Is the Voting Rights Act a Smokescreen?

Public Policy Research of the New Coalition ^ | 10-1-05 | Ralph Conner

[spintreebob]

The Real Issue Is Turnout - Ralph Conner

All American citizens of good will can see the value in encouraging Black voters to break through their voting lethargy and apathy--without using allegations of institutionalized racism as an excuse for self-disenfranchisement, failing to vote when you have the rock-solid right to do so.

Last April, in my own bid for re-election as mayor of Maywood, Illinois, turnout was less than 25 percent in a community that is 90 percent African-American. It disturbs me deeply to know only one-quarter of the eligible voters in my community chose to exercise this essential right.

In the 2004 presidential election, Black voter turnout was under 30 percent. If Democrats cannot get 70 percent of registered African-American voters to the polls, isn’t it time for Republicans to reach out more pro-actively for greater inclusion?

A viable two-party system in African-American communities would bring an immediate end to the real disenfranchisement of Black voters, which starts with being taken for granted by the Democratic Party and ends with being completely ignored by the Republican Party. More than anything, this is what perpetuates the apathy and cynicism that lower Black voter turnout.

All of us--Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or otherwise--owe Dr. King and the original soldiers of the civil rights movement our commitment to actively appeal to the Black community to enter and remain a viable part of the electoral process by regularly, without coercion or financial incentives, exercising their constitutional right to vote. ------- Ralph Conner (conner@heartland.org) is public affairs director for the Chicago-based Heartland Institute and former mayor of Maywood, Illinois.

[spintreebob]

Black Libertarian and former suburban mayor Ralph Conner is running as a Republican in Cook County Illinois in 2006.

See list of all New Coalition articles at: http://www.newcoalition.org/newsviews.cfm

[TexGuy]

All of us--Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or otherwise--owe Dr. King and the original soldiers of the civil rights movement our commitment to actively appeal to the Black community to enter and remain a viable part of the electoral process by regularly, without coercion or financial incentives, exercising their constitutional right to vote.

I disagree with this statement. I will not actively appeal to anybody to get off their rear ends and vote in an open society such as ours. Everyone has an 'honest' opportunity to vote and if they are too lazy to educate themselves about candidates and issues set before them or too lazy to freely go to the nearest polling place to have their vote counted, then they don't deserve the right provide them.

[spintreebob]

Black Republican Ralph Conner is currently Public Affairs director of the libertarian Heartland Institute.

It will be interesting to see whether he can put together a movement that will gain visibility in the Black community, and in all of Chicago, Crook County and Illinois.

Chicago Black conservative philosphers like Lee Walker have their following. Black conservative pastors like Rev Crawford, Mooty, Leach, Scott, Carter, etc have their following. Black conservative activists like talkradio icon FReeper DMZFrank Penn have their following.

But can 2006 put them all together in to gain visibility?

[EQAndyBuzz]

"In the 2004 presidential election, Black voter turnout was under 30 percent. If Democrats cannot get 70 percent of registered African-American voters to the polls, isn’t it time for Republicans to reach out more pro-actively for greater inclusion? "

Black community leaders are too deep in Democrats pockets as is the Black clergy. Republicans are too scared to get black voters to the polls because of the backlash, in addition to no black Republicans are taking the reins.

It is easier to have 70% stay home then to try to show t hem the light.

[longun45]

When the government does what it wants, over taxes, over spends, and tries to be all things to all people then why should they vote?

Their vote doesn't matter because the question is rigged. That is why they stay home.

[metesky]

In the 2004 presidential election, Black voter turnout was under 30 percent. If Democrats cannot get 70 percent of registered African-American voters to the polls, isn’t it time for Republicans to reach out more pro-actively for greater inclusion?

Looks like a super majority of registered Americans who happen to be black couldn't bring themselves to hold their noses and vote for Kerry and they stayed home rather than completely break ranks and vote for Bush.

[spintreebob]

re: "in addition to no black Republicans are taking the reins"

So here we have Black conservative/libertarian Republican Ralph Conner taking the reins. How effective will he (and Peraica and Garza his running mates) be in building an effective team effort?

In both the Black, Hispanic and White areas, the Democrat precinct captains of Crook County do not register people to vote nor remind people to vote whose votes they cannot control. Thus, in Crook County, a higher percentage of those who do not vote are Republican or "anti-Democrat" than of those who do vote.

Finding them and then convincing them to find the courage to openly declare their independence is the difficult task that Conner, Garza, Peraica face. It has not really happened since Bernard Carey in the 70s and Ogilvie-Kucharski-Woods in the 60s.