Posted on 08/04/2005 9:36:29 PM PDT by smoothsailing
GOP wants urban voters
By David M. Brown
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, August 5, 2005
Republican leaders on Thursday used Pittsburgh -- a city controlled by Democratic elected officials for seven decades -- as an example of where the GOP hopes to expand its membership with minorities and inner-city voters who traditionally align more with Democrats.
"We believe there are many people that populate these urban cities that are Republican-leaning," said Republican National Committee Co-Chairwoman Jo Ann Davidson. "We're not giving up on the urban centers." Davidson, a former Speaker of the House in the Ohio Legislature, said Pittsburgh also was chosen as the site for the RNC's annual summer meeting, which started yesterday, to underscore the importance of Pennsylvania in national politics and show support for U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's re-election bid next year.
Santorum, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, is facing a serious challenge in 2006 from state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., who is a heavy favorite to win the Democratic nomination.
"I think it will be what most people are considering the premium Senate race in the country," Davidson said. Santorum, a two-term senator from Penn Hills, gets the spotlight today when he and Davidson speak during a luncheon at the Omni William Penn Hotel, Downtown, where the three-day conference is taking place. RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman is scheduled to speak at a general session this morning.
The theme of the conference is "Give Us A Chance, We'll Give You A Choice: Strengthening Lincoln's Legacy."
Mehlman, who became chairman in January after managing President George Bush's re-election campaign last year, has made several speeches articulating the GOP's "outreach" objective to broaden the party's base. "Everybody is excited about it," said Eileen Melvin, of Somerset, the Pennsylvania Republican chairwoman. "Ken Mehlman is providing fabulous leadership...
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
There is evidence of that sort of thinking.
Don't be so sure of that.
The 2nd County Commission District of Mobile County has 80 percent of it's voters inside the city limits of Mobile
In last years elections, with the exception of the District Attorney and Supreme Court races, every Republican led Democrats in this district by 66-33 point margins
Case in point, without cities, there would have never been a Republican Party in the South, we were it's genesis.
Florida is not a Northern state, hate to bust your bubble
You may be a different kind of Southerner, but once you move to Florida, you are a Southerner.
Look more closely. While citizens with families are fleeing to the burbs and Red States, Immigrants, yuppies with no children and empty nesters are flocking to many cities. Of course, Immigrants are also flocking to the burbs and small towns... they're everywhere.
Another poster tried to distinguish between the urban voter and the base that has been abandoned. There is no part of the base that has been abandoned more than the Pat Robertson Pentecostal types that fill many (but not all) cities.
People who don't know the cities see "the city" in the MSM and assume they see an accurate portrayal of the city. Shame on them for buying what the MSM is selling.
I live here in Florida. When I moved here 23 years ago, the 14 people on my cul de sac were from 5 midwestern states, including me. That is typical throughout most of Florida, except Tallahassee in the north and Miami in the south.
We talk like northerners, think like them, act like them and vote like them. Most of Floida is a "northern state" in makeup--latitude and geography do not change that.
Idiocy...
New York and Seattle are still gaining population.
The GOPers and Conservative Party Members on Long Island are the most pathetic lot in the entire state, and that's saying alot.
Because we think the leadership is not paying enough attention to its supporters, also known as the base.
If you're trying to imply that we're racists, you have no business doing so. You are making a huge leap in that case.
And who are the supporters? But nevermind because I already had my question answered.
The GOP's message of conservatism is enough to resonate well with urban voters. Stick to conservatism and let urban/minority folks make up their own minds as to whether or not they choose to support the message.
We had this argument before on another thread, and either you or FReeper mhking tried to make it seem like I was being racist.
As I said - the GOP (used to) stands for equality for all. The conservative message speaks to everyone - whites, blacks, asians, even homosexuals are welcome to support the GOP, though they rightly won't receive any special favors or treatment.
There's promoting conservatism, and then there's pandering. Like I said, it's nice for the GOP to go to inner-cities and speak to black audiences. However, they shouldn't respond to "what will the GOP do for me" questions and they need to explain why they oppose affirmative action (it's still racism), gun control (guns benefit law-abiding black families in crime-ridden neighborhoods), and public schools (black children get dumbed-down by liberals).
Why do people show up on threads like this assuming that the GOP is pandering then? That was my original point. It gets to be annoying. The only reason why anyone brings that up is because they're talking about black people. Personally I don't think you're racist. I don't think anyone in this thread is racist, a little misguided maybe but hardly the KKK.
The supporters are the people of all races who support the GOP program. The GOP should spend more time firming up these people -- they need it. What time is left over can be spent on people who don't buy our program.
I would have hoped you could figure this out. But no, you had to outsmart yourself. I have a feeling this must happen a lot ...
LOL you're too funny. Have a nice weekend.
Wishin' you all the best, Cyborg ...
thanks... whatever the disagreements are, one thing's for sure is that the coming election is going to be a bloodbath. All bets are off if Hillary runs.
Thanks. I'm glad that we had a chance to air out these differences among us.
The architecture and craftsmanship in older cities is spectacular.
Take Milwaukee. The masonry, the installed cabinetry and the overall design of the homes were done by European immigrants who arrived between 1900 and 1920, and the work done was fantastic.
I walked into one home in Milwaukee and I was stunned by hand-made, wall-to-wall cabinetry in the kitchen and pantry. All solid oak, with beveled glass and brass pulls. The home also had built in china cabinets. And it was topped off with German stained glass partials on the windows. To duplicate that today would cost $50,000 or more.
It's unfortunate that many cities are run by crooked democrats who are strip mining these cities and their citizens to line their pockets.
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