WaPo: GOP Plans More Outreach to Blacks, Mehlman Says

[Penndems]

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.

<snip>

"I can't go to the party with Democrats right now because they are playing some strange music," said Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr., a registered Democrat and pastor of Hope Christian Church in College Park. Jackson said he opposes abortion rights and same-sex marriage.

<snip>

Often, Mehlman speaks in deeply personal terms. He told the black journalists that he views open housing, voting rights and civil rights bills passed in the 1960s as the most important laws of the 20th century. He also invoked his late grandfather, a Baltimore shopkeeper, who was a member of the NAACP.

He then went into his pitch, asking black voters to give the GOP another look: "The Republican Party will not be whole again until more African Americans come back home."

Link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/06/AR2005080601165.html
**********************************************************************
Split up unions, infiltrate black churches. All part of the plan to destroy the base of the Democratic Party.

I posted a link early this year to a story in Salon.com that spelled out the GOP's plan to do just that. If I can find that link, I'll post it.




(on edit: add WaPo story link)

[snowbear]

1. They've been trying this for EONS -- it won't work...

So don't worry about it.

People aren't as GULLIBLE as Smelly Ken Mehlly thinks they are!!

Republicans SUCK --- Period.

[Penndems]

2. They were gullible enough to think that there were WMDs in Iraq

and that Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11.

If you think people aren't gullible, take a look at the Free Republic message boards.

Union-busting and infiltrating black churches are part and parcel of their game plan to turn this country into a one-party system.

[snowbear]

3. Ever see a picture of the people at Free Republic ??

:wow: :wow: :wow: :wow:

They're =NOT= in the target group Melhman is after!!! :o :o

[Penndems]

6. Geez, I thought they WERE his base, LOL!

They sure as heck are Democrats. :shrug:

[wanpete]

4. aint gonna ever work...especially not now. However, dems would do

well to get a candidate that is comfortable around and has advisors from differing ethnic backgrounds. clinton was extremely popular with voters of color because of his comfort level. I cannot say the same for kerry and that hurt him. There was not a passion that kerry evoked in the aa community. I hope this is something that is seriously considered in the 08 campaign.

[snowbear]

5. You're right.. it will NEVER work. They don't have what it takes..

They're not sincere and everyone knows it. They've been trying those tactics for ever.

Besides.. Give Howard Dean and the Democratic Party some credit.

They're not sitting on their hands.

"Melhman" :rofl:

[Penndems]

31. That's one of the aspects of his personality I really liked and admired

When he looked at someone, he saw a PERSON. No gender, no race, no religion - just human beings with troubles and needs he could relate to.

Oh, how I miss that man! :cry:

[Mr_King]

7. The Repunks...

under estimate us African-Americans. They all think we are like naive sheep that can just be led around with some fancy words and a gospel song.

Most African-Americans are Democrats for a reason...think about it.

Who do African-Americans respect and like more Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton? The Kennedys or the Bushes?

[snowbear]

8. Beautiful post Mr. King !!

~~ Beautiful !! ~~ :hug:

[Mr_King]

9. Thank You

[snowbear]

11. You're welcome ... and...

I think Mark Warner is pretty awesome too.. I didn't know anything about him until Nick on here started talking about him.

He's ((ROCKING)) in Virginia :wow: and I think he's going to be a superb candidate in '08!! (p.s. apologizes to the guy who didn't want anyone mentioning '08 yet.. )

[Penndems]

10. I'm not black, but the African-Americans I know have no respect

at all for Reagan. One of the centerpieces of his 1980 campaign was to malign and trash Federal employees - many of whom are people of color. They didn't forget it that trashing, either.

I don't know of one single black man, woman or child who attended his funeral last year. When I looked out over the line of mourners on Constitution Avenue, they were predominately white.

That certainly said something to ME.

[snowbear]

12. Hey Penndems

What do you think about Warner in '08?

You're in his state? :o

[Penndems]

17. I sure am - are you, Larissa?

I've liked Mark ever since I worked on his Senate campaign in 1996. Prior to that, he was former Governor Doug Wilder's campaign manager in 1989, and then Chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia.

Mark's always been a intelligent, charismatic visionary, and just a downright likeable guy. He's worked with a predominately GOP legislature to get major bills passed through (such as education funding).

You know, he had a heck of a mess to deal with when he first came in. We were 6.5 million dollars in the red, a deficit that was left over from the Allen and (primarily) Gilmore administrations. Mark made the hard decisions, and instituted some budget cuts that weren't very popular with a lot of folks (e.g., Department of Motor Vehicle office hours were cut, or only open on certain days). But, thanks to him, we're running an enormous surplus now, and we've maintained our triple-A bond rating.

Mark gets nothing but applause and cheers from me. :)

[snowbear]

20. Yeah... I can't think of any reason why he wouldn't do GREAT..

He's one of the rare politicians who are popular among ALL parties.. :o

He has a stellar record in VA..

Virginia was just picked as the best managed state in the nation..

His Lt. Governor wants him to run with General Clark as his VP..

He's a self-made millionare (one of Forbes richest politicians) so he has the $$

Yeah.. :shrug: I think he'll do great!! (esp. with General Clark ;) )

[Penndems]

23. If Mark DOES decide to run for a national office, and I have no

doubt that he will, he won't have a bit of trouble with financing. Not only will he get it from the DNC, but he can self-finance. That's not a luxury many Democrats (particularly at the state and local level) have (which is unfortunate).

