RSS Feed MenuThe historic election of Barack Obama was indeed an electrifying moment for the United States. The election of the first African-American President was a monumental step in racial equality and harmony. It was truly a sign that America is the land of opportunity and that regardless of race, people can succeed.
In particular, the Democratic party has historically seen high numbers of African-Americans vote for their candidates. African-Americans turned out in droves to elect Obama. Obama has not been the only African-American Democrat to capture the attention of blacks. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Charlie Rangel and others have become a beacon in the Democratic Party.
I will not waste my time addressing issues of the past regarding the Republican Party and it’s relationship with the African-American community. However, I will talk about how the GOP can move forward and establish a good relationship with the black community.
1.) The GOP must ATTEMPT to reach out to the black community. If the GOP will put forth the effort, African-Americans will listen. Blacks are not one-side-minded people. They are very diverse in thinking, acting, and… living. Many blacks are frustrated with the GOP because they feel ignored. One of the ways the GOP can regroup and revitalize is to have “kitchen-table” talks with blacks, hear their ideas, and provide solutions.
2.) The GOP must realize that many blacks are socially conservative-minded. Family values are a huge concern and the central part of the African-American family. The culture of life is indeed sacred and valuable to the black community. With regards to the detrimental and devastating outcome of slavery and segregation policies regarding the lives of blacks, the African-American community deeply knows how precious life is. It was Martin Luther King, Jr. and others who proclaimed that God is not a respecter of persons and that all men should be equal, therefore the culture of life reigns as an integral factor in many African-American lives.
3.) The GOP must have a sound economic message. Blacks for many years have been victims of economic disparity. They know how it is to work hard for minimum wages to provide food and shelter for their families. While many Caucasian individuals have seen wealth at the top of the economic ladder, many blacks have been in economic bondage. While the Obama Administration continues to expand government by massive spending, which is causing the national debt to increase, the GOP must counteract with a message that is helpful. Many African-Americans believe that they can achieve their goals and pursue their dreams without the government interfering. For long, governments have made promises that have turned up being empty. The GOP must proclaim it’s message of fiscal conservatism to the black community, so that their children and grandchildren do not have to spend their lives paying off the government’s debt, but can pursue the American dream joyfully.
In Michigan alone, where there is a heavy African-American presence, the GOP can do some serious outreach, This state, under heavy Democratic leadership, has seen its economic system decay. With the auto industry, located in Michigan, fallen to the captivity of bankruptcy, the GOP has an opportunity to emerge and help out the black community by making them aware that they will not only pay for Chrysler’s and GM’s incompetence, but that the government is making it better on them by making them pay for their lack of discipline.
4.) The GOP should outreach starting in a non-election cycle. African-Americans and minorities in general, find it highly offensive when politicians try to reach out to them months before an election. Since the GOP is not in the majority right now, they have the perfect opportunity to go into the African-American community and share their ideas and concerns. Showing up right before an election appears phony and simply “staged.” The GOP should not be afraid to go in the ghettos and the inner cities to outreach. The time for simply allowing the Democratic party to take advantage of the black vote is over. The GOP needs to take a visit to Black America and let its presence be known. They need to make their presence known on black radio, black television, magazines, etc. They should not be dominated by fear or anxiety, but be confident, optimistic and sincere.
5.) The GOP should avoid any slanderous commentary. The GOP should not advocate any racial slanders or commentary regarding Barack Obama, his nominees, cabinet or any elected official. While I do not advocate racial slanders, I also don’t believe that the GOP should stop providing an alternative message to Obama’s and the Democratic party’s “government-only” message. Like I previously said, African-Americans are not one-side-minded people. They like to hear the issue being portrayed from different sources. Just because many voted for Obama does not mean they will not hold him accountable. African-Americans are looking for results instead of rhetoric. The GOP should provide solutions and answers, not condemnation or meaningless criticism, because it will not prevail.
Last, but certainly not least, the African-American community needs to give the GOP a chance. It is a good thing to see an African-American President AND an African-American leader of the GOP — Michael Steele. This is good for the black community. It is healthy and constructive to have a dialogue with two different leaders that can help brighten the approach to political policies. It gives the black community two perspectives to look at. It gives them another voice to adhere to. It enables them to see that intelligence is promoted in both parties. The African-American community should not be resistant to the GOP, but should convey to the GOP their concerns and ideas.
