Black, Republican and Lonely

[riley1992]

Politics
Black, Republican and lonely
African-American conservative explains why he chose the road less traveled

By Matthew G. Davis / Special to The Detroit News

Matthew G. Davis

About the author
   
   Matthew G. Davis is senior associate for media strategies at the Sterling Corp. in Lansing, a former public information officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections and a former Lansing reporter for the Detroit Free Press.
   



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   There is nothing more difficult about being a black Republican than trying to figure out why more black Americans aren't Republicans, too.
   Indeed, given the fact that for decades the Democrats have neglected, abused and taken for granted black voters, trying to figure out why the black electorate keeps coming back for even more disgraceful treatment is downright vexatious.
   Some might claim that Republicans or GOP officials have failed to reach out to black voters and give them a reason to switch sides, but that would be wrong. The GOP has made a tremendous effort and continues to do so.
   What it has not done is to abandon its core principles, including personal responsibility, individual achievement and family values for the sake of attracting votes. Therein lies the answer to the riddle: Most black voters are not willing to support public policies that encourage these values, or the candidates who promote them, even though most blacks would agree that they ought to be practiced.
   The tendency to engage in such paradoxical behavior -- where long-term interests are continually shunned -- is a uniquely black American phenomenon. It would hardly be believable except for the existence of so much evidence that it is true.
   The greatest example of failed policy by black liberals is in academic achievement.
   Black parents invest countless hours of attention and love into their children, insisting on educational excellence. But the majority support lawmakers who would lock kids into failing schools and give the parents no choice but to remain there.
   Conservative ideas, like charter schools, which are independent public schools overseen by public groups such as universities, have resonated with many black voters.
   "I'm against any effort to eliminate or limit educational choices," says Bishop George E. Brown, senior pastor of the Living Truth Temple on Detroit's lower east side. "Historically, the Detroit public school system has not had a great amount of success educating our children. To be able to give black parents an opportunity to educate their children in a better environment, it would be unfair to take that away."
   The result of black liberal educational policy and culture -- which only supports traditional public education -- is especially interesting when compared with certain immigrant cultures, such as the Hmong, who are from Southeast Asia.
   Many thousands of Hmong came to the United States with very few material goods and even less in the way of understanding American life. Yet educational achievement -- in the same city schools attended by blacks -- is often greater than that of white suburbanites.
   The Hmong started out with far less than inner city blacks, yet by adopting and adhering to the same core values espoused by Republicans, they succeed where the black children could not. Why? It's because the Hmong culture places a premium on education and self-improvement.
   More shameful -- and much more menacing -- are the frequent apologies offered up by liberals on crime.
   Blacks, proportionately, are victimized by crime more often than any other racial or ethnic group. Yet the vast majority of criminals who prey upon blacks are other blacks. A rational person would want the criminals, black or white, to be locked away, disabling their ability to commit another crime.
   But the paradox of black liberalism kicks in: The black criminals are really victims themselves. Their criminal behavior is entirely due to the circumstances that the majority white culture has imposed on black people. On top of that, they claim, the criminal justice system is rigged against black people -- just look at the disproportionately high number of black prisoners.
   For a painful and horrendous example of these blatant falsehoods, look no further than the murders of children in Metro Detroit, primarily by drug traffickers.
   Did these children die at the hands of minions of the Ku Klux Klan? Were the killers unleashed from conservative Christian colleges? Did the stereotypical bogeyman of black liberals, a cold, callous white male corporate executive, pull the trigger?
