A growing political force to be reckoned with: black Republicans

heraldtribune.com ^ | Dec 01, 2003 | Rod Thomson

[Not gonna take it anymore]

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Article published Dec 1, 2003
A growing political force to be reckoned with: black Republicans

The ballroom of the Hyatt in downtown Sarasota was filled to capacity with 200 people at a $75-per-plate dinner. Typical Republican shindig, except for one thing: Most of the attendees were black. The occasion was the first inaugural banquet of the SaraMana Black Republican Club.

There is the sound of distant thunder in the two-party political alignment that is as real in Sarasota as anywhere in the country. Black voters, in small but growing numbers, are beginning to consider the Republican Party.
It sounds laughable at first blush. The Democratic Party has relied on about 90 percent, unquestioning black support for decades. But it is quite real, and could have stunning consequences for the balance of political power in the country.

I wrote about this last year, when a trolley filled with black Republicans rolled through all of the streets of Newtown before the November election to get out the vote for Republicans. It just seemed such a strange picture.
In that election, the black-owned Tempo News in Sarasota endorsed Republican Jeb Bush for governor, as did the black-owned The Weekly Challenger of St. Petersburg and the Broward Times of Fort Lauderdale, the first time the latter ever endorsed a Republican.

A few months later, the SaraMana Black Republican Club was formed and held its first meeting in April 2003 with 16 charter members. Seven months later, it held its first dinner meeting with 200 people enthusiastic about the conservative cause.
The banquet featured speakers, award-winners and a video presentation letting dozens of local blacks explain why they are Republicans.

One black woman who went at the invitation of a friend arrived as a Democrat but left as a Republican, giving a thumbs up to her party change.

"This will mark the beginning of changing the landscape of Sarasota and Manatee," said Johnny Hunter, president of the club and publisher of Tempo News.

Jacksonville state Rep. Jennifer Carroll, the first black Republican elected to the Legislature, gave the keynote speech. She told the group that the NAACP ran ads against her last fall without ever contacting her, simply because she is a Republican and despite the fact that she is a lifetime member of the organization.
But Carroll did not talk about fighting against the NAACP. She talked about taking over the NAACP with conservative blacks, and she was met with cheers. In fact, during a Saturday afternoon featuring one of the biggest football games of the season, the people were cheering her every remark.

And they were tough remarks, such as, "You do not have to be a Democrat. Last time I checked, slavery was over," and, "Liberalism is a cancer on inner city America."
Among the Sarasota African-Americans receiving awards were Ed James, an Eisenhower Republican who received a lifetime achievement award, and Jim Smith, a recent past chairman of the Sarasota County Republican Party. I was in Sarasota for several years before I discovered Smith was black. I simply assumed he was white -- you know, a Republican chieftain.

Perhaps this is just an anomaly in Sarasota? Apparently not. It is national in scope.

A study from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies last year found that in the previous two years, black support for Democrats dropped 11 percentage points, resulting in less than two-thirds calling themselves Democrats. Meanwhile, support for Republicans more than doubled among black voters, from 4 percent to 10 percent.
That is still a small percentage, but it does represent a 150 percent increase. Further, the largest Republican support comes from the youngest segment of black voters – the future.

If Sarasota is any indication, this trickle one day could turn into a dam-break.



Rod Thomson can be reached by e-mail at rod@plow.org, or by writing to the Herald-Tribune

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[bray]

Some of the bravest people in America are Black Republicans. The retribution of leaving the plantation are severe in the Black community. If the Republicans can get 15-20% of the Black vote, it will be the end of the Rat party and perhaps the beginning of School Choice??

Pray for W and The Truth

[concerned about politics]

They've been held in political bondage for over 40 years. Stuck in failing schools and housing complexes so they can't survive without a democrat politician to feed them.
Finally, they're being judged by their character instead of the color of their skin. They're finally free, free, free.
The "village" has failed them - "Big time."
Welcome aboard, folks!