To the GOP: get involved with the African-American community. Don’t expect things to change overnight, but build a relationship.
To African-Americans: If and when the GOP comes into your neighborhood, hear them out.
balconesfault // Jun 17, 2009 at 3:57 am
barker: tough responding to your unstructured stream of consciousness stuff on serious issues, but I’ll try to take on a few points.Play the Franken card all you want. I look forward to seeing your evidence of racism from him.Hillary was not rewarded at the ballot box by the Democratic Party. If Obama chose to mend fences with her, that was his discretion. Since you didn’t see at Hillary rallies the kind of over the top racism that showed up at many McCain/Palin rallies (remember this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JZEpuqsvT0 ) the fences weren’t that damaged.There is a serious difference between race and religion. I was baptized and raised Catholic, but never faced discrimination for it (except at FCA in High School when I realized certain evangelical sects didn’t consider Catholics really ’saved’). My wife (and thus, by Halakah law, my kids) are Jewish, but again, she fell out of touch with the religion in her 20’s, and nobody would know her or my kids Jewishness unless they announced it. I was the scoutmaster at the local JCC scout troop for a few years, though.Not like that for most blacks or hispanics or native americans or asians, is it?So yeah, I consider religion to be a completely separate issue from race. I know ethnic Jews who are atheists … hell, I know ethnic Jews who are atheists who keep kosher just out of tradition.The quotes are important. The Reverends Wright or Sharpton or Jackson may blabber anti-semetic crap(that religion thing again – seems to give people a “get out of jail free card” for bigotry at times) but were they to do it in a crowd of mainstream Dems they’d be told off for it. Certainly they’d get less of a warm reception than the guy sitting around at any number of country clubs in America that still explicitly or tacitly ban Jews would get for using the same slurs.I’m sticking with my point. A major flaw among Republicans has been a tolerance for racists. You wouldn’t have incidents like the one Famous Amos referred to at 5:19 if racist language wasn’t tolerated – people would know where the boundaries are. And shouting “Reverend Wright” and “Hymietown” all you want isn’t going to create a perception that a party that incorporates 90% of the Jewish population tolerates anti-semetic. It’s a losing way to deal with the issue.
barker13 // Jun 17, 2009 at 6:20 am
Re: Balconesfault; 3:57 AM –”Barker: Tough responding to your unstructured stream of consciousness stuff on serious issues, but I’ll try to take on a few points.”Fair enough, Balc. (*WINK*)”Play the Franken card all you want.”Nah. I made my point just bringing his name into the discussion. (*SHRUG*) “Hillary was not rewarded at the ballot box…”Oh… (*SNORT*)… so now it’s “rewarded at the ballot box.” Thanks for… er… “clarifying” that, Balc. (*SNICKER*)”Since you didn’t see at Hillary rallies the kind of over the top racism…”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KACQuZVAE3s(*SNORT*)(*SIGH*) Balc. Again, you’re more often than not a reasonable poster. Why put yourself in this position where it takes but seconds to destroy your ridiculous and demonstrably untrue arguments one by one?Why not just be REASONABLE… show some humility… admit that this broad brush you use to paint needs to be laid down.Again… YOU’RE NOT OTTO! You’re better than this.”There is a serious difference between race and religion.”Again… either you’re not nearly as bright as I give you credit for being or else you’re far less honest than I had assumed. Yes, there’s a serious difference between race and religion, but my point was clearly that anti-evangelical Christian and anti-Catholic prejudice is nowadays more “acceptable” than racial prejudice. One only needs to think SNL, Daily Show, Colbert…(*SIGH*) Jeez, Balc… all I’m asking for is some basic recognition of reality – some honesty. “The quotes are important. The Reverends Wright or Sharpton or Jackson may blabber anti-semetic crap(that religion thing again – seems to give people a “get out of jail free card” for bigotry at times) but were they to do it in a crowd of mainstream Dems they’d be told off for it.”Balc. Again… sorry to burst your bubble with a shot of reality, but… Jesse Jackson was was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as “shadow senator” for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. Jackson garnered 3,282,431 primary votes, or 18.2 percent of the total, in 1984. In 1988 Jackson captured 6.9 million votes and won 11 Democratic primaries. According to an AP-AOL “Black Voices” poll in February 2006, Jackson was voted “the most important black leader.”As to Sharpton…(*SMIRK*) Oh, nevermind… I’ll let you do your own research. (*GRIN*) The point is, Balc, as Sinz earlier pointed out, when the GOP had a David Duke in their midst the response was to attack him even if it meant urging voters to desert his “Republican” ticket and vote for his Democratic opponent. Contrast this to the way the Democratic Party refused to give either Jackson or Sharpton the same treatment.As to the “Rev.” Wright… (since YOU brought him up)… how many years did Obama maintain his status as a congregant in Wright’s church?