Charter Schools: Why Republicans Can’t Make This Issue A Winner ......

Thats the answer that Vladimir posits a question to in a post at Redstate (the conservative blog that would swiftly ban me for this point of view...if they hadn't already). Vladimir asks a question that really should be examined by the GOP as a party and conservatives as a movement, namely why don't we make any headway with this issue with blacks? He points out....

The conservative solution is demonstrably the better solution. And it doesn’t take a generation to prove it. Republicans do a lot of hand wringing, trying to figure out how to make the Republican Party and conservative governance relevant to the minority community.  Charter schools are a way to do it without pandering.


I completely agree with the above statement. Nonetheless, conservatives get nowhere with the black community on this.  Commenters on the issue at Redstate respond with a variety of excuses: its because the constituency that benefits most (poor and working class urban blacks) are not swing voters, or the GOP is made up of moderates with no passion for the issue and some other equally lame ideas.

As is depressingly the case when talking about the GOP and blacks, everybody keeps ducking the real issue and consequently, it never gets addressed. Republicans make no traction with minority communities with charter school initiatives because as a party, the GOP has not made a decision that it considers blacks a necessary or essential political constituency to its aspirations for governance.


The political constituency that most benefits from pushing charter schools as a political strategy are urban, black voters and the GOP has demonstrated no true interest in making inroads with this group. The GOP would be hard pressed to reconcile its manifest disinterest in this group politically with an agressive effort to advance a charter school education agenda, because it would mean championing the interests of blacks.

The GOP certainly has the conservative platform from which to do this, with education and charter schools being an excellent launch point. But we get no value or traction from this excellent advantage we have because as a party, we have yet to decide that we are serious about engaging blacks as a political constituency. Its like fighting with one hand behind your back and its stupid.

GOP's NY-23 Defeat Points the Way to Win Blacks & Latino's to the Conservative Cause

Dave G's NY-23 post mortem nails the broad political lesson:

What this shows is that neither running as Democrats-lite nor as talk-radio-style anarcho-conservatives will win the future for the GOP. What will yield a Republican comeback in 2010 and beyond is the McDonnell/Christie model, where Republican candidates ideologically appropriate for their states and districts run as pragmatic conservatives who are solutions-oriented and who are running to apply their conservatism to public problems. This is the type of Republicanism that can win, and it did win in purple Virginia and blue New Jersey. It did so by contrasting a GOP that was optimistic and problem-solving yet distinctly conservative with a corrupt, interest-group-friendly, tax-and-spend leftist establishment. This is the model that Republicans should emulate, not the Rockefeller-esque model of Dede nor the Palin/Beck model of Hoffman.

The above is completely on point and totally tracks with my attitude about the purpose of being a conservative in the first instance (superior problem solving to address the needs of our respective communities and country). It also tracks almost perfectly with what is required of the GOP to win blacks and latinos to its banner and the conservative cause, namely, ideologically and operationally superior solution sets and optimistic problem solving conservatism applied to the public problems of black and latino political constituencies.

Limbaugh's Race Baiting: GOP Funky Messaging to Blacks Continues

On some days, it is hard to find counter arguments to the idea that the GOP is destined to become a regional party largely the province of a core of white conservatives espousing a far right ideology. I've often made the point that the GOP's lousy relationship with blacks is due to the fact that the party has not made a decision that blacks are a political constituency necessary or essential to the GOP's aspirations for governance. In practice, this means they pay little to no attention to the affect of their messaging on blacks or indeed operate without regard to it. Why bother to be careful about how you communicate to this particular group since you are not interested in their votes?

The party's ideological commander in chief Rush Limbaugh, has once again brought home this point with stunning clarity with comments on his show earlier this week.

LIMBAUGH: As the economy performs worse than expected, the deficit for the 2010 budget year beginning in October will worsen by $87 billion to $1.3 trillion. The deterioration reflects lower tax revenues and higher costs for bank failures, unemployment benefits and food stamps. But in the Oval Office of the White House none of this is a problem. This is the objective. The objective is unemployment. The objective is more food stamp benefits. The objective is more unemployment benefits. The objective is an expanding welfare state. And the objective is to take the nation’s wealth and return to it to the nation’s quote, “rightful owners.” Think reparations. Think forced reparations here if you want to understand what actually is going on.

Its race baiting. Its intentional and deliberate pitting of a white political base against blacks to advance a political point. From the rank and file up to leadership, few will even bother to distance themselves from a comment like this. This kind of commentary is threatening both because its being put forward in political speech in this way and because its being eagerly lapped up by its audience. Will Michael Steele even have the guts to repudiate a comment like this? Just recently, he's gutsy enough to call Obama an affirmative action President, but is he willing to call out Rush on crap messaging like this to blacks, a political constituency he claims he wants the GOP to do a better job with? Probably not. The funky messaging continues.

Sentencing Guidelines: An Opportuntity for Steele and the GOP

If the GOP and Michael Steele really wanted to put its money where its mouth was when it comes to opening up the party and bringing blacks into a better relationship with the party, here is a perfect opportunity.

