WP: GOP Plans More Outreach to Blacks, Mehlman Says

[Pirate Smile]

GOP Plans More Outreach to Blacks, Mehlman Says
Goal Is to Broaden Party Base, Help Swing Future Races

By Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 7, 2005; Page A05

ATLANTA -- Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman stood before a roomful of black journalists last week fielding pointed questions about his party's mostly shaky relationship with black voters.

Asked about the southern strategy that used race as an issue to build GOP dominance in the once Democratic South, Mehlman acknowledged that Republican candidates often have prospered by ignoring black voters and even by exploiting racial tensions. But he pledged that such neglect is a thing of the past. "Our plan for 2006 and 2008 is to increase African American turnout," he said crisply.

Republican candidates who exploited racial resentments to solidify white support, he added, were simply wrong.

Unconvinced, one questioner asked whether President Bush was guilty of appealing to those very resentments when he appeared at South Carolina's Bob Jones University when his GOP primary campaign was listing in 2000, even though the fundamentalist Christian school banned interracial dating. Mehlman did not flinch -- but neither did he directly engage the question. Bush "has been a model" of how the GOP and blacks can "restore their historic bond," he said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/06/AR2005080601165.html

Bush a "model" of how the "GOP and blacks can "restore their historic bond"? :eyes:

[punpirate]

1. Sure... that historic bond is that of...

... master and slave. It's really very simple.

Massuh Bush like to rub nappy heads.

[Erika]

3. Couldn't have said it better

He likes them worshiping him.

[bemildred]

22. Start with voting rights and "transparent" voting systems.

I'm sure that would be noticed.

[Old and In the Way]

2. Looking to cover the stealing of more votes.

Look for Bill Schneider telling us soon how Blacks are warming up to the values Party.

[fortyfeetunder]

4. Confused folks!

Hmmmm, have observed over the years the GOP dismiss affirmative action, voting rights problems, and praises those like Reagan(who made intolerance to diversity acceptable all over again).

I have a problem with the minority groups (not just Blacks) sucking up to the GOP when they talk about being in favor of issues minorities care about like religion, denial of gays civil/legal rights, and right to life under any circumstance.

Sure these policies FWIW really apply to "Other people" but the topics I bring up above definitely affect these minority folks. They can't see through the GOP wool...

[Pirate Smile]

6. Frankly, African Americans in particular have been the MOST likely

to see through the GOP wool. That is why the Republican's get an extremely small percentage of the Black vote.

They see through a hell of a lot more of the Republican Bullshit then any other group I can think of in the US - women, the poor, other minorities.

[MisterP]

8. including starting his campaign at Philadelphia, Miss.

Blacks fell out with the GOP once the latter officially picked up the mantle of delinated and explicit racism.

[bluestateguy]

5. Hmmmm

Asked about the southern strategy that used race as an issue to build GOP dominance in the once Democratic South, Mehlman acknowledged that Republican candidates often have prospered by ignoring black voters and even by exploiting racial tensions. But he pledged that such neglect is a thing of the past. "Our plan for 2006 and 2008 is to increase African American turnout," he said crisply.

Republican candidates who exploited racial resentments to solidify white support, he added, were simply wrong.

Unconvinced, one questioner asked whether President Bush was guilty of appealing to those very resentments when he appeared at South Carolina's Bob Jones University when his GOP primary campaign was listing in 2000, even though the fundamentalist Christian school banned interracial dating. Mehlman did not flinch -- but neither did he directly engage the question. Bush "has been a model" of how the GOP and blacks can "restore their historic bond," he said.

The damage is done. I don't see him offering to give the votes back. I don't see him saying that Jesse Helms never should have been elected, or Kirk Fordice, or for that matter Ronald Reagan (I know what he meant when he said "welfare queen"), or George Bush Sr. (the Willie Horton ads).

Will Ken Mehlman offer to give back to the Democrats the white male conservatives the Republicans took away through such campaign appeals?

