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Do all that you can to get Condi Rice to speak in favor of Simon's candidacy. That would help with moderate women, Asian women (with the highest percentage of female professionals of any racial or ethnic group) and some blacks.

You have the right idea, my friend. Keep on keepin' on! Don't let these knuckle-dragging, neanderthal paleocons deter you.

We need to convince 10% more of my race to come to the Right. The accomplishment of this goal will result in breaking the back of the Left. You may not see it this way, but, the stakes are indeed high. We need more with a heart like yours to go into battle and do what desparately needs to be done.

I, for one, am glad to see that I am not alone in this struggle. I bid you Godspeed, friend.

I think that appealing to blacks based on the God and country approach could eventually bear fruit for Republicans. But the problem is that the Democrats have successfully placed African Americans in a bunker mentality after decades of shameless scare tactic political warfare directed against the GOP. To illustrate this, when I was in boot camp, our recruit equivalent of a chaplain, who happened to be a terribly witty and engaging black fellow from the south, was incessantly trying to get me to convert to Christianity. His persistence was more than impressive, proving that he indeed was a deeply convicted Christian himself. Later on, when we were discussing the upcoming presidential election (this was in 1992), he mentioned that he was going to be enthusiastically voting for Bill Clinton.

It occured to me then, as I am reminded of it now in reflection, that the reasons people vote for parties can be complex and not easily dismantled. It goes far beyond shared value systems or religions. I would say the Republicans have a shot at their share of the black vote, but it may take quite a bit of time and investment to make it happen. I, frankly, don't believe that the party is willing to mount the effort.