"This election cycle is a grand opportunity for African-Americans to leverage their vote into power, respect and serious representation. The stakes are very high, and African-Americans must participate if they are to realize any true influence over major public policy decisions."
– Peter Groff, executive director of the Center for African American Policy at The University of Denver. 

It's Election Day 2006, and black voters could become an integral part of political history.

In what is being described as the most important mid-term elections in decades, Democrats need 15 seats to regain control of the House of Representatives, six seats to retake the Senate, and a number of black candidates are poised to make history in tight races across the nation.

More than 6,000 state legislative seats in 46 states are on the ballot, and outcomes could be historic, with Democrats perhaps gaining control of a majority of state capitols for the first time in 10 years.

If Democrats are successful in regaining control of the House of Representatives, members of the Congressional Black Caucus would become chairpersons of full House committees. In addition, The Congressional Black Caucus is working to ensure that one of its members wins a top leadership position if Democrats take control of the House. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina is campaigning to become majority whip, the third-ranking post in the House. No black lawmaker has held a higher position in Congress.

Political observers say black voter turnout is critical, but Democrats predict that voters will experience significant problems with state ID laws -- where voters are required to show a state-sanctioned form of identification to vote -- and faulty voting machines that are not recording votes accurately. Some voters in South Florida say they have already experienced serious problems with voting machines. 

According to a recent AP-AOL Black Voices poll, "blacks are more likely than the general population to think the country is on the wrong track. And black likely voters, 89 percent, are more likely than likely voters in general, 61 percent, to disapprove of President Bush. About four in 10 black likely voters are angry at the Bush administration, and about two in 10 are angry at the Republican leadership in Congress."

"Among all black adults," according to the poll, "about a fourth said their votes do not make a difference, while about three-fourths said they do. The poll also showed that blacks are more likely to say that the war in Iraq was a mistake."

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A New York Times/CBS poll showed that "29 percent of Americans approve of the way President Bush is managing the war, matching the lowest mark of his presidency. Nearly 70 percent said Mr. Bush did not have a plan to end the war, and 80 percent said Mr. Bush’s latest effort to rally public support for the conflict amounted to a change in language but not policy."

The poll also said "among registered voters, 33 percent said they planned to support Republicans, and 52 percent said they would vote for Democrats."

"Democrats are energized and organized heading into Election Day," Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Stacie Paxton said in a statement Monday. "Democrats across the country are ready for change and are knocking on doors, making phone calls and getting their neighbors to the polls."

But Republicans say they are now gaining ground.

"New polls say our party is heading into Election Day with strong momentum," Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in a statement Monday. "Specifically, three national polls this weekend show Republicans making major gains."

The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press shows Republicans cutting the Democrat lead on the generic ballot from down 11 last month (39-50) to down just four points (43-47). The ABC News/Washington Post poll shows Republicans cutting the Democrat edge from -14 two weeks ago to only a six point margin. In addition, Gallup has the Democrat margin dropping by half over the past two weeks, to a seven-point race.

But here’s what is at stake for black Americans on Election Day, according to the Democratic National Committee:

• In September, 1.6 million unemployed African-Americans looked for jobs, but could not find them. The 9.2 percent unemployment rate for African-Americans is more than twice the rate for whites (4 percent) and nearly 2 points higher than at the end of 2000.
• Last year, 9.5 million blacks were living in poverty, up 1.5 million since 2000. Almost a quarter of African-Americans in families (and one-third of African-American children) were poor in 2005, nearly three times the rate among whites.
• Last year, 1 in 5 African-Americans, or 7.5 million people, were uninsured, a jump of 12 percent, or 795,000 people, since 2000.
• One-third of people of color say their families had trouble paying medical bills last year, and unaffordable costs forced people in more than a quarter of families to put off medical treatment.
• African-Americans are less likely to get routine medical care than whites: In 2000, 30 percent of African-American children and 43 percent of adults did not have a dental check-up, and 17 percent did not see a doctor.
• Educational and economic opportunity have evaporated, as Bush and the GOP have cut funding for everything from preschool to college grants and loans, leaving millions of American children behind.
• Hometown security has been weakened, with Republican cuts in programs that put cops in communities and give kids after-school options that keep them safe and out of crime.

