Brazile: Blacks Poised to Bolt Democratic Party

NewsMax.com ^ | 12/01/02 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Donna Brazile, who managed Vice President Al Gore's presidential campaign two years ago, sent a memo to Democratic lawmakers last month warning that they need to do more to reach out to African-Americans or risk losing their support in coming elections.

"The Republicans are in the House," Brazile said in the controversial memo, quoted in Sunday editions of New York's Newsday. "They came in through the window and they want to play."

The former Gore official, who now heads up the Democratic National Committee's Voting Rights Institute, urged party officials to "roll up their sleeves and box (the GOP) out." Otherwise, Brazile cautioned, support from the Democrats' most loyal constituency is likely to "slip away."

"The party is ready for that challenge," she added, "but it remains to be seen" whether they'll take it.

Although African-American turnout in 2002 was similar to that of other midterm elections, Brazile still termed it "unsatisfactory," noting that blacks flocked to the polls in droves two years earlier to vote for Gore.

Brazile attributed the diminished turnout to the fact that the party spent less money in 2002 on minority outreach, while the GOP launched an intensive radio ad campaign in urban markets.

Others complain that party chief Terry McAuliffe offered only tepid support to African-American candidates. University of Maryland political science professor Ron Walters told Newsday that McAuliffe didn't give black Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Carl McCall the campaign cash he promised "until it was beaten out of him."

"The love affair is over between African-Americans and the Democrats," political strategist Jaques DeGraff said. "In massive numbers we still can't go and pull that Republican lever, but we can still stay home."

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

DNC

[Malcolm]

If blacks vote GOP, it will be because they understand that Republicans have the better policies, and that growth, not quotas, lawsuits, nor state flags, is the engine of progress. Patience is in order here, so let's stick with our present policies. More and more blacks will recognize that the Dems are a dead-end street, and begin to vote GOP. We need to keep fighting for vouchers for private schools, esp in municipal campaigns, and for reduction in gov't. Compare our economy to the socialist states of Europe. The GOP has the right policies, and as time goes on, and the media is less monopolized by ultraleftist charlatans, we will hit paydirt. No doubt about that whatsoever.....

[slimer]

Donna could set a good example by leading the way swithching parties

[Grand Old Partisan]

Thanks to Maryland's Lt. Governor-elect, Michael Steele, America will soon hear all about "Back to Basics for the Republican Party" -- information about which is available at www.republicanbasics.com. It's a history of the GOP from the Republican point of view.

[krb]

In massive numbers we still can't go and pull that Republican lever, but we can still stay home."

Hehehehehe....that is why they fail. Don't they realize that a "Swing vote" is really worth 2 votes?

Think about it this way. Florida went to Bush by 537 votes. That means that if 538 more blacks had voted for Gore then he would have won. Or it also means that if 267 swing votes had gone the other way then Gore would have won.

Work for those 538 votes, or work for those 267 votes. Which one of these two choices do you think the pragmatic politician with a campaign budget to keep within is going to select most of the time???

Hehehehe.

[Lysandru]

"Where is *their* Condaleeza Rice or Colin Powell?" Theirs are unelectable. Is it due to racism? No. Because of gerrymandered "safe" seats, their black elected officials are too socialist, too extremist, too left wing, and too darn bigoted to be electable on a state-wide or nation-wide basis.

Word up! I am constantly appalled by the fact that the black politicians in the Democratic Party are such left-wing wackos. They are a disgrace. I once had a neighbor (in Pennsylvania of all places) who thought that black Americans were unpatriotic-- because of idiots like these. I let her have it-- I knew too many great black people in the Army who were ready to die for this great country.

[shiva]

Maybe she's trying to 'pay back'. Remember this from Magazine Watch June 2000?

You’d think quota-sensitive reporters would lament Al Gore tabbing a member of the old white boy network to head his campaign, snubbing a top black aide on his own staff. But both Time and U.S. News praised the selection of Commerce Secretary Bill Daley but gave Gore a pass on bypassing one of his top aides Donna Brazile, a move that according to the Drudge Report had many within Gore’s camp fuming. "She is the real star of this campaign...I can't believe she was overlooked for the top job," Drudge quoted one Gore source.

