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Arizona blacks: Where's McCain?
politico.com ^ | 04/08/2008 | Jonathan Martin

Posted on 04/08/2008 3:02:21 PM PDT by Reagan80

Arizona blacks: Where's McCain? By JONATHAN MARTIN | 4/8/08 4:38 AM EST Text Size:

Oscar Tillman heads the Phoenix area branch of the NAACP and is a former statewide president of the group. He has been a leader of Arizona’s small, tight-knit African-American community for decades.

So it comes as something of a surprise to learn the name of one person, over all those years, with whom he has never spoken. It is the state’s senior senator better known these days as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

John McCain, said Tillman, “has pretty well zero relationship with the African-American community that I know of.”

“I don’t recall him ever attending any function with the NAACP,” Tillman added. “Each year we send them an invitation [to an annual banquet], and each year they say no.”

Interviews with black civic and business leaders in Arizona found no one who suggested that McCain holds racial animus. And McCain can point to some warm personal and political associations with blacks, some of whom cited his responsiveness to their concerns when they approached him on official business.

But the widespread perception of activists in the state’s traditional civil rights organizations and the African-American press is that McCain has consistently treated them with indifference.

He had few if any important relationships with these usually Democratic-leaning institutional pillars. The main reason, say leaders of these groups, was that McCain never demonstrated much interest in building them.

“In a word, none,” said Ron Busby, president of the Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce, when asked to describe the senator’s relationship with Arizona’s African-American community.

In the 10 years that the organization, which represents about 300 black-owned businesses, has been in existence, Busby said McCain has never been to any of its events.

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: arizona; az2008; blackvote; mccain; minorities; naacp
Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce? Obviously these guys are conservatives. No wonder McCain has never spoken to them! Welcome to the club, guys...
1 posted on 04/08/2008 3:02:21 PM PDT by Reagan80
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To: Reagan80

Why would he bother? They won’t vote for him ever. I don’t blame him.


2 posted on 04/08/2008 3:07:48 PM PDT by Graybeard58
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To: Reagan80
Juan has... other priorities:


3 posted on 04/08/2008 3:07:52 PM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (McCain "conservatives" = hardcore liberals who nonetheless appreciate the occasional tax cut.)
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To: Reagan80

Mr. Tillman,

If you want McCain’s respect, you must be in Arizona illegally.


4 posted on 04/08/2008 3:10:46 PM PDT by donna (The United States Constitution and the Koran are mutually exclusive.)
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To: Reagan80
Wait...there are blacks in Arizona?

Is McCain aware of this development?

5 posted on 04/08/2008 3:14:18 PM PDT by AreaMan
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To: Reagan80

Perhaps Mr. McCain doesn’t like to waste his weekends meeting shakedown artists.


6 posted on 04/08/2008 3:20:04 PM PDT by ClaudiusI
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To: Reagan80
McCain has consistently treated them with indifference.

instead of the obeisance they expect from Whitey.

They are racist.

McCain is not.

BTW, Has he spoken to the Greater Phoenix White Chamber of Commerce?

No?

Of course not. Such a group would not be allowed.

So McCain doesn't kow tow to the racists...good on him.

7 posted on 04/08/2008 3:21:19 PM PDT by maine-iac7 ("...but you can't fool all of the people all of the time" LINCOLN)
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To: Reagan80

““I don’t recall him ever attending any function with the NAACP,” Tillman added. “Each year we send them an invitation [to an annual banquet], and each year they say no.”

McCain has his pet minority, and you’re not it, Mr. Tillman.

McCain is busy with LaRaza and Lulac. Geeeez! A man can only pander so much. :<(


8 posted on 04/08/2008 3:25:18 PM PDT by AuntB ('If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace." T. Paine)
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To: Reagan80
So it comes as something of a surprise to learn the name of one person, over all those years, with whom he has never spoken

comment:

Why should any white right of center politician speak to this man?

There is a 99 percent chance this guy being associated with a racists group like the NAACP is not only far left of center but probably has Reverend Wright Black Liberation Theology leanings.

Even if McClain spoke to him, would it make him more than a no common sense ignoramus plantation dweller willing to throw his vote to a man based solely on his skin color?

Just the ranting opinion of an old used to be misguided 60's hippie red state wannabe.

9 posted on 04/08/2008 3:25:59 PM PDT by OKIEDOC (Kalifornia, a red state wannabe. I don't take Ex Lax I just read the New York Times.)
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To: Reagan80
“I don’t recall him ever attending any function with the NAACP,” Tillman added. “Each year we send them an invitation [to an annual banquet], and each year they say no.”

There's a reason for that. As Mark Steym said the other day, whenever a liberal asks for "dialog" on an issue, they mean they want to deliver a monolog and conservatives are to sit down and shut up, or be labeled "racist/bigot/homophobe/neocon..."

I know of Tillman, and he can kiss my ass. I don't like McCain, won't vote for him, but if he snubbed Tillman, then hurray for him.

10 posted on 04/08/2008 3:26:12 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (Don't trust anyone who can't take a joke. [Congressman BillyBob])
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To: donna
Mr. Tillman,

If you want McCain’s respect, you must be in Arizona illegally.

Oh, SNAP!!! ;)

11 posted on 04/08/2008 3:26:23 PM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (McCain "conservatives" = hardcore liberals who nonetheless appreciate the occasional tax cut.)
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To: maine-iac7
“McCain has consistently treated them with indifference.

instead of the obeisance they expect from Whitey.

They are racist.

McCain is not.

BTW, Has he spoken to the Greater Phoenix White Chamber of Commerce?

No?

Of course not. Such a group would not be allowed.

So McCain doesn't kow tow to the racists...good on him. “

____________

LOL! Right....the most racist bunch of people I've ever witnessed are illegal aliens and their sympathizers. McCain has them in his inner circle.

12 posted on 04/08/2008 3:28:58 PM PDT by AuntB ('If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace." T. Paine)
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To: maine-iac7

“So McCain doesn’t kow tow to the racists...good on him.”

Agreed.


13 posted on 04/08/2008 3:38:53 PM PDT by Gator113 (Obama has "changed" me. I am now "a Typical White Person”.)
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To: maine-iac7

“BTW, Has he spoken to the Greater Phoenix White Chamber of Commerce?”

I would willing to bet he has not spoken to the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce or the Tuscon Chamber of commerce or any other city Chamber of Commerce for that matter.


14 posted on 04/08/2008 4:25:37 PM PDT by martinidon
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