For the past few months, Republican leaders have traveled to some of the nation’s largest black communities to court blacks face-to-face, part of an aggressive, nationwide campaign to attract more blacks to the GOP. And according to some Democrats, blacks are not only willing to listen to the conservative pitch, but many are responding favorably to the message.
“My message is ‘Give us a chance, and we'll give you a choice,’” Ken Mehlman, the new chairman of the Republican National Committee, told BlackAmericaWeb.com Monday. “A choice in politics, a choice in education, a choice in home ownership, a choice in small business and a choice in faith-based opportunities.”
“It's important," he said, "that we continue to build upon the gains we've made in the African-American community and personally deliver our message.”
Last week, some Democrats said expressed concerned that Mehlman is effectively working the proverbial room, courting black ministers, black organizations – and black people period – in an effort to convince blacks to defect from the Democratic Party where most blacks are traditionally aligned.
Mehlman’s efforts in reaching out to blacks can be attributed in part to increased support from a coalition of conservative black ministers who say Republicans have helped them care for underserved residents in their communities through government faith-based initiatives and federal funding.
A number of black pastors have also aligned themselves with the GOP because of their shared opposition to same-sex marriage.
Donna Brazile, a Democratic consultant and former campaign manager for Al Gore in 2000, is warning Democrats not to take blacks for granted -- and not to underestimate Mehlman -- saying Republicans could make greater inroads in the black community by the 2008 presidential election.
She said more Republicans are being invited to speak in black neighborhoods and are making important connections in black communities nationwide through introductions from black ministers. Some blacks, she said, have been receptive to what they’re hearing from Republicans.
“Among Democrats, Mehlman's efforts should be cause for alarm,” Brazile wrote in last week's Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper. “Clearly, this is going to be one heck of a political season if Mehlman continues to take his case to black audiences around the country and does more than pay lip service to his audience's needs.”
“It won’t take much for the GOP to garner 12 to 15 percent of the black vote in future elections, as some blacks are starting to believe the community is not well-served when one party takes their votes for granted and the other party doesn’t work to earn them,” Brazile wrote.
This aggressive outreach to blacks by Republicans formally began last summer. During last year’s election, Bush spoke to members of the National Urban League in Detroit and surprised many in the audience by asking blacks straight out if they thought Democrats were taking them -- and their precious votes -- for granted. Since then, Republicans have mounted a systematic strategy to court blacks from coast to coast.
Republicans say black support for the GOP is gradually increasing, and they expect an even greater response as Mehlman takes his message on the road.
Mehlman’s recent planned appearances include the African-American New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, "The Tavis Smiley Show," Prince George's Community College, a suburb of Washington, D.C., and Howard University – a unique schedule for an RNC chairman who took the job in January.
The goal, Republicans say, is to increase black representation in the Republican Party. In last year’s presidential election between President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), Bush received 11 percent of the black vote, compared to eight percent in the 2000 election.
But Democrats, like Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, say blacks won’t be fooled by Republicans. Jackson maintains that the GOP talks a good game, but through government policies, the Bush administration works against the interests of blacks in areas such as health care, education and employment.
Last week, Democrats assailed Bush after the federal government released unemployment numbers for February, which showed that black unemployment continues at record levels, climbing to 10.9 percent.
“President Bush said he doesn’t ignore problems,” Howard Dean, the Democratic National Committee chairman, said in a statement. “Then why has he ignored the growing African-American unemployment rate? The African-American unemployment rate is double the national average and up almost a full percentage point from a year ago.”
“Since he took office,” Dean added, “African-American unemployment has increased by 31 percent. Democrats are offering solutions to help end the economic disparities, while Washington Republicans continue to push for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.”
