I said no. He is articulating a conservative message now, but he's not likely to win over many African-American voters. Do you disagree? If so, why?
Well, I don't know that anyone was making an issue over West's statement, but as long as you want to steer back toward the topic at hand, I'm all for it.
As long as we're talking about the four Republican candidates, I agree with West's assessment. As a black ex-Democrat, I think I have a good idea of which of those men the black community would best respond to.
I say Newt, because he can speak to our Founding Principles and our unique history better than anyone else in the race. Personality-wise, I think he's also got the edge. He's got a lot of experience with settling in, in front of an audience, and expounding at length on such topics. He was a history teacher, after all.
For what it's worth, I think it would be interesting to see each of the four candidates at least make a stab at a direct outreach to the black community. My money would be on Newt to make the best connection.
It's definitely time for someone on the right to begin making the case to the black community, that they've been taken for granted by the Democrats for far too long, and that their interests are NOT being served by the bankrupt ideas and policies of the left.
But I don't see Gingrich cutting very deeply into the Black vote, at least in the cities. Democrats have too much of an advantage there, and even people who respect the message may not find Newt the most inspiring spokesman for it.
I could be wrong, of course. I thought highly of Newt 15 years ago. And not so highly since then. Maybe he'll win me over again -- and win support from some unexpected places. So far, though, I haven't seen it.