Color of Change has ginned up a campaign to fight sentencing disparities, a timely effort given that their might be some daylight for this issue. Legislation is moving around in Congress to eliminate the sentencing disparities that have created a national disaster: 1 in 15 Black adults in America are now behind bars. Not because they commit more crime but largely because of unfair sentencing rules that treat 5 grams of crack cocaine, the kind found in poor Black communities, the same as 500 grams of powder cocaine, the kind found in White and wealthier communities.

You have to be convicted of moving roughly $500,000 worth of cocaine to trigger a 5-year sentence. For crack? About $500 worth. These laws punish the lowest-level dealers, while providing a loophole that helps those running the trade escape harsh sentences. The U.S. Sentencing Commission, which provides sentencing guidelines for judges, has petitioned Congress numerous times to change the sentencing laws. Senate bill 1711 will completely eliminate the sentencing disparity and end the mandatory minimum for crack possession, while increasing funding for drug treatment programs.

This has been a long running injustice in the sentencing guidelines, made law by Democrats no less including our current vice president. The GOP has run on a law and order ticket often and has made hay with issues like sentencing for political gain. But the sentencing guidelines are unjust and unfair in this regard and have done great damage to black communities. That damage is compounded when add in the problems of recidivism and reentry. It takes nothing away from the GOP's rule of law bona fides to support a move to correct this problem. If we were smart, we'd pick up this ball and run with it and give ourselves an argument for black support that would resonate with every family that has had a loved one do hard time under these guidelines.

If we were smart.

Latinos Lost in Limbo

Hat tip to Daily Kos

Kos's regular abbreviated pundit roundup wrangles up an interesting piece about the place of Latinos in America's racial discourse. When we talk about the racial divide, its often in black and white. Latinos don't appear to be a part of the conversation and it strikes me that their seeming invisibility or low profile in the discussion about race and policy is in part because they don't have the same coherence of shared experience that blacks do.

I spent time in Europe and when I was there, I was struck by what seemed to me the lack of a shared political mindset among blacks in Britain. They did not seem to me to have a sense of shared identity in the way black Americans do. In general, most blacks in America know where other blacks are coming from. We have, broadly speaking, a common frame of reference culturally and politically. This did not seem to be the case for UK's blacks in the 80's.

After some thought, I chalked this up to the fact that blacks in Britain are immigrants from a variety of different places, each with its own "black" experience. Some were from Haiti, some from Jamaica, others from different countries in the Motherland itself and so they did not necessarily have widely shared attitudes and thinking among each other. Consequently, I did not get the sense of any great political commonality among them.

America's latino community strikes me the same way. Because they hail from many different parts of South America, they don't have a common political identity around which they easily cohere. As a consequence, they don't seem to have mobilized themselves in the same way blacks have for many years. Within that community, I suspect they have a variety of issues upon which the diversity within the community mitigates against consensus

Trading in the Currency of Black Irrationality

I consider myself a man of conservative views and a reluctant republican. I believe conservative ideology and principles to be superior to those which underpin the Democratic party. That's why I became a republican. I believe GOP implementation of those conservative ideals and principles is sorely lacking. That's what makes me reluctant.

I disagree quite strongly with black conservatives who give credence to the idea that black voter loyalty to the democrats is essentially a product of mass delusion and brain washing by the democratic party. In this meme, the democratic party is like a cult and blacks are weak minded children mesmerized by a pied piper.

LaShawn Barber kicks it this way:

Democrats consistently get 90 percent of the black vote. Why? Years of damage caused by liberal ideology and misinformation pumped into the black community for the past 25 years.

This train of thought posits a black community essentially too stupid and deluded by others to evaluate the parties on what they deliver and how they deliver it. She asks the following question:

So why did large numbers of blacks switch from voting for Republicans to voting for Democrats?

And gives this non answer to it:

Some say it was President John F. Kennedy’s perceived sensitivity to the oppression of minorities that endeared him and his party to black Americans.

I think this non answer is disingenuous, and the entire argument a species of falsehood. Its perpetuating a myth of black idiocy and irrationality while avoiding talking about GOP messaging and tactics. The GOP, on issues like law and order and affirmative action, has engaged in messaging tactics intended to pit its base against blacks. It has intentionally used wedge messaging, at times with racial undertones, to gain political advantage. Blacks have reacted accordingly by shifting their support to democrats. While it is true that democratic policies have not yielded their promised benefits, it is decidedly incorrect to characterize black engagement with democrats as proof positive that we are not rational political actors. This argument is almost religiously advanced by the right to justify non engagement with blacks, and deflects discussion away from the fact that the GOP has decided that blacks are not a political constituency essential to its aspirations for governance, and acts accordingly.

