Posted on 01/31/2006 12:08:58 AM PST by AZRepublican
A promising new black political figure is emerging in Ohio -- Ken Blackwell, a solid, pro-life conservative who has fought for lower taxes. He is seeking the Republican nomination for governor of Ohio and polls indicate that he has substantial support.
Unfortunately, Ohio's Republicans are a lot like Ohio's Democrats -- both are for higher taxes. On this and other issues, Blackwell is described in the current issue of City Journal as "often at war with his own party as well as the Democrats."
The Republican Party has not had much success attracting black votes in recent decades and conservative blacks have not had an easy time in the Republican Party.
Blacks have voted so overwhelmingly for Democrats for so long that Republicans have few incentives to try to gain black votes -- and little success when they do.
Political inertia can be powerful. The "solid South" voted consistently for Democrats for more than a century. Today, the Jewish vote is just as automatically for Democrats as the black vote is, and with even less reason, since Jews have little to gain from the welfare state and Israel's strongest supporters are religious conservatives.
When Republicans from time to time try to reach out to blacks, they tend to do so ineptly, if not ridiculously. For reasons unknown, they seem to want to appeal to black voters in the same ways that Democrats appeal to black voters, by adopting a liberal stance.
Why would anyone who wants liberalism go for a Republican imitation when they can get the real thing from Democrats? Republicans do not have a snowball's chance in hell of winning the votes of liberal blacks.
Nor are they likely to win a majority of the black vote as a whole any time soon. But if Republicans can get just a fourth or a fifth of the black vote nationwide, that can shift the balance of power decisively in their favor.
It is not rocket science to see that whatever chances the Republicans have of making inroads into the black vote are likely to be better among more conservative blacks.
Black religious groups opposed to abortion or homosexual marriage are an obvious group to try to reach. So are black business owners or military veterans.
Does anyone think that President Bush's awarding a Medal of Freedom to Muhammad Ali was likely to appeal to such groups? Yet this continues a pattern in which Republicans have tried to approach black voters from the left.
Back in 1997, when black Republican Congressman J.C. Watts denounced people like Jesse Jackson and then D.C. mayor Marion Barry as "race-hustling poverty pimps," House Speaker Newt Gingrich took it upon himself to apologize to Jesse Jackson.
To apologize for what another man said is to treat that man as if he were your child or your servant. Gingrich then added further insult by inviting Jesse Jackson to join him in his box for the Clinton inauguration for his second term as president.
Pulling the rug out from under your friends, in order to appease your enemies, may seem like clever politics to some people. But what could possibly have led Republicans to think that pro-Jesse Jackson blacks were ever going to vote for them?
Did they think that conservative blacks who might have voted for them were more likely to do so when Republicans embraced Jesse Jackson? Did they think that conservative blacks who might have considered becoming Republican candidates were more likely to do so after seeing how J.C. Watts had been treated?
Another conservative black Republican who had the rug pulled out from under him was Michael Williams, when he was in charge of civil rights at the Department of Education. Mr. Williams ruled that setting aside scholarships exclusively for minority students was racial discrimination in violation of civil rights laws.
This courageous ruling was over-ruled in the first Bush administration, leaving Michael Williams with egg on his face.
Ken Blackwell's candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor in Ohio is a golden opportunity for Republicans, not only in that state but on the national political scene as well. Still, Mr. Blackwell would do well to watch his back.
Sowell should have his own show on WAMO.
Great advice..
If the Steelers win Super Bowl XL, then Lynn Swann (conservative Black Republican) wins the Pennsylvania governorship this year.
Lets watch the Democrats explode. Lynn Swann is already popular nationwide among Blacks and among Steelers fans. Bashing him will cause Black Flight from the Democratic Party...they could easily lose 10% of their vote on this point alone.
Forever.
Let's leave the race card to the liberals. I'm not too concerned with the race of a candidate. Lynn Swann has no business running for governor of PA. He spent the past 20 years as a sideline reporter. Maybe Susie Kolber or Michelle Tafoya should run for President.
The moral of the story is they will make sure Blackwell doesn't win.
Ping for later
Bah! Drivel from a newbie who doesn't know any better.
Lynn Swann, and every conservative, has every reason and "business" to run for governor...which can be summed up by: beliefs.
If he needs qualified people to handle the administrative tasks of the Governor, then he can hire the very best. He doesn't need a city council to mayor to state senator resume.
Common citizens running government. What a (conservative) concept!
And you newbies who don't get it (re: beliefs), give it up.
Lynn Swann is a common citizen? He is a name, and I cannot believe PA does not have a more qualified candidate. He is a good guy who does a lot of community work from what I hear, but Governor of PA, come on. The man has never had a "real" job. A governor should have some real experience in business and/or politics. I think he may have trouble in the primary.
What the heck does that mean?
How many Senators or Congressmen ever worked a day in their lives. Swann worked and sweated more than anyone in DC. He had goals and objectives. And I'm not an athletic tv-watching jock.
A man's worth and dedication is his merit.
BTW, I've been in business for over 36 years.
A Big mistake!
It is long past due time that blacks returned to the party of Lincoln, freedom, and self determination. Future VP Condi Rice and Future SCOTUS Janice Brown would also be a good role models for young black Republicans.
Sure wish Ken would bypass the governor's race and go for U.S. Senate. Ohio could use a real conservative there.
LOL
Where should I begin? First of all, I like Lynn Swann fine. He is a good guy as far as I know.I just don't think he is the best candidate. As far as your post:
"He has as much "business" running for governor as George Bush did in Texas."
Okay. So being a sideline reporter for ABC is similar to the administrative experience one would gain being the Owner of a MLB team. Governor was not the first office Bush ran for, and he had experience in his father's and Reagan's administrations. Your comment is funny. You also wrote:
"Only leftist believe you have to be a lawyer working in the public sector all your life in order to run for higher office."
Who is that directed to? I never posted anything expressing that opinion.
I want all good candidates to run. I just wonder why the Republican party seems to be playing the race game with democrats. I don't think Swann would even be considered for this if he was a white conservative, just like Alan Keyes wouldn't have been sent to Illinois to run as a carpet-bagger against the DNC's "black" candidate. The fact that this thread exists and the fact that everyone keeps referring to Swann as a "black" conservative makes my point for me. I would vote for many black candidates and their race would have nothing to do with it. If the RNC tries to play this game with the DNC then the RNC better get ready to lose elections. They will never beat the DNC in race warfare. Minorities will slowly but surely leave the DNC and the RNC should just stick to its core beliefs.
I agree with your point about Swann working hard to be a success. I should not have said Swann never worked a real job. I know it is very hard to be an NFL player, especially a great one. I still do not think that is a good qualification for public office.
The fact that he is an athlete has nothing to do with my opinion. I have always played sports and still do. I also feel governor of PA is a lot different from being a loudmouth in congress.
"Beliefs"
Being a leader and a governor requires a great deal more than beliefs. It requires coming up with real world applications to those beliefs and enacting policy that converts the beliefs into results. Everyone has beliefs.
I hope he wins if he gets the nomination.
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