[dchill]

7. "Outreach to Blacks, Mehlman Says"

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha...

And gays too, right Ken? Right?

[mpendragon]

9. the religious black community

The gay rights and abortion issue sway a lot of black republicans (see: Alan Keyes) and even drives some muslims to vote republican.

[fortyfeetunder]

10. Yes, that "faith based" duping.

I think 2006 elections will determine if this trend to vote GOP based on the "mutual faith-based values" is short-lived.

[NEOBuckeye]

13. Anyone, Black and/or Muslim who votes GOP, especially after 9/11 is a fool

I think I'd worry a whole lot more about them dragging me off to a prison camp, and a whole lot less about what two men or two women might be doing in their bedroom.

[Roy]

18. Republican issues sway ALL black republicans........

But more than the issues republican money rents a lot of black republicans.

Don't think black votes (religious or otherwise) are swayed because a few Rev. Greedyguts grin and soft shoe while accepting GOP handouts.

support for republican views on gay rights and abortion by most black folks is a Republican myth.

[expatriot]

11. 2007 reauth of VRA may force GOP to decide between racist whites....

...or the GOP may manage to weasel through a trojan horse that caters to GOP racist interest in southern politics while "appearing" to be on the side of civil rights.

The scheduled reauth of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in 2007 initially appears to be a good opportunity for the Democrats to force the Rethugs to lay their hand down on the table RE: their white racist base and the "new" minority-friendly GOP. But alas, of course it is a bit more complicated than that.

It is all going to be about whether Democrats can get the message out regarding their inherent racist decision because, basically, it does come down to them having some decisions to make real soon involving the reauthorization of
the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Resist the reauthorization, or merely a stronger Section 5, and they risk inflaming minority voters — all to gut a law that has proved useful in running up GOP majorities in the South. Go along, and they betray segments of their white base who bristle that, after four decades and a world of change, Section 5 still singles out the South for special scrutiny. -- Seattle Times, August 6, 2005

In a March 2005 opinion piece published widely, http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2005/1197">Republicans maneuvering to get Voting Rights Act killed, however, Jesse Jackson warns of the possible "sheep in wolf's clothing technique that the GOP may use in the reauthorization process.

Now some GOP leaders are suggesting that the law be made "national and permanent." That sounds good. By making it national, strict scrutiny will apply to all states. By making it permanent, the periodic battles over reauthorization will not be necessary.

But beware. This plan, hatched in right-wing think tanks, sounds good, but is designed to gut the Voting Rights Act. By making it national and permanent, the Congress would set the act up for being ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Since the act focuses on race, it requires strict scrutiny to make certain there is a rational basis for its provisions. If it is made national and permanent, divorced from the record of discrimination that requires special review, the act could well be deemed unconstitutional. Republicans will have used the court to murder the Voting Rights Act while pretending to have clean hands.

[DesEtoiles]

12. Mars, bitches!

[regnaD kciN]

14. There must be a caddie shortage...

:eyes:

[onehandle]

15. He should have taken off the sheet before talking to that group.

Nah, not possible. Even naked, a Republican wears that sheet and pointy hood.

[Blaq Dem]

16. Don't drink the KKKool-Aid

Older blacks may not drink the KKKool-Aid as fast as younger blacks who never had to suffer so much at the hands of these racist bastards.

But the greatest concern is the rising number of voter apathy among blacks. The GOP would like nothing more than to see something as self-imposing. They wouldn't have too much worry about destroying the Voting Rights Act. Scariest thing about it, some will never even complain.

Suppose 100 blacks choose to vote and out of that, 5 vote republiKKKlan. Then that's 5% for GOP. Take that 100 down to 50 blacks choosing to vote at all and retain the same ol' 5 vote for republiKKKlan. Then that's 10% (or double) increase and it looks like GOP are beginning to convince blacks to vote their way.

