Posted on 06/16/2004 9:50:14 AM PDT by JulieRNR21
WASHINGTON - With the presidential election only a few months away, it is time for President Bush to unleash his secret weapon - his relationship with black and Hispanic voters.
The president is already winning a third of the popular vote among Hispanics, according to a Zogby International poll taken this spring. With advertisements and outreach focused on reforms to allow easier immigration for workers, the president has a good chance to add to his numbers among Hispanics.
But in a close race, the key to re-election rests on the president's ability to increase his percentage of the black vote. Here, he has the chance to make tremendous gains - if only because he now has practically no support among black voters. A May Washington Post/ABC News poll showed the likely Democratic nominee, Senator John Kerry, with a 79 percent to 6 percent lead over Mr. Bush among black voters. If the president gets only 6 percent of the black vote this year he will have achieved the near impossible task of getting a lower percentage of black votes than he did in 2000, when he won 8 percent.
But the president has the opportunity to flip the script. With a direct appeal, President Bush could win at least 20 percent of the black vote - and the White House.
How can he attract those votes?
Continued here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/16/opinion/16WILL.html?ex=1088386784&ei=1&en=4b70924f6edba46f
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Juan Williams on Cavuto discussing this now.
We should go after conservatives, regardless of color. We shouldn't pander to people based on race.
Do you think Donna would just spy for Kerry? I think you idea is great, but I am not so sure Bush should trust Donna. Maybe somebody else.
I agree with you about both Juan and Ceci.
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.
You say "to hell with [me]" (since I'm one of "THEM"). And I say, God bless you anyway.
You are a true gentleman, and I have even more respect for you now than I did before.
May God richly bless you!
Will do! Praise the Lord for HIS people who gather on this forum!
The black voter will be suckered again (even though the percentage is very slowly decreasing) because their leaders will lie to them about the Democrats.
You made my point!
Black people generally STILL cannot think of themselves as individuals, only as group members of a common race. You reflexively assumed from my statements that I somehow meant to damn all blacks racially, rather than those black people who continually align themselves with the politically leftist Democrats.
Until such time as the black people can differentiate between these things, they will continue to be effectively marginalized, as no other racial group appears to be in our modern world.
White people lambaste and castigate other white people ALL THE TIME and do so WITHOUT MERCY! Witness what abuse Bush must endure at the hands of the ignorant segment of his fellow whites! Why is it beyond the capacity of the black community to be self critical when it is warranted?
Regardless of the numbers, it's the right thing to do, imo. The issue is bigger than just how many votes we can take away from Kerry. We must begin competing for the conservative black vote if we are ever going to expose the leftist lies about Republicans and race. It may take time, but they will eventually respond. I truly believe that. But only if we make the attempt.
I "reflexively" did nothing of the sort. I quoted you in your own words.
Again, you said "I say, the hell with THEM!" You did not differentiate as to who specifically you were referring to at all.
The rest is mere conjecture. Like I said, God bless you anyway. I hold no ill will towards you.
Julie, have you sent a copy of RIce's letter to Juan Williams......Think he'd find it very interesting.....
So what conservative blacks (and despite your admonitions, our numbers ARE growing, I'm just sorry that they aren't growing as fast as you'd like) are supposed to do in your eyesight is to say 'f*ck it' and walk away?
Sorry. You ain't gettin' rid of me that easy.
Bush should make an effort. I don't think he should go all out because in the end the blacks will overwhelmingly vote Democratic.
Thanks for the heads-up but I missed Juan on Cavuto. Perhaps he'll repeat his comments on Hume's show.
Normally when the NY Times gives advice to Republicans, there is some nefarious purpose behind it. I don't see that here, although the column is basically full of platitudes and weak on specifics.
What it says, basically, is that Bush needs to get his message out to black people and tell them what he is doing. The hard part is getting the message out, when the press is 95% hostile to Bush and will never transmit it, and when black leaders are all in the pockets of the Democrats. What seems to be needed is a grass roots effort that circumvents the press and the usual suspects.
And this article is right to suggest that Bush should be appealing to black Christians, not only on the basis of vouchers and the faith-based initiative, but also on the right to life and support of the marriage and family against the sexual perverts.
Juan Williams supported Clarence Thomas during the confirmation hearings. He was ostracized within the WaPo newsroom for his stand. Williams may be liberal, but he isn't a knee-jerk liberal.
To some people here -- So when Bush appeals to conservative whites, it's getting the vote. When Bush appeals to conservative blacks or conservative Hispanics, it's pandering? Oh, puhleeze!
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