   The children died because black liberals, who continually espouse "protecting children," have come to accept a certain death toll every year as a permanent reality. The culture of black liberalism does not even advocate lengthier terms of incarceration for drug traffickers -- even if that means children will die because repeat offenders will be freed to eventually prey again.
   Affirmative action is another example of a policy that is not in the long-term interests of blacks. Forget for the moment the indefensible prospect of using race to weigh someone's eligibility for admission to a school or employment. Implicit in the idea is that the student or job candidate would not be hired or allowed admission, but for this program.
   Most black parents work diligently to avoid placing the clouds of inferiority into the mental skies of their children (as Martin Luther King Jr. put it). Black liberals, though, turn around and promote the very embodiment of black inferiority by supporting affirmative action.
   Aside from inconsistencies with regard to public policy, a cultural paradox exists, too.
   Few successful black men would soberly disparage a woman as a "ho" or accept it as a useful reference in a professional setting. But many popular black (and white) musical groups still categorize women as little more than sexual chattels.
   What is the reaction from many successful, educated black liberals?
   The excuse is that by using "street" language, wearing certain attire and focusing on anything other than academic success, the musicians are simply trying to build themselves up by "keeping it real." Or they are merely expressing the rage that they feel because they don't have decent job prospects, they argue. Hey, it's hip.
   Notwithstanding the fact that black women deserve the same level of respect as white, Latina and Asian women, how can these liberals complain that Fortune 500 boardrooms are whites-only clubs when they condone corn rows, earrings and monosyllabic vocabularies? Is Ebonics, the guttural bastardized English once promoted by black liberals as a cultural norm, about to become common parlance on Wall Street?
   Is it hip to be unemployed?
   Perhaps the most inexplicable inconsistency of black liberals is the alliance they have with white liberals.
   White Democrats have proved over and over that they will swiftly abandon their would-be black allies and their positions to win elections. A glaring example has occurred this election cycle in the gubernatorial race in New York.
   The Democratic gubernatorial candidate, H. Carl McCall -- the only black gubernatorial candidate in the country -- had to humiliate himself by publicly pleading with Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Terry McAuliffe for more campaign funds after McAuliffe had refused an earlier request because he doesn't think McCall can win. The DNC had promised $500,000, but disbursed only about half that amount as McCall's standing in polls appeared ominous.
   In this case, white Democrats abandoned black concerns, simply because it was politically expedient to do so. Even former President Bill Clinton, albeit while kicking and screaming, signed a welfare reform law that was anathema to black liberals. His administration opened a dialogue about "mending but not ending" affirmative action -- not necessarily because he believed it was the right thing to do, but because he and his party risked losing the votes of white, unionized blue-collar workers.
   Yet, despite this record, most black voters will probably support Democrats on Tuesday.
   Kevin Fobbs, second vice chair of the Michigan Republican State Committee, says if black voters follow their usual pattern, they are not entirely to blame. Republican policies are far better in the long run for the black community, he argues. Getting that message to black voters, though, has been nettlesome, at best.
   "We're good on policy," Fobbs says, "but not good about communicating the policies' benefits.
   "Do we get it? Yeah, if we hear or know about it."
   Fobbs says if the GOP is to connect with black voters and recruit more of them to support Republican candidates, then the party definitely cannot abandon its core principles -- because those principles are also important to black parents, homeowners and taxpayers.
   "In spite of the kinds of challenges African Americans have, they want to see their children succeed and their family succeed," Fobbs says. "(We black Republicans should be) reminding folks about what our values are."
   The only other difficulty, of course, will be in trying to convince the majority of the black electorate that conservative policies are in in their best interests.
   

