Open Thread: It's All Up to You

What's on my mind? The Republicans snubbing the black and brown vote. How do you explain the four top-tier Republican presidential candidates in Romney, Guiliani, McCain and Thompson confirming not to show up for a debate geared towards blacks?

Granted, strategically they might have a point since almost 90 percent of blacks vote democrat. But this same demographic doubled the amount of votes given to President Bush during his second run. Also, Bush would not have won in 2004 if not for the 16 percent of the Black vote in Ohio.

So I find it mind-boggling that Republicans could snub blacks when their confidence in them is already shaky. Remember Katrina? So what if they were afraid of being booed; at least they could take it like men and assure them such mistakes will not be repeated during his presidency.

What about the brown vote? They skipped the Univision debate for a critical demographic, the Hispanic vote. What were the top-tier candidates afraid of? A question on illegal immigration? Or that of what the official language in American should be? The Hispanics are not going to bite, they just want their voice to be heard.

I wonder how a Presidential candidate could think he or she has a chance to win in a multi-racial America if he or she does not speak to the whole of America. So to those Republican candidates refusing to show up for a forum for the black vote, let me let you in on a little secret: Blacks vote democrat most of the time not because they trust them to do all they promised; actually, most times they take them for granted after the win. But like any relationship, they love the thrill of been courted rather than pledge their allegiance to a party who merely tolerates them.

Sent by Moji | 2:13 PM | 9-27-2007

Moji,

I agree completely. The top Republican candidates should have shown up. No question about it. However, be careful when touting the Democratic horn. I do not believe they court us. They already have us. And they know it. I think they completely take the black vote for granted.

Since they know most of our people would never jump ship they are left with an automatic ace in the hole. Ultimately that silences are political voice and makes us largely ignorable.

The Latinos split their vote 55-45% in the last election in favor of the Dems. That shows a group up for grabs. Trust the Republicans will reach out to them generously before this is over. And the Democrats will be barking up their tree also.

I am not saying blacks need to transform into conservative Republicans. But we do need to do something to make our constituency worth fighting for on both sides.

Sent by TR | 4:07 PM | 9-27-2007

TR,

I agree with your point that it will help if Blacks are a little more balanced, or maybe a two-thirds to one-third ratio preference for both parties. But this latest faux pas by the top-tier Republican candidates will not be helping such cause anytime soon.

By the way, I wasn't tooting the Democratic party's horn in my previous post. If anything I highlighted the party's hangup (which was also reiterated by you) in the last paragraph.

Sent by Moji | 12:50 PM | 9-28-2007

Moji,

In your opinion how can we get more of our people to vote Republican? I ask this because I agree with what you posted. If just 1/3 of our people did it would give us so much more political capital on both sides, and that is what it is about.

How can we get some of our people to understand we have to use politicians for our gain, not the other way around. We have to divorce our emotions from the political process and see a Republican candidate (or Democratic) for what he/she: A means to a political end that is it, no messiahs and no demons.

We have to end our practice of deifying Democrats and demonizing Republicans. Granted, sometimes the Reps sure make it easy. However, we have to find our way back to true political relevance.

Sorry for the rant at the end.

Sent by TR | 5:47 PM | 9-28-2007

Historically African Americans have supported the party that most represents its interest, which has not always been the Democratic party.

Sent by KC Wall | 8:13 PM | 9-28-2007

Moji and TR,

You know, what troubles me is the liberal-conservative polemic. To win, it seems that candidates have to be willing to play to the extremes (their bases) and then, after elected, move with lightening speed towards the middle. My leanings are more socially moderate and fiscally conservative (not a dyed in the wool liberal) but I'll be damned if I vote for the GOP when to do so means I have to move that far to the fanatical right. I'm also not enamoured of the equally fanatical left.

On the no-shows, this really rankles me. Huckabee said it best when he acknowleged that he was running to be president of the United State and not president of the Republican Party.

Even President Ahmadinejad (bat sh*t crazy as he is) showed up and took his licks with a hostile crowd at Columbia (nevermind his puzzlement).

Sent by Lalita | 9:46 PM | 9-28-2007

TR,
You didn't ask me, but let me jump in on what it will take for me to vote for a Republican. When I was just learning about politics in school, Rep were described as politicians who didn't want big government to oversee/intude on our lives. Well, to me, it looks like that only holds true if we are talking about business entities/corporations. When it comes to individuals, they have no problem wanting to regulate what a woman can do with her body (abortion), making sure you never get certain benefits if you choose a romantic partner of the same sex, and sticking their noses into the business of a husband trying to fulfill his wife's wishes (the Schiavo mess). Want to get me to vote Republican--present some candidates who are for limiting government spending and government intrusion into my life.

On a different note, I listened to a bloggers round table about Jena and something really struck me. Whenever black people come together to protest a racial incident, there are always some folks who love to say, "Hey, how come no one rallies to stop black pathology, black on black crime, etc."

How about this: instead of sitting on the sidelines, join up with protestors and actually take a hand in trying to direct that momentum into those other causes. Why not join up with the bloggers and grassroots orgs that helped propel the Jena 6 story and discuss a strategy for broadening that movement--instead of waiting for that magical day when Jesse and Al will act like you want them to act?

It shouldn't be that one set of black folks focus on racism and another set only harp on issues within the black community. All black people should be concerned with both problems--and working together to address both.

Sent by V27 | 12:21 AM | 9-29-2007

TR,

Like KC Wall said on a post, historically blacks support the party that support their interest and it has not always been the Democratic party. However, the aforementioned statement was before the Reconstruction period.

Before Reconstruction, the republican party was truly "the party of Lincoln." Thus, many blacks including one of civil rights pioneers, Frederick Douglas were republicans. But after the infamous "Hayes-Tilden Betrayal" that resembled the 2000 presidential voting debacle in Florida, blacks allegiance switched to the Democratic party.

Speaking of my beloved state, Florida, I heard a political pundit once call it not a red or blue state but more like purple. I couldn't agree with him more. We here in South Florida tend to lean a little to the left. I can't tell you how many times some notable Democratic presidential candidates or their spouses have flown in to campaign during the past couple of months. Then other parts of Florida are either more balanced or strictly right.

The problem is this type of model is not replicated in every state and that's because of the perception blacks have of the Republican party. A party that just wants to deal with them as "individuals" and nothing to do with the issues of their race. The sad thing is that the top-tier Republican candidates just proved such theory by not showing up for a critical debate geared towards their issues.

So how can they change this by having blacks vote more republican? Show them you welcome minorities as individuals by supporting causes such as civil rights that define them as "individuals." Also, start from the college campuses where students' party allegiances fledge; and providing some incentives wouldn't hurt.

Sent by Moji | 12:23 PM | 10-1-2007

bunch the unhungered and the undummed and hunch your shoulders, one...two...three...again...one...two...three, now turn your pill and pick a face not to gemp or feel for. Text the unhungered and text F424 and then test grant and do nothing.

Sent by Patricia Smith | 1:57 PM | 1-18-2008