Most [Blacks] stick with Democrats in spite of opposing abortion, same-sex unions

AJC ^ | 1/10/04 | Gayle White

[freedom44]

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- African-Americans often agree with Republicans on social issues: abortion, prayer in schools and -- most significant in this year's presidential race -- same-sex unions.

But they vote for Democrats. Ninety percent of black voters supported Democrat Al Gore over George W. Bush four years ago.

Those issues don't determine how blacks vote, said University of Maryland political scientist Ron Walters.

"If you look at black people's lives, there are a lot of real problems," he said. "Gay marriage is not one of them. I can just see a black father coming home unemployed saying, 'I voted to stop gay marriage. . . . Sorry you don't have any food.' "

But political analysts say African-Americans' enthusiasm -- and turnout -- for the Democratic candidate could suffer. That's bad news for Democrats.

"That could make the difference in the general election in the Northern and Western states that were very close in 2000," said University of Georgia political scientist Arnold Fleischmann.

The divergence from Democratic Party positions was apparent again in a survey released Tuesday. Almost three-quarters of African-Americans said the country is losing its "moral compass" by removing prayer in school and fighting the display of the Ten Commandments in public, as did 62.3 percent of respondents overall.

Only 29.6 percent of blacks favored legal recognition of homosexual unions, compared with 34 percent of all those questioned. And 62.3 percent of blacks viewed abortion as "manslaughter," a view held by 51.9 percent of those questioned.

The poll was conducted by Zogby International for the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies at Southern Methodist University and the O'Leary Report, a political newsletter that is published by a Republican consultant.

Although the sample of African-Americans was relatively small, their answers were consistent with past surveys.

"The whole moral-cultural agenda of the Democrats doesn't sit well with black voters, who tend to be rather traditional," said Allison Calhoun-Brown, a Georgia State University political scientist who studies religion and politics in the black community.

She said conservative views on social issues grow out of black churches, where ministers preach morality rooted in biblical literalism.

Presidential candidate Dick Gephardt, a supporter of gay civil unions who has a lesbian daughter, was warmly welcomed recently at Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church in Sumter, S.C. But as the Missouri congressman sat in the sanctuary, the Rev. Marion Newton railed against same-sex unions as a "Goliath" that must be slain.

"The message was not geared for Gephardt per se," Newton said later. "It was a message we normally preach all the time. We preach against abortion. We preach against same-sex marriage. That wasn't anything new."

Some just don't vote

The GOP has had little success at winning black support, even with these hot-button social issues, said Mark Tooley, a researcher at the Washington-based conservative Institute on Religion and Democracy.

However, he said, many white evangelicals who had been Democrats "were pulled away in part because of social issues."

"Perhaps the same will happen for black churchgoers," Tooley said.

Some middle-class black people already may not feel totally bound to the Democrats, said Calhoun-Brown. "Their pocketbooks, their theology and their ideology all say vote Republican," she said. "Their history and their racial identification say to continue to vote Democratic."

Rather than switch parties, she predicted, they are more likely not to vote.

"Even small numbers of people staying home can drastically change the dynamic of an election," Calhoun-Brown said.

In 2000, black voters gave Gore his 500,000-vote lead in the popular vote and helped place big states such as California, Illinois, Michigan, New York and New Jersey in the Democratic column.

And without the 15 percent of Florida's voters who were black, that state's election would not have gone into overtime. Ninety-three percent of African-American Floridians voted for Gore.

"Democrats have taken black voters for granted, and could," Calhoun-Brown said. "I do think the Democrats need to pay attention. In politics, sometimes people don't pay attention until it's too late."

Candidates visit

As the Feb. 3 South Carolina Democratic primary nears, a parade of presidential hopefuls have occupied the deep purple pew cushions at Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston.

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards have been there twice. The Rev. Al Sharpton, former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and retired Gen. Wesley Clark of Arkansas have been once. So has Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's sister, on his behalf.

Democrats usually get a friendly reception from Morris Brown's senior pastor, the Rev. Joseph Darby, an official in the South Carolina NAACP.

When casting their ballots, Darby predicted, his congregants would look at candidates' total platform.

"Is it more obscene for a candidate to say same-sex unions are OK or for a president to start a war in Iraq and have young people die on that battlefield? Is it more obscene to talk about abortion and birth control or to . . . inequitably fund public schools?" he asked. "A candidate who advocates for prayer but at the same time advocates public policy that divides is not going to get much traction in the black community."

On the first Sunday of the new year, Darby passionately urged his flock to "build your hopes on things eternal." After services, some parishioners discussed the temporal issue of presidential politics.

Construction worker Lorenzo Washington and maintenance coordinator Moses Frost chatted on the steps of the red-brick church.

"I'm against abortion," Washington said. "Understanding the word of God, you've got to be against" gay relationships. But he added, "Issues like that are not going to be so important to sway votes."

"We want to hear what they're going to do on war and jobs," said Frost.