I'm ready, willing and able to go to work for him whenever he makes a final decision! :bounce:

[snowbear]

25. Awesome..

If he wins the primary, I'll come down and help. Watch out Virginia, that wild girl that plays hockey is coming down!! :headbang:

BTW.. Radar Magazine listed quite a few of his assets ~ http://www.radaronline.com/fresh-intelligence/2005/07/11/index.php

I heard him on Big Eddie Schultz a couple weeks ago.. he's RUNNING! :bounce:

[Penndems]

27. Bring your hockey stick and your puck

We'll be waitin' for ya! :)

BTW, I'm an "Ed Head" too . . .

[Mr_King]

15. You know...

during the whole Reagan funeral last year my mom and I were talking and we agreed that when Carter and Clinton die (hopefully not for many many years) that the news will be like "Oh yeah by the way Former President Carter/Clinton died today." And then they'll go to commercial break or talk about some celebrity trial.

[Penndems]

19. LOL - you are so right, Mr. King!

I can here it now:

"Breaking News: Former President Carter passed away this afternoon at his home in Plains, Georgia of natural causes. He was 97.

And now, a word from our sponsor."

**********************************************************************
BTW, welcome to DU! :hi:

[wanpete]

21. I am black and I vividly remember that it was reagan who passed

much legislation that kept many of my classmates from being able to keep attending college by cutting off many grants and student loan incentives. My husband, who grew up in a single parent household who lived beneath the poverty level, was almost forced out of school because of this. he joined the army reserves and that was the only way he was able to stay in school. By the way, no thanks to reagan, he's a pharmacist today!

[Mr_King]

22. Yep...

I don't know one black person or latino that shed one tear when Reagan died...I just rolled my eyes and didn't watch the news again until Kerry announced his V-P choice.

[Penndems]

26. I remember that vividly

On the one hand, the GOP is courting black voters while, on the other hand, standing firmly against supporting affirmative action and increases in student loans. Unbelievable.

Congrats to Hubby on his success (in spite of Reagan)!

[City Lights]

16. Wow!

Wonderful post. :thumbsup:

Bookmarking. :-)

[wanpete]

18. welcome to the DU Mr. King

and beautiful post!:hi:

[vogonjiltz]

13. There are lots of opportunities for the GOP

to pick up black votes. Especially among older and more prosperous and
the religeous. And many African Americans are thoroughly annoyed at comparisons between the civil rights movement and the gay rights movement. Up until the '60s a significant amount of the black vote as it was back then went to the GOP. I think that was a big reason for Southern Democratic opposition to voting rights back then. For example the last Republican mayor in Chicago won all of the black precincts and lost most of the white ethnic ones. At the time (and some say still) labor wasn't friendly towards African Americans and viewed them as competition for jobs. Of course, things have changed. The GOP hardly represents the interests of black americans let alone regular american. This is part of the GOP's plan to use gay marriage as a wedge issue to trick the more religeous among us into supporting them. The democrats embrace of this issue will hurt them with religeous americans.
I hate to say it but religion is intolerant towards homosexuality. It does go against the Bible. I happen to think the Bible is a book of silly fairy tails, but I appear to be in the minority in that subject. I think the Democrats have lost the votes of the religeous. Having said that, I don't think the Democrats are in very serious danger with the African American vote so long as the Trent Lotts and Conservative Citizen Councils are among the GOP.

[AtomicKitten]

14. Good luck to you crazy Mehlman!

The only black folks that vote Republican are those that started making money and sold their soul to whitey. They pretend they are white and assimilate all the nasty traits of Republicans - i.e., selfishness and hate. Poor black people are smarter than poor white people, and they vote their self-interest, i.e., not Republican! Poor white people are (gross generalization ahead) for the most part quasi-retarded and buy hook, line, and sinker into the "moral" propaganda BS.

[Penndems]

24. Southern whites got "played" by the GOP for years

The Republican National Committee built an entire platform off of Dixiecrats' anger over Democratic support of civil rights, as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. They gave tacit support to every racist and bigot who had it in for blacks.

Now, 40 years later, Melman's apologizing for their dirty deeds. Good Lord, they are one diseased, hypocritical group of individuals. :mad:

[Fire Walk With Me]

28. Items from two films come to mind--

Fahrenheit 9/11, with Gore telling each black speaker to step down while Bush stole the election.

Bowling for Columbine, with Charleton Heston mentioning that there may be an ethnic problem (and with the NRA as big GOP contributors).

I think that race is clearly delineated in BushCo Amurica. You don't need to look to the future to figure it out.

[QC]

29. Will this "outreach" include allowing them to vote? n/t

[Penndems]

30. They still haven't made good on their promise they made to

blacks after the Civil War: To give each Freedman "forty acres and a mule" as a reparation for slavery.

Link:
http://www.njsbf.com/njsbf/student/respect/fall02-2.cfm

As for voting . . . well, the GOP certainly didn't vote in overwhelming numbers to ratify the 1965 Voting Rights Act.


President Lyndon Baines Johnson with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebrating the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The 1965 Voting Rights Act:
http://www.historicaldocuments.com/VotingRightsActof1965.htm

[KingFlorez]

32. Not going to work

Blacks aren't concerend about the same issues as their nutty base and don't fall for all the terrorism hype. Abortion, Gays and Guns are non issues to blacks who are more concerned about economics, employment and education.