Therefore, the only way for the GOP to truly increase their percentage of black votes is by decreasing the total overall number of blacks who bother to vote at all.

[Roy]

19. I'm still trying to find these younger Blacks...

That tend to vote republican. I tend to believe this is no more than phony numbers from some phony poll, ginned up to make some folks think that well, if others are are doing it maybe I should too.

But apathy??? Yes, this is in my opinion the thing that harms the Black community the most. Republicans have long understood this very well, and is the very reason they spend so much money and energy toward generating the feeling among Blacks that their vote won't make a difference.

And, for the most part, are helped by the Dems (pre Howard Dean), by supporting some issues facing the Black Community, but they seem to do so in a manner that it seems, they are afraid that white America might notice.

[Blaq Dem]

27. Their strategy is to get blacks to "stand down"

See, here's evidence:

People of Color United (PCU)


Affiliated Personnel:
Virginia Walden-Ford, president (director, D.C. Parents for School Choice)


Budget:
$70,000 for three weeks of ads in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri and Pennsylvania


Donors:
J Patrick Rooney (former chairman of Golden Rule Financial and current executive of Medical Saving Insurance Co.) $30,000

Events:
PCU is running four ads that question whether Sen. John Kerry takes "the black community for granted." One calls Kerry "another wishy-washy rich white politician" asking, "What's Kerry done for us?" Another scoffs at African-born Teresa Heinz Kerry, who has called herself African-American, saying, "I don't believe a white woman, raised in Africa surrounded by servants, qualifies." The ads are running in nine cities in battleground states, primarily on urban black stations.

Go to FactCheck.Org for more details.

[Roy]

17. Ha Ha........Ha Ha.....

Mehlman acknowledged that Republican candidates often have prospered by ignoring black voters and even by exploiting racial tensions. But he pledged that such neglect is a thing of the past. "Our plan for 2006 and 2008 is to increase African American turnout," he said crisply.
:rofl:


"Our plan for 2006 and 2008 is to increase African American turnout," he said crisply.
:rofl: :rofl:


"Our plan for 2006 and 2008 is to increase African American turnout," he said crisply.
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


"Our plan for 2006 and 2008 is to increase African American turnout," he said crisply.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[moondust]

20. Several new minstrel shows in the works...

[Gabi Hayes]

21. faith based bribery of black ministers is VERY scary stuff: check this

http://www.blackcommentator.com/21_commentary_1.html

this is an 'old' plan, as the article denotes how Lott's racism put a brake on what they've got in store, but it involves giving LOTs of money to greedy ministers, who, in turn, are expected to turn out the flock for the massah party

I'd heard this discussed the other day, and found this link while looking for confirmation

Lott became a liability to George Bush when it became clear that the unreconstructed Dixiecrat's racist outbursts endanger Bush's faith-based initiatives, the massive political bribery program designed to smash the Black bloc vote. Not even a political soul mate like Lott could be allowed to stand in the way of an historic opportunity to finally neuter the greatest obstacle to a truly Republican-dominated America.



If anyone is angrier at Lott than African Americans, it is those corporate Republicans who have built the perfect bribery machine, tailored to the needs and greeds of the worst elements of the Black clergy. The White House was preparing to celebrate the dramatic, initial successes of its Black offensive - until somebody got too happy at Strom Thurmond's birthday party. Lott and his co-Confederates now twist slowly in the wind because he put Bush's faith-based initiatives in jeopardy.


As much as African Americans have enjoyed the spectacle of a squirming Trent Lott, who has no doubt been suffering the special nightmares of the damned insane, we must not lose sight of the real prize Bush seeks. The campaign to corrupt the Black clergy is worth far more to the GOP than preserving the perverted pride of one redneck.

