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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.
If you saw that crowd I would be scared to attend.
if another Republican gets office I’m moving to Canada
Prelshea–women can have kids and still work, but of course you have been taught u “can’t.” Don’t say Pahlin can’t. And think about how stupid u sound:”Why on earth would you let your daughter hold that heavy baby…” Yes, why would someone want their family members to hold the baby and act like a family? It’s OK–ur black. Watch what we whities do and maybe u’ll learn a thing or two.
Nobody can tell me that this Lady Palin is ready at the drop of a hat is ready to Run this country. I served in this country’s Navy for 10 years and there is no way I would be comfortable as her a commmader-in-cheif. No!!!! way!! Same thang McCain has already laid out his plan which is No!Change! We continue to borrow more and more money from China and Japan to fight a sinceless war. Replublicans continue to spend more and more money without a clue of how to make it work. Life goes as simple as this “If outcome out weighs your income you will be bankrupt” In 8 years we went from a surplus to trillions of dollars in debt and this is all fact. You say country first? You might be talking about the land but you aren’t talking about the people in the land.You have a republican Governor in California that has allowed gay marriages to go forward so you can save all the crap about what the republicans stand for except low taxes and not paying their share of them.
working class white guy,
WATCHING WHAT YOU WHITES DO IS WHAT GOT THIS COUNTRY IN HOT WATER IN THE FIRST PLACE. YOU WHITES ARE NOBODIES ROLE MODEL. YOU AND McCAIN WILL LEAD US ALL TO HELL.
The Repubs talked about no issues last night, it was an attack night, and it is so sad they had to resort to that…
If they had talked about the issues and what they were going to do for our Country, then they would sound just like Bush!!!! And they dont wanna remind Americans that they are Repubs just like Bush!!!
Obama-Biden 08
Patrick
You are truly stuck in a time warp.It it possilble that you can say anything else besides lower taxes,domestic drilling and abortion ? We all know who’s taxes will be raised,those earning $250.000 .There is already domestic drilling for oil,abortion is a fact that will never go away.What do you think will happen if abortion is made a crime ? I will tell you,abortions will not be so much a surgical procedure,it will be cheminally induced.Have you ever heard of RU486? The ingredients will be made available to the public and that drug will be manufactored and sold on the black market or there will be people with the expertise too do a surgical abortion;therefore abortion will never,ever go away whetjer you like it or understand it or not
I support Obama but we have the right to vote for whomever we decide will run this country better in our eyes; but either way they have their work cut out for them.
The Republicans are good though when you think about it: Palin (a woman); her baby(down syndrome) daughter (17 and pregnant) son (about to deploy). She’s the average woman and they are expecting to get a lot of votes from females and middle class people cause they will feel she’s living their life and know what the average Joe goes through everyday and its working with some people. There is always an angle!
jfffnn, many American men and women across the country are questioning the reason why a person is not being recognized as a person form the point of conception.
With the modern science crossing certain boundaries that offend certain sensibilities (cloning, stem cell research, gender determination), one of the greatest questions will be what is a human and when does human life began. Witht he idea of cloning, we have cross a new threshold that every reasonable person should ask where they stand on certain issues.
I say no to cloning. I say no to stem cell research. The Republicans agree with that view. That is traditional values being applied to new issues.
Patick
JohnmcCain is for embryonic stem cell research yet he is anti- choice,do you detect a contadiction ? I would like too see if human cloning really works.Even Nancy Reagan is for stem cell research.It’s a bad idea too mix science with religion,science is about facts andreligion is about beliefs,that is why there are many avenues of faith.I reconize viability out side the womb.
I am reading comments some of them are right.
Republican are about self and it to the middle class and poor to make it on our own.
It states it in the bible everybody need somebody help why is when the poor ask for help we are begging but when a rich man ask for help he is prospering.
Patrick u need to pray I understand you love your country but do your country love you.
think about that.
If your country love you why are you working hard to keep up with the Joneses and if you went to college why did you get financal ad and student loans why didnt your country pay for you to go to an ivy league school.
If someone or something love you they going to give you the best they not going to let you suffer.
I know this country dont love me because I have to fight and work for I have and my two Boys going to have to do the same if a Republican get in offices.
It not about me it about my future I want to survive a not be a issue.
remember your future is what your past shape you to be.
you can make it or not.
It not about your country its about you make the best of it .
God bless you and keep doing whatever you doing.
