TIME: Can the GOP Reach Black Voters?

[DeepModem Mom]

Can the GOP Reach Black Voters?
President Bush's approval ratings, already low among African-Americans, reached new lows after Katrina. How Republicans hope to reverse that trend
By PERRY BACON, JR.
Posted Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005


Only about one of every ten African-Americans approved of President Bush's performance before Hurricane Katrina, and the government's much-criticized handling of that crisis lowered that support even more. But Republicans, who have long suggested that Bush's policies on education and home ownership will one day win black support, haven't given up. Tuesday, one of their strategies—getting more high-profile black GOP candidates—bore fruit when, after months of encouragement from top Republican officials, Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele entered the 2006 Senate race....

***

With Maryland's Democratic leanings and Bush's low approval ratings, Steele faces a tough race; polls already show he trails the likely Democratic nominee, longtime Baltimore Congressman Ben Cardin. Still, Steele will have company: the GOP hopes to have several African-Americans on the ballot in Maryland, and at least two gubernatorial candidates, Kenneth Blackwell in Ohio and Lynn Swann, the ex-Pittsburgh Steelers receiver, in Pennsylvania. Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman says those candidates will help as the party seeks to win black voters, by showing blacks they are a part of the Republican Party: "Inclusion means you get candidates like Michael Steele."

Mehlman has been particularly aggressive in this initiative. Since taking over as head of the Republican party earlier this year, the former White House political director has spoken at 31 events focused on outreach to African-Americans, from historically black colleges to small NAACP chapters. He's pointedly criticized the so-called "Southern Strategy" Republicans used in the past to appeal to while voters in the South by using race as a wedge issue. Mehlman's message is two-fold: some GOP policies appeal to blacks better than those of the Democrats and that by giving 90% of their votes to Democrats, neither party fights for their votes. Rep. Elijah Cummings, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus agrees that blacks should try to "maximize influence" by not being too closely tied to one party, but isn't sure the GOP has done anything to deserve much support from African-Americans, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. "I say one thing, back it up," Cummings said. "If can synchronize his work with what the party is doing, I think that's a good thing. I haven't seen the back up."


http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1123237,00.html?cnn=yes

[ClassWarrior]

1. If they mean the ones stranded on rooftops, no.

NGU.

[Atman]

2. This WH will grow black support to 4%* and hold a press conference

Touting their great success, and how they've DOUBLED SUPPORT! among African American voters.

Putting perfume on turds is what this WH does best.

(*Margin of error 4%)

[phiddle]

3. Yes,

about 2% of them.

[Pepper32]

4. Hell no!

[LynneSin]

5. Does Mehlman know that Pennsylvanians aren't stupid people!!

I think everyone sees through the Lynn Swann move - an attempt to put a puppet in the statehouse by running a name that is popular with the state (and even that is questionable outside the Pittsburgh metro area) in hopes that he wins he'll appoint the appropriate people to run the state for him.

Problem they have with this is first - Rendell is popular with African American voters and second - the Philadelphia metro area (which is much larger than the Pittsburgh metro area) personally doesn't care that a Pittsburgh Steeler is on the ticket ESPECIALLY since Rendell does Comcast Post-Eagle games show. Plus Franco Harris is a democrat and will come out against Swann and help us win Pittsburgh.

Outside of being Black - Michael Steele is a pompus asshole with the ideologies of the white republicans he tries to emulate. Steele helped Elhrich in the governor election in 2002 but only because he was second fiddle - black man on the ticket but wasn't the man focus. But when people start seeing Steele campaign they'll realize what a pompus ass he is and he'll alienate most African American voters. Don't believe me? Try to find a repeat of the Bill Maher show when Steele was one of the panel guests. He made Dick Cheney look warm & fuzzy!

[SaveElmer]

8. You hit it on the head...they have been touting this for 20 years!!!

We see these stories come out in the MSM every few months on this...it has been going on since the 80's. I remember them touting Jack Kemp's ability to reach African American voters. It's a bunch of crap. African-Americans are not stupid. They aren't going to blindly vote for another African American simply because of the color of their skin, any more than I would vote for George Bush because he is white. If that person is not representing their interests, it won't matter what color he is.

Just shows how completely clueless these Republicans are!!!

[Montauk6]

6. The way they're going, they'd better make sure they can still reach white

voters!

[zbdent]

7. That would mean that GOP operatives would (shudder) have to

actually go down into black neighborhoods . . . scary thoughts, for most of them . . .

[tgnyc]

9. Black candidates won't attract black voters if those candidates

embrace the destructive-for-most-blacks policies of the GOP.

[AspenRose]

10. Um, no.

"Since taking over as head of the Republican party earlier this year, the former White House political director has spoken at 31 events focused on outreach to African-Americans, from historically black colleges to small NAACP chapters."

Tell me something: Will the college republicans arrange for affirmative action bake sales on the black campuses too?