Should Republicans Bypass Traditional Black leadership?(Yes, it is a waste of time)

washingtondispatch ^ | Jan 28, 2003 | James Robinson

[TLBSHOW]

Should Republicans Bypass Traditional Black leadership?

At the 93rd annual NAACP convention on July 9, President Bush came under heavy attack by a virtual parade of black civil rights leaders. They were incensed because the President had decided not to attend their meeting. Speaker after speaker accused Bush of ignoring blacks' concerns and pandering to the far right. Jesse Jackson told the convention. "Today we have a government that is enfranchised by miscounted or uncounted votes. Even though it lost the election, it operates as if it has a mandate to take our rights.” NAACP board chairman Julian Bond said, "We have a president who owes his election more to a dynasty than to democracy." Kweisi Mfume, NAACP President said, "…I don't like his presidential practice of divide and conquer when it comes to black organizations and black people . . .. You can't be president of all the people when you only want to be the president for some of the people." Given the rhetorical hostility exhibited by these leaders it is hard to see how Bush’s attendance would have changed any minds. It is a waste of time for Republicans to appeal to establishment civil rights groups; they have already made up their minds.

BY James Robinson has been a college professor for over 30 years. He currently teaches at Canyon College offering classes online and is completing his second book entitled Racial Myths and Reality: The Struggle for Black Liberation. His lives in Inglewood California.

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[Jeff Chandler]

To quote a line from Blazing Saddles, "You bet your ass!"

It's time to start uplifting conservative blacks.

[byteback]

It took a while but I finally agree with you. This is a fight that can only be fought in the black community and there's absolutely nothing Bush or anyone else white can do. The majority has a hate for Rice, Powell, Thomas and any other black who might lean somewhat right.

Young, professional blacks are growing out of the ghetto mentality and the way to the black vote is to get as many off the plantation and into personal freedom as quickly as possible. They don't see the light until they're out of the hole.

[stevem]

I can't begin to imagine why any thinking person would attend an NAACP gathering. It's an organization that revels in any black poverty it can find. It's an organization that hasn't had a new idea in at least 50 years.

Why should Bush or any Republican attend an organization meeting when 100% of the members are hostile to Republicans and couldn't recognize a new idea to save a life.

Blacks who follow the NAACP want all blacks to be on the outside looking in. It has to bother them mightily to find blacks who ignore them and make a decent place in the world for themselves.

[driftless]

I believe the best thing for Bush is to espouse those principals that best represent American ideals. This means not pandering to ethnic groups. Under the U.S. consititution there are no recognized group rights, just rights for individuals. This of course will not stop Democrats from pandering to particular ethnic and special-interest groups because that is what they do best. But we will never get the ethnic vote by pandering anyway. Concentrate on voters who understand that government cannot give them fulfilling lives. Only individual citizens can make their lives worthwhile. Eventually hopefully all "minorities" will understand this. But if they don't, let's quit pandering.

[GermanBabies]

Let's me honest, what's the point of Bush going after the black vote?

[Arpege92]

"Kweisi Mfume, NAACP President said,...I don't like his presidential practice of divide and conquer when it comes to black organizations and black people"


"IT'S NOT PRESIDENT BUSH WHO DIVIDE AND CONQUERS BLACK ORGANIZATIONS AND BLACK PEOPLE.....IT'S THE NAACP LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS. I SEEM TO RECALL TWO ATTACKS ON COLIN POWELL AND CONDOLEEZZA RICE FOR NOT ABIDING BY THE LIBERAL BLACKS RULES. SOME LEADERS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY DON'T LIKE IT WHEN BLACKS THINK FOR THEMSELVES.....SELL OUT AND UNCLE TOM ARE A FEW NAMES THAT ARE USED WHEN DESCRIBING BLACK REPUBLICANS.

THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE LOSING STEAM BECAUSE THEY OFFER NO REAL ANSWERS FOR BLACK AMERICANS AND THEY KNOW IT. THEY HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT THEMSELVES!!!!!!!!

[TLBSHOW]

btt

[BibChr]

Ditto what you said.

Make them irrelevant. Pump up the guys who really are helping the black community — conservative black (and other) leaders.

Dan

[fieldmarshaldj]

"Let's me honest, what's the point of Bush going after the black vote?"

GermanBabies signed up 2003-01-29.

Can I get a ZOT!, dear sir ?