GOP FACES LACK OF BLACK HOPEFULS

The Washington Times ^ | October 29, 2002 | Valerie Richardson

[rdb3]

You are speaking and thinking exactly like a Republican. lol.

Even though I refer to myself as a post-conservative independent. Whoda thunk it? ;-)

Anyhoo, I think that we really need to get back to the basics here and come to a conclusion among conservatives as to how they want to address black voters. To be specific, these questions must be both raised and answered: Will conservatives demonstrate their belief in conservatism by taking the conservative message to the black voters? And, Do conservatives really, really want blacks among them?

I'm not so sure what the answer is to my last question. Point of fact, on these boards you will find vociferous pointing out any and all shortcomings and failures of black people. You can set your watch by it. Then, if someone initiates a thread that talks about a triumph of either a black person or group, it is immediately pilloried by stating that somehow a "handout" or "government program" played a part (even when there's no direct evidence which points to this as a fact).

Don't mistake this as whining. Far from it. You can not be a black, outspoken non-Dem on the Right and be a punk at the same time. It's impossible, and you won't survive that way. However, I have no choice other than to admit what I witness. And what I'm witnessing is a definite cooling to the idea of really taking the conservative message to where it is needed most, and that's among those blacks who are used to further destroy America.

So, on the Left the using of blacks goes on unabated. For some on the Right, you have the perfect scapegoat in those same blacks. That's a fact.

This is why I am not a conservative. I'm a post-conservative. What is that? A transcending of conservatism. Why? Because I've transcended conservatism. For far too many on the Right, an unquestioning loyalty to the nostrums of "conservatism" must take place to be considered a "real conservative," even though what is defined as conservatism slides. This is just as bad as those blacks who have the nerve to tell other blacks that they are not "black." I can only speak for me, but, I will say that I didn't escape the tyranny and slavery of one mindset to then immediatley shackle myself to another mindset. I'm free. And when I say that I'm free, damn it, I mean that I'm FREE.

In closing, conservatives on all levels must come to a conclusion. Then we'll start talking about campaigning to black people.

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

I'll send you something when you show me something. :)

[Registered]

It might take me some time, but I'll see what I can come up with. I like the simple ideas myself, and I think this is one I want to do.

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

Be sure to ping me when you have it. :)

[Registered]

I will. Promise.

[Southack]

"The Republicans need to run ads in heavily Democratic areas that contain black voters, sending a simple message..."

Forget the content of those ads; the message that they sent would be that Republicans only care about Blacks at election time.

What Republicans need to do is to physically be in Black communities. As RDB3 pointed out, it doesn't matter if the Republican is Black or White, but what I'll add is that the reason it doesn't matter is because the guy on the street cares about results and appearances more than skin color.

Are Republicans hammering nails into homes for the poor and downtrodden? Are Republicans living, breathing, and working to improve Black neighborhoods?

Most politics are local, after all.

Moving on from those points, getting national candidates of a particular race or gender will happen because of two main causes; either you've "recruited" individuals or because your genuine outreach has brought larger numbers of that demographic into your tent.

Here in Alabama, Blacks are setting a record this year for running on the Republican ticket for office (5, I believe). Is this a one-time thing due to temporary "recruiting" of certain individuals, or is this due to genuine outreach that has convinced a larger percentage of that demographic that Republican ideas (e.g. vouchers for school choice, pro-life, faith-based charity government giving, strong military, strong nationalist foreign policy, etc.) and Republicans in general, actually care about them and offer the most hope?

Genuine outreach at the local level translates into improved demographics at the state level, and successful state-level politicians will eventually make a certain percentage move into national offices.

And to me, this is the IDEAL time to make inroads into Black communities. Urban zone after urban zone, at least all that are run by Democrats (in Alabama) are in shambles with high unemployment, high crime, lousy schools, daily cries for more taxes, decaying housing, lousy roads, et al.

What better time for "white knight" Republican businessmen to come in and invest in bargain-priced real-estate?! What better time to implement better management for city governments? What better time to offer the parents of children who are in lousy schools vouchers that give them a chance to send their children to places where they can receive a better education?

Whether the politician(s) is white or black or male or female matters little to a suffering community, at least compared to seeing said politician rolling up her sleeves, restoring neighborhoods, fixing roads, reducing crime, and offering a choice of schools so that the monopoly of bad schools systems isn't forced upon them.

