How Republicans Win Back The Black Vote

The Revolutionary Act ^ | 06/01/18

[Liberty7732]

The perennial question posed during every election season is: How can Republicans win back the black vote? As a retired Army lieutenant colonel and chairman of the National Black Republican Association, I can tell you there are clear steps to take.

But before we can get to solving the problem, it is necessary to first understand the root cause.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the Republican Party has never turned its back on black Americans. It continuously conducts black voter engagement, as is done for all identifiable groups, including Hispanics, rural Americans, the middle-class in “fly-over country,” young voters and women.

The root cause of the refusal of most black Americans to vote for Republicans rests squarely with the Democratic Party establishment (which includes the media and much of the education structure) that has convinced most blacks that the Republican Party is a racist party. Every election cycle, Democrats go into black communities and preach hatred against Republicans and get blacks to cast a protest vote against Republicans — not a vote for Democrats.

This has been overtly detrimental to blacks. To read details about how the race-mongering by Democrats harms blacks, see Walter E. Williams’ “The True Black Tragedy.” See also “Why the Left Can’t Let Go of Racism” by Shelby Steele.

Even though only about 25% of black Americans live in urban communities targeted by Democrats, the false narrative that Republicans are racist is broadcast to the rest of the country by the liberal press that functions as the propaganda arm of the Democratic Party.

Progress is being made with the educational campaign to set the civil rights record straight and recapture the rich civil rights legacy of the Republican Party, which is the mission of the National Black Republican Association (NBRA).

The Republican Party of Florida is at the forefront of this educational campaign and is the home state for the NBRA that was founded in 2005 in the West Palm Beach headquarters of Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax Media, at the behest of former Republican Party of Palm Beach County Chairman Sid Dinerstein.

When Democrats and the media are confronted with the strong Republican voting record for blacks, the fiction created to explain it is that everyone switched parties in the 1970s, just changed hats. That did not happen.

It does not pass the common sense test to believe that the parties switched sides after: Republicans fought the Civil War to end slavery; amended the Constitution to grant blacks freedom (13th Amendment), citizenship (14th Amendment) and the right to vote (15th Amendment); and championed every piece of civil rights legislation from the 1860’s to the 1960’s, including voting in higher percentages for the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act than did Democrats. For an extensive, fact-filled history of civil rights and where Republicans and Democrats stood, read Kevin D Williamson’s “The Parties Did Not Switch Sides – Update: The Republican Party is The Party of Civil Rights.”

When addressing economic issues with black voters, it is essential that Republican leaders recognize that the party’s conservative message of low taxes, smaller government and prosperity through free enterprise does not resonate with the average black voter.

Why?

First, a far higher percentage of black Americans are employed by the government than other races or ethnicities. So when they hear that Republicans want to reduce taxes and the size of government, they hear that Republicans want to take away their jobs. And of course, the media is quick to spread that word.

Second, according to a report “The State of Working America,” among racial and ethnic groups, black Americans had the highest poverty rate, 27.4 percent, followed by Hispanics at 26.6 percent and whites at 9.9 percent. Therefore, when poor blacks hear that Republicans want to reduce taxes and the size of government, they hear that Republicans want to take away their welfare checks.

Notably, according to a Heritage Foundation report, since the War on Poverty began under President Lyndon Johnson, welfare spending has exploded to sixteen times its original size and the cost has risen to a staggering $22 trillion — three times more than what the government has spent on all wars in American history.

That report finds that massive welfare spending has not led to a drop in the poverty rate. Another finding is how misleading it is to think that Americans are not better off today. Noted is the fact that a household receiving $50,000 in welfare benefits would still be classified as poor, if its pre-welfare income fell below the poverty line. Statistics show that 80 percent of America’s poor households have air conditioning, two-thirds have cable or satellite television, half have a personal computer and 43 percent have access to the internet. Virtually all have smartphones.

Given the above information, it can be concluded that a winning message for Republicans to deliver to black Americans, as well as all Americans, is being very explicit about how tax cuts and deregulation result in more jobs and higher wages for everyone. Under the Trump Administration, these actions have resulted in historic low black unemployment and rising wages.

Republican leaders would also do well to emphasize the prison reform, school choice programs and the faith-based initiative implemented by President Donald J. Trump — all issues that do resonate with black voters.

Worth noting is that, according to the most recent U.S census data, there are nearly 325 million people in the United States, and the voting age population exceeds 235.2 million, with African Americans comprising 12.5 percent. Since it is estimated that about 10 percent of blacks align with the Republican Party, that means that there are about 2.9 million Black Republicans. That’s not a miniscule amount. But it can be a lot more.