Terrence asked why is Palin’s pregnant daughter an issue. For me it would be an issue because of her decisions of not teaching sex ed in schools, only abstinence. Wow she’s proof that her idea really worked huh?? If her decisions affect her family that way, what will they do for the country? What sense does it make not to have sex ed in schools. Its not like they are teaching them different positions. They are teaching the risks and the science behind sex. Maybe there wouldnt be so much teenage pregnancy if they learned a little more about it during school. Palin and all republicans alike need to get a grip.
The republican party is not for african americans. Lynn Swann is a complete sellout! The republicans are a party that represents the priviledged few and everyone else comes last. African Americans at the RNC were like raisins in a pot and they kept viewing the same 5 over and over thats not America, now the DNC last week that was America a true melting pot! The Democratic party is for all people especially the common man which makes up most of America. Also the kkk supports the republican party people such as David Duke and former N.C. senator Jessie Helms who was a know bigot.
Obama-Biden 08
A BUNCH OF SELLOUTS
GO OBAMA
its not a matter of selling out as i dont understand this term .. but as far as republicanism is concerned they are all a bunch of greedy oil grabbing monopolising haliburton contractors who are earning money on the blood of innocent people and using “patriotism” to cover up the lies, deciet and promotion that they have done to line their pockets.. cheney rice, etc are nothing more than oil executives living high off the hogg at the expense of the masses…rice is A MAMMY!!. THATS HER JOB.. TO MAMMY BUSH AND COVER UP HIS LIES WITH HER LIES…WHO DRANK THE KOOL AID THERE?.FAKE ASS PATRIOTISM IS NOTHING MORE THAN SCARE MONGERING JINOGISM…FAKE AS HECK!! AND GOING TO HELL IN THE NEXT WAR WITH IRAN..!! WE ALL KNOW ITS COMING …
WORKING CLASS WHITE GUY!!! You’re an ignorant person aren’t you? Give me a freaking break with the women can have kids and still work.I am one of those working women who had kids and worked. We are talking about running a Country and I didn’t have to run a country and believe me those years was tough…
If you want to vote for a women with 5 kids and one of them with special needs, then, go right ahead and vote for Sarah Palin…
Sarah Palin can’t run this country and be a devoted mother to her children and if you and Sarah Palin wants to believe that, go right ahead…
She won’t get my vote….Like I said, many parents have these children and the plan is the older siblings are responsible for taking care of them…that’s exactly what have been happening in that family..
Don’t get me wrong it is ok to help out but there’s a bigger picture here….I can see it, only a real and hands on mother knows what I am saying…..That’s something you will never get or never understand….
Peace!
Paline talks about how she was going to raise her new born baby tell me how will she have time to actually care for him I bet you the baby has a nanny and she has a maid tell her to try doing it without the help she has tell her to go to work come home cook dinner wash clothes clean house and take care of a husband.Do this for a month then come back and let me know how she feels
I recognize the viability of a human from the point of conception. I have no doubt that there where life begins and the laws of the land should protect the lives of the unborn.
black girl, this country was built on individualism not that the country should pay and provide everything for everybody.
I do not like the concept of a nanny state that tries to make an utopia instead of getting out of the way to maximize opportunity.
Obama is trying to guarantee success for everyone. That is impossible and will bankrupt us more than any war could.
Let me repeat the republican mantra for 08.
Cut taxes.
Drill here. Drill now! Pay less!
Protect the life of the unborn!
McCain-Palin 2008!!!
Country First!!!
PATRICK .. BEHAVE!LOL! AMERICA WAS BUILT ON THE CHEAP LABOUR FROM THE SLAVE TRADE. CHINESE WORKERS BROUGHT IN TO BUIT THE RAILWAYS !! HONESTLY AND OTHER MIGRANTS PAID A PITTANCE FOR THEIR TIME AND EFFORTS..
WHEN IT COMES TO DRILLING IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY BY ALL MEANS.. WE ARE FED UP WITH THE STUPID, POINTLESS WARS THAT RESOLVE NOTHING AND DO NOTHING FOR ANYONE …PLEASE DRILL ALASKA DRY BY ALL MEANS… WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN AFGANISTAN, IRAQ AND THE WAR BEING PLANNED AGAINST IRAN.. WE ALL KNOW THATS THE NEXT STEP..ISOLATE RUSSIA GET TO IRAN… ALL IN THE NAME OF WHAT EXACTLY?. WHY CANT BUSH TAKE ON THE NORTH KOREANS HEAD ON?. MMMMM?.