The problem is this: some Black candidates who run as Republicans get little or no support from the official GOP structure. This is especially true when they run in districts that are overwhelmingly Dem and/or with a strong incumbent. Sure, the odds are against a Black Pubbie winning in these areas but it looks worse when their own party, the one they take all manner of heat for belonging to, fails to support them.I may run and lose but if I at least know that my party gave as much as it could to my candidacy I'd feel better about running under that party banner again. When that doesn't happen I'd seriously wonder if I should run under that party again. Wouldn't you?
I knew there was something I forgot! But I believe the most important thing is financial support. I am not exactly that knowledgable on campaign funding issues. But then these things are what black Conservative / GOP organizations, i.e. BAMPAC, NCNE, CORE, AARLC, Project 21, etc. are supposed to exist for.
But the problem is, I've never yet heard of any state's GOP (or Democrat) organization ever having "enough money" ... and so it's understandable that they'll prefer to spend money in areas where they believe a better hope of victory exists. This generally has nothing to do with race, i.e. the RNC would spend more money on a Governors' race in Kentucky than it would spend in West Virginia. Either way though, morale and moral (as opposed to financial) support from the Party is something you're owed and you should demand it. They should be made to understand that you are indeed taking an inordinate amount of heat for flying the GOP banner and their morale/ moral support is the least they can give you.
But all that notwithstanding, black districts are still the most hopeless cases, unfortunately. Which is why I placed a lot of emphasis on black Republicans aiming for statewide and not-too-black-dominated districts, a sort of top-down policy (kind of a reverse for Conservatism, eh?). Higher profile seats demand party support in the first place, so you won't even need to ask for it.
Anyway, after putting some much needed thought into it, I'm convinced that the hands-on and end-run approach is necessary here when it comes to getting funding. Rather than appealing to the state GOP, go directly to the groups and individuals that are, in some ways, the gatekeepers of the GOP's funding base and ask them directly to utilize their rolodexes for you. i.e. I'm talking about Stephen Moore, Grover Norquist, Bill Bennett, Alan Keyes, Clint Bolick, Newt Gingrich, JC Watts, Dick Armey, etc. and their organizations like the CSE, Club for Growth, NTU, AEI, NFRA, etc.
With the support of black (and other minority) Conservative organizations, explain to them the strategic importance of your campaign - a credible black GOP candidate for office, provided his / her campaign is run well (strong, smart, vigilant and unafraid), could be a major tactical asset to the entire ticket and a major strategic asset to the future of the GOP in the minority community of the state (maybe even the nation).
I thought that the Winsome Sears story illustrated this to a certain extent. Once it became apparent that her campaign had broken the 35% barrier of support in the black neighborhoods of her district, the Virginia GOP dumped almost $50,000 into her campaign coffers. In other words, once it looks like, you can win, the GOP would most likely come through. Unfortunately, the VA GOP recognized Sears potential too late to utilize her success for the benefit of her up-ballot ticket mates, Mark Earley and Jay Katzen, in her district. They got somewhere around 10% of the black vote in her district while she got 46% (which is amazing for a Republican of any color).
With this in mind, point out that if you're able to get up to 30% (or even somewhat less) of black voters in your constituency to consider you a viable alternative, you could provide a platform for your GOP ticket mates to get the black community to give them a second look i.e. when you invite them to come campaign for and with you. Make note of the fact that in most states, Democrats cannot win elections without at least 85+% of the black vote. So losing just 2% of the black vote could very easily mean disaster for them.
And again point out that even if you do not succeed in getting yourself elected and / or that extra 2% that would have helped your ticket mates; Rome was not built in a day. You would / could end up being a major building block. A huge factor in the GOP's weakness in the black community is their lack of presence after all, and it's time this was rectified. As for moral support, i.e. ticket mates campaigning with you, etc.
Either way, black GOP'ers need to start EARLY. There are "unwinnable for the GOP" U.S. Senate seats in CT, MD and OR that don't yet have active declared Republican challengers for 2004. A black Republican (Marvin Scott) is challenging Evan Bayh for Indiana's junior Senator's seat. He gets points for starting early ... but none for his inactivity (I may be wrong about this), so far, when it comes to building support.
Hope this goes some way towards addressing your concerns.
What better established and more impassioned a group rooted in the GOP is there to get the GOP in general and the Bush Administration specifically on board with this task?