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I hope it is true, not just because I want to win. I really am thinking about those kids. They deserve better than what the past "leaders" in the Black community have offered them.

[farmfriend]

bttt

[FreedomSurge]

The only hope for Blacks, especially poor blacks is the Republican party.

This is an area Republicans should address vigorously but doesn't. Let's hope enough Black conservatives come forth in the Republican party to install a backbone.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Finally.

[Consort]

BOND

[stand watie]

GOOD!

[LADY J]

It will be a blessed day in our country when we don't address folks as black or white - but as Americans who care about our country!

[Consort]

AARLC

[Yaelle]

I have been longing for a program on FOX News that would highlight the growing number of black republicans. I'd like a "Hannity & Colmes" style format - a black liberal and a black conservative.

And Larry Elder would be perfect for the "conservative" position! He loves to do TV, too. I'd put him (he is actually a libertarian) against any liberal!

[concerned about politics]

I hope it is true, not just because I want to win. I really am thinking about those kids.

Yep. I don't like how they're being led to believe they're victims who'll never make in the world unless they live off Democrat handouts.
The poor kids are being used for political gain. The Democrats keep them caged so they can't escape.

[Consort]

The Right Side

[Not gonna take it anymore]

Wow, you were there. Wonderful.

Sorry about the hit and run post but my phone has been ringing off the hook.

I am so happy that the black community is starting to see that the dems have held them back for decades. This can make a huge difference in the future especially as young black people see the differences between the parties.

[WaterDragon]

We're the most prosperous, happiest nation in the world, but we ain't seen nothing yet. The Democrats have repressed and discouraged a huge pool of talent and ideas in our population for too long. The whole Dimwit idea has been that blacks are simply incapable, and that has NEVER been true, not when they were slaves, not during Jim Crow, not during 'affirmative action,' and not now. America needs the confident contributions of ALL our citizens!

[Maceman]

This story is mis-reported. Everyone knows that black people stop being black as soon as they stop supporting the Democrats.

For years I have been hearing from liberals that Clarence Thomas isn't really black. Neither is Connie Rice or Colin Powell. But Bill Clinton is.

So it is obvious that there were no black people in this meeting.

[Not gonna take it anymore]

Thanks for the link. Good site.

[.cnI redruM]

>>>>>>>>>Republicans more than doubled among black voters, from 4 percent to 10 percent. That is still a small percentage, but it does represent a 150 percent increase.

This, right here, is mathematically significant. If the GOP only added African-American support 1/2 as rapidly during the next compounding period, they would go from 10 to 14 percent. Adding support at just under a quarter of 150 percent would take them to 18% the next time.

Raymond Texaira may have been totally wrong when he wrote his opus political "The Emerging Majority."

[Yaelle]

They've been held in political bondage for over 40 years.

Hear, hear! Pity and handouts are for those who truly cannot care for themselves, bless them! Not for any strong, decent people!! Time for phony "leaders" to stop urging black people to become victims; it never worked anyway. It defined deviancy down and relaxed standards of civilization.

It's hard to go against what loud-mouthed colleagues, family and friends might say, but if you have a spine, DO IT! Guess what? It won't kill you! I ought to know; we are the only conservatives in our extended Jewish family. We may be getting the same Bob Dole book of wit every Chanukah for years now, but we aren't dead! And we aren't chickens in the closet either! We are OUT! PROUD JEWISH REPUBLICANS! It feels GOOD!

[concerned about politics]

We're the most prosperous, happiest nation in the world, but we ain't seen nothing yet. The Democrats have repressed and discouraged a huge pool of talent and ideas in our population for too long.

The Democrats constantly belittle them. "They can't make it on their own. They need affermative action because they're not smart enough to make it on merit. They can't read a ballot - we must make it simpler for them! We need to house them, feed them, clothe them, and send them to government indoctrination centers for they don't understand economics."