Now that the Dems are demonstrably the party of abortion, homosexuals, trial lawyers, and the environmental lobby, their devoted black voters will continue to be shaved off.
Posted on 05/02/2005 3:03:08 PM PDT by StoneGiant
Posted on Mon, May. 02, 2005
Under the Sun
Black voters warm to GOP
By Harold Jackson
Deputy Editorial Page Editor
Could it be the Republicans have finally gotten it right?
For more than two decades, I have been among those raising a skeptical eyebrow at GOP claims that the party of Lincoln wants more blacks under its tent. Talk is cheap, and their actions said otherwise to me. Until now.
The 2004 elections and their aftermath have provided persuasive examples of effective Republican outreach to African Americans. Having successfully smooth-talked the formerly segregationist Dixiecrats into their fold (it took only 50 years), the Republicans are now making measurable progress in weaning blacks from the Democratic Party.
Analysts have documented how a bump in black support for President Bush in Ohio (16 percent compared with 8 percent in 2000) corraled that state's crucial Electoral College votes for him. Last year's elections also saw Georgia make Willie Talton the first black Republican elected to its legislature since Reconstruction. The black vote for Bush in Georgia was 12 percent, compared with 7 percent in 2000.
Nationally, Bush's gains seemed more modest, an increase to 11 percent from 9 percent in the four years between elections. But a survey by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies shows the percentage of African Americans identifying themselves as Democrats dropped from 74 percent to 63 percent between 2000 and 2004, while those claiming to be Republican increased from 4 percent to 10 percent.
These gains are more evidence that the Republican excuse that African Americans vote Democratic as a monolith was simplistic, if not insulting. It implied that blacks vote as they're told, rather than on the issues. It ignored clear historical evidence that black voters - Republican stalwarts 100 years ago - will switch parties if it is in their interest.
To engineer a mass change of allegiance, though, you have to get down to the grassroots of politics - in the wards and precints and state committees. The Republicans paid lip service about being willing to do that. But they lacked the vehicle, the machinery at the grassroots to make a difference. Until now.
While reviews are mixed on whether Bush's so-called faith-based initiative will ever successfully supplant government-run social welfare programs, it has been a bona fide hit in winning African American support for the Republican president. Was that planned or a coincidence?
African American ministers who had been shy about being linked to the Republican Party no longer felt so constrained after the White House began directing federal dollars to church programs that truly have been the saving grace in many downtrodden inner-city communities. And once they touched a toe to the water, many black preachers decided the baptismal pool was warm enough for full immersion.
The Rev. Herb Lusk, a faith-based-initiative poster child and pastor of North Philadelphia's Greater Exodus Baptist Church, is way out of the closet in his quest to convert more blacks to Republicanism. And why not? Polls show it is the party that is closer to typically conservative black church folk on moral issues such as homosexuality and abortion.
I couldn't help thinking (wrongly, I'm sure) that the Rev. Jesse Jackson had that on his mind when he rushed to Florida to support the parents of Terri Schiavo as they fought to keep her feeding tube in place. The occasional presidential candidate's presence showed that "liberal" Democrats can be right-to-lifers, too.
But education could have as much impact as the morality issues in steering more blacks to the Republican Party. With majority-black schools usually among the poorest performing in America, many black parents have decided to support school choice and vouchers, methods typically pushed by Republicans, not Democrats.
The deplorable condition of black schools has already caused "lifelong Democrats" such as former New York Congressman Floyd Flake to align themselves with Republicans in support of school choice. Flake, by the way, is also a black minister, pastor of Allen AME Church in Queens. Democrat state Rep. Dwight Evans of Philadelphia is on the board of directors of the Black Alliance for Educational Options, a school choice advocacy group that has ties to black Republican organizations.
It is no longer out of the question to consider a day when black politicians in traditionally Democratic bastions such as Philadelphia can see themselves running on a Republican ticket and winning - on the issues. Political choice is always a good thing. Here's hoping the choice Republicans seem to be offering African Americans is not an illusion.
Any person.
Any color.
Any philosophy.
Anyone.
They're all welcome.
As Rush once said, the black community has been complaining about X, Y, and Z for as long as we can remember. And The Democratic party has promised they could help solve X, Y, and Z for as long as we can remember.
So now, When are they going to start demanding results?
The Dems pander to all...SOP..Standard Operating Procedure...
You know, that's a good point. One's political affiliation says a lot about their character, or lack of it; their beliefs, or lack of them; their worldview, or lake of one.
Now that the Dems are demonstrably the party of abortion, homosexuals, trial lawyers, and the environmental lobby, their devoted black voters will continue to be shaved off.
"I judge people based on their political affiliation."
I still find myself trying to get a look at the people driving cars that have "KERRY" stickers on them. Not sure what I'm looking for, I just feel compelled to look, as if something odd will be pop'n out the side of their head.
Weird.
Most blacks are complete slaves on the democrat party plantation, and (as a result) are doomed. They are without hope and will remain exploited and abused by their democrat party masters.
"I judge people based on their political affiliation."
So do I.
Me too.
First the MSM collapse, then catholics started drifting, blacks can see a realignment too.
TIMBER ! ! ! !
At least these modest gains aren't being blown out of proportion or being exaggerated as have been Bush's results with Hispanics in 2004 verus 2000.
Why "any philosophy"? I, for one, would not be welcoming anyone of excessively statist persuasion.
The Democrats are the party of the super rich (daddy warbucks types as well as Hollywood and lawyers) and the hopeless part of the super poor (the ones who rely on the government for everything). The Republicans are now firmly the party of the Middle Class. Because of the extremist nature of the Democrat donor base, they have to block everything the Republicans want to do. All the Republicans have to do is keep proposing programs that help blacks (such as social security reform/ownership society) to provide more examples of how Democrats will just oppose their interests every time in pursuit of the all mighty contribution dollar.
I'll take that stipulation. But let's look at the State of Ohio. The black vote for Pubs virtually doubled (9%-16%)in '04 compared to '00. With an overall 118,000 vote win, that doubling was absolutely crucial, was it not?
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