[MHGinTN]

Perhaps I should say 'doesn't have to listen to or include them' in the calculations.

[rintense]

Some years ago, I had a wonderful conversation with a black guy I worked with. He was conservative in every way possible, but said he would always vote Democrat. So, I picked apart his reasoning, and asked him to identify his beliefs in relation to his faith. By the time our conversation was done, he realized the err of his ways (at least he said so), and would look more closely at Republicans.

But why did he vote for Democrats before then? Because he was convinced through stereotypes that Republicans were rich, racist white men. He admitted that.

[anniegetyourgun]

It's tough. I spoke with a few blacks in 2000 who actually believed the tripe they were hearing in their community about Bush repealing their voting rights.

I wish I could tell Riley that I appreciate her posting this because it's an important issue to explore. Otherwise we'll never get past these turnouts of 90% of blacks voting D.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

If you talk to blacks one on one, they have the same core beliefs that we have. Lower taxes, better education, and pro-life. But we can't take their votes for granted, we have to ASK for their vote.

Unfortunately we don't do enough asking and they vote for dems because that is what they have done their whole lives.

Did you catch the Detroit News this weekend?

[riley1992]

I sure did. The endorsements were the first thing I turned to. Congratulations, again. It's a great thing that you're doing. I only wish I were in your district so I could vote for you.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

They didn't even mention Hansen Clarke. I can only hope the voters take that endorsement paper and follow it.

[xJones]

I strongly disagree. I believe that the blacks must un-demonize themselves.

Maybe, just maybe, it will take an effort on both sides. The largely white Republicans and the taken-for-granted blacks on the other. No, Republicans can't lower our standards, but we somehow have to reach out and show black families that their best interests lie within the Republican party. Not welfare, work. Family, not fatherless homes. No victimization, united citizenry.

Okay, maybe that's all a dream, but it's the only dream we should strive for. If we can possibly make all races pull together without crying for special rights for any group, we have to. That's why we're different.

[cmsgop]

Yes absolutly! If there is one thing I want the GOP to do I want them to reach out to Black Republicans Nationwide...

[fieldmarshaldj]

"The Democratic gubernatorial candidate, H. Carl McCall -- the only black gubernatorial candidate in the country -- had to humiliate himself by publicly pleading with Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Terry McAuliffe for more campaign funds after McAuliffe had refused an earlier request because he doesn't think McCall can win."

He's actually partly wrong here with McCall being the only Black Dem running for Governor, and is missing an even more aggregious example. Nevada's Democrat gubernatorial candidate is State Sen. Joe Neal. Neal is African-American, and he is also utterly ignored by the DNC and even the state party saying "he can't win." Neal's biggest mistake in the eyes of the party ? Why he committed total apostasy by endorsing African-American REPUBLICAN candidate for Congress from NV-1, Lynette Boggs-McDonald ! The horror ! They ain't gonna stand for uppity "negroes" like Sen. Neal daring to exercise some independence and THINK for themselves ! Disgusting. The DNC is hoping to quietly see him buried on Election Day and that he will be forgotten about, and on the former part, he will be, but on examples of the latter part, this sort of treatment should NEVER be forgotten, and the GOP should use these examples when going into the Black Community to make their pitch. Sure, the Dems want their votes, and maybe giving them some legislative offices and perhaps even a token lower statewide office, but in most cases, they ain't gonna run one for the top slot -- uh, uh, -- don't wanna scare the "straights" (i.e. "the white folk"). Take a look at Georgia, for example, where the Dems (still really White-run) are trying to expand the number of Black Congressional members (up to 5) and who already have 2 in statewide office. What's going to happen when they rightfully make demands to run for the top job (or U.S. Senate ?), especially in what will be a close contest ? Yup, you guessed it. When Ron Kirk loses in TX on Tuesday, watch as the Dems gnash their teeth and privately vow not to run another Black as their candidate for a LONG time (and how it was a mistake to have run him -- shoulda gone with that Ken Bentsen fella). Another example of "we'll let you get close--but..." is here in my state of TN. State Rep. Lois DeBerry, the first Black female elected from Memphis, has been in the House for 30 years come January, and she has been in the leadership since almost day one. In fact, she has outlasted practically all of her fellow leadership colleagues from the time she was elected, and should've long ago ascended to the position of House Speaker, but, uh-uh, not gonna happen, she gets to play "Speaker Pro Tempore" for which she's held for an astonishing 16 years, and will likely hold until the Dems finally lose their majority which is built on a house of cards (profound gerrymandering -- the Dems now get a minority % of the vote to maintain a 57-42 edge). The White Dem powerbrokers wouldn't dare put DeBerry in the top slot, since they believe they'd end up in the minority by the next election. So much for their usefullness... With apologies to Malcolm X, Blacks didn't land in the Democrat party, the Democrat party landed on them, and as soon as they get out from under it, the better off they will be.