LaShawn, as conservatives to the right are wont to do, reminds her readers about blacks historical engagement with the GOP at a time when democrats were the party of Jim Crow. This is usually cited as support for the argument that blacks should return to the party of Lincoln (who would have left blacks in chains if it had served his purposes in saving the union), which always prompts me to retort "that was then, this is now". She goes beyond the myth of black political irrationality to cite lingering black memories of government's positive role in Reconstruction, desegregation and the New Deal as a more fundamental reason for black disaffection with the GOP. She posits that it is those memories that make us resistant to the GOP's message of distrust for government. The argument is a bit squishy and psycho babbilish in a way, but its a reasonable opinion. I find fault with LaShawn's view however, because it does not call to account the GOP's political practice at all. This discussion in her view seems to only revolve around black political irrationality (a position I reject) with no analysis or discussion of GOP behavior. In other words, Barber excoriates us for our behavior, and gives the GOP a pass for theirs. Behavior predicated on a calculus she readily admits:

....Republicans can win elections without the black vote; Democrats can’t.

A calculus by the way that demographic change in the United States will render obsolete between now and 2040.

The Lack of a Coherent Immigration Policy is Costing Us

Hispanics outpace African-Americans as federal prisoners

Hat tip - Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog 

NATIONAL: "Hispanics Are Largest Ethnic Group in Federal Prisons, Study Shows," by Solomon Moore, New York Times, 19 February 2009.

Annual number of federal offenders doubles from 1991-2007. Thank you War on Drugs. But the Latino numbers quadruple, with the vast bulk being immigration sentences, followed by drug sentences. Of the Latinos in our fed prisons, 72% are not citizens--nice. Most are sent there by the four border states (CA, AZ, NM and TX). Cross the border illegally and--thanks to our zero tolerance--we toss you in jail. The average sentence for Latinos is 46 months. This is a good use of our taxpayer money all right.

My Black Conservative/Republican Soul

In a speech Lincoln delivered in 1858 in Charleston, Ill he said:

“I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races — that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this, that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equlity. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I, as much as any other man, am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.”

Republicans often like to refer to Lincoln as a pivotal figure in the historic trajectory of black Americans from slaves to free citizens and so he was. But such hype should not be overdone. The above is a very sobering and clarifying statement of Lincoln's thinking on the status of blacks politically and socially. Given this, its foolish for republicans to expound about the GOP as the party of Lincoln as a rhetorical proof that the GOP's history should persuade blacks to flock to our banner. He was a great man, but in the matter of blacks, he was as small as most other men of his day. It is not his humanity that lifted him above his peers in making a historical impact on the lives of blacks, but rather his pragmatism in the pursuit of a goal to which he felt all others to be subservient, that of preserving the union. If the price of preserving the Union had meant leaving blacks in bondage for another 200 years, Lincoln would have done that, and he said so. "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union."

The freedom of blacks was entirely incidental to Lincoln's enterprise to save the Union. God be praised that the historical circumstances which shaped Lincoln's decisions inured to the historical benefit of blacks. GOP members on occasion put forth the argument that MLK was a republican, hoping that claiming this revered black historical figure will encourage blacks to join the GOP fold. The claim is not based on some facts such as registration with the party or even a statement by King himself as best I can determine. Instead, the claim flows from the fact that at the time of the Civil Rights movement, King and his supporters were opposed by a racist party establishment composed of Democrats. Therefore the logic goes, he must have been a republican, as he could not possibly have been a democrat, the party supporting segregation. It does not appear to be true. MLK Sr. was a registered republican, not uncommon at the time, but not his son. MLK Jr. voted for LBJ and Kennedy. In the book "The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.," which was published after King's death from his written material and records, King called the 1964 Republican national convention that nominated Goldwater a "frenzied wedding ... of the KKK and the radical right." Near the end of his life, his ideas about economic justice would certainly not have put him in the GOP camp. Clearly, King's views as a Christian would have been in line with GOP views, but that may be all that one can reasonably say.

For years before I decided to become a republican, I despised black republicans as sellouts and uncle toms. This derision didn't come from the simple fact of being a republican. No, my contempt had a basis in my distaste for blacks who declared themselves republicans and in doing so became screeching caricatures, individuals who took every opportunity to reflexively parrot right wing criticism of blacks as social and cultural degenerates, act as apologists for divisive GOP political tactics and promote revisionist historical myths like the above. Visit the National Black Republican Association website and you'll find my evidence for this criticism. The site is rife with parroted accusations of Obama as a Marxist and socialist. Elsewhere are articles dripping with derision for their fellow blacks by trumpeting the racist history of the Democratic party and ignoring GOP political tactics pitting the base against blacks, all delivered with a smug and condescending tone.

Black Conservatives Should Be Problem Solvers, Not Bomb Throwers. I routinely object to the tone and tenor of commentary on the right about the continued commitment of blacks to the Democratic party. The underlying insinuation behind conservative critiques of black allegiance to the democrats is that blacks are brainwashed dependents of the government and simply too stupid to recognize the superiority of GOP policy prescriptions for their lives. Many of our oft heard black conservatives/republicans co-sign this insulting meme to one degree or another and I condemn this rhetorical behavior. Being a black republican ought to mean more than simply parroting with great zeal and enthusiam the shibboleths of the right, especially when their potency is fueled by nasty racial undertones.