But to get beyond race or gender being the issue, the politician needs to have been in the community long-enough to be seen as a rebuilder, someone who works to solve community problems. Even lily-white politicians such as Rudy Giuliani in New York can count on a notable percentage of Black votes due to his reputation for cleaning up crime-ridden areas and standing up to terrorists.

But without beeing seen in a community, without earning a reputation for improving a community, and when all that voters have to go on IS race, then it's only natural that the White candidate is going to get trounced by a Black candidate with a similar record of non-performance in said community. If all things really are equal, then the race of a candidate will tip the balance.

But surely it is obvious that our ideas are better. Clearly our ideology is above, not equal to that of Democrats. And while I'm all for having many, many more Black candidates run on the Republican ticket, the plain truth is that even a lily-White Republican can win, if that politician is known in the local community as a problem-solver, especially when running on a platform of superior ideas.

Nowhere are our ideas more clearly superior to those of Democrats than on school vouchers, tax-cuts, and the military.

But if Republicans aren't physically IN the communities in question, and if we aren't seen improving those communities, then our ideas aren't going to be heard (in general). We'll just be seen as big talkers who only care about those communities for their votes at election time.

And frankly, that's the reality, but not the perception, of the Democrats. If Democrats really were improving Black communties, then urban zones wouldn't be on such a downward path today, after all.

So how have Democrats managed to avoid that perception? They've been highly visible in those communities, and that's exactly where we've got to be to beat them.

If we want to win hearts and minds, then we've got to take this political war into the Democrats' strongholds. We've got to take it to them.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Monday, October 28, 2002
Broward Times

Broward Times, One of Florida's Most Influential African-American Newspapers, Endorses Bush

I want you to think . . .

Given good health and faith, what has been the main ingredient missing from the plates of Black Floridians - the one ingredient required to put food on the table, educate our children, pay the rent, buy a new home, a car, save for retirement, afford good healthcare, enhance our communities, reduce crime, and enhance the stability of black families?

If you answered money - you'd be correct.

Under the late governor Lawton Chiles, and former governor Bob Graham, both Democrats, Black Floridians did not participate substantially in the economic pie generated through state government procurement, nor did Black Floridians play a substantive role in on powerful boards or within the executive ranks of state government. We simply were not at the table. Racism didn't start 4 years ago - Black Floridians have grown up on the outside of the political fringe - a fringe that kept us effectively out of the political mix and the money that flows from being empowered by the spoils of government.  During the Graham years, the attention given to blacks in the area of education was dismal. Florida has an ugly history as a state that does not value the education of its residents. Under Chiles, and this is recent stuff folks, the rhetoric was there but the results remained the same, separate and unequal - and nowhere was it more obvious than in South Florida.

Despite the outcry against FCAT testing and the ranking of Public Schools, we now at least have begun to implement a standard for achievement. It is a standard that undoubtedly will be tweaked in the future - but folks, at least we have a standard. Under previous administration, quality education just wasn't an issue, especially for poor Black children.

How many of you are aware of the dirty little secret about predominantly minority high schools? The secret that many of our high school graduates aren't graduates - that they received a certificate of diploma that's not worth the paper it's written on and more startling - many of them can't read it! Yet we keep lauding the Democrats - and holding them up as our saviors.

Saviors from what I ask?

Miami, during the Graham years was best known for its riots - riots sparked by massive police misconduct, poverty, neglect and frustration. It was also known for its cocaine cowboys - who left in their wake no only a burnt out humanity but a burned down community that to this day has never fully recovered.

Today, the state of Florida has spent an unprecedented $682 million with minority-owned firms throughout the state. Under good ole boys Chiles and Graham, the Democrats spent less than one-half percent of that with minorities.  Remember, empowerment flows from creating wealth - for the first time in history we have a governor who is attempting to create wealth in our Black communities like they crate wealth in White communities - by doing business with us.

Today, Florida government, unlike ever before looks more like us - the people who make-up Florida.

A whooping 34 percent of governor Jeb Bush's senior management team is African Americans, Hispanic or Asian American.  Three African-Americans head major state agencies: David Griffin, Secretary of the State Lottery is Black, Dr. Rhonda Meadows, Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration is Black, as well as Dr. John Agwunobi, Secretary of the Department of Health.

Closer to home, unlike ever before, two-major tax supported economic engines that for years were the personal piggy backs of the good ole boys, the North and South Broward Hospital District now have substantial minority board participation. Consequently, minority residents not only have a voice in health care, location of health care facilities, staffing - but now, unlike ever before, are a part of the economic mix that will bear fruit for black-owned and other minority firms doing business.

