Posted on 06/27/2002 5:43:19 PM PDT by chance33_98
Black political groups feel voters' growing independence By Phillip Rawls Associated Press Writer 06-27-2002
An AP Analysis MONTGOMERY
Two black political groups that once could almost guarantee a victory for a candidate in a Democratic primary suffered stinging defeats Tuesday that signal the growing independence of minority voters.
From U.S. Rep. Earl Hilliard's defeat in Birmingham to the loss by longtime black political leader Joe Reed in a state senate district in Montgomery, black voters kept up the wave of change that began with the election of a new mayor in Birmingham in 1999.
"With 85 percent of the black people who vote, the endorsements of the Alabama Democratic Conference and Alabama New South Coalition have no impact," said Rep. Alvin Holmes, the longest serving black member of the Legislature and a former deputy vice chairman of the ADC.
Gov. Don Siegelman said it's a natural evolution caused by younger black politicians who grew up after the 1965 Voting Rights Act opened Southern polling places to millions of blacks.
"The strength of the organizations that at one time had the respect and clout to influence blocks of votes has waned. What you are seeing today is a natural evolution as younger people who are more educated and more interested in politics are entering the political field. They are not willing to wait in line forever to run for public office," Siegelman said.
Since the voting rights movement of the 1960s, black political groups in Alabama have endorsed candidates and distributed marked sample ballots on election day. In the Democratic primary, where about half the voters are black, those ballots were once critical to victory.
Initially, the ADC was the main group distributing ballots. In 1986, the Alabama New South Coalition split from the ADC. Then splits occurred from both of those groups, and in the most recent election, some of their county leaders didn't support the endorsements of the state organization.
D'Linell Finley, a political scientist at Auburn University Montgomery, said endorsements are still important, but not like they were 15 years ago.
"You have so many groups endorsing candidates that they have become little more than splinter groups going after their favorites," he said.
In the 7th Congressional District, Hilliard had the double-barrel support of the ADC and the New South Coalition, but fell to Harvard-educated attorney Artur Davis of Birmingham. Davis drew support from Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid, who started the wave of change in the 1999 municipal elections when he defeated former Mayor Richard Arrington's hand-picked successor.
In that same election, ADC Chairman Joe Reed got ousted from his seat on the Montgomery City Council. Then on Tuesday, Reed lost again when a Montgomery school principal, Quinton Ross, defeated him in a state Senate runoff that divided Reed and the ADC's old guard from younger ADC members like Ross.
In Selma, a traditional stronghold for the New South Coalition, the group's candidate, Latosha Brown, lost a state House runoff to former Selma City Council member Yusuf Salaam.
In an election night speech, Salaam credited his victory to voters being tired of any leaders trying to control them.
Birmingham's mayor said his 1999 victory over Arrington's political machine has led to younger, well-educated black candidates seeking public office. "It seems to have emboldened candidates to know that David can slay Goliath politically," he said.
Kincaid said the growth of black-oriented talk radio has been a critical factor in candidates like him and Davis getting the exposure necessary for challenging incumbents backed by traditional political groups.
"Citizens are much less dependent on a printed ballot," he said.
Finley and Holmes agreed more black voters are taking time to study the candidates and are demanding that incumbents produce results on education and jobs.
"That's the reason the New South and ADC ballots are being ignored," Holmes, D-Montgomery, said.
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Could it be that maybe some of the youngsters are starting to see the writing on the wall? After 40 years of promises, the same situation for blacks yesterday are here today.
Could it be that these old race-mongers are starting to get their comeuppance?
Oh!! Gosh, can the Mocha dream or what?? I know..I need some coffee!!
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