Being a black conservative/republican should mean that we take conservative values and policy prescriptions and apply those ideas to the problems encountered in our community and that in doing so, we are fundamentally more effective in solving those problems than Democrats, because we proceed from principles which are morally and ideologically superior. What is the point of being a conservative/republican if not to consistently be more effective, more successful problem solvers for our community? Solving problems ought to be the measure of relevance for black conservatives. Efficacy in the service of the black community and of our country in general should be the standard, not whether you have a recurring pinch hitter role on Rush, or can routinely deliver bellicose warnings about the socialist apocalypse to come that would make a Stormfront member stand up and cheer. I did not sign on to the GOP so I could dog out my own people. I went GOP to talk sense and reason with my own people and solve problems, not to become a right wing race hustler Ward Connerly style, or to parrot vicious, divisive rhetoric of the right like Mychal Massie or the now utterly hysterical Alan Keyes. Conservatism is for problem solving and that is what is down on the inside of my black conservative/republican soul.

Dunbar Village Campaign Gains Momentum & Visibility

The NAACP so far appears to show less media savvy that Al Sharpton. Sharpton tried for a pre-emptive strike by inviting bloggers to his radio show in an attempt to get out in front of the story. Thus far, the NAACP does not appear to have made any official, on the record response regarding their involvement in the Dunbar case. This is a mistake and shows old media thinking. While they dawdle in a case where the facts are so clear, momentum for the campaign is growing and with 20+ blog outlets giving it coordinated messaging, its going to bubble up into MSM awareness.

Here is just some of the attention it has garnered thus far:

BlackVoices.com
The Baltimore Sun
The Chicago Tribune
The Houston Chronicle
PalmBeachPost.com
News Leader.com (Springfield MO)

These articles and more won't be the end of it if there is not a reversal of course.

Stop Al Sharpton and the NAACP from endangering Black Women!

Cross posted from Black Women Vote! in support of justice for the Dunbar Village rape victim and her 12 year old son.


Right-thinking black people everywhere are stunned by the recent betrayal of Al Sharpton and the NAACP in a situation that is just too outrageous to ignore.

This is a painful story to tell, but it's important for the moral, law-abiding majority of black Americans to understand exactly why Al Sharpton and the NAACP must be immediately stopped.

On June 18, 2007, a black woman was gang raped by 10 youths and forced at gunpoint to have sex with her own 12 year old son in a housing complex called Dunbar Village in West Palm Beach, Florida. The young men not only viciously punched, kicked and sliced this sister and her son with glass objects, but they also blinded her boy by pouring nail polish remover into his eyes.

The young men forced this sister and son to lay naked in a bathtub together, and attempted to set them on fire (they could not find matches). The youths boldly took cell phone pictures so that they could enjoy their violent, immoral and sadistic acts at a later time. The violence continued for more than three hours, and although this sister's neighbors heard her screams, no one called the police or came to her aid.

This sister and her son had to walk a mile to the hospital, because the assailants stole her car, and threatened to kill her and her family if she told the authorities.

Only four of the young men have been apprehended, while the remaining six are on the loose, doing Lord knows what in our communities. There is no manhunt for the remaining suspects.

As devastating as this story is, what the NAACP and Al Sharpton have done about it will simply take your breath away:

Not only did the NAACP ignore hundreds of requests to assist this woman because it was 'outside the scope of their mission', but they joined forces with Al Sharpton, and sent their lawyers to speak out IN SUPPORT OF THE RAPISTS.

You heard me right.

Even though there is conclusive DNA evidence and signed confessions, the NAACP and Al Sharpton are saying that it is 'unfair' to not offer bail to these four alleged rapists. They even had a press release about it.

IT IS TIME FOR SENSIBLE BLACK PEOPLE TO STOP THIS KIND OF NONSENSE ONCE AND FOR ALL.

Al Sharpton and the NAACP are banking on the belief that you and I will be just like this black woman's neighbors. Join me by saying NOT THIS TIME. We will not turn a deaf ear to when we hear calls for help from one of our sisters and brothers who are being victimized.

Stop the NAACP and Al Sharpton's National Action Network from committing this disgrace in our community. Just this once, let's stand up and be counted by saying that we demand safe neighborhoods for our women and children.

Here is what you can do:

Please make a $5, $10, $50, $100 or more contribution to the victim fund to help the Dunbar Village victim and her son rebuild their shattered lives

Checks should be made payable to the Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund - St. Ann. You can drop your contribution off at any Wachovia Bank branch, or mail them to:

Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund - St. Ann.
St. Ann Catholic Church
310 N. Olive Ave.
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
561-832-3757

1. Spread the word. Forward this email if your conscience and concern have been raised. Send it to every concerned black citizen that you know.

2. Demand an explanation from your local NAACP chapter about this case. Cancel your membership to these organizations, and write a letter explaining that you will return when they prioritize the public safety needs of black women and children.