"The economy," said Washington. "There are people with no jobs. Every day some place is closing down."

Both said they would vote in the Democratic primary, though neither had decided on a candidate.

"The Republican Party's for the rich," Washington said.

Inside the church, wearing a white dress and lace head covering to indicate her role as a communion stewardess, Kylene Gerideau said she was sorting through the issues in her own mind.

"Part of me feels like people should have a choice in their lives," she said of abortion and same-sex unions. "On the other hand, growing up in the church, I feel it's not right."

She said she was "learning to deal with" the candidates' positions and her own ambivalence. She planned to vote Democratic.

Having breakfast downstairs in the fellowship hall, retired government worker Thomas Nesbitt said education, poverty and war were important. But, he said, he couldn't vote for anyone who favored same-sex unions or abortion.

That means he may vote for President Bush in November.

"You know the devil that you have," Nesbitt said. "You don't know the devil you might get."

[freedom44]

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[Kuksool]

A cultural transformation could occur if the GOP could find a way to pick the RAT lock on the African-American community.

[Texas Eagle]

I can just see a black father coming home unemployed saying, 'I voted to stop gay marriage. . . . Sorry you don't have any food.' "

Huh. Blacks have been voting for RATS at a 90% clip for 30+ years and after all those years and all that support they STILL don't have any food? Weird.

[madprof98]

"If you look at black people's lives, there are a lot of real problems," he said. "Gay marriage is not one of them. I can just see a black father coming home unemployed saying, 'I voted to stop gay marriage. . . . Sorry you don't have any food.' "

A large reason there may be no food is that there is no father coming home. The "social issues" are KILLING the African-American community. Literally. Nearly half of black babies die in abortion clinics. And marriage? The sexual revolution killed it off. Today 70% of black kids are born to single moms. Most of them will have to struggle to take advantage of the many avenues now open to all races in this country. Yet if these people vote at all, they vote for those who cheer their degradation on. They imagine it's a way to solve their "real problems."

[farmfriend]

Black Conservatives ping.

[Kuksool]

{They imagine it's a way to solve their "real problems."}

Unfortunately, many African-Americans see government programs as the answer to all of society's problems.

[reed_inthe_wind]

Another miserable lesson learned on getting in bed with the left - too bad for democrats.

[ladyinred]

"The Republican Party's for the rich," Washington said.

Exactly the lie I used to believe.

[Bars4Bill]

Those issues don't determine how blacks vote, said University of Maryland political scientist Ron Walters.

"If you look at black people's lives, there are a lot of real problems," he said. "Gay marriage is not one of them. I can just see a black father coming home unemployed saying, 'I voted to stop gay marriage. . . . Sorry you don't have any food.' "

Tenure protects wasted minds.

[freedomcrusader]

I can just see a black father coming home unemployed saying, 'I voted to stop gay marriage. . . . Sorry you don't have any food.' "

Unemployment among blacks is 10% last I heard, so this statement is highly racist and bigoted. To say that blacks vote overwhelmingly for democrats because they're unemployed is ludicrous.

[CasearianDaoist]

You will not do this on these issues. You must get them to see the the Democrat minority con keeps them down and is degrading. That is a tall order.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

They keep voting for the "Dim"-rats for the same reason my worthless brother-in-law does. He hasn't worked in 20 years, is on the public dole and votes for the man who promises to give him the most funds from the public treasury!

[vpintheak]

COMMON SENSE!!

[Texas Eagle]

I can just see a black father coming home unemployed saying, 'I voted to stop gay marriage. . . . Sorry you don't have any food.' "

I can just see a black father coming home unemployed and saying

......"I voted for Lyndon Johnson.....Sorry you don't have any food."

....."I voted for Jimmy Carter.....Sorry you don't have any food."

....."I voted for Bill Clinton....Sorry you don't have any food."

....."I voted for Bill Clinton again.....Sorry you don't have any food."

....."I voted for Hillary Clinton.....Sorry you don't have any food."

....."I voted for Willie Brown....Sorry you don't have any food."

....."I voted for Ted Kennedy....Sorry you don't have any food."

....."I voted for Loretta Sanchez.....Sorry you don't have any food."

I can't remember who said it but some smart guy once said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.

[Recovering_Democrat]

old habits die hard.

[freedumb2003]

....."I voted for Loretta Sanchez.....Sorry you don't have any food."

More like: Voté por Loretta Sanchez. Lo siento no tienes comida.

[cyborg]

I live in a predominantly black neighborhood. I've NEVER heard same sex unions/abortion brought up. The pubbies around here pretty much spit on black people anyway (Long Island). Here a lot of white republicans will sooner vote white democrat than ever vote for a black republican. very very strange and racial it's almost sickening.

[Texas Eagle]

Here a lot of white republicans will sooner vote white democrat than ever vote for a black republican. very very strange and racial it's almost sickening.

Would a black DemocRAT in Long Island vote for a black Republican?