The issues of why tax cuts help blacks, along with prison reform, school choice and faith-based programs need to be pointed out to black voters to counter the false narratives coming from the Democrat media establishment.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Speculative article. It is trying to thread the needle between the complete BLM gibsmedat, with the mildly government dependent who have had hiring preferences, with the truly independent who vote Dem out of habit and racial solidarity. Tough sale, IMHO.

[TBP]

It would be great to win it outright, but it only take 15-20 percent voting Republican and the Democrats are dead.

[SMARTY]

“back” ???

[FLT-bird]

My take is that the key is more jobs and better pay.

President Trump can also make the case that a never ending flood of poor immigrants has crushed the bargaining power of many Blacks just as surely as it has the bargaining power of working class Whites. All the polls indicated many Blacks saw this problem too. The rich White Liberal Establishment (not to mention the Republican Establishment President Trump crushed and is in the process of annhilating) turned its back on many Blacks just as it did working class Whites by embracing globalism and open borders.

I do favor decriminalizing marijuana which plays well and would favor lighter sentences for small time users and less prison time......and again how much of the drug use is driven by a feeling of hopelessness due to not enough jobs? We’ve seen the same effect among working class Whites in many cases wrt de-industrialization followed by the opiod epidemic.

Thus far President Trump is delivering on the economy. Black unemployment is steadily falling. Pay is going up for the first time since the 90s. A vote for Trump is a vote for more of that.

[upchuck]

Not included in the post, but should have been: author is Frances Rice.

[Albion Wilde]

bump for later reading

[Jim Noble]

Blacks are smart to vote for the Democrats, it is in their interest to do so.

The problem is not getting blacks to vote GOP. The problem is pushing the white GOP vote over 60%.

Do that, the Democrats will become an insignificant minority.

[DiogenesLamp]

“back” ???

Blacks voted Republican for most of their history after the 14th amendment. It wasn't until the mid 60s that blacks started voting heavily for Democrats.

[DiogenesLamp]

Get <15% of the black vote, and it is over for Democrats. I think it is a shame that the political divide in so many groups is excessively lopsided.

Virtually every minority strongly favors the Democrats, and it should not be that way. They should see that their interests in making America great are the same as whites.

It's the media that keeps this disparity going through their biased and manipulative reporting.

[marktwain]

Two thirds of black voters routinely vote Republican until 1960.

What happened? The Mediacracy, happened, that is what.

(Along with LBJ’s successful attempt to by black votes.)

[mrsmel]

If it’s to be by trying to out-pander the left, I’d rather we never mind.

[Behind the Blue Wall]

I think the author has it about right. I commend him for recognizing the reality that a huge percentage of the black population is in fact dependent on the government — the “middle class” often works for government, or in affirmative action jobs that in one way or another have their origin in big government, and the poor are dependent on government assistance. If you add to that the 10% who do vote Republican, there aren’t that many persuadable African-Americans out there.

The key in my view to cracking that nut, however, is to made a credible case that life as free people within a prosperous community grounded in moral and ethical behavior is superior to government dependency. To put it in historical terms, you’ve to show people how much better life off the plantation could be for them. I think Trump is on the right track — record low black unemployment is the kind of thing that can make freedom look like a much more attractive option for a lot more people. But yeah, prison reform to make sure that people can support themselves after serving their time, charter schools to help families prepare the children to be productive in the economy, etc., can all help get people off the government teat.

Essentially, the universe of black who might vote GOP is limited to those who can support themselves in the free market. To the extent that we can expand that population, we’ll get more black votes.

[Verginius Rufus]

I think by 1936 FDR won the majority of the black vote—mostly residents of Northern cities, because the blacks living in Democrat-controlled Southern states were largely disfranchised until the 1960s. Southern blacks moving to Northern cities in the early 20th century faced some of the same problems (maybe more severely) as foreign immigrants did and supported the Democrats for the same reasons the immigrants tended to.

[DiogenesLamp]

I believe I have read articles to that effect. Yes, FDR was seen as a supporter of the poor, and as many black people in those days were poor, he was seen by them as the preferred choice. Of course he was also the choice of poor whites.

But there was still a seismic shift in black voting patters starting in the mid 1960s. I looked this up myself years ago. I think by 1977, it culminated in a heavy favoritism for the Democrat party.

[KC Burke]

Frances Rice is the author of this I believe.

