If the next White House and Congress will be better than the current, we must make every effort to quash bickering and party politics so common ground can found. African Americans who are familiar with official Washington know that we should diversify our political portfolio by supporting sensible Republicans. Obama and McCain have plans to finally bridge the partisan divide if elected.
In the rural South, we don’t trust parties much because the Dixiecrat Democrats fought against African Americans’ basic rights for years and Republicans’ core conservative principles have taken a backseat to the “politics of fear.”
The key to Republican candidates improving their numbers with African American voters centers on not turning us into Republicans but getting African Americans who generally vote for Democrats to occasionally vote for particular Republicans. For example, Obama is constantly talking about “and a few Republicans” –read the code. To me, he is appealing to his supporters to be clever and put a few Republicans in the House and Senate who will negotiate and debate with the best interest of the nation in mind.
In Georgia, Senators Chambliss and Isakson have reached across the aisle to work with moderate Democrats on immigration, agriculture and energy issues. Every far right supporter they lose should be replaced with four centrist African Americans. Isakson’s smooth brand of conservatism should be the model for the next generation of southern Republicans. Obama supporters should remember that Jim Martin—Chambliss’s opponent- beat African American Vernon Jones in the primary by highlighting Jones’ bipartisan record (I think Jones will vote for Saxby Chambliss.)
Jones would have worked day and night to energize new voters and could have won Georgia for Obama/Biden. The presidential election could have been swayed by Macon Congressman Jim Marshall supporting Obama/Biden on the zillion ads he is running from suburban Atlanta to the Florida panhandle. Democrat Marshall might have been the difference in Florida because his ads radiate as far south as Gainesville but the national Democrats evidently gave him a pass. Republicans across the nation should be calling attention to the race between Rick Goddard and Jim Marshall because a new Republican is better than a Democrat who ignores our historic efforts.
Georgia Republican Congressman Paul Broun of Athens won a special election last year by personally seeking a percentage of the African American vote than Republican strategists considered unobtainable. The first rule of American politics is that people like to be asked. Because the Republicans control the Governor’s mansion and both state legislative houses, an occasional nod to their candidates would be wise.
Project Logic Ga 
Helping Certain Republicans…
Project Logic Ga, a black moderate Democratic blog based in Georgia, offers advice to the GOP in attracting black voters: “The key to Republican candidates improving their numbers with African American voters centers on not turning us into Republican….
slyram:
Do you mind if I challenge the basic premise of your argument?
Let’s assume that the fundamental purpose for Black political advocacy is to have “the best interests of the Black community” expressed at home. Too often I hear Blacks who favor the Democrats – look at the Republican agenda and state “there is nothing in it for me” thus they vote Democrat.
As we step away from that one voter’s choice and look at the Black voter in aggregate we see today (from my own research) that there is no voting district in America where there is a Black population over 35% where a Republican is elected to a district wide office. For some Blacks this is a reassuring thing and it supports their contention that ‘Black folks know who have their best interests in mind’.
Now slyram – if we stopped our analysis right there – all would be fine with most. Instead I choose to go a bit deeper. As we look at these voting districts where Black folks indeed have their way we also see too many instances where our best interests in regard to education, public safety, economic development and health have NOT been fulfilled despite this Democratic dominance that so many have favored.
So frequently we hear lists of “What the Republicans must do in order to attract more Black people”. The truth of the matter is that the CHANGE must take place within BLACK PEOPLE. If the one guy is said to be handing out poison pills that are intended to hurt Black people and the favored guy is said to be handing out pharmaceuticals that will cure us – WHEN does the consensus of Black people stop and demand an “field study” regarding the question of if we are being cured?
In the county where I live the truth is rather evident to me. When I moved here nearly 12 years ago this was a dark red Republican county outside of metro Atlanta. Today this county is purple and turning more so as Black Democrats exit their blue counties that are turning bluer as the Republican adversaries vacate and thus the “opposition” exits as well as the Democrats who no longer wish to live where they have no one to fight against.
These Black Democrats are moving to live around their ideological enemies – settling into Republican dominated counties. They are not greeted with hostility, the threat of lynching or cross burnings. These Black Democrats seek to “live as Republicans” but continue to vote as Democrats – per the signage that is present on their lawns right now.
Thus my conclusion is not just that the Republican Party needs to change in order to attract Black people.
The truth is that Black people, seeking quality run schools, safe streets, a solid economy and community health need to start observing with their adversaries are doing and begin to implement these policies in the communities where they dominate. When a favored politician who has POLICIES that you support during your time of grievance but who ultimately does not deliver for you – has no fear in being purged for failure to deliver – you can be sure that this is a community that will continue to grow in a singular political party but will often fail to deliver the desired benefits for the residents.
Instead they will start their outward expansion – still committing to that which has failed to deliver but moving to consume in areas where they can receive such benefit.
The Black community needs to switch from advancing a particular methodology and instead focus on advancing results if there is to be real and sustainable change.