(*SMIRK*)Balc. The sheer double standards inherent in your writings simply boggles the mind! (*LAUGHING OUT LOUD*) “I’m sticking with my point.”I know. (*SIGH*) And frankly… that saddens me.BILL
balconesfault // Jun 17, 2009 at 7:05 am
“Since you didn’t see at Hillary rallies the kind of over the top racism…”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KACQuZVAE3s(*SNORT*)You did read the title to that video, right?”Clinton Supporter Thrown Out of Rules Committee Meeting”
balconesfault // Jun 17, 2009 at 7:18 am
“Again… either you’re not nearly as bright as I give you credit for being or else you’re far less honest than I had assumed. Yes, there’s a serious difference between race and religion, but my point was clearly that anti-evangelical Christian and anti-Catholic prejudice is nowadays more “acceptable” than racial prejudice. One only needs to think SNL, Daily Show, Colbert…”You can make that point until you’re blue in the face. And you can use it to justify some number of evangelicals or Catholics not identifying themselves as Democrats. Then again, there are many I know – evangelicals and Catholics – who see the parodies of the extremism in their own religions and find humor in it … in no small way because they feel embarrassed by the hard right actors in their own religion, who seem to take a far different interpretation of the words of Jesus than they do.Steven Colbert, after all, is a Catholic Sunday School teacher, according to his biography. Meanwhile, despite the Jewish community being among the strongest supporters of black equality in America, it has had problems with anti-semetism. But the David Duke comparison is specious – if you want a comparison to Duke, it’s not Sharpton or Jackson – it’s Farrahkan. Who has no seat at the table in the Democratic party, if you’ve noticed.The sad part of all this is that your decision to handle this by turning every argument on Dems, instead of recognizing that the acceptance of racists in the Republican party goes far deeper than obvious blights like David Duke, shows a determination not to change on this issue. And you can make all the outreach that the author in this piece talks about – but if the slurs continue the Repubs aren’t going to make significant inroads with the black or hispanic communities.
sinz54 // Jun 17, 2009 at 7:24 am
barker13: The Dem Party established its bona fides with Jewish voters in the 1930s, when FDR stood up to Hitler at a time when Father Coughlin and other isolationists disagreed (often with anti-Semitic undertones). And after WW2, Truman defied some of his own advisers and supported the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.For Jewish voters, that’s a track record that the GOP cannot match. The occasional Cynthia McKinney (who is even more of an anti-Semite than Al Sharpton) won’t shake their loyalty to the Dems.”Famous Amos” notwithstanding, I don’t believe that most African-Americans pounce on an occasional bigoted remark in the GOP and say “See? They’re all that way.” At least they wouldn’t, if the GOP had a strong track record on black civil rights.But it doesn’t.In the 1950s, the National Review opined that Southern states had a right to enforce racial segregation.In 1964, the GOP nominated Barry Goldwater, who had opposed the Civil Rights Act (on libertarian grounds).And most importantly: The GOP is a party whose main goal is to shrink the size and scope of the Federal Government. Yet it was that Federal Government which was the main force to liberate and uplift blacks in America. Without Lincoln, there could have been no Emancipation Proclamation. The GOP’s principle of federalism (to which I subscribe) gives the states more power and the Federal Government less. But to blacks, “states’ rights” means slavery, segregation, etc. It’s real tough to convince African-Americans that the time has come for them to stop depending on the Federal Government and work within a free market. They still think they live in a racist country which would lynch them all if the Federal Government wasn’t there to protect them.Just ask “Famous Amos.”