[shiva]

Here are some interesting tidbits that you all may have forgotten. Read them and rejoice Gore didn't win.

http://conservativetruth.org/opinionet/archives2/ccdf/ccdf10.htm

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Although African-American turnout in 2002 was similar to that of other midterm elections, Brazile still termed it "unsatisfactory,"

For it to be "satisfactory," Brazile would expect Blacks to vote more than once. That's for the live Blacks. She's reasonably satisfied with dead Blacks only voting once.

[Leisler]

"..Brazile attributed the diminished turnout to the fact that the party spent less money in 2002 on minority outreach..."

Minority outreach, read that as cash to preachers, union heads, local politicos. She is just getting the word out that she is fighting for the economic well being of "her people." Not african american voters, but their local capos that do what they are paid to do, lead their people to the voting booth with visions of the promise land just one more election away.

[spintreebob]

Well, just what in the hell is so hard for them to appoint an African-American to high positions?

A chronic problem of the Dems. When convicted felon Illinois Dem Gov Kerner produced the KERNER REPORT he was asked why he had no Blacks in his cabinet. Kerner answered that there were no qualified Blacks. Of course qualifications had not been a problem when he appointed the illiterate in laws of White Chicago Ward Bosses to high positions.

Republican Ogilvie came in days later and immediately appointed Black Republican Bill Robinson, not only because Robinson was qualified, but because he was the brains behind the Ogilvie rise to power and held a big IOU on Ogilvie.

[uncbob]

"In massive numbers we still can't go and pull that Republican lever, but we can still stay home."

How many more handouts can the democrats promise ?
They control nothing and any more radical proposals will turn off independents
All they can do is demagog fear etc and that is wearing thin.

[AFPhys]

This is just a plea for more money and power for herself.

Exactly right, my friend... my absolutey first thoughts while reading this piece. Power, power, power... and by the way, money.

Whatever else, though, it is certain the Demodogs have major problems keeping this part of their "base" intact without alienating other major factions. Blacks are finally realizing Republicans have been working for the blacks' welfare, too, and they now see more progress toward an equal world than ever occurred under Demodog rule. This erosion of lockstep acceptance of the Demodog lines is real, and a serious cause for them to panic.

[BillyBoy]

>> Well, just what in the hell is so hard for them to appoint an African-American to high positions? <<

It's all about quotas with the scumocrat party. Clinton's powerful buddies and big donors got all the good jobs, "minorities" got all the 2nd tier positions to ensure "diversity".

[Cacique]

Hey Paul, is Robert gonna come up with the cash? Now is the time to strike.

[mafree]

Until Brazile takes the lead herself and bolts she's just blowing smoke.

[hchutch]

If I am George W. Bush, and if I were to take politics into consideration on this sort of thing (just as a hypothetical), I'd have word leak out that Clarence Thomas is my first choice for Chief Justice.

I'd also have a list of two or three other African-Americans for the Supreme Court. And if the right justice were to retire (say, Stevens), Alan Page could easily be a pick.

[UncleWes]

2004: Sharpton - Brazile

[Vidalia]

Would you please explain why post #13 was pulled, for it merely was a quick and very real reflection of the language used by at the least 19% of the black population and more of the rest of the nation than the "Political Correctness Police" want to admit.

I have used the term in a descriptive nature, much as most who are familiar with the south would call "White Trash", not necessarily in the Hillary Clinton term, for all Southerners who did not contribute to make her a queen were called white trash, amongst other derivatives.

Is FR becoming so Politically Correct or "sensitive" that the use of the word nigger, regardless of capitalization, is now out of bounds, even thought the word is used by most of the country?

If you want to monitor the use of that descriptive, then that decision is warranted, but to take every post that uses the "N" word (since that is only what Free Republic will allow) off the netways is quantifiably ridiculous, for the nomenclature has been, is, and will be used for decades to come, regardless of anything the loser Jesse Jackson, the NAACP or any of the others who have obviously frightened many of the US public.

Quick and private would serve a fine purpose, for I haven't any reason to put this site in jeopardy for a silly word that the media and a more than a few "African Americans faux leaders" use without concern.

I will abide...