3. If you do not belong to these organizations, call and write them to tell them of your outrage and displeasure:

NAACP National Headquarters
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore MD 21215
Toll Free: (877) NAACP-98
Local: (410) 580-5777

National Action Network
Rev. Al Sharpton
106 W. 145th Street
Harlem, New York 10039
212-690-3070
877-NAN-HOJ1

4. f you know an African American reporter or a black radio talk show host, forward this story them and ask them to follow up on it.

Each Friday at 9:00am, visit any of the websites below, which will give you an update on the status of this situation. DO NOT LET THIS GO. Let us start working for safer neighborhoods in black communities.


Read the history of the Dunbar Village problem here:

http://www.dunbarvillage2008.blogspot.com

ON FRIDAYS, CHECK THE NETWORK OF A NEW GENERATION OF BLACK ACTIVISTS:


http://blackwomenvote.blogspot.com
http://adifferentstory.wordpress.com
http://anonymissblog.blogspot.com/
http://auntjemimasrevenge.blogspot.com
http://blackfirewhitefire.blogspot.com/
http://blackwomenvote.blogspot.com
http://charactercorner.blogspot.com
http://electronicvillage.blogspot.com
http://episcopalienne.blogspot.com
http://essentialpresence.blogspot.com
http://focusedpurpose.blogspot.com/
http://h-essays.blogspot.com/
http://lareinacobre.blogspot.com/
http://mynewblog-ravenelvenlady.blogspot.com/
http://politicalseason.blogspot.com
http://privyconcepts.blogspot.com/
http://thesowingcircle.blogspot.com/
http://web.mac.com/roslynholcomb/iWeb/Site/Blog/Blog.html
http://whataboutourdaughters.com
http://whattamisaid.blogspot.com
http://whattamisaid.blogspot.com/
http://www.blacksapience.blogspot.com
http://yanmommasaid.blogspot.com
http://www.somethingwithin.com/blog

--

Black Women: Please visit my blog at
http://www.blackwomenvote.blogspot.com
and let the revolution begin!

Tavis, Stop Drinking Your Own Koolaid

The Black Blogosphere has lit up with reaction to Tavis' hissy fit due to Obama's decision not to attend Tavis' State of the Black Union event (check out Boyce Watkins in the feature video section above). Tavis called the decision a "miscalculation and a missed opportunity". Please, get over yourself. Some people supporting Smiley's position that Obama should attend say he is not coming in order
to maintain favor with white voters by not appearing too black, or advance the notion he is straddling the fence of white and black opinion. These silly arguments are little more than a rehash of the "is Obama really black?" question that the vast majority of black people have already put to bed, as evidenced by the 80+ percent of them voting for him in caucuses and primaries.

There are excellent reasons why Obama should not attend Tavis's event. In the heat of a campaign like this, every minute of his time is gold and he can't afford to spend it unwisely. He already won in Louisiana, Texas and Ohio are coming up and he is trying to gain ground in those states and close out his rival for the nomination. Its about winning and going to the big dance, but Tavis is suggesting he take his eye off the ball to help Tavis' gig be big success. What for? Tavis is not delivering some audience that Obama is not or has not already reached. Furthermore, this idea that Tavis advances of Obama taking an opportunity to address the "real" issues of black america is nonsense. The themes of his campaign and the issues he is raising of jobs, the war, healthcare, all that stuff is important to blacks. We are so busy demanding people speak to our grievances, complaints and victim identity, we take our eye off the ball.

I can hear some now saying "well Hillary is coming, she made time". Of course. She is low on cash, any free media is good and if Obama came she would get a ton. Further, she needs face time with black folk after she and Bill totally blew their longstanding most favored Caucasian status with smear tactics, clumsy rhetoric and a clear attempt to connect Barack to white voter discomfort on the subject of race. The result? Obama is taking 80% and more of the black vote in every contest. She badly needs to rebuild some ground with us. She needs Tavis, Obama does not.

Lastly, Tavis' event is not the only place for the definitive word on black peoples issues to be revealed to the masses. Nor does Barack have to show up at a "black" event to speak to black issues. Tavis' elitist notion that it is only in the presence of he and his black intellectual friends that light may be shed upon the issues of Black America is just that, a notion. Anybody says they don't know what Obama stands for don't want to know. Now, some say, well I haven't heard from him on this specific issue I got. Well, the list of specific issues you have not heard him speak on directly will likely not get any shorter. But to suggest that Obama is somehow suspect or disregarding black folk because in the middle of the most important political battle of his life, at a point where his every move counts and he is playing for a place in the history books, that he should break from a winning game plan because Tavis throws a hissy fit when he gets reminded that the black universe does not revolve around him and his event is extremely stupid.

God Speed Obama

Today is Super Tuesday. 24 states across the nation will go to the polls to cast their votes for the nominee they want to represent the respective parties in the general election. Among the candidates contending for that vote is Barack Obama, the senator from Illinois, the state of my birth, a black man vying to become President of the United States and in so doing, make American history.

