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My New Business: "Some Of My Best Friends Are Black"

Political Commentary

By Kevin L. Martin

Sharpton called out Dean on the lack of Blacks and Hispanics in his cabinet during his 12 years as governor, and Dean had to admit that the charge was true. Just as true as was former President Bill Clinton's lack of minorities in his inner cabinet.

Dean and his handlers sought to downplay the impact of Sharpton's words the following day with Dean using the standard white liberal quote, "Some of my best friends are black." With Dean's words ringing my ears, my thoughts lead me to wonder if I should start a new business called "Some of my best friends are black." Read More

Black voters can take great pride in the fact that both parties are finally fighting for our votes, but it is the Democrat party that has the most to lose and the Republican party that could be a major beneficiary.

Black liberal Democrat activists Jesse Jackson, Julian Bond and Ron Waters have been howling up a storm over the recent outreach efforts by President Bush to black voters. Bush has taken the road less traveled and is taking his message past them in his effort to reach out to the black community.

For the 2nd year Bush has chose to address the more moderate Urban League's convention over the more radical NAACP. When the Democrat presidential candidates sought to rebut Mr. Bush at the convention, most of the candidates addressed a mostly empty auditorium. This should serve as an omen to the Democrat party; blacks feel that the Democrat party has taken them for granted for the last 35+ years.

Nowhere in the Democrat party do blacks hold any real leadership positions (other than ranking members, vice chairmanships and special committees). These positions only give black Democrats the illusion of leadership.

When Richard Gephardt stepped down in the wake of the Democrat's disastrous showing in the mid-term elections, Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) sought to lead the Democrats in the House

Ford found himself bullied and pushed out of the way by ultra-liberal Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) and her extremist backers. Mr. Ford found that some of his so-called friends later became his most rabid enemies in the battle to lead the Democrats. Congressional Black Caucus members stabbed him in the back, publicly disgraced him in stating that he was too much of a junior congressmen to lead the party in the house. Ron Waters openly stated that Ford was not liberal enough to lead the party in the house.

How did Ms. Pelosi repay the loyalty of the Congressional Black Caucus after she ascended to the top spot in the House? Appointing James Cylburn to a simply bootlick vice chairman position under the number 3 Democrat in the House.

The Democrat National Committee under the leadership of Chairman Terry McAuliffe has been no friend to blacks and black Democrat candidates either. Black candidates Ron Kirk and Carl McCall found that out when they received no money or support in their election bids in 2002. Under Chairman Terry McAuliffe's "Reign of Terror" everyone has become expendable for the right price, but blacks even more so. Black Democrat activists, lobbyist, and entry-level workers at party headquarters live in fear of the DNC's Anti-Affirmative Action Policy of "last hired, first fired." Simply put "when cash is tight at Party Headquarters and you are black, put your resume online quickly."

Mr. McAuliffe's chairmanship is as failed as it is tainted. One only needs to remember how the party's faithful were bullied into appointing him over the more qualified and moderate Maynard Jackson. Mr. McAuliffe's first move as chairman was to appoint Mr. Jackson to a purely token position within the DNC. Within a year's time Jackson had stepped down and basically went to his grave battling McAuliffe for the soul of the Democrat Party.

President Bush and his advisors seem to have gotten the message that past efforts of the Republican Party to reach out to black voters have been substandard at best and bad comedy at worst. The GOP's message has not reached those blacks it should have. It has lacked an authentic voice. It seemed that those in charge of outreach at the party's headquarters were more interested in personal enrichment and resume enhancements than bringing in new black voters.

Mr. Bush and Party Leaders need to replace those who headed the party's 2000 and 2002 minority voter outreach, since Republicans were not able increase their portion of the black vote. The only reason Republicans were able to retain control of the House and regain the Senate was due to discontent among minorities with the Democrat Party and its leadership. In other words, black voters stayed home.

The die has been cast for the 2004 general election, but I would caution both parties that blacks in America deserve respect. We will not stand by and have this election turned into a battle between panderers (Democrats) and panderers-lite (Republicans). Either respect us as people and fight for our votes or we will stay home again.

We deserve to be treated as individuals, as part of the American mosaic, and as patriots; not as an election year mistress or a mindless voting bloc for sale to the highest bidder

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Kevin L. Martin is an Advisor and Member of Project 21. He has served as the former Government and Political Affairs Director to the African American Republicans Leadership Council. He has appeared as a political commentator on FOX News.
View a photo of Mr. Martin.

Posted by Douglas Oliver on August 19, 2003 at 8:32 AM

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