Ramblings' Journal

Star Parker: How the GOP can win the black vote

In the wake of last week's Bush victory, Town Hall columnist (and Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education president) Star Parker has a list steps that the GOP can take to continue to grow the black Republican vote in America.

Continue to focus on the black church. Black Christians still vote overwhelmingly Democratic. Republicans are making gains, as evidenced by this election. But we're not making the gains we should. What does it say when Bill Clinton of Monica Lewinsky fame continues to get the warm welcome he does in black churches? There's a problem here. Black religious leaders need to be engaged to think about what is going on.

Understand that the messenger is as important as the message. One reason Bill Clinton gets the affection he does from blacks, despite the truth that he represents everything destructive to our community, is that blacks sense that he cares. Nothing gets done without trust, and the truth is that there are few Republican leaders who can walk into a black church, even with the best news in the world, and be received with trust. Black religious leaders need to be courted by Republicans they can trust and feel comfortable with.

One other point that Parker makes that I wholeheartedly agree with is that the GOP must maintain an open line of communication with blacks.

If the community only sees the face of the GOP at election time, then a huge measure of distrust will remain, as the one question that comes to mind is, "What do they want now?"

And, as I've said repeatedly, open communication allows the GOP to deliver it's own message and to clarify that message themselves -- and it prevents the Jackson-Sharpton cabal from spewing their ongoing lies and half-truths and presenting them as the be-all, end-all truth.

Contrary to what many believe, I don't think that an ongoing dialogue with black America can be crafted overnight. But if an honest attempt at making inroads can be made, then a true two-party system can be forged within black America with time.

Posted by mhking at November 9, 2004 07:39 AM