Priorities, Politics And The Pastor

The Louisana Weekly ^ | April 17, 2006 | Ron Walters

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Recent efforts by Illinois State Sen. James Meeks to forge a new coalition of African-Americans and White social conservatives is putting some African-American voters in a bind. While African-Americans strongly support the economic elements of a Democratic platform - and oppose Republican trickle-down economics - Democrats are not delivering jobs, education and health care in proportion to their vote. At the same time some in the African-American religious community are opposed to the Democrats social tenets of choice and gay marriage.

Should African-Americans vote their economic interests or their religious convictions? In James Meeks they may find both. Sen. Meeks is appealing to their basic economic interests by demanding more money for education and jobs. But Rev. Meeks is also tapping into their religious and moral sensitivities about abortion and gay marriage.

What Meeks is really doing is shedding light on the broad economic agenda that Democrats have failed to adequately address, while making a political appeal to conservative White evangelicals and Roman Catholics who oppose abortion and gay marriage. If he runs and pulls it off, that's a significant political force.

Two issues in Illinois reflect Black voters' resentment toward a Democratic governor and Democratically-controlled House and Senate. First, Meeks has offered a comprehensive educational reform plan to improve opportunity for all Illinois' students, and he traveled around the state promoting it. What was the governor's and legislature's response? A Democratically-controlled legislature turned it down and Gov. Blagojevich made automated calls across the state against it while publicly claiming to be the education governor.

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I really like this and have already told his supporters that I am going to vote for him. Illinois doesn't really have a choice without him, either current Gov. Blagojevich or Judy Baar Topinka. It would be fun to see both parties shaken up. I can see the ACLU fit to be tied, having reverend for a governor. I am not thrilled about his close connection with Jesse Jackson but I am not in favor of Topinka. Another result may be uniting of blacks and whites in Illinois. He is pro-life and pro-family. I would take a conservative as my first-choice but he is my second choice. both the Illinois dems and liberal republicans will squirm if a third party governor were elected.