The Georgia Republican State Convention is popping this weekend so it’s time to play “count the negroes.” I will get calls from Black GOP friends and associates regarding the size vehicle you could put all of the African-Americans at this event in at one time comfortably. Escalade seems appropriate because we love ourselves some Cadillacs.
Georgia contains the best Black area in the world, Atlanta, and therefore, the state has many many business-oriented, self-made Blacks who are conservative to moderate on paper. Secondly, outside of Atlanta, Blacks are use to functioning with GOP elected leaders. The opportunity has been there for GOP candidates to enjoy 10, 20, or maybe 30% of the Black vote but they don’t want it because the regular GOP crew would see sizable Black numbers as an indicator of liberalism.
The 2014 U.S. Senate primary on the GOP side could be decided by a few votes. This week, former Secretary of State Karen Handel jumped into the race. This former Atlanta area elected official could have been governor if she cultivated a little of the Black support she experienced in the ATL but she was defeated in a primary runoff by 2500 votes. Of course, the maneuver I am suggesting would have required Black voting in the GOP primary but wise folks know that the Dem team is weak in Georgia so the GOP primary is often where leaders are picked. I do it all the time.
Rep. Jack Kingston is in the senate race also. …Jack…cool Jack….my man Jack. Careful, Jack. Please. One on one, Kingston is one friendly guy but the GOP information (or disinformation) machine requires the delivery of rough talking point (yes, the Dems do the same thing.) Jack is well liked in the Black community from Augusta to Warner Robins to Valdosta because he supports our military bases and farms. So, Kingston should play that Rep. Austin Scott/Rep. Sanford Bishop nice guy role by voting the party line but limited the non-policy attacks on the president from the other party. The Obama administration is currently giving them plenty of real targets so fire away nicely.
Handel or Kingston could get 20% of their primary votes from crossover Blacks who aren’t GOP if they play their cards right. The percentage is more than enough to tip the scales to victory and if Michelle Nunn doesn’t jump into the race, the whole state should vote in the GOP primary.
In the land of MLK, “I have a dream” that one day the GOP—the party of Lincoln- will have a state convention with brothers and sistas with goatees and naturals. I mean the bros should have goatees. You know, guys who grew up on Black self-reliance discussions at the dinner table. People who are uncomfortable with the government being all up in their business. People who don’t need the state to tell them to care for and feed their children.
Surprisingly, Clarence Thomas is one the most afro-centric cats on the nation stage and as Chuck D said about someone else “don’t tell me that you understand until you hear the man.” A new Black conservatism could be based on Thomas’s book about his grandfather. Black southerners are primed to be separated from real liberals and from the thug element of the hip hop culture. However, we can’t find a home inside the Right because the far Right likes ugly talk too much. What’s a brother to do?
Oh, God. The Party of Lincoln? Really? Lincoln would be a democrat in today’s America. The Tea Party would eat him alive…
[quote] The opportunity has been there for GOP candidates to enjoy 10, 20, or maybe 30% of the Black vote but they don’t want it because the regular GOP crew would see sizable Black numbers as an indicator of liberalism.[/quote]
Brother Slyram:
What a peculiar article of analysis that you have written.
You MAKE IT SEEM as if the IMPORTANT GOAL here is for a political party to show itself ATTRACTIVE TO BLACK PEOPLE.
Lets flip it all around in an attempt to reconcile with the real world.
If I argued that Dekalb County, Atlanta/South Fulton and Clayton County are DEMOCRATIC PARTY STRONG HOLDS…………………and as a result of the successful implementation of the “Urban Strategy” the PROGRESSIVES, via the DEMOCRATIC PARTY should have by now DEVELOPED BLACK PEOPLE through the HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTIONS that they now dominate in these places.
INSTEAD the fact that they have compelled “The Blacks” to look past any assignment of vengeance against the local school board, mayors, police chiefs or legislative business development committee members and instead have the “Black Angst” targeted towards the “STATE REPUBLICANS” ……………it is a mighty sign of the power that the “Black Racial Services Machine” has in keeping their “Congregation” focused in a manner where, despite the incumbency of the FAVORABLE PEOPLE IN POWER – there represents an operationalized “Establishment Power Repudiation” in which “The Blacks” are made to believe that they don’t have the POWER to expect BETTER RESULTS through the institutions controlled by the favorable people and thus they expand their vote toward “Nationalized Social Justice”.
I make the case that THIS is a more referential accurate model of the choice to turn the ‘Black Community Development Struggle” into a pure game of political opportunism”
What’s a brother to do? Work on de-fragging Black culture of chocolate Klansman ( inner city thug ) worship; de-throne do-nothing pols & use our vote to hold both parties accountable to our interests