I listened last night to Harold Ford Jr. the current DNC chairman, on the Charlie Rose show arguing the merits of today's vote producing a clear winner and talking the merits of both candidates out of one side of his mouth while slyly slanting his commentary in Hillary's favor out the other. He was one of the early Obama critics, publicly stating that an Obama win of the nomination would mean the party's defeat in the general. He has been among a group of critics such as Tavis Smiley, damning Obama with faint praise. Or those of the black democratic establishment, like Andrew Young, who have told Obama "wait your turn boy'.

All these haters that Barack has had to contend with. And look at him now. Barack has run a damn effective campaign, raised $132 million, won 2 primaries and been competitive in all, and is now poised to potentially win an insurgent victory in today's Super Tuesday contests. He has accomplished this against the entrenched political machine of the most accomplished political duo in democratic history who have dominated democratic politics for over a decade.

Its easy to forget dear reader that a scant 45 days ago, Hillary's victory was all but assured. It was a coronation ceremony, not a nomination contest. The Iowa caucus earthquake was January 5th people! Now Obama is surging, victory nearly within his grasp.

I've made the case here and elsewhere that African Americans should support Obama's run, win or lose, because he is qualified, credible and bonus, he's black. There is no down side to giving him our support. What he has done, what he is doing, lifts up Black America. His run, his example, his history, his family, his identity, his leadership.....is a credit to us. He has done us proud. We've supported and are supporting so many buffoons and charlatans. In Detroit, they are retaining a black mayor who's behavior is shameful and egregious. Contrast that to Obama. In New Orleans, a congressional representative who banks his bribes in the freezer still has a job. Contrast that to Obama. If Obama is an embarrassment, it is an embarrassment of riches. He, and the woman by his side, Michelle Obama, an accomplished woman in her own right, are giving us every day an example of excellence and accomplishment in motion. Michelle epitomizes class, intelligence, judgment, and commitment. She grounds his achievement, leavens his ambition and inspires him to his highest self, and she is doing that for us as well. You could not ask for a more distinctive First Lady.

So today as the Super Tuesday battle looms large and even as I write these words, millions of voters across the country are casting their votes. In this pivotal moment, as potentially another step towards history is made, I want to pause and say well done Barack. You are a credit to us. You have gone farther than your predecessors and you may go further still. I applaud your success and your commitment. I cheer you because you are not doing it alone, you are bringing us with you. I commend you because you are setting a standard that will guide those who come after you, doing both a service to our present and our future, no matter the outcome. I wish you victory on every electoral battlefield this day.

Republicans Don't Give A Rat's %#@& About Black Votes

I'm pretty much going to disavow being a republican through the remainder of this election cycle and the Univision debate is more than ample reason. As I noted in an earlier post about the failure of republican candidates to show for the Tavis debate, republicans seem to have a natural knack for screwing up the party's conversation with black voters. They blew off the conversation with Black America because they simply did not deem it important enough to talk to that constituency. They made a clear statement by their absence that they did not consider the African American vote important or necessary to their candidacy.

This stands in stark contrast to their johnny on the spot appearance for the Univision debate to talk to the Latino community. Clearly their judgment about that voting block is that it was important and worthy of their time, not too mention their patronizing, as they struggled to give broad stroke answers that softened their hard positions on immigration. The message is clear: latino community - worth talking to; black community - don't give a damn.

Why I Continue to Be a Reluctant Republican

Black Republicans may have to reassess - Herald-Mail News for Hagerstown, Washington County Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia

The no-show performance of the top tier republican candidates at Tavis' debate is the kind of crap that makes being a black republican such a pain in the &@# on a regular basis. Republicans repeatedly get this communication with black America wrong and they have a knack for making it clear that they intentionally screwed the conversation. This is the stuff that makes me a reluctant republican.

The top 4 candidates gave schedule conflicts as the reason they did not attend the debate and here is what burns me. Its clearly a lie. These debates were put on the schedule back in March and there was plenty of time to make arrangements to be there. There are black republicans, but the message this sends is that republicans don't care if there are ever any more of them. This was an important opportunity for the party to put in work with the black community and explain why the conservative viewpoint and policy prescriptions are in black interests. But noooo, instead we are no shows. It pissed me off, so I decided I wasn't voting for a republican candidate, that I would just support Obama's bid for history. I may change my mind later, but that's how bad it ticked me off.

Is the March the Only Thing in Our Playbook?

Lifestyle: Civil Rights Leaders Put Federal Government On Notice - Mybrotha.COM Online Magazine For Black Men

So we planning another march are we?

Energized by the Jena-6 case, the Rev. Al Sharpton and other civil rights leaders are urging Black Americans to speak out against hate crimes and support the movement by taking action. They are also asking the federal government to intervene in local issues of bigotry and protect Black American.

The race hustlers are at work again. I don't know whether to laugh or put my head through a meat grinder. Race hustlers like Sharpton would bother me less if they would at least figure out how to be a little original. We've been marching since the 60's, hell before. Its a different world and that approach is played out. There was a time when a march was a powerful thing for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was you could get your skull bashed in for doing it. It was a potent symbol and reality of black people using their power to press for redress of social ills, all the more so because it was risky. You could get hurt, even killed. Further, many other avenues for bringing pressure were closed to us. The law, politics, provided no guarantees of our fundamental rights. Applying pressure in an area where there was no way to blunt or deflect retaliation was often not an option.

