Outside the Beltway

Outside the Beltway

KEYES ON THE BLACK VOTE

James Joyner
2

FoxNews has a profile on Alan Keyes in which he offers his thoughts on the Republican Party’s efforts to attract the black vote.

After years of butting heads with the Republican Party, conservative Alan Keyes (search) said the GOP has no clue how to engage black voters, a key constituency that can be won over on the issues, but not with empty campaign promises or race-baiting.

“The Republican Party doesn’t do enough to support black [candidates] time and time again,†Keyes told Foxnews.com. “The Republicans tend to come in only when a candidate looks successful, and that’s not good enough. They have to build networks, and gain the trust of the community.â€

While this is probably true–and seems increasingly so if the 2002 midterms were any indication–I’m not sure what the alternative is. Ironically, it sounds like Keyes is advocating an affirmative action program wherein the GOP treats potential black candidates differently than their white counterparts.

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2 responses to “KEYES ON THE BLACK VOTE”

  1. Little Miss Attila Avatar
    Little Miss Attila

    Hm. Well, politics is a special sort of area (witness the ridiculous emphasis when a Presidential candidate picks a running mate on attaining geographical balance–usually they look first at whether they can get two guys from different regions of the country).

    I don’t think it would hurt the GOP at all to groom a few more potential black candidates. A few–Condi Rice–don’t require any grooming at all, of course. (When that woman starts her independent political career, watch out: she may go all the way.)

  2. Larry Avatar
    Larry

    for most African Americans.. We consider Condi & Colin with quite a bit of contempt. They are probably more respected then Allen Keyes,but not much more. Obviously, as African Americans with all the issue we face there is at the core of my people a strong sense of knowing a house slave when we see ’em. Perhaps it’s sounds juvenile and ill spirited. Condi & Colin however know without much doubt how most black american’s feel about them. Just as white americans speak in code, so do we. We have hundreds of years to know that what your face states and were your hearts are,,,do not always mean the same thing. No, I don’t hate whites, I just don’t put much stock what they have to say.

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