Bush has appointed almost 500 African-Americans to boards, commissions, and other offices. This is unmatched by any of his predecessors.

Little fanfare has been given to the billion-dollar Everglades Restoration Program under the auspices of the South Florida Water Management District.  This is an entity where African-Americans now under Jeb Bush hold substantive executive management roles and direction over the course of restoration.

Do you see the differences between rhetoric and results?

Under the present governor, 22 African-Americans were appointed to judicial positions. One of our own, Elijah Williams was recently appointed to the Broward Circuit Court. Bush appointed the first African American woman, Judge Peggy Quince to the Florida Supreme Court and the first Haitian-American judge, Fred Seraphin to the Miami-Dade County Court. He appointed the first FAMU graduate of the Board of regents in 20 years when he appointed Dr. Jim Corbin to the Florida Board of Regents. I might add that under Jeb Bush, two Colleges of Law, the Florida A & M University Law School and Florida International University Law School were created to increase the number of minority lawyers in the state of Florida.

Results don't come in party labels or innocuous words like Affirmative Action. It comes by producing a positive result that improvers our lifestyle and delivers the bacon - and I've come to learn that no ones mastered keeping the bacon away from Black folks more than the Dixiecrats under the guise of the Democrat party.

Under previous administrations and under so-called affirmative action I've never witnessed such a prolific outreach effort by our university system to attract African-Americans students to their campuses - not during the administration of Bob Graham or Lawton Chiles was such an aggressive effort made. My sons and their friends were bombarded with overtures, offers, paid visits, phone calls - you name it to attend the University of Florida and Florida State, the two flagship school in the state's university system. If a young African-American high school graduate with good grades wants to attend at state university today - they're reaching out with open arms.

I dare to be different, I always have - but as voters, especially loyal to the Democrat party we can no longer afford to vote blindly Democrat nor to ignore the rules of exchange - we vote because we want something a candidate has to offer. Bill McBride has offered us nothing - doesn't have an inkling of the issue that affect our community and hopes you will vote - not for him but against Jeb Bush. Isn't that a sorry way to seek your vote?

And no, I don't agree with everything Jeb Bush proposes or some of the Republican rhetoric - the same would apply to almost any politician - but we need to begin voting based on facts and not emotions.

And never in our history has a governor been as accessible as Jeb Bush. Got a question? Bush responds in almost lightning like speed via the Internet. Heck, I could never get a hold of the old he-coon, Lawton Chiles.

Lastly, tell me one, just one major economic initiative under a Florida Democrat governor that was implemented successfully on behalf of Black Floridian. If you like the pandering, the verbal posturing, and empty actions of what you use to get - McBride's probably your man - for me I'm going with Jeb Bush - I like results.

The Broward Time recommends you re-elect Jeb Bush for governor.

 

Link

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

I observe on these boards the same things you described above, but I always assume they are either leftist imposters or 3-rights-make-a-left extremists. Must be the optimist in me.

And what I'm witnessing is a definite cooling to the idea of really taking the conservative message to where it is needed most, and that's among those blacks who are used to further destroy America.

Maybe that's because the majority of the conservatives are not black and don't know how to get the message out there. Just as the blacks have been beaten down by the Dem rhetoric, so have the non-black conservatives. Maybe the cooling is just disappointment, frustration, and hopefully regrouping to find the message and delivery that works. I'm just grasping at straws. As a white female conservative, I cannot relate to what goes on in the black community, but I do know that there are times that I am intimidated by the black Dem message.

[mhking]

The Republicans need to run ads in heavily Democratic areas that contain black voters, sending a simple message about the Republican Party, its' founding and historical anti-slavery role along with Lincoln as the Republican Emancipator and then show the contrast with the Dems and the likes of KKK Senator Byrd.

That's actually overplaying the message.

Yes, we have to run ads in black areas. Yes we must use black radio. Yes, we must run on black-oriented television. Yes, we must look at and use the black press.

But as opposed to resting on Lincoln, we have to address issues. We may get some people to listen based on Lincoln, but black America will respond better to issues, not rhetoric, and not pandering.

"How are you going to make schools better for my children?" "What will you do do make sure that I have an equal shot at getting a job or a mortgage?" "How can you make my neighborhood safe?"

Those are the kinds of questions that need to be answered for black America by a Republican candidate. If you can answer those questions - and counter each and every arguement that comes up fron the Democrats as it comes up, then you've got a shot. Then black America will begin to listen.

