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March 10, 2005

Courting the Black Vote

A couple of weeks ago prominent black leaders held the annual "State of the Black Union Symposium." Many have already commented on it (specifically, Ambra Nykol has a take worth checking out). One thing that stood out for me was Donna Brazille's paranoia that the Republicans were tricking blacks to switch parties.

But she was right about one thing, the Democrats are losing support from what was once a solid base of black voters. African Americans are not fleeing the Democrat party in droves, but there is a a slow but steady stream that are switching sides.

There is also no doubt that the Republican party is actively courting the black vote like they have never done before:

Republican officials will announce today a committee of African American leaders and experts on minority voting to develop a strategy to attract more blacks to the GOP.

The group includes well-known black conservatives, such as former Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.), and activists drawn to the party in recent years by the Bush administration's outreach to African American ministers and business people.

In recent days, [RNC chairman Ken] Mehlman attended a series of town hall meetings in black communities and appeared on a television show hosted by black commentator Tavis Smiley.

Where Brazille is far off base is in her assertion that Republicans are using the "bait-and-switch," luring blacks into the party on moral issues and then promoting social/economic issues that are harmful to them.

Her assesment could not be further from the truth. The Demcrats have for years told black voters that abortion on demand, a practice that kills black babies in at a significantly higher rate that white, is good for them. In rejecting educational choice (school vouchers) Democrats have favored teacher's unions over the desire of the majority of black parents. Democrats continue to embrace extortionists like Jesse Jackson and even give racists like Al Sharpton a prime-time seat in the run for the Presidential nomination. In doing so they paint a caricature that makes it easy for the country to marginalize blacks.

The truth of the matter is that blacks are not really leaving the Democrats but the Democrats long ago left blacks. Each year more and more figure this out and return to the party of Lincoln, the party of opportunity, the party of (dare I say it?) inclusion.

Posted by bubba138 at March 10, 2005 02:16 PM