It raises some good points but I am extremely uncomfortable talking abut white votes and black votes. These are American citizen votes first and last.

I want my candidates raise the important issues to serve, advance and protect our nation and then sensible citizens can vote for them.

Pandering to different “groups’ is the false work of leftists. And people that think about themselves in terms of their last sexual arousal or skin tone alignment should realize how easily manipulated they have become in the last two generations.

[loveliberty2]

One thing that could be done is to persuade some well-known and respected current Black conservative leader to republish the complete 1876 Address which is excerpted below.

Long ago, American citizens were warned by wise and learned persons, both Caucasian and Black, about the consequences of inattention to, and departure from, the ideas of liberty upon which their Declaration of Independence and Constitution were formed!

Ohio State Senator and A.M.E. Bishop Benjamin W. Arnett, who was an outstanding scholar, Legislator, and Minister, and one who actually lived through the periods before, during and after, of the Civil War and delivered a most outstanding Centennial of the Declaration Sermon, at St. Paul Church in Norwalk, Ohio, by invitation, in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, in which he traced the history of nations and that of America, from it's inception and up to the Year of the Centennial of its Declaration.

In that Sermon, Dr. Arnett issued a grave warning of what might happen to America if a group, including academics who then self-described as "Liberals," had its way. Excerpts follow:

"The Danger to our Country.

"Now that our national glory and grandeur is principally derived from the position the fathers took on the great questions of right and wrong, and the career of this nation has been unparalleled in the history of the past, now there are those who are demanding the tearing down the strength of our national fabric. They may not intend to tear it down, but just as sure as they have their way, just that sure will they undermine our superstructure and cause the greatest calamity of the age. What are the demands of this party of men? Just look at it and examine it for yourselves, and see if you are willing that they shall have their way; or will you still assist in keeping the ship of state in the hands of the same crew and run her by the old gospel chart! But ye men who think there is no danger listen to the demands of the Liberals as they choose to call themselves:

"'Organize! Liberals of America! The hour for action has arrived. The cause of freedom calls upon us to combine our strength, our zeal, our efforts. These are The Demands of Liberalism:

"'1. We demand that churches and other ecclesiastical property shall no longer be exempt from just taxation.

"'2. We demand that the employment of chaplains in Congress, in State Legislatures, in the navy and militia, and in prisons, asylums, and all other institutions supported by public money, shall be discontinued.

"'3. We demand that all public appropriations for sectarian educational and charitable institutions shall cease.

"'4. We demand that all religious services now sustained by the government shall be abolished; and especially that the use of the Bible in the public schools, whether ostensibly as a text-book or avowedly as a book of religious worship, shall be prohibited.

"'5. We demand that the appointment, by the President of the United States or by the Governors of the various States, of all religious festivals and fasts shall wholly cease.

"'6. We demand that the judicial oath in the courts and in all other departments of the government shall be abolished, and that simple affirmation under the pains and penalties of perjury shall be established in its stead.

"'7. We demand that all laws directly or indirectly enforcing the observance of Sunday as the Sabbath shall be repealed.

"'8. We demand that all laws looking to the enforcement of “Christian” morality shall be abrogated, and that all laws shall be conformed to the requirements of natural morality, equal rights, and impartial liberty.

"'9. We demand that not only in the Constitution of the United States and of the several States, but also in the practical administration of the same, no privilege or advantage shall be conceded to Christianity or any other special religion; that our entire political system shall be founded and administered on a purely secular basis; and that whatever changes shall prove necessary to this end shall be consistently, unflinchingly, and promptly made.'

"'Let us boldly and with high purpose meet the duty of the hour.'

In another section of the lengthy discourse, Bishop Arnett addressed the topic of "The Greatness of America," as follows:

"Let us see what it is that makes us so great; wherein lies our strength. What has made us one of the greatest powers of the earth, politically and intellectually? Have we come to the conclusion that it is Righteousness that exalteth a nation? We have met to-day at the request of the President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, and also the Governor of our beloved State, Rutherford B. Hayes. For what? Why call us from our homes? Why come to the house of God? Why not go to the hall of mirth and to the places of amusement to-day? No that is not what they want us to do. We are commanded to go to our 'several places of worship, and there offer up thanks to Kind Providence which has brought our nation through the scenes of another year, and blessed the land with peace, plenty and prosperity.' Then as Americans we have reason to rejoice and congratulate ourselves on the greatness of our beloved country; at this the close of the first hundred years of experimental government of the people, by the people, and for the people. To be a citizen of this vast country is something, and to share in its privileges and duties is more than something." - Dr. Benjamin W. Arnett, 1876 "Centennial Thanksgiving Sermon" -

CENTENNIAL Thanksgiving Sermon, DELIVERED BY REV. B. W. ARNETT, B. D., AT ST. PAUL A. M. E. CHURCH, URBANA, OHIO 1876 - available in the "Library of Congress - Historical Collections" - "African-American Pamphlets from the Daniel A. P. Murray Collection," 1820-1920; American Memory, Washington, DC.

