Quick observation of why this NPR story on black conservative preachers

[Montauk6]

rings somewhat false.

The story makes it seem like some phenom that Bush was able to magically rally black conservatives; pardon me but can anyone confirm that * actually flipped some folks or are these not the same black conservatives who were around during Reagan and Bush I? My gut tells me the latter. But what are your thoughts?

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. link?

[Montauk6]

3. I'm sorry, I was listening to All Things Considered on the radio

when the story was broadcast. If it's archived, I'll try to find it.

So sorry for the confusion.

[bliss_eternal]

2. I'd have to know what was stated in the NPR

article, specifically. But there were black preachers that allegedly voted for * and told their congregations to vote for *. I'm not at all sure how successful they were in actually getting those votes.

Apparently part of the way this was successful was exploiting the belief in some black churches that homosexuality is wrong and that abortion is wrong--two of the big wedge issues in last election.

There were quite a few things posted on DU about the issue at the time, sorry I can't access them anymore. I recall members stating they had conversations w/some blacks prior to the election that said their pastors told them to vote for shrub.

I posted an article about the issue myself. One day some black preachers held a press conference stating they were forming some "family values" coalition. :eyes: As such, they were supporting the * admin. in it's family values stance and stating they wanted to stress family values in the black church. Or in other words, they don't support or endorse the glbt community in any way. (whatever...)

I need to add that all of this took place PRIOR to Katrina. Not at all sure how any of those that took that stance felt after watching what happened with Katrina. But all things considered, shrub did make a point to trot out a prominent black preacher, TD Jakes during the Katrina mess--as if to say, "...see, I do like black people. Ask Bishop Jakes!" How Jakes could allow himself to be used and exploited this way is beyond me,....

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. I thought, at the time, that they were trying to create cover for

Diebold fraud, by claiming a surge in repub votes from an unlikely source - like, the one population that most consistantly opposes him. Since nobody can prove that the black churches did NOT vote for *, they can claim they did, and thus explain repub upsets in dem counties.

[bliss_eternal]

5. It's certainly possible--

While some black pastors did get behind shrub on the gay marriage thing, and told their congregations to vote accordingly--we don't know how many individuals voted for *.

There is an expectation that minorities will vote the Democrat ticket, but this apparently is not the case. I've learned that there were also Hispanics that vote the conservative ticket, based also on religious values (abortion, homosexuality).

When I was growing up, asian schoolteachers in my community taught us to vote Democrat. My elementary school was in a predominantly asian community. I still remember my schoolteachers going down the ballot and asking us what "the right way to vote" was. If memory serves, they confirmed if we were old enough to vote, we should vote Dem up and down the ticket! LOL!

I was surprised to find that these days, many asian families vote republican. Times change of course.

Personally, I wouldn't rule out Diebold. Not every black person is religious or attends church. Not every black person that is a christian bought into the bullshit "christianity ploy." I know several personally that did not. That thought that * is the last person they would ever consider a christian. lol.

[Iris]

8. The article said * got less of the black vote than Dole did in 1996

[bliss_eternal]

10. Well, that's a relief--

I was very concerned that he may have got more, considering the stumping some black preachers did for him. Glad it wasn't a substantial number. :) Thanks for the quote! :hi:

[Iris]

11. oh, believe me, I listened very hard to this story!

The preacher even said when he looks out at his congregation, he knows 99.9% of them vote Democrat!

[bliss_eternal]

13. Reminds me of election time--

My gf told me about a news piece she saw prior to the election about some of the black churches that supported *. She said that they actually showed a black church and the preacher was going on about how * was about family values, the kind of values that church believed in.

Well, she said the camera was panning around while the pastor was speaking about * and she saw several of the congregants rolling their eyes and looking bored! I got a visual of it and it cracked me up... :rofl: I could just see them thinking to themselves "...yeah, blah, blah...I'm not voting for him...blah, blah, can we go now?"

:rofl:

[TreasonousBastard]

6. I didn't get that...

when I heard it, and it seemed to me like a reasonable take on the fairly recent phenomenon of the Christian Right trying to recruit black churches, which are generally socially very conservative. Sure, there have always been a few Republican black preachers around, but what's new is attempting to exploit the dim view black churches seem to have of homosexuality and abortion.

I don't know just how many are being brought into this new fold, but I remember a talk Jesse Jackson gave at a black evengelical meeting a year or so ago. He was addressing this exploitation, and asked "How many of you have been asked to perform a gay marriage?" When no one answered, he then asked "So how is this OUR problem?"

The applause was thunderous.

[Iris]

9. Yes - The right-leaning preacher said that the Republicans

are anti-gay marriage and anti-abortion - these are the "important issues" - like black people don't have anything other than those to issues to worry about.

[bliss_eternal]

12. Exactly--

which could be applied to broader terms as well, imo. As if *anyone* else in this country doesn't have other concerns that impact their lives. Why vote about something that doesn't concern you? Denying citizens of any sex, color or creed rights is based on hatred and really has no place on political platforms.

There are some caucasians in this country that obviously voted for * based on those issues--to deny someone else the right to do something. It never occurs to them that that same vote is a denial of their own rights as well--financial rights, equality based on class--not wealth, etc. But it's hard to feel sorry for people like that, those that vote not about their own interests and concerns, but to deny others choices--gays the right to marry and women reproductive rights.

If you're too stupid to look at candidates based on what they can do for you and your interests, you deserve everything you get (and don't get) as far as that candidate is concerned...

[Doctor_J]

7. * has also bribed them with federal dollars