[CHARLITE]

"The three most powerful African-Americans in the last several years are all GOPers. That is shocking considering when about 35% of the Democratic votes come from African-Americans. How are these 35% represented in Democratic Party????"

You're "always right" with this. What a super comment. Thanks! What is obviously needed is more focused education by prominent black GOPers in traditionally DNC voting communities, nationwide. The problem with this idea is that those whom you mention (Rice, Powell, Thomas) have reached such a high professional level that they legitimately don't have time to "make the rounds" of black constituencies. More's the pity. (JC Watts can't be everywhere 24/7.)

[Patrick1]

Alan "I'm From Illinois" Keyes could move back to Maryland and run and see if he can best his showing in Illinois. Then after he loses he can move back to Illinois and run against Osama Bin Laden and lose again.

You can't beat somebody with nobody, which is the case in Vermont. Maryland is not much better.