I just noticed Deroy Murdock's profile is REALLY similar to President Reagan's!
Posted on 03/09/2006 6:48:47 PM PST by smoothsailing
March 09, 2006
Black Like GOP
By Deroy Murdock,Contributing Editor
Will the Dems lose a reliable constituency this year?
This year, Democrats may lose their iron grip on the black vote. About 90 percent of black Americans vote Democrat, rain or shine. But a growing sense that Democrats take them for granted — plus several attractive, high-level black Republican candidates who will fight for these votes — could make November 2006 and 2008 fascinating.
For starters, President Bush's black support grew from 9 percent in 2000 to 11 percent in 2004. That is no landslide, but Bush's black vote improved 22 percent despite his being vilified by the media and Democrats for four long years.
In Ohio, President Bush's support among blacks grew from 9 percent in 2000 to 16 percent in 2004. Given his tight race against Senator John Kerry (D., Mass.), blacks essentially handed President Bush Ohio, and thus a second term. These generally socially conservative blacks showed up to vote to ban gay marriage. Enough voters also supported Bush, a same-sex marriage opponent, to secure him the Buckeye State.
Second, 2006 features well-known, impressive black Republican candidates. Maryland's Lt. Governor, Michael Steele, seeks a U.S. Senate seat this fall, as does Michigan's Keith Butler, a former Detroit city councilman. In Ohio, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is running for governor. And in Pennsylvania, Republicans on February 11 nominated former Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swann as their gubernatorial nominee. Each of these charismatic, well-spoken, black Republicans has a decent shot at victory.
What about their campaign agendas? They all should promote free-market ideas that have helped and will help blacks voters, and remind them how Democrats routinely say, "No!" to such reforms.
On taxes, for instance, President Bush has reduced them every year in office, always over Democratic objections. The result? The economy grew 3.5 percent last year despite the war on terror, sky-high oil prices, and hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. For those with lower incomes, the bottom tax rate is now 10 percent rather than 15 percent. Meanwhile, higher-level tax-rate reductions leave more money in black middle-class pockets.
At this writing, the unemployment rate is 4.7 percent, its lowest level since July 2001. The bad news is that black unemployment is 8.9 percent. The good news is that it is down from a 10-percent average under President Clinton.
Meanwhile, with white unemployment at 4.1 percent, there is a 4.8-percent gap between white and black joblessness. That gap averaged 5.5 percent under President Clinton and 6.9 percent over the last 30 years. So, despite howls of Democratic protests, President Bush's tax cuts have helped create the best black-employment picture in a generation.
On Social Security, President Bush tried to bridge the Dividend Divide, the nearly 11-1 asset-ownership gap between white and black households. Voluntary Personal Retirement Accounts would let black individuals and families build nest eggs and bequeath them to their loved ones. This is excellent for black males who, on average, die at age 67.8 after collecting from Social Security for less than a year, while average white males enjoy seven years of benefits. President Bush's proposed accounts offered an alternative to this mess, but Democrats wailed, and his plan died of rejection.
On education, President Clinton vetoed a voucher program for students in Washington, D.C.'s dismal, predominantly black government school system — twice. President Bush, in contrast, signed that bill into law.
Imagine what would happen if the 2008 Republican presidential nominee could campaign on these issues in inner-city Baltimore, Detroit, Cleveland, and Philadelphia with fellow Republicans who have been elected statewide and also happen to be black.
In Pennsylvania, which Kerry won by just 128,000 votes, if, say, Rudy Giuliani could stump with Lynn Swann and swing 64,000 more votes than did President Bush, all things being equal, the Keystone State and its 21 electoral votes go GOP. If Swann and Ken Blackwell can double the black vote for their nominee from 10 percent to 20 percent, it's nearly impossible to see how Hillary Clinton wins with neither Pennsylvania nor Ohio.
The best way to get blacks to consider voting Republican is for GOP candidates to ask them this basic question:
"What have the Democrats done for you lately?"
......................................
— New York commentator Deroy Murdock is a columnist with the Scripps Howard News.
http://www.nationalreview.com/murdock/murdock200603091234.asp
Bush's improvement in 2004 could be entirely attributed to Kerry's non-appeal to blacks. Gore was no prize, either, but he wasn't Kerry.
The Steele race in Maryland will be very interesting.
An encouraging article. It'll be tough to have things turn out good everywhere but we're sure in better shape that 5 or 6 years ago.
It would be a great shame if Blackwell is done in by RINO corruption and the lingering distaste over it in Ohio. His sudden fall in the Rasmussen poll has Strickland well ahead. I hope this is not a harbinger of what will happen in November.
It will be an equally great shame if any of these candidates lose because of disillusionment from voters over Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress in a possible anti-GOP swing this Nov. I hate to be a pessimist (but since I am I can't really help myself), but it seems as if events beyond their control are conspiring to make this a bad year for Blackwell, Butler, Steele, and Swan to break through.
"Always bet on black!!"
man, I sure hope so.
1. seeing the Donks lose a pillar of their electorate will be fun...
2. seeing more and more Blacks refuse to be taken for granted and used in mob politics will be even more fun...
3. and the GOP and conservatism sure do need some fresh blood and perspectives.
Such is socialism.It can destroy the will of anyone.It doesn't have to be that way.
Folks like Swann,Steele,and Blackwell can make a difference, even if small.
Breaking the back of the nanny state will take a lot longer than just a couple of election cycles.But it has to be done.
NICE.
I just noticed Deroy Murdock's profile is REALLY similar to President Reagan's!
Black conservative PING
If blacks were interested in what's best for their children's future, they would support vouchers. In fact, if all Americans were interested in what's best for their children's future, they would support vouchers.
Yep. Bush won the State by 118,000 votes, so this voting block was crucial even if the percentage did rise to only the mid-teens.
Ohio. Gotta love it.
This is a ch__ch. What's missing?
hey, d00d, howya doin?
You got it. The welfare mentality is part and parcel of the black vote. Think reparations. That's the typical government from cradle to grave, entitlement loving mentality of far too many black Americans. We are talking about people who vote between 9 and eleven percent for Republicans. That makes them 90 percent socialists.
Pie in the sky. Ain't gonna happen.
Thank you for chiming in. I appreciate it.
This is a ch__ch. What's missing?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.