This historical treasure is one which should be prominent in our national discussions, especially now, when our philosophical foundations are being challenged, and when the views of a learned man like Dr. Arnett might shed light on centuries-old ideas about America's history. His theme: Righteousness Exalteth a Nation, but Sin is a Reproach to any People."

"Withdraw from Christendom the Bible, the Church with its sacraments and ministry, and Christian morality and hopes, and aspirations for time and eternity; repeal all the laws that are founded in the Christian Scriptures; remove the Christian humanities in the form of hospitals and asylums, and reformatories and institutions of mercy utterly unknown to unchristian countries; destroy the literature, the culture, the institutions of learning, the art, the refinement, the place of woman in her home and in society, which owe their origin and power to Christianity; blot out all faith in Divine Providence, love, and righteousness; turn back every believer in Christ to his former state; remove all thought or hope of the forgiveness of sins by a just but gracious God; erase the name of Christ from every register it sanctifies—in a word annihilate all the legitimate and logical effects of Christianity in Christendom—just accomplish in fact what multitudes of gifted and learned minds are wishing and trying to accomplish by their science, philosophy, and criticism, and what multitudes of the common people desire and seek, and not only would all progress toward and unto perfection cease, but not one of the shining lights of infidelity would shine much longer. Yes, the bitterest enemies of this holy and blessed religion, owe their ability to be enemies to its sacred revelations - to the inspiration and sublimity of that faith which reflects its glories on their hostile natures. They live in the strength of that which they would destroy. They are raised to their seats of opportunity and power by the grace of Him they would crucify afresh; and is it to be thought that they are stronger than that which gives them strength? Can it be supposed that a religion which civilizes and subdues, and elevates and blesses will succumb to the enmities it may arouse and quicken in its onward march? Are we to tremble for the ark of God when God is its upholder, and protector, and preserver?” - Dr. Benjaming W. Arnett, St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Urbana, Ohio, Centennial Thanksgiving Sermon, November 1876

Dr. Arnett, an A.M.E. Minister and Ohio State Legislator, was invited to publish this remarkable sermon commemorating the Centennial of the Declaration of Independence by the following method:

To:

Rev. B. W. ARNETT, B. D.

Dear Pastor:

Will you please prepare your “Centennial Thanksgiving Sermon” for publication: together with whatever matter pertaining to the colored people of this city, you deem worth preserving.

We make this request of you, believing that the publication of such matter, will be of benefit to the present and succeeding generations.

Yours Respectfully,

J GAITER
J. DEMPCY
C. L, GANT
Trustees W. A. STILGASS, W. O. BOWLES

Urbana, O.

December 7th, 1876

J GAITER, J. DEMPCY, C. L, GANT

Trustees W. A. STILGASS, W. O. BOWLES

[snarkytart]

Unfortunately there’s a culture of government employees / government give outs, and and institutionalize preferential treatment called quotas and affirmative action that as a conservative or libertarian we should not embrace. They’re going to have to come to our side, because coming to hem means to become a socialist.

[snarkytart]

Ding ding ding we have a winner!

[Jack Black]

Well I appreciate your opinion, it’s classic, but I strongly disagree.

When you have a homogenous State, like Poland, you can have parties that are about ideology.

When you have a multi-ethnic polity, like ours, parties always become primarily ethnic vehicles.

Almost all other (non-white) ethnic groups are intrinsically ethno-centric and ethno-chauvinist. For our group to remain ethnically neutral means our power, strength, prosperity and opportunity will all decline.

We have passed the point of no return. The Democrats are the Brown Party, and they are not shy about it. The GOP must become the White party, for our Dale. The Trump 2.0 needs to talk about “European” values, heritage, and people with the same frequency and pleasure that the Dems talk about “Hispanics” and blacks.

Soon whites who vote for Team Donkey need to be treated with the same scorn that blacks treat the few Republican turncoats in there midst.

Or, we lose.

It really is that simple.