Not so today. Our rights are largely protected under the law, mediated by the resources we can bring to bear in our defense of course. We have a plethora of tactics and strategies to use along with all new tools like the internet. Today, we are protesting Jena, and Megan Williams and Dunbar Village....well not Dunbar Village yet....and nooses and what not, while at the same time a Harvard educated black man has raised $57 million and is making a run for the White House. So Sharpton wants to march. Big deal. There is no risk in that. No risk of success, because their is little to be gained, and no risk of failure because if anybody shows up, its a success.

Sharpton and Jesse both seem to be incapable of figuring out winning strategies other than meaningless marches. And they are meaningless. Neither of these so called leaders have built an organization that does something constructive besides seek redress for every ill, real or hyped up. Marches as a pressure tactic are among the most ignorable things people can do and the reason thats true is simple: we are all march and no action 90% of the time. We have no follow through because we don't focus beyond the marching moment. Not a one of the myriad issues facing black america will be solved via marches. Black incarceration at record highs? That means rebuild our families so they grow up straight, make sure we educate them. It also means real political organization to strike down unfair sentencing and none of that is an overnight deal. Black communities tore up from the flo up? That means we gotta get out and pick up the garbage, means we ought to create community development corporations and it means we ought to politically mobilize for economic policy that benefits our community. In both of the above cases, we have to put in a whole lot more effort and organization than what goes into pulling off a well attended march.

Marches, particularly when called by Sharpon or his ilk, are really just a PR scheme for the race hustlers. Its how they keep their media cachet fresh, keep the contributions and shakedown money rolling in. By periodically flexing their march muscles, they can convince non discerning white people that they can snap their finger and put 1,000,000 black people in the street full out righteous outrage whenever they like. The reality is that the marches are more about the race hustlers than they are about the issue or the truth. You know this is true when you see how they react when the truth contradicts the outrage as in the Duke case.

The march is the only thing in their playbook, along with the occasional boycott. But in 2007 baby, the march is not going to cut it as an empowerment tactic, as a pressure tool for policy change. And the problem is that the race hustlers don't care and the marchers don't get it.

Horrid Crime in South Florida: Black on Black Crime & the invisible black woman

Dunbar Village. Ring any bells? Call up any images in your mind? Or are you drawing a blank? If you answered blank, its not surprising. The story of this horrible crime against a black woman that happened in this housing project has gotten little national coverage and no response at all that I'm aware of from the black establishment (NAACP, Urban League) or from the race hustlers (Sharpton, Jackson). None of the presidential candidates have mentioned it either. In a nutshell, on June 18th, 2007, a single mother and her 12 year old were assaulted for over three hours. The mother was gang raped and sodomized by 10 black thugs and forced to perform oral sex on her 12 year old at gun point. They were then doused with cleaning fluids and household chemicals, blinding the son and burning the mother. Four are in custody and the remainder are being sought. All of this took place within the paper thin four walls of the victims public housing apartment, surrounded by other people who ignored their screams for over three hours and neither helped nor called the police. Even after the assault was over, no one in the projects lifted a finger to help. They walked miles to a hospital emergency room before anyone did anything for them.

And yet there is nothing from main stream black organizations. The national media has ignored it. Even in West Palm Beach where this happened, the outrage and urgency to do something about it is not there. The Mayor of Newark, Corey Booker, is all over the murder case of the four black students there. The contrast between his response and that of Mayor Frankel ( a woman) in Florida could not be more different.

The horror of the event is only increased for me as time passes because of the response of black America. In the time since this horrid crime, we have invaded Jena and a march is being planned in support of Megan Williams, who was viciously raped and tortured by five white people in Texas. But Dunbar Village no one is talking about. Why? Seemingly because the crime against her was committed by black men. Had it been a group of white men, I suspect that the outrage of black America would be evident and Jesse and Sharpton would have made many a visit. But we have no outrage to spare for the Dunbar Village victim because she was brutalized by other blacks? That seems to be the case and it is a sad commentary on our community. Gina Smith who authors "What About Our Daughters" has been on this issue for months now. She contacted the NAACP and their spokesman actually told her that the Dunbar Village case is not within their mission. In mission or not, that the NAACP can't muster itself to make any statement on the case or to get involved in assuring pressure is maintained for these criminals to be caught is hard to understand.

However, the NAACP chapter in Atlanta thought it was necessary to publicly comment on Michael Vick, who was not being railroaded by anyone, but was justifiably suffering the consequences of his very foolish actions. But there is no comment for the Dunbar Village victims or seemingly caring, because they were brutalized by other blacks.