barker13 // Jun 17, 2009 at 9:39 am
Re: Sinz54; 7:24 AM –”Barker13: The Dem Party established its bona fides with Jewish voters…”Sinz. Dear, sweet, confused, schizophrenic Sinz… re-read my postings. I HAVEN’T BEEN WRITING ABOUT JEWISH VOTERS…!!!I mean… don’t get me wrong – I appreciate the (unnecessary) refresher course in history – but what the heck is your point in relation to the discussion I’ve actually been having with Balc…??? “And after WW2, Truman defied some of his own advisers and supported the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.”As did the USSR – Stalin’s USSR. (*SMILE*)Again… Sinz… while I’m not opposed to exchanging trivia with you… you’re going pretty far afield from any reasonable connection to my postings in reply to Balc’s postings.(Maybe you wanna re-read the thread starting with Balconesfault 2:03 PM and working your way forward?)BILL
dendup // Jun 17, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Anyway..I found this pretty interesting.http://hiphoprepublican.com/
barker13 // Jun 18, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Re: Balconesfault; 6/17/2009 7:05 AM –”You did read the title to that video, right?”Of course. But obviously you didn’t play the 1:44 minute video.The woman had already been “thrown out” of the Rules Committee Meeting apparently. We don’t know why – not from the video. I’m assuming it was a parliamentary move, but honestly… for all I know she was never actually “thrown out.”What we do see from the video – clearly – is racist ranting with no blow-back. In fact, she received some applause. Then at the end you hear someone joking about the woman, saying “mom gets upset” or something along those lines.Balc. I’m an honest guy. I expect others to be honest. I can’t force them to be, though. (*SHRUG*)This is why I actually posted the video. Anyone who cares to can click the link and in exchange for spending less than two minutes of their time they can decide whether the video tends to make my point or back up your inference that won’t find unabashed racism coming from democrats at democrat events at times. Anyway, Balc, this thread has pretty much petered out and once again we all see – regardless of our ideological perspective – that the “Frum” technique of hit and run posts and not further discussion – counters, reactions, clarifications…. nothing – from the original contributor (Demetrius Minor in this case) are to be expected.BILL
jennawilk // Jun 20, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Hello everyone…I am back
I am not in the business of calling names. I know that the majority of people in the Republican Party are not Christian Extremist nor are they old White Men. I fail to see those who do not fit these stereotypes. That is all that I am saying. This is what I feel Republicans can do to gain the support of minorities:Abortion: Please, handle this with care. While in my heart I would never get an abortion, I cannot judge someone for seeking this as an option. There will probably never be a compromise on this issue, so it is probably best to not to bring it up in such a way as to alienate those who have chosen it. Same-Sex Marriage: Frame this issue of family differently and what it means to be surrounded by loved ones. Be careful in your words and secure the trust of the GLBT community. It is one thing to disagree…it is another to hate.Fiscal Conservatism: This is a biggy. All-Americans want to be financially stable and secure. I am conservative in nature. I hate wasteful spending and try to do my best in my personal life to decrease things that are not needed. Try conveying this message on a personal level (not on a large government level).Affirmative Action, Welfare, Unemployment: In focusing on Affirmative Action, concentrate on uplifting minority communities in ways that would decrease the need to use the policy any longer. You can’t just say “Affirmative Action doesn’t work” or “Affirmative action is racist.” You can frame it to: “As Americans, we work everyday to overcome the inequities in our communities. We want our student/workers (etc) to be chosen based on their ability to exceed expectations and to warrant a strong social atmosphere.”Welfare: Another biggy. You can’t say “handout.” That means that minorities are just sitting around waiting for someone to give them a check. I have benefitted from foodstamps and unemployment benefits. I have seen colleagues of all ethnic backgrounds talk about how they used the “system” to make a way for their families. I am now a successful young professional in my community. I used those things for the reasons they were made-assistance. While there are people who manipulate the system, that is not the case for the majority. Reform!!! Foreign Policy- It is important for America to stand as a beacon of hope and an example of power to the world. The last thing Americans want is another attack on our soil. For many minority groups, there are wars and unrest in our communities. Sometimes it seems as if there is more focus on things abroad, than there is for things at home. When framing the foreign policy debate, always tie it to something at home (this has to go beyond national security). For some Americans, patriotism is on the bottom of their lists. Please understand, that the feeling of being an American is new to some.