No and NO.

1. Because the Republican Party has an image problem with blacks, and has not actively reached out to them.

2. Because the democrats have filled that void by offering unrealistic promises to them, with no concern how their policies will affect the overall health of the nation.

______________________

You’re both wrong. It’s not just an image problem and it’s not that they promise dreams. You guys really need to read some history books and start by putting down the Shelby Steele and Patrick Moynihan books.

The overall health of the nation isn’t the fault of only Democrats, you have a long list of Republicans you can thank for that, too. But this is part of the problem, you want to be so partisan and think that it’s “these other people” instead of us. I’m fully willing to admit that Democrats have failed the nation, but equally, this country has been failed by politicians. Not just Democrats, it’s been a bipartisan failure. Of those who act like they are the parents of a community of people and at once want to chastise each other for the state of communities that they aren’t a part of and don’t even give a damn about.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Republican indifference of the black community or Black hostility towards Republicans?

I know it might be unbelievable for you but it wasn’t black hostility towards Republicans that turned the black community away from their doorstep. To be fair, the democrats and the Republicans have both been fairly racist/classist towards any community that has not been solidly middle class and solidly white.

Let’s take a brief look at the earlier part of the 20th century, both parties exhibited a hatred Jews, Blacks, Asians, Latinos, Native Americans and anything else that didn’t fit preconceived notions of dignity befitting a solidly white class. And you know why? Because parties are made up of people and people have prejudices.

To deny that black people have been socially and fiscally conservative belies that you not only know little about blacks, but know little about historically how they voted.

You itch to bring up the Dixiecrats to point out the racism in the Democratic party, but don’t realize for a second that Republicans.. So, it’s not that black people are hostile towards Republicans… many of them, especially fundamentally based church organizations (I mean T.D. Jakes is in the coalition of faith based organizations that Bush set up)..

It’s the attitudes portrayed by a party that has been actively and irresponsibly willing to deny civil rights, however, that didn’t stop brilliant black republicans for standing up to and coming out for civil rights. Edward Brooke comes to mind. It’s the fact that they crafted something called the Southern Strategy.. where they knew that they didn’t need black people to win as long as they could get a white majority.. and if you play on the insecurities and “common knowledge” of the average white person you can divide and say of any community that is not solidly white or middle class “these guys over here are the problem. This is why you can’t find work.” Then yeah, it’s going to be a winner everytime especially when you let people wrap themselves in the flag and completely vindicate any racist feelings they may have.

-The Logical Anonymous

Black Americans of this generation (post the 1964 civil rights legislation) have had the rights that were given to other Americans, Now, in all fairness, even after that legislation, we were held at a disadvantage. I acknowledge that. there have been other laws since then that sought to level the playing field.

I’ve never once said that everything negative stems from being black (as a black man, that wouldn’t be a smart argument to make). What I’ve said is that there’s a segment of the black population who believes the government should do for them what they should do themselves. You know they exist; you may even be related to some, just like I am.

I’ve also never said that white Americans were “wonderful, right, and superior.” Some whites are just as much a part of the problem, and some of them believe as I’ve stated above.

The government has given us our basic rights-life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness-which is all that the government, in my conservative view, should provide. From there, it’s up to you.

That’s been my consistent message.

…and-somewhat off this subject-I’m still waiting for someone to show me a recent example of where the US has planted its flag in conquest.

Exactly.

Not allowing a woman freedom of choice and telling people who they can and cannot marry. Yea, thats the government no butting into people’s lives.

In addition,

I agree with BrownSuga and ms. martin i believe that black conservatives and conservatives in general have a very low opinion of blacks.

HANDOUTS…NO. RIGHTS that are given to other Americans…YES.
I hate that philosophy. I hate how people like you D and anonymous equate everything negative with being black. Wow!! It doesnt matter if you say all or some, you are still making sweeping generalizations based on negative assumptions.

It is always believed tht whites are so wonderful and rightfully are superior and earn everything that they get. Blacks on the other hand want handouts when they ask for respect and basic human rights.

Militarism is imperialism. It’s all about building an empire. It has nothing to do with protecting my freedom. Building an empire is Big Goverment at its biggest.

well said.

I’m with you…

1. Because the Republican Party has an image problem with blacks, and has not actively reached out to them.

2. Because the democrats have filled that void by offering unrealistic promises to them, with no concern how their policies will affect the overall health of the nation.

Craig,
Bush is trying to reestablish part of his legacy as a fiscal conservative.

But I find this interesting: didn’t a democrat say that we should “pay any price, bear any burden” to protect our freedom? And you want to throw two presidents under the bus who did that?

Ms. Martin,
I’m sure you’re also out actively looking for a job as well, instead of living at the taxpayer’s expense?

Maybe you didn’t get the memo announcing the increasingly popular view that it’s racist to assume that whites are anti-black until they somehow prove otherwise. Blacks are no longer being viewed as some permanent national basket-case about which everyone else is supposed to “actively care.”

This is what I know about John McCain:

He’s an authentic war hero.
He’s anti-gay.
He’s pro-life.
He’s corporatist, despite his work in ethics reforms, which, from my perspective, was all about damage control.
He’s indifferent to civil rights.
He’s got good policies on immigration.
The media absolutely adores him, so much more than it adores any other presidential candidate.
He doesn’t know that al Quaeda is Sunni.
He used to be against torture and now he’s not.
He used to find the Bush tax cuts unconscionable and now he wants to make them permanent.
He used to be a maverick; now he’s a panderer who’s very uncomfortable pandering. In other words, he’s a flip-flopper.
He’s not a straight-talker, despite the hype that he is.
He’s a warmonger through and through.
He knows how to work across the aisle.
He’s more conservative than the conservative base wants to openly admit.
He’s the presumptive Republican nominee and he isn’t exactly sure what to do with all of it.
He’s got a big temper and foul mouth.

And all of that is off the top of my head.

I’ve voted for Republicans for political office, but I wouldn’t vote for John McCain for anything.

Overblown military spending does not a small government make.

I guess Reagan and Bush aren’t Republicans because they didn’t get the memo about the party’s platform for small government.

That still doesn’t discount that there is-whether you want to admit it or not-a significant amount of the black populace that is not as well informed as we are that fits what I’ve described. It’s unfortunate, but it’s also true.

I’ve always held that blacks have more in relation to conservatism than most of us want to believe: we’re naturally against abortion and unrealistically high taxes, we want the nation’s budget not to blow out of control, and we’re against the government intruding more into our lives.

And just as an FYI, I did my research before I started posting on this thread. If you’d like to debate the details of Kennedy-Hawkins, my email’s on my profile.

You have a pretty low opinion of blacks and I wish you would immediately stop attempting to speak of them as one body.

The 1990 civil rights issue is very very serious and before you attempt to accuse an entire race of wanting to falsely accuse whites of racial discrimination, I suggest you do some research.

Americans had civil rights in 1990. What we wanted then was to be able to throw the discrimination flag at any employer without proof, and to have quotas set aside in hiring. In other words, we didn’t want to work to compete, we wanted a handout.

I’m a registered independent. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. When I got in trouble at school, I got cussed out, not my teachers. I believe in conservatism because I recognize that the government never guaranteed my success.And I don’t need them to give me anything; I’m more than willing to work for mine.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of blacks (and I’m not saying all!) who would rather sit around and complain that the government doesn’t take care of them, instead of taking care of themselves.

Damn, those first two commenters did pretty successfully redirect this thread, didn’t they? Thanks for bringing us back to the point.