2005 6:39:50 AM PST by OrioleFan (Republicans believe every day is July 4th, DemocRATs believe every day is April 15th. - Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pissant
She gets it more here
11 posted on 03/04/2005 6:40:32 AM PST by traderrob6 (http://www.exposingtheleft.blogspot.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: traderrob6

indeed.


12 posted on 03/04/2005 6:41:38 AM PST by pissant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: rdb3

I know this. I am saying, tongue in cheek, if they did so today they'd have my eternal vote. As it is, they have it so long as the RATs constitute the most immediate socialist threat.


13 posted on 03/04/2005 6:45:24 AM PST by WorkingClassFilth (Offending all people equally - pursuant to the directives of the CRA of 1964)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: pissant

Donna Brazile doesn't even realize how insulting she is of black Americans!


14 posted on 03/04/2005 6:45:30 AM PST by peacebaby (Red rover, red rover, send MOSER right over.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: peacebaby

PB, are you black?


15 posted on 03/04/2005 6:51:39 AM PST by pissant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: pissant

No. why?


16 posted on 03/04/2005 6:53:22 AM PST by peacebaby (Red rover, red rover, send MOSER right over.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: pissant

The life expectancy of an African American male is three months older than the Social Security retirement age. Millions of African Americans contribute Billions of dollars to Social Security through regressive payroll taxation, and get nothing in return.

This is what the Democrats are fighting tooth and nail to preserve.


17 posted on 03/04/2005 6:56:50 AM PST by gridlock (ELIMINATE PERVERSE INCENTIVES)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pissant
I will believe it when I see it.

However, the author is right that once the stranglehold is broken, the dems will have a tough time winning anything.

18 posted on 03/04/2005 6:58:51 AM PST by KC_Conspirator (This space outsourced to India)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pissant

Republicans have been reaching out to black voters since the unCivil War and they still vote for the party of salvery and Jim Crow. After 140 years they still vote 89% Democrat. Maybe it is time for the black voters to start reaching out to the Republican party.


19 posted on 03/04/2005 6:59:36 AM PST by Bar-Face
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pissant

Republicans have been reaching out to black voters since the unCivil War and they still vote for the party of salvery and Jim Crow. After 140 years they still vote 89% Democrat. Maybe it is time for the black voters to start reaching out to the Republican party.


20 posted on 03/04/2005 6:59:45 AM PST by Bar-Face
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson