Posted on 03/06/2006 1:36:21 PM PST by LdSentinal
Lynn Swann launched his campaign amid the artifacts of the Heinz History Center. Now, the man who would be the state's first African-American governor hopes to reshape the patterns of political history.
On its cross-state announcement tour, the Swann campaign made its Philadelphia debut not in the city's Republican suburbs, the largest trove of GOP votes in the state, but at the Hope Mission Ministries, a community center in an inner city neighborhood that probably hadn't voted for a Republican in Mr. Swann's lifetime. Aides said the stop demonstrated their ability to challenge Democratic incumbent Ed Rendell for the votes of one of his party's most loyal constituencies.
November's tally will prove that boast accurate or hollow, but already, Mr. Swann's candidacy has helped give life -- if not yet proof -- to the narrative national GOP leaders are trying to present as a new Republican story, a tale of a party unwilling to cede any demographic groups to Democrats, one not content with monochromatic victories.
During last summer's Republican National Committee meeting in Pittsburgh, at a time when the GOP governor's race was still in flux, Ken Mehlman, the RNC chairman, was already holding out the Swann candidacy as an emblem of a changing party.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
I wish Swann the best of luck.
Funny title.
The term "Black Republicans" was widely used from about 1854 through Reconstruction by southerners and other Democrats to imply that Republicans were in favor of blacks gaining equality to whites.
What goes around, and all that.
I don't know if running for governor is such a great idea for a political beginner. If elected, they tend to run into a lot of difficulties becaue of inexperience.
I hope to be able to give more to conservative Republicans as time goes on...but giving to a committee that wants to re-elect people like Lincoln Chafee and Susan Collins, well, no thanks.
Hope he wins!
Bookmarking for later.
Go, Lynn Swann!!
I am inclined to only give to my State party organisation these days.
I have given to Swann's campaign and will continue to do so. Inexperience as a politician isn't a weakness in my eyes, but a strength.
Exactly why I am not a republican. When I was I constantly got letters asking for money. I will not blindly support any party.
Are you responding to post #4?
I wish him the best of luck. Personally, i have not problem with folks running for some offices when they have little or no experience. Some really good political leaders have jumped into important positions. I hope that he kicks arse.
bingo.
the story here is not that Swann is black, but rather that, the GOP finally has an attractive celebrity candidate who is a conservative...or so it seems at the moment, at least. and this in moderate swing state PA!
Reagan had many years of political experience.
I was thinking more Jesse Ventura or Arnold Schwartzenegger, guys who became famous in other endeavors and then jumped into politics.
True but Jesse is an idiot and Arnold would do alright if it weren't for the big majority of Lefty Liberal Democrats in the Calif. legislature.
These senators have ripped the Commander in Chief when he needed them most--they're playing to the media elites and I don't appreciate it. (Not that criticism of the White House isn't allowed--but doing so in the press is showboating...I despise it, and these people who go out of their way to disrespect the President are not going to get my support.)
There have been a lot who were elected to gov. as their first office. Some may have run for a lower office before and not been elected, but still, gov. was their first elected office.
Some to mention are Reagan, Clinton, and Bush. I think Nixon and Carter are also in that category.
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