Constructive
Wow..what an outstanding post and I am so excited to get a little debate going on this blog. Yes, the vast majority of Black voters nationally will say that the Democrats nationally address issues as we want them addressed. However, this blog was created to specifically discuss Georgia and maybe the South. Black voters in this part of the country are more moderate if not conservative—noticed I said voters and not the general Black population because if you are not voting this year we aren’t cool anyway.
For example, southwest Georgia would be a ghost town if military bases and agriculture were gone; so, most people here follow the farm bill and military preparedness. These issues have been the concerns of the rural Republicans more than the urban Democrats in the past but that is changing with the awareness pushed by Sanford Bishop and other moderates.
I agree with you that the GOP should have developed moderate Black congressmen and women who are more focused on bread and butter issues than the politics of fear—to me, Georgia’s Senator Isakson and J.C. Watts are classic models.
Your point on our best interests would be great topic for a forum; the Democrats and the Republicans both feel that their agendas improve all communities. As a moderate, I like the heart and compassion of Democrats checked by what should be the fiscal conservatism of the Republicans. Many Blacks who are self-made success stories think that government helping struggling families actually promotes dependence.
Your “live as Republicans” comment is similar to the old joke that everyone becomes GOP when they make over 50K but I think it is difficult to fit every American voter neatly into two parties. Centrists and moderates can go either way. There is likely a nation in the world where the parties make their arguments and people go back and forth. I watched both major parties conventions and one thing was clear to me: many Americans don’t have that zeal for party identification and maybe that is a good thing. As a fair person, I will give credit where credit is due and trust that the next President’s agenda will be balanced by the other party. However, don’t shoot the agenda down just because it came from them. While I am a Democrat, I will admit that Newt’s Contract with America had some good points and any Republican who will reject 100% of the new Democrats agenda is being tragically partisan.
Thanks for the dialog.
Constructive
I just read parts of your blog and it is well done. I hope you don’t mind me adding it to our blogroll.
Constructive Feedback, I also am in agreement with your dialogue. It’s a two way street. And the mindset of too many African-Americans does have to change. Kathleen Parker wrote an editorial late last week basically changing her mind about her support of Governor Palin for VP for a variety of reasons. It wasn’t based on rhetoric and personal attacks, but based on facts and arguments made in her column about the person. Well, I understand that she received over 11,000 e-mails. Most of them hate mail. Simply because she used her right of free speech and she expressed her opinion. I too, have had people send hate mail and even much worse when I choose to make a decision in a 2005 Mayor’s race. The question she raised in her article was ‘the calamity of the soul.’ And that’s where we are. Until people can express themselves (especially in the area of politics) without fear of repercussion or being ostracized, we’re going to continue to have the one-sided voting at the polls. I believe our politicians have much to do with terrible mindset, but the electorate has to take part of the blame too. We must be held accountable. We must hold others accountable. We have to learn to be true to ourselves. Unfortunately, that is difficult for many. Thanks for your comments.
Amnesty International is to leftist for my taste but I wanted to mention the old Chinese proverb they use as their motto “It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” Okay, Okay, the only reason I know that is that we would pass their regional office when leaving the Hawk and Dove Pub. As Georgia delegation staffers, we solved all of the nation’s problems at that place, Bullfeathers or the old Red, White and Blue Restaurant (sweet tea that would make your teeth hurt; Georgia style.)
We really “put Georgia first” every chance had; much to the dismay of partisans from both sides of the aisle in the 90s. I remember like it was yesterday, walking down the hall in the Cannon House Office Building and Nathan Deal (by then a Republican) passed Sanford Bishop and said, “I need you to consider signing a letter to the administration regarding…” And Bishop stopped him before saying,”Nathan, if your district needs it, I will sign it because you have been there for the peanut program.” (It was a letter about warning labels on carpeting.) At the same time, there was a Georgia delegation member who refused to sign any letter with Newt, even letters in support of the aircraft industry that was vital to his district—glad to see that she is not a Dem anymore.
That’s what I like; putting the ugliness away in the best interest of Georgia. Yes, sides will disagree on major items but the American people are feed up with recreational fussing. McCain and Biden tickle me with that “I love my old friend but” stuff. However, the genteel Senate is like that; respectfully differing.
You know they have computer software that can map who voted where down to a census block. It would be naïve to think members of congress don’t look at their support areas when deciding who their friends are. Let me cut to the chase: consider supporting fair-mind members of the other party because bring more civility to all parties is healthy and I can take much more of this fussing.
“Lighting a single candle” could be supporting a candidate from another party because that reasonable voice in their meetings is very important. Black Georgians should recognize the bipartisan efforts of our two Senators—rather Nunn-like. And a Palin wink to Sanford Bishop, Jack Kingston, and Paul Broun for going into community meeting in places where you know they did not vote for you; you could have easily skipped those adversarial forums but that’s not how democracy is suppose to work. Nice moves and you can get some surprising support for that.