In 2000, I voted for George W. Bush. In South Carolina, where I live, I voted twice for Mark Sanford to become our governor and helped send Lindsey Graham to the U.S. Senate. In fact, I’ve pulled the lever for more Republicans than Democrats. And I’m exactly the kind of voter the GOP needs to survive the demographic changes the country is undergoing: I’m black.
But my days supporting the GOP are over. I won’t be voting for a Republican for high office for quite some time, if ever. And the reasons that I—and others like me—feel this way are likely to spell trouble for a party that got just 6 percent of the black vote in 2012.
In the Obama era, the GOP’s tone and tenure toward African Americans has simply become untenable. Instead of reaching out to voters like me, Republicans are squandering this opportunity by refusing to grapple with the issue of race in a way that resonates with black voters—oftentimes even denying the existence of racial barriers at all. It’s as though the GOP would rather treat us like children who need a stern talking-to by their wiser elders than as a potential voting bloc that can help the party retake the White House.
And, no, Republicans can’t just gain more black voters by supporting or nominating Dr. Ben Carson, whose talk about race sounds more like Ted Nugent than Thurgood Marshall.
I have not always felt this way. There are, or were, plenty of us out there—black voters not loyal to a particular party, making us more gettable for the Republican Party than most.
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"..Republicans are squandering this opportunity by refusing to grapple with the issue of race in a way that resonates with black voters.."
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but every time we try to reach out to black voters (or black folk in general) we get slapped in the face with 'white privilege' stuff, etc.
I don't think many black folks are interested in working things out right now.. there's been so much inflammatory rhetoric from the White House and Justice Dept. that people have bought into, that nobody seems interested in even talking.
We need to work this out. This division is killing us all.
Sooo.... continue to run up our national debt, support the terrible Iran deal, vote for a socialist or pathological liar, refuse to call Islamic terrorism what it is, support gay marriage and abortion on demand and the continued destruction of traditional family values. I would hope that you consider being an American first and then your ethnicity.The idea that only Democrats are sensitive to race issues is outrageously untrue and is part of the Democrats strategy to continue to divide all Americans as brothers.
ReplyDeleteShe makes a great point. This should be run again after Hillary wins.
ReplyDeleteI think what the poster is saying is that it's hard to vote in a Party in which it almost feels like they are resented solely based on the negative imaging that the Media has shown you concerning the opinion of all black people like we have a big meeting or something. So many statements or comments on this blog or other Media sources are continuously categorizing all black people into one group..the blacks want this, or they are that. Blacks in general are not all walking around with the attitude that any groups of people owe us anything. Even Fox News is guilty of this. Too many segments are showing black people in a negative manner and what I ask...where do you go to find these dumb people to represent the image that you are showing everybody. If a person is lazy or ignorant or has a lack of any drive or determination to do better, stop saying, "this is how the blacks are or this is how whites are" and just try thinking "this person is this way, and it has nothing to do with their color, it's just the excuse that is the easiest one to use.
ReplyDeleteI cannot vote for a Democratic candidate in the next election because I can now see what has been happening. but I would love to vote for a Republican candidate to see what could happen. Instead of letting the Democratic party get people out of default, look at all people with an open mind. You could grow your voting base by a big number and you may be surprised to find that there are more hard working, level headed people of color than you think or that you've been told. I am very proud of the color of my skin, but I am an American first, and I have the same concerns that you do...our country!
It is just race Republicans seem to demonize everyone who doesn't fit their narrow category of who is acceptable.
ReplyDeleteWhat Republicans - work for money, Democrats - take your money !
ReplyDelete"Republicans seem to demonize everyone who doesn't fit their narrow category of who is acceptable." Funny - that is EXACTLY how I would describe the Democrats.
ReplyDelete5:20, that is how I describe both parties.
ReplyDeleteAnd neither of them, instead of fixing it within their own, is too busy saying what you did - "But the other guys do it (too)!"
I am so disillusioned with the Democrats that I have PRAYED for the Republicans to become less extreme, to bring forward their best. But the same old childish fingerpointing goes on.
Not wanting to toss my vote away on a third party candidate, I will continue to watch the Republican field closely and remain hopeful. But seriously, stop ragging about gays and blacks and come up with tolerance and good policy. What good economics can you propose for getting people out of poverty and breaking down barriers?
For God's sake, PLEASE give us reason to vote Republican that is NOT "We're not the Democrats," because right now, you really seem like the same party, just with different doses of extremism.
Sign me,
No Clinton, No Bush.
While I did not agree with everything in this article, I though it was very good.
ReplyDeleteThe part about it being okay to criticize America while loving it...dead on.
The part about coming off like a white parent lecture...yes.
The part of not all blacks or black voters are the same...true!
Part of it is the media's fault. Part of it is the fault of blowhards like Rush Limbaugh.
What we are all doing - black, white, Republican, Democrat, etc. - is not working. So drop the ideology and put thinking caps on: what would work to build bridges? to build the economy? to build understanding?
But seriously, stop ragging about gays and blacks and come up with tolerance and good policy. What good economics can you propose for getting people out of poverty and breaking down barriers?
ReplyDeleteBest comment on here 6:26. Drop the hate and tell us your ideas to make us better.
Dear black voters ,
ReplyDeleteI sorry you feel the way you do . The GOP is the only thing left to save the country. Ben Carson is on the road to do exactly that.
Just who in the hell would you vote for if not the republican party.
Hillary must be your kind of communist socialist liberal person.
She will set you free!