Roll Call columnist and former Gore campaign manager Donna Brazile notes some of the efforts of the GOP to make inroads into traditional Democratic groups, particularly conservative African American pastors and churches. Brazile argues for a strong Democratic response to fight for the Democratic voters. However, Brazile unspoken premise is that Democrats are merely going to assume that Blacks will vote Democratic.
While it is true that Blacks will, at least in the near future, vote largely Democratic, assuming something to be true often results in it being proven false. In 2004 Bush won 11% of the African American vote. To be sure, a paltry sum, but 2 points better than his performance in 2000 and a much bigger increase in real numbers given the larger turnout in 2004. Among Latinos, Bush achieved near parity with Kerry, winning 44% of the Latino vote, an 11 point jump over his 2000 total. Bush and the GOP made specific efforts to court minority voters, pointing out that Democrats often take them for granted, and showing that on many issues, the minority voter and the GOP agree.
Of course the GOP must do much better as drawing the distinctions between the GOP and the Democrats. One fact I am fond of pointing out is that never before has an African American been the Secretary of State under any administration, Democrat or Republican. President Bush has appointed two in succession, including the first African American woman. George W. Bush has also appointed the most racially diverse cabinet ever. While the Cabinet is racially diverse, they generally agree with the President on major policy issues--proving that you don't have to be white to be Republican nor do you have to be a Democrat if you are a minority.
In many respects the Latino and African American communities are culturally conservative. Issues such as gay marriage and even abortion cut in the direction of the GOP among minority communities. Policies of empowerment and personal liberty AND personal responsibility resonate well among minorities. One could argue that Democratic policies and preferences do little more than ensure an economic underclass dependent upon government for subsistence. On the opposite side, GOP policies tend to favor individualism over governmentalism; person freedom rather than reliance on government.
Right now Democrats have begun to entrench themselves as the minority party, because they make assumption about their base--assumptions that may no longer be true. At the same time, the Democrats are more anti-Bush policy rather than pro-Democratic policy proposals. As the GOP works to build its appeal, the Democrats, just as Brazile stated, had better get a response out there that is independent of Bush policies.
Will GOP�s Effort to Make Inroads With Blacks Finally Pay Off?
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