Black voters ready to listen to Republicans' pitch

Baltimore Sun ^ | January 8, 2004 | Clarence Page

[Holly_P]

WASHINGTON - Sometimes I receive letters or e-mails that begin something like this: "I can't understand why blacks - or African-Americans or whatever it is you want to call yourselves these days - stay so loyal to the Democratic Party. After all, President Bush appointed Colin Powell as his secretary of state and Condoleezza Rice as his foreign policy adviser." And he showed good taste by doing so, didn't he?

However, as groundbreaking as their appointments were, most black people I know still are waiting for the Bush

[cyborg]

interesting

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[Dan from Michigan]

He's right.

In 1990, Jim Blanchard sat on his hands. He also PO'ed Coleman Young, who was the very divisive mayor of Detroit. Whites hated Coleman, but many blacks in the City of Detroit loved the guy. Coleman said he wasn't going to help Blanchard.

All the suburbs also were mad at Blanchard because of his tax increase.

The result was a monumental upset to some unknown guy at the time named John Engler.

[billhilly]

Clarence Page has made a career of "waiting for the republicans to "give more" than the democrats. How about hope, Clarence? How about self respect? How about a family friendly attitude?

How about a kick in the ass rather than a wake up call? How about a cold shower rather than a stagnant stream? A job rather than a check?

Success, on even footing, with every other American. These are the things that every family tries to impart to their offspring, and historically, with great effect.

Clarence, just what is it that you don't understand about this great nation, with the most generous people of all nations?

[org.whodat]

That is really good, since the last poll taken of blacks 60+ percent were opposed to amnesty for illegals. Don't think there is going to be a lot of head way here.

[Derrald]

"A job rather than a check? "

I hope you realise the irony in that statement. When you say something like that, a black man is going to hear "Since most of you people are on welfare anyway, dont you want to get a job out of it instead?"

In the future, when trying to convince blacks to vote Republican, "Get a job, rather than a check" is not the right avenue to travel down. Just thought you might like to know.

[ex-Texan]

*Ping*!

[The Raven]

>>most black people I know still are waiting for the Bush administration to create more jobs for blacks

Yeah, right. Libs are so blinded by ideology - it gives me a serious chuckle.

The truth is - if we had no liberals - there would be plenty of work.

[Hardastarboard]

I read Clarence Page every week. Clarence is way too smart to be a liberal. It's almost like he's only a couple of years away from figuring it out and jumping the fence.

God bless you on your journey, Clarence. May it happen sooner rather than later.

[mhking]

still are waiting for the Bush administration to create more jobs for blacks than just the two mentioned above.

Or is it that they are waiting for him to bow and kiss the hand of Jesse Jackson?

Going after the black vote does not mean lying prostrate in front of Al Sharpton like some kind of defeated animal, waiting to be slaughtered.

Clarence gets part of the equation right. Younger voters (and older ones as well) are becoming more and more disallusioned. After all, you can only get lied to so many times before you begin to doubt the message -- even if the lies are told by our elders and from the pulpit (where messages are supposed to be sacrosanct and never questioned).

But by worrying about "black jobs" created by the president, he misses the larger point -- that the GOP message is good for America as a whole. And that by seeing the light, that black Americans begin to understand that the idea is to create and retain jobs for all Americans, not in the governmental sector, and certainly not beholden to the patronage of "the great white father" image that the Democratic party holds to, but from the core of America: Free enterprise and capitalism.

More and more of these types of columns are going to show up with frightening regularity between now and the election. Eventually, some of them will get it right.

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[gulfcoast6]

The civil rights 'leaders' are still milking this civil rights thing to the enth degree and THEY are the ones keeping their race back.

[Drango]

The civil rights 'leaders' ... THEY are the ones keeping their race back.

At the end of the day, many Blacks regard Jackson and Sharpton as little more than overseers. They do nothing more than keep the slaves in-line and help whitey run the plantation. They don't want to free the slaves 'cause it would hurt their own status, position and privilege.

[arasina]

I just finished reading your interesting article entitled "Why Courting the Black Vote Won't Work" posted here on FR. I thought this thread might interest you.

To make a long story short, PING! :o)

[ArcLight]

I hate to break it to you, but most black people are not on welfare. Most of us, in fact, are solidly middle-class and certainly hold down jobs. Your insinuation to the contrary is insulting and ridiculous.

[normy]

Black or Hispanic or Asian MEN with families should take the issues of the two running for President, read and compare them. Forget which one is Dem and which is Republican but just read the issues and the accomplishments of each. Trust that both are telling the truth,( if you think one or the other is lying it ruins the exercise). Think about how each policy would affect you and your wife and children. Now pretend they are both black/Hispanic or Asian, and be honest with yourself and see which one you would vote for.

This doesnt work with white men because the candidate are both white so they can look at it without race clouding their decision.

I really believe if there were no title of party but just two guys running on issues and they were the same color as the voter, men of any race would choose Bush over whoever his opponent is.

I really believe men are the same deep down no matter what their color on core issues like "keep out of my business, quit stealing my hard earned money from me, let me protect my family at the local level and you make sure their safe at the national level don't interfere with how I raise my children,".

One more thing, I do not know how a president can create jobs for black people. All jobs are for black people.

[farmfriend]

But by worrying about "black jobs" created by the president, he misses the larger point -- that the GOP message is good for America as a whole. And that by seeing the light, that black Americans begin to understand that the idea is to create and retain jobs for all Americans, not in the governmental sector, and certainly not beholden to the patronage of "the great white father" image that the Democratic party holds to, but from the core of America: Free enterprise and capitalism.

Amen!

[speekinout]

But by worrying about "black jobs" created by the president,

What are "black jobs"? I thought we got away from listing jobs by race or nationality a long time ago.
And what are jobs "created by the President"? Another WPA?

I think this is just another part of the "clintoon legacy". He took credit for everything good that happened in the US when he was President, and blame for none of the things that went wrong.