[Hot Tabasco]

Excellent article but fails to mention that the majority of the black/white public who vote socialist do so in the high pockets of union/church control. Example being, Detroit where the majority of people are black and attend churches, the churches with the aid of the U.A.W. bus the voters to their respective polls in mass and give them candidate specific literature on which to base their votes. This was most evident in the 2000 election

Such precincts are over-ripe for voter fraud to occur and there is no doubt in my mind that such fraud exists. The same can also be said about the other socialist bastions here in Michigan: Dearborn, Flint, Bay city and Saginaw.

These voters do not have the interest in politics to know what is right or wrong for them and come election time, only get out to vote because their church leaders or UAW representatives are willing to pick them up and drive them to the polls. These same folks do not watch the news, read the newspapers and only rely on their peers to help them make their decisions come election time.

While Michigan has a Republican governor, I think 2000 was the telling story about the socialist drive to stock our government with fellow socialists and this does not bode well for Tuesday's election of governor here in Michigan.....

[republicangel]

There is a mentality that must be pounded into their heads from a young age.

Ever since I overheard a co-worker tell another black (african-american) person at work, "You can't vote for a Republican, things will go back to the way they used to be."

I almost fell out of my desk chair

The saving grace was that the other person (a minister) laughed at her and said, " you don't really believe that, do you?"

[joesnuffy]

The author hasnt spent much time with the Hmong in central Wi....
I've seen a much different picture..than the one he paints...

[speekinout]

Look at the Republican candidate for governor here in Maryland, Bob Ehrlich. He picks a black as his Lt. Gov..

And, one of the few debates KKT agreed to was sponsored by the NAACP. The Blacks in attendance booed Ehrlich and pelted Steele with oreos.

One of the reasons I really want Ehrlich to win on Tue. is that if he does, he will likely serve two terms and then be followed by a Black Republican. What a grand 16 years, and a great "stick-in-your-eye" that will be!

[stevem]

The majority of blacks I've known do believe in and think those policies ought to be practiced and do practice them in their daily lives. I think the problem may lie more with people not seeing the larger scope of what their vote may actually bring about in the long run.

The blacks I have met working for the Republican Party are delightful. I have encountered truly marvelous senses of humor and a true sense of mission.

Unfortunately, they are in a minority of a mainority of a minority.

Is there a term for the disconnect you describe when it occurs year in and year out?

[redhead]

bumping...

[dalebert]

Bump!!!

[GOPJ]

bump

[mafree]

Excellent article but fails to mention that the majority of the black/white public who vote socialist do so in the high pockets of union/church control. Example being, Detroit where the majority of people are black and attend churches, the churches with the aid of the U.A.W. bus the voters to their respective polls in mass and give them candidate specific literature on which to base their votes. This was most evident in the 2000 election.

You make a good point here in that most of the "organized" Black political action happens through the unions and the churches. Both are essential to this happening. Why? Well, a proportionately high number of Blacks belong to unions and many who do not are favorable towards unions. The unions have money, organization, and numbers, not to mention the ability to scare their members around job-related issues. Mess with the J-O-B, you mess with the only thing standing between most folks and homelessness. Especially when they have little or nothing in wealth or savings.

What the unions do is go to Black churches where they will be able to mobilize blocs of Black voters. They will not go to every Black church, especially to those percieved as leaning Republican, but they will find a receptive home in most Black churches.

Can the GOP successfully use the unions and the churches to get more of the Black vote? That would seem to be almost impossible without compromising some GOP core values in order to promise all kinds of goodies and special protections to Blacks.

Yet, one way I could begin to see it happening is if Republican-leaning unions (yes, there are a few) and GOP-voting union members start organizing and start working with Black churches (and other organizations) that are at least willing to consider GOP issues and candidates.

Any other ideas?

[rdb3]

That's a pretty good idea.

No mercy.
Coming soon: Tha SYNDICATE.