That is why Bush chose to tongue-lash Lott before an audience comprised mainly of Black clergy and community service providers, drawn to Philadelphia by the prospect of federal contracts. Last week's faith-based initiatives conference was part of a nationwide schedule of events designed to create a Republican political contracting and patronage network in the heart of Black America. Bush had hoped to deliver his usual spiel about removing federal laws that "discriminate" against churches. Lott's stink bomb put the spotlight on real, historical, Mississippi-style discrimination. It took a few days to sink into the backward brains of the Bush crew, but their Black hirelings and the corporate crowd understood the dimensions of the crisis, immediately. Lott was poison.

plenty more where that came from, including this
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/24/234519/108

and this

A case is made that Bush and the Republican Party "bought" religious votes in the last election, specifically black votes, by key funding of black churches in swing states ("Bush Rewarded by Black Pastors' Faith," by Peter Wallsten, Tom Hamburger and Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, Jan. 18, 2005).

One example is Bishop Sedgwick Daniel's $25-million Milwaukee complex, "Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ." Daniels, formerly Democratic, turned Republican when his church, now claiming 8,000 members, became the recipient of federal funding. The complex includes a school, health clinic, credit union, senior housing complex and will add a water park and retail center. Daniels' office is decorated with a photo showing Daniels with the Bushes at the White House, and another of him with ministers at a table seated by Bush, Karl Rove and Jim Towey, the Times reports.

Although there was only a 2% increase nationwide in black support for Bush (11% of the national black electorate went for Bush overall) on Nov. 2, bigger gains showed in swing states. Bush nabbed 14% of Wisconsin's black vote last year, and 13% of Florida's (up 6 percentage points from 2000). Black ministers were exhorted to attend White House faith-based conferences and meetings. Two-thirds of travel by White House faith czar Jim Towey during 2004 was to "a dozen battleground states," the reporters noted.

A group headed by Bishop Harold Ray, who gave an invocation at a Florida rally for Vice President Dick Cheney, received $1.7 million in taxpayer funds. The trend is in keeping with the January revelation that the administration gave $240,000 to black radio personality Armstrong Williams to promote Bush's education agendaj.

http://www.ffrf.org/fttoday/2005/janfeb/statechurch.php

[donsu]

25. kick

nt

[leesa]

23. This announcement must pop up on their computer screens every two

months or so like a meeting reminder...."Reminder to announce GOP intentions to plan more outreach to blacks". It, of course, never happens, but the statement is out there.

[KittyWampus]

24. IOW, GOP Plans On Inciting MORE Gay Hatred Amongst Blacks

[donsu]

26. wonder why they picked Mehlman to charm blacks?

does he have some special lure that blacks respond to? wonder what he is getting paid.

hope blacks are up on luring and charming.

[Blue_Tires]

28. i was at nabj

and i thankfully skipped this little speech

[struggle4progress]

29. I'd guess this means they're bringing back Earl Butz ... eom

[despairing optimist]

30. Willie Horton to get an extreme makeover

Time to take a stroll down Memory Hole Lane.

[anaxarchos]

31. It's all about payoffs....

Black Churches have always been key to civil rights and African-American political mobilization. Identify a few opportunist ministers, give up a few bucks of "faith based initiatives", give cover from a handful of prominent right-wing black officials ("come on Condi") and a whole bunch of pseudo-religious bigotry (thank you white right!) and you have some of the greatest impact for the least effort possible in America.

It won't work but it is still some stunning cynicism:

...public policy gets shoved off to private initiative, private initiative gets a coat of religious paint, citizens rights turns into charity, charity into bribes (with public money), and bribes into sellouts (or so the GOP hopes), all underneath the smarmy smile of a Mehlman "apology"... "sorry about lynchings too".

John Brown is fuming in his grave....

[Barkley]

32. The Party of Lincoln

to a delgation of Blacks visiting the WH in 1862:

"Your race suffers greatly, many of them by living among us, while ours suffers from your presence. If this is admitted, it affords a reason why we should be separated."

- President Abraham Lincoln


Has the Republican Party committed to extending the 1965 voting rights act?
What's their position on Affirmative Action?