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Black Republicans Are Scarce at the GOP Convention
Published by Pamela Gentry on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at 5:12 pm.
By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Producer
(ST.PAUL, MINN) Sept. 3, 2008 – Black Republicans are scarce on the opening day of the Republican National Convention, but those high profile members of the GOP are who in attendance are making the rounds and touting the virtues of the GOP for African Americans
Former Pittsburg Steelers wide-out, Lynn Swann, who ran for governor of Pennsylvania in 2006, told me, more Blacks would be Republican if they compared their conservative values to those of the GOP. He believes they haven’t examined what the party stands for and therefore aren’t giving the Grand Ole Party a chance.
“Who are you, what do believe in and how you act on that belief, if more Black Americans would ask those questions, they would find the answers in the Republican Party,” Swann said.
The convention this year has only 36 African American delegates, about two percent according to a study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Research. That’s a mere 1.5 percent of the total 2,380 delegates on the convention floor. Here in St. Paul the party is witnessing a significant drop in Black delegates compared to 2004, when 167 of the delegates were African American.
David Bositis, a senior political analyst who keeps an eye on the political trends of African American voters, noted the minority delegate count for both conventions. In contrast, 24 percent of the delegates at the Democratic National Convention were African American, or 1,087 of the more than 4,500 delegates.
Ken Blackwell, former Secretary of State in Ohio, defends his party and his presidential candidate Sen. John McCain’s outreach efforts to Black voters. “My impression and perception is John McCain has gone where others who have headed up the ticket have not,” he said.
Blackwell cited Sen. McCain’s appearance at the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., anniversary in Memphis and his speeches before the National Urban League and NAACP conventions as proof he was making an effort to reach out to African Americans. But McCain hasn’t been as available to Black media outlets.
BET News has had a request in for the senator since October 2007, for an interview. His press office has said his scheduled has not permitted time to make it happen. The request is re-introduced once every month or so, and the most recent e-mail response from Charles Adams, who is with the campaign, says; “Pamela, We will definitely keep you guys in the mix. Right now we don’t have any availability in the schedule but will certainly let you know if something opens up. Wish I could give you a better response but that’s where we stand. Thanks”
BET is covering the RNC, while other Black media outlets decided not to because access to top party leaders is limited and interest is slight from the Black community.
Very few African-American voters consider themselves Republican. “This low level of black attachment to the Republican Party is now almost five decades old,” Bositis said.
THATS NOT TRUE!! WHY, YOU GOT PATRICK N WASHINGTON.. AND A COUPLE OF HOLY ROLLERS NOT TO MENTION SOME OF THE FIRE AND BRIMESTONE LOT ON BET WHO OCCUPY THE STANDS FOR THE “BLACK FOLKS” SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED TO HOUSE THEM AND ALL THAT FRIED CHICKEN AND ALIZE !!. LOL!!
ITS NOT TRUE, PATRICK N WASHINGTON HAS BEEN FLYING THE FLAG FOR THE GOP SINGLE HANDEDLY !!! INFACT THEY CONSTRUCTED A SPECIAL STAND FOR THE BLACKS AT THE GOP… FRIED CHICKEN AND ALL.!!LOL!
OLOUNWA
Now that is funny lol-lol-lol !!!
By the way Patrick has not been on board so he must be in St. Paul. but being serious,I tried too watch some of it and they kept showing the same five black faces over and over and over.
AP reports are reporting that there are only 40 black delegates at the RNC this week…..What a surprise!!!!
Obama-Biden 08
Clint
“What a surprise”!!! yeah I’m surprised there are that many.
Ken Blackwell is delusional. Where has he been?
Where John McCain has gone, ( I pass), don’t want to go there, and will not go there.
Lynn Swann it’s understandable why you were not elected governor. Did the Grand Ole Party give you a chance?
The Democrat Party is the way to go!!!
OBAMA/BIDEN ‘08
How do we know that some of those forty blacks ain’t chauffers,butlers,maids and convention hall janitors picking up a couple of extra dollar ?
Republicans are anti- everything, They are not for the poor folks and the lower and middle class, point blank, Conservative Values my ass!!!!
They dont have values for real, Most of them are hypocrites, child molestors, and rapists, and theives., and most of them believe in pre-marital sex, so dont talk about conservative values, because Sarah Palin sure dont have any!!!! And then they try to cover it up, by letting the 17 year old teenager hold the baby the entire time while on stage accepting the offer of being McCain’s running mate!!!! Now aint that deception at it’s finest!!!!
Obama-Biden
PBrown
I live in Pittsburgh and I can tell you that Lynn Swann got the state nomination via default.The front runner at the time said that Lynn was the richest guy in the race and the joke backfired.Gov.Ed.Rendell told the truth by saying that whites in the middle of the state would have a hard time voting for a balck person.Just like James Carville said Pennsylvannia has Philly. in the east and pittsburgh in the west with Alabama in the middle.It is also no surprise that Obama lost in this state
jfffnn,
I told you that on another post I believe, that there are so few blacks there, that they keep showing the same faces over and over., this one man with a cowboy hat on, I got so sick and tired of looking at him!!! lol!!!
But I will be watching tonight, to see what this Woman of great morals and character will do tonight!!!! Palin….
Is it just me or does Laura Bush seem so Carol Brady to anyone???? O my God, watching and listening to her is like watching Aunt Bee on Mayberry, she is so boring and dull!!!!! O my God!!! This whole convention, the only exciting part to me was when the band was playing last night and when I finally went to sleep!!!
Obama-Biden 08
Clint
Why would you expect a ex grade school librarian too be exciting ? I take it that the band was also boring and thats why you went to sleep.Just remember too set the timer off on your tv.