It's bad enough for the GOP that blacks and Hispanic voters aren't in their corner — it also looks pretty bad when there are so few politicians of color repping for the Republican side. But since when have the major players really cared about that sort of thing?
At the start of the Bush years, the Republican National Committee — in tandem with the White House — vowed to usher in a new era of GOP minority outreach. As George W. Bush winds down his presidency, Republicans are now on the verge of going six — and probably more — years without an African-American governor, senator or House member. That’s the longest such streak since the 1980s.
Former Oklahoma Congressman J.C. Watts, who is black and a Republican, told Politico that when he ran in 1994, 13 other black Republicans were running for Congress. Watts was the only one who won, but the rest were viable candidates. This year, the Republican party has zero black candidates with a shot in hell of winning any major elections. Meanwhile, the Dems have 43 African Americans in congress.
None of this should come as any sort of surprise, although it seems that some GOPers with a clue have the decency to be a little uneasy about the all-white roster of candidates on the block in November. Particularly considering how "in" diversity is in politics right about now. [Politico]
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Is it a shock that in these times, that the GOP has trouble getting the Black vote?
When they hold up 'ol Ronnie as the Gold Standard Republican at every chance they get and then not notice that a large swath of Black folks kinda, sorta HATE the dude, it shows either they are severely disconnected with Black people, don't care all that much about getting the Black vote, or just don't give 2 figs about Black people. Either way, their indifference is showing each and every time the speak of Ronald Reagan in near Christ-like terms.
They don't care about the Black vote and we shouldn't pay them any attention when they try to half-ass any kind of compassion on our behalf.
Esteban,
I'm a registered Independent. I think the two-party system is failing miserably. But I also think that it makes little sense for the GOP to spend a lot of time courting the Black vote. Each time they do, they are accused of ulterior motives and they ultimately get nowhere.
On the other hand, Dems seem to feel that the Black vote is theirs for the taking, so while they do some election-time pandering, I don't see what they are doing at all to EARN that vote. They also have "half-assed" compassion and been greatly rewarded for it.
I happen to think that if the Black vote swung overwhelmingly to a third party, each of the major parties would have a critical wake-up call and realize that we are a voting bloc that (1) matters and (2) must be fought for.
Does anyone think we should have a mulit-party system like France and England?
We should but we won't.
I am not a fan of either party. One is paternalistic and condescending while the other is apathetic at best towards the issues affecting those who aren't white, Christian, heterosexual or wealthy. That they have so many middle-class white people voting for them still shocks me.