GOP Coming Up Short in Effort to Reach Out to African-American Voters

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Republicans Coming Up Short in Effort to Reach Out to African-American Voters
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: July 18, 2006

WASHINGTON, July 17 — Even for some Republicans, the notion was hard to take at face value: the Republican Party would make an explicit play for black votes, a strike at the Democratic base and a part of a larger White House plan to achieve long-term Republican dominance.

Starting after President Bush’s re-election in 2004, the party chairman, Ken Mehlman, filled his schedule with appearances before black audiences. He apologized for what he described as the racially polarized politics of some Republicans over the past 25 years. And the White House, in pressing issues like same-sex marriage to appeal to social conservatives, was also hoping to gain support among churchgoing African-Americans....

***

But as Mr. Bush is tentatively scheduled to speak at the N.A.A.C.P. convention in Washington this week — after five years of declining to appear before an organization with which he has had tense relations — it seems fair to say that whatever the motivation, the effort has faltered.

Mr. Mehlman’s much-publicized apology to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People seems to have done little to address the resentment that built up over what civil rights leaders view as decades of racial politics practiced or countenanced by Republicans. One example they point to is the first President Bush’s use of the escape of Willie Horton, a black convicted murderer, to portray his Democratic opponent in the 1988 election, Michael S. Dukakis, as soft on crime.

That perception of Republicans as insensitive to racial issues was fed again by the opposition mounted by some House conservatives to an extension of the Voting Rights Act. The House approved the extension last week....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/washington/18race.html

[msongs]

1. repubs have declared war on african americans nt

[opihimoimoi]

2. The War is TOO Far along now....for them to Kiss and make up....

They think Blacks/Minorities cannot See? Feel?

The Poor think of food/shelter/work/money

The Jaded think of their nx Vacation/Car/Extreme Home/yacht/Toy.....

Something is amiss when its gone outta balance.

[win_in_06]

7. But all blacks are not poor. Repugs have won the WH with less than

10% of the black vote. If Melhman picks up even 5% we're toast.

[subversive_smurf]

3. Katrina didn't help much

[The Anti-Neo Con]

4. I think blacks can see through BS better than others.

Sometimes I wish that blacks were a big majority...like 70% of our country's population instead of 14%. If that were the case, the GOP would just not exist.

[McCamy Taylor]

5. Bush Speaks to NAACP in Effort to Reach out to Moderate White GOPers

Who Have Been Alienated by Karl Rove's New Southern Strategy which has included political persecution of Blacks, FBI stings of Blacks, vilification of Blacks, the atrocities committed in NOLA.

The NAACP is probably outraged to know that Bush is going to use them in order to court a bunch of white suburbanites who dont like the thought of supporting a party that is overtly racist. Bush and the GOP are not even pretending to court the Black vote. They have Karl Rove at work suppressing the Black vote.

[LibDemAlways]

6. I can't wait to see the unvarnished c-span

tape of the chimp's N.A.A.C.P. speech. Would be awesome if the entire audience rose and filed out when he took the stage.

[opihimoimoi]

8. A Mass Mooning would have a better effect.

[LibDemAlways]

12. Imagine the corporate media whores trying to

spin that in a positive light:

"In a mass sign of respect and admiration today, a grateful crowd of N.A.A.C.P. members gave President Bush an unusual salute when he addressed them this afternoon. Unfortunately our cameras malfunctioned just prior to Mr. Bush's introduction, and we are unable to bring you video footage, but Bush spokesman Tony Snow issued the following statement: "President Bush thanks the N.A.A.C.P. for the unique reception he and Mrs. Bush received today. As they exited through the rear door of the building, the President exclaimed that he was simply "over the moon" at the hind, I mean kind, reception and that it was one for posterior, I mean posterity."

[opihimoimoi]

14. LOL, Peeps forget the First Mass Mooning of a US prez, Sweden 2001

500 peeps mooned da guy and after initial reports...the media pulled the plug on the story...its barely mentioned these days.
CNN June 18 01

[LibDemAlways]

15. Now that you mention it, I remember that.

Swedes were way ahead of the curve in giving Bush his due. Good for them.

[opihimoimoi]

16. The Pub Media covered it up....

[htuttle]

9. I don't think they ever *really* care about the Black vote

They just make the motions to convince moderate whites that they are not racists.

[Norquist Nemesis]

10. Hmm...I guess they ran out of fundies to mindfuck. n/t

[AtomicKitten]

11. Condescending to commune with his 2% African-American base

is a pitiful sign of desperation considering he hasn't given them the time of day til now.

[TankLV]

13. I am shocked SHOCKED I tell you!

Now, who didn't see this one comming a mile away?

Common, be honest!...

hee hee hee...!