The old "Vote for me, I'm a Republican and I'm better 'n that guy" approach cannot work in black America. Black America hears the word "Republican" and all hearing and comprehension shuts down.

"Vote for me, I have a plan to help your children in school, and here it is..." will get you in the door. It will get you and your platform considered, Mr. Candidate.

It means that the approach changes. It means that the expectations change. It means that there must be a greater hands-on approach by candidates.

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

As a white female conservative, I cannot relate to what goes on in the black community

At least that's what they keep telling me.

[Southack]

Wow!

[hunter112]

Good points, Southack. I feel that this is also a symptom of the lack of Republican leadership across the country. When people think of Republicans, sure, they think of both Presidents Bush, and maybe even Ronald Reagan, but they also think of Jesse Helms, Strom Thurmond, and Trent Lott. These men are not terribly inspiring to people outside of the South. Where are the Republican leaders from the New England region (excepting of course the ones planning to turn Rat), or the ones from California, or the farm belt of the Midwest?

Here in my home state of Washington, we have zero Republican leadership. The last election, the best guy we could find to run against socialist governor Gary Locke was John Carlson, a fine man, but his only experience is as a talk radio host. We have no one in the other levels of state government, either in an executive or a legislative position, who is poised to take the leadership of our state party into the 21st Century.

Is it like that elsewhere?

[mhking]

Are Republicans hammering nails into homes for the poor and downtrodden? Are Republicans living, breathing, and working to improve Black neighborhoods?

Unfortunately the answer has been a resounding no.

And I'm not saying that you have to turn into Jimmy Carter and start building houses in poor communities. But let's put it simply. When you have a seminar on schools or on taxes in the white suburban neighborhood, then damn it, have another one in the black urban neighborhood. Middle class black America has the same concerns about taxes that middle class white America has. Address it. The Democrats certainly are on some level. And even if they are lying about it, the perception that is given to the blacks in those neighborhoods is that the Democrats care about what happens close to their homes ,and the Republicans don't.

[Southack]

Precisely.

[mhking]

Is it like that elsewhere?

Yes. Here in Georgia, the GOP is so embroiled with in-fighting that the struggle is difficult. The chair of the state GOP is Ralph Reed. Now Ralph is a pretty nice guy (at least I thought so from when I met him), but the picture that enters the minds of black America is that of an ultra-right wing Christian conservative who would have no problem with turning back the clock on any gains that black America has made since reconstruction.

Is that reality within the GOP? Of course not, but that is the impression that has been left with black America, thanks to the notion of continuing to allow Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Cynthia McKinney and Maxine Waters to be the ones to tell black America what the conservative message is and what conservatives want to do.

It doesn't matter that they are all lying through their teeth. Until we, as conservatives - black and otherwise, are able to counter that message to black America directly, the liberals will continue to lord over all they survey within black America.

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[Dutchgirl]

Why would any Black Conservative in their right mind consider starting a carreer in politics when washed-up singer/actors, poverty pimps and hack race baiters can get all the coverage they want by calling a Conservative Black a "House N......"?

Out stumping for Jennifer Carroll in Jax last weekend. Spoke to a pleasant young black woman who said her Grandma worked for Betty Holzendorf (FL d machine)and her mother was in the union. "My mother would kill me if I voted for Carroll" she laughed, her infant clinging to her leg. I said, "Mother's kiling their children is what Corrine Brown is all about. She thinks its okay to kill a baby in the ninth month of pregnancy." She took my flier, and promised to think about it.

[Dutchgirl]

I guess what I'm really asking for is an example. How would you do this? You are the master of putting complex ideas into a simple picture. Show me something.

A pentecostal church, all the members waving fans in the heat. On one side, beautiful pictures of infants, their lovng mothers and fathers. Very local, maybe done as a birth announcement, with a baby or grandchild born into the church...including the text from Isaiah: "I knit you together in your mother's womb. You are precious to me."

On the other side, the voting records of dems who consistently vote against outlawing partial birth abortion.

It doesn't even require a republican candidates name. The fact is, the Republican party has left black churches virtually untapped.

[Mike Darancette]

She took my flier, and promised to think about it.

She won't.

[rdb3]

Dutchgirl:

She took my flier, and promised to think about it.

Mike Darancette:

She won't.

And just WHAT makes you say that?

You see this, MAF? This is what I'm talking about.