Its a too common circumstance that we focus great amounts of attention and energy on injustice to blacks from whites, but have no commentary about the harms we do to each other. We will expend tremendous energy to call whites to account, but miss the opportunity to call ourselves and our community to account. Surely, the atrocity in Dunbar Village is an opportunity for us to say to each other, "this must end". The crime infested, low quality of life environment of Dunbar Village that provided the conditions, setting and the attitude of indifference by other residents for this crime is an example of the low standard that we too often tolerate. No one called the police, no one intervened and after it was over, residents behaved as though they did not care that it had happened.

The criminals have not all been brought to justice. Where is our community to demand that these people be caught? Where is the outpouring of support for the victims to help them put their lives back in order? We give support to the Jena Six, who were charged far in in excess of the crime, but who nevertheless did initiate and commit a six on one assault against another student. Protesting the prosecutor's overreach does not mean we abdicate our responsibility to make some moral critique of the Six's behavior. They are making appearances on BET. But what are we doing about the Dunbar victims to aid their recovery or address the crime committed against them? Clearly less than these other cases. And why is that? Because we are apparently far less committed to demanding accountability from ourselves than we are from white people. Had the Dunbar Village victim been brutalized by whites, we would be marching now. But we are making no effort to demand accountability from ourselves. The black community in Miami Beach should be turning these criminal dogs in. There should be no place they can find rest or shelter. The reward should be huge. But there is no outrage. Nothing on the level of what the lying woman in the Duke rape case received. Even after it was clear she was a liar, Jesse was saying his offer of help and a scholarship were still open.

Our moral compass is so off track, that we lose all perspective in the drive to press claims for redress in cases of crimes committed by whites against blacks, while at the same time basically ignoring the daily death we practice against one another. Dunbar Village is a savage example of this myopia.

Bitter Lessons

Q&A: Gov. Sebelius on Disaster Relief - Newsweek Politics - MSNBC.com

Gov. Sebelius of Kansas touched off a small firestorm with her comments regarding Guard equipment shortages in the aftermath of the Greensburg tornado disaster. She expanded on her point in a Newsweek interview:


NEWSWEEK: You and other governors have been warning for the past couple of years that your National Guard troops are stretched too thin. Was this tragedy in Greensburg your nightmare come true?

Kathleen Sebelius: It is in some sense. We have the assets we need to deal with this situation here on Day 5.

And then she goes on to say later:

NEWSWEEK: There was some pretty strong language from the White House this week. At one point, spokesman Tony Snow seemed to chide you for not asking for the right equipment from the federal government. “If you don’t request it, you’re not going to get it,” he said. How would you grade the federal response to the Greensburg disaster?

Kathleen Sebelius:We are thankful for the prompt federal response, we are thankful for the assets. This is Day 5 and we have what we need. The White House has taken lessons of previous disasters seriously and heard the outcry about timely response. This FEMA response has been terrific. We had the FEMA director, we had a disaster declaration. It’s a different situation than what we’ve seen in other cases.

My reaction: I have two main ones. 1. I'm confused. Is there an equipment problem or isn't there? All of the heavy equipment they wanted was not immediately on hand, but she says not once but twice, that its Day 5 and they have all the assets they need, a disaster declaration, FEMA director on site, the president on site, and the federal disaster response has been right on top of this thing. So is there a problem or isn't there? I dislike mealy mouthness. If you are going to pick a political fight, don't abandon it in the middle of the action. The governor of Kansas starts this little sideshow, but now she's backing off and making nice with the White House. Never mind that I can't think of a good reason to pick a fight with the White House on day two of a disaster like that. Let's leave the wisdom of picking that fight in the first instance aside for the moment. Once you've picked it, then at least be a woman about it and don't back off. If the equipment issue is true and its a problem in the Greensburg disaster response, then say so and then stick to your damn guns. Because when you back off your statements as she does here, then I have to believe you're just taken the opportunity to score some political points on the back of a media grabbing disaster. But considering that the President's approval ratings are at 28%, that is pretty much kicking a dog when its down. I guess it plays to the choir.

2. I've heard on numerous occasions right wing commentators (who I like) opine about the shameful lack of initiative, common sense and do it yourself spirit amongst the blacks of New Orleans trapped in the dome. I've heard several stories where the character of this town is praised for how people are coming together and helping each other, putting their lives back together. I expect to hear my favorite right wing commentators compare and contrast the do it yourself spirit of this town with the slacker, lazy character of blacks in New Orleans. However, while the situations have a similar scope, the response is completely different. Its Day 5 and the governor says they have all the assets they need. And why is that? Because FEMA learned how to do its frikking job on the backs of the misery of a whole bunch of black folks in New Orleans. The litany of idiotcy in the Katrina response was immense at the state level and the federal. The Mayor and Governor down there deserve a lot of blame. But you know what? When a disaster like that strikes, I expect the gorram President of the United States to get in Air Force One, show up on the scene and light a fire under everybody's rear until the situation is handled. Not do a flyby and head for the ranch. It was Bush's Guiliani moment and he blew it.

But when disaster strikes now, we've got a lightning fast, well organizaed disaster relief system that springs into action. That system was nowhere to be found for the poor black and white alike of New Orleans, but I guess I'm glad it seems to work for everyone else.