Andrew,
I wanted you to explain to me specifically what conservatives need to do to win over more black voters, I mean other than just being conservative.
If it were up to me to decide, I wouldn’t know what to say or do.
At least not today.
When George W. Bush took office, I thought it was the Republican Party’s golden opportunity to reduce the culture of poverty in the United States, with a special emphasis on poor black America. Politically, I think it would have been smart, but more than that, I think it was the right thing to do.
Like dealing with AIDS in Africa, I think, in 2000 America, we should have spoken loudly and honestly about bettering the life of poor America. What John Edwards called two Americas, (a cynical way to put it) is what I’m talking about. But all President Bush did, as I see it, was make symbolic gestures showing that a black can ascend to any office in the nation. Condi Rice and Colen Powell were wonderful appointments, but politically I don’t think they produced significant black vote.
While I’m not ready to write off the black vote, something has to happen between now and 2012 before we see a turnaround in their voting patterns. And I don’t know what that something is.
As far as McCain’s unwillingness to use Wright and his horrible dancing with Ellen and many of Barack’s idiotic statements for fear of being branded a racist, all of these decisions sunk John’s chances of winning. These were terrible mistakes. What were they thinking?
But they don’t stop there.
The McCain team misused Sarah Palin terribly. When everybody knew that Gibson and Katie were out to get her, they put Sarah out there like a sacrificial lamb, like a babe in the woods just waiting to be hammered. What a profound blunder. Palin is a political homerun hitter and they asked her to do the equivalent of trying to draw a walk. And she got beaned in the process.
In 2008, the unpopularity of George Bush was difficult to overcome. Plus, McCain’s political crew ran a disaster of a campaign. I’m amazed the election was close as it was.
