A conservative Republican was elected county executive in my county recently and got 25% of the Black vote, despite being demonized. Some well-known Blacks publicly supported him, despite the flak they caught from lefties and other Blacks. The circumstances that resulted in his election were unique, but that mattered little where the Black vote was concerned.
How did this person get elected? He did a few things that the GOP would be wise to pay attention to:
- He went to every campaign event in the Black community and some were held in areas many are afraid to be in. He even brought his wife and young sons to a Black church service in the heart of the ghetto.
- He was an unabashed supporter of school choice (vouchers) and that issue is popular with Blacks.
- He paid Black political operatives and advertised in Black media.
- He faced tough issues head-on and appeared on Black talk shows.