Posted on 07/25/2004 10:19:29 AM PDT by NCjim
Presidential candidate John Kerry on Sunday courted the black vote, a major Democratic constituency that polls show he has yet to excite, by assuring churchgoers he shared their "common future, hopes and dreams."
The Roman Catholic senator from Massachusetts visited the nondenominational First Church of God in Columbus where Bishop Timothy Clarke told an overwhelmingly black congregation of more than 2,500 that he would not endorse Kerry or President Bush, but urged his parishioners to get out and vote.
Kerry's introduction drew a protest from one member who stood and shouted, "Sit down ... you big phony," before he was hustled out clutching a Bible.
At the third stop on his trek to the Democratic convention in Boston where he will be formally nominated as Bush's opponent in the Nov. 2 election, Kerry quoted scripture, black poet Langston Hughes and President John Kennedy.
"It is written, what does it mean my brother if you have faith if there are no deeds? Faith without works is dead," he said, a subtle slap at Bush without mentioning the president's name.
Kerry described his own candidacy as a "brief fragile moment that God gave us on earth to make a difference."
"This is our journey, not my journey," he said. "I came here this morning to praise his name and share with you our common future, our humanity, our hopes and our dreams."
The Democratic candidate has won around 90 percent of the black vote in recent presidential elections, but at issue is how many members of that key constituency Kerry can turn out.
Opinion polls have shown that Kerry, a blueblood New Englander who attended private schools, graduated from Yale, volunteered for the Vietnam War and has served almost two decades in the Senate, has yet to excite his African-American base.
BIG LEAD BUT LITTLE ENTHUSIASM
A BET/CBS News poll of 986 black Americans released last week found that Kerry led Bush, the Republican incumbent, by eight to one, but a majority had yet to feel a great deal of enthusiasm about their candidate. Most said they were just "satisfied" having Kerry atop the ticket.
Democrats are hoping a higher minority turnout, coupled with support from working white families, will help land southern states such as Florida in the Democratic camp and tip northern industrial states such as Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania in their favor.
Most Democrats also believe their road to the White House passes through Ohio, a critical battleground state. No Republican has won the presidency without winning Ohio.
A poll published on Sunday in the Columbus Dispatch showed Bush and Kerry running neck and neck. The survey, with a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, put Bush at 47 percent, Kerry at 44 per cent and independent candidate Ralph Nader at 2 percent.
Despite millions of dollars spent on advertising by both camps, the poll's results mirrored those of a Dispatch survey published on April 2.
Later on Sunday, Kerry was holding a "front porch" discussion at home of Jessie and Janet Aikens where he planned to speak about the U.S. economy, creating jobs and cutting middle class taxes.
Despite the recent improvement in unemployment numbers and other economic indicators, Ohio has been hit particularly hard by the flight of work overseas, especially in the manufacturing industry.
"These jobs lost are not abstract numbers," Kerry said in remarks prepared for delivery. "They are our neighbors. They are our families and they are wondering how they're going to provide for their children, pay the bills and make ends meet."
What a car salesman he is.
Pardon me while I go puke.
Ping!
Sweet! "Sit down . . . you big phony" Maybe a new tag line. LOL!
PEE UEEWW! Kerry has never known.
"Sit down ... you big phony,"
LOL, there is at least one of the congregation who was not persuaded.
After which, Kerry proceeded to prove the protester correct!
Will their tax-exempt status now be challenged by the Democrats, like they are in conservative churches that are putting together GOTV efforts?
Check out his tax return and that of Algore for charitable contributions. You might as well search for a unicorn while you are at it.
And all this campaigning in black churches goes on while conservative Kansas churches are being "monitored" by the left so complaints can be filed as to their tax exempt status.
Nope, not black, not even tan. Average middle-aged dumpy white guy. Just curious...
There is no way he can share dreams of African Americans. If you believe this, I've got a bridge in New York and San Francisco you can buy.
Yepper! This-- Twice married Billionaire Gigolo "FEELS OUR PAIN" to quote another fella from the same party....ROTFLMAO.........
Yeah! Kaptain Ketchup shares their dreams, just long enough to con them into voting for him. If they stray off the liberal reservation, then they can go take a long walk on a short pier.
If most blacks share the dream of marrying a big frumpy rich woman, John probably does share their dreams.
I share your dream! We now have one in Raleigh. While it is good, it does not compare with the ones in Sao Paulo, but that's a long trip for dinner, even for me!
I don't understand why we on the right never challenge these black churches for endorsing candidates.
I'm sure Kerry immediately leaped to the defense of this gentleman's free speech rights, didn't he? And no doubt Linda Ronstadt and Whoopi Goldberg immediately issued statements of support....
And is anyone else tired of the "faith without deeds" quote? Is this the only part of the Bible that John Kerry has read? It seems to me to be a bad scriptural choice for someone who goes around proclaiming how his faith won't influence his public works! Only John Kerry has the gall to 1. yammer on about his "devout Catholicism," 2. announce that it would be wrong to let his "devout Catholicism" affect his public policy (except for those exceptions when it is to his benefit) AND then 3. criticize those who don't show their "faith" by their "works." Is there a word for a triple flip? Or is this a quadruple now?
Does this guy have any shame at all?!
Is it just me, or does his quoting scripture turn your stomach?
This is a triple-whole-loser-back flip.
Last I checked, blacks were upset that there were NO blacks on his campaign staff. I noticed the article doesn't mention anything about that which tells me it's still true.
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