With so many crucial issues on the table awaiting redress once Tuesday's election is over, BlackAmericaWeb.com assembled a cadre of opinions from people and press outlets across the country to share their thoughts on why this year's mid-terms have particular resonance -- not just to black America, but to the nation as a whole.

PETER GROFF, executive director of the Center for African American Policy at The University of Denver and publisher of Blackpolicy.org: "This election cycle is a grand opportunity for African-Americans to leverage their vote into power, respect and serious representation. There are black candidates running for the Senate in three states. Maryland, Mississippi and Tennessee could each get their first African-American senator, the latter two seeing the first time blacks have ever been elected to the Senate from Southern states. There’s a good chance Senator Barack Obama will have company in 2007. Massachusetts may very well get its first black governor. If Democrats take control of the House, 23 Congressional Black Caucus members could very well chair 23 House Committees and Subcommittees."

"One critical issue on Election Day is what the African-American electorate is doing after it votes. Is it employing or demanding a comprehensive political strategy? Is it effectively lobbying governing institutions and elected officials? Are we creating political action committees or engaging in serious political fundraising? Can we see our political or public policy agendas shaped beyond what the two reigning political parties dictate to us? Too often, too many of us vote and feel that's the beginning and end of our involvement in the political process. But, there is an opportunity to shape that process beyond Election Day. The final piece in our political maturity is a need for political literacy."

REV. DR. SUSAN NEWMAN, director, The Balm in Gilead, Washington, D.C.: "I just want to add my voice encouraging all registered voters to vote. We are poised to transform America by getting out and voting. Elect officials who will promote a progressive, transforming platform of issues that are critical to all Americans, especially African-Americans. To the faith community, I would say do not allow the promotion of a smoke-screen of distracting issues under the guise of 'family-values' distract from foundational critical issues of a plan to withdraw from Iraq, the rising numbers of Americans living in poverty, stem-cell research, affordable housing and affordable healthcare. Not since slavery have African-Americans been so threatened by something as overwhelming as HIV/AIDS, and there is much that can be done. Legislation is needed to promote routine screening of this virus in all walks of life. The weapons of mass destruction are not in Iraq -- they are right here in the U.S., if we do not vote for a change November 7th."

THE NEW YORK TIMES editorial, Monday, Nov. 6: "No one expects Florida elections to go smoothly, but this year the state got off to an alarming start. Voters reported that after selecting Democratic candidates on electronic voting machines, the review screens registered that they had chosen Republicans. A spokeswoman for the Broward County supervisor of elections told The Miami Herald that the machines often fall out of sync under heavy use, but that they can be fixed when voters complain.

"That snapshot of Florida’s early voting is confirmation -- as if any were needed -- that a great deal can go wrong tomorrow, much of it eminently preventable. Six years after the 2000 election meltdown, voting machines are still unreliable, and there are an array of other obstacles to voters who want their votes to count. Voting is a right and a responsibility, but it is also, unfortunately, a challenge."

BRUCE GORDON, president, NAACP: "On November 7th, we will make critical decisions about the direction of our country when we elect officials to public office and vote on key ballot initiatives such as affirmative action in Michigan, an increase in the minimum wage in Ohio and many other important issues in other states. The NAACP is working to mobilize and educate voters, but in the end, each one of us must make a personal commitment to get to the polls and make our voices heard."

REV. CAROLYN BOYD, Washington, D.C.: "Do you realize how important your vote is to this country? If the wrong policy decisions are made by our political leaders in Washington and you did not vote -- what should the penalty be for ineffective citizenry? Who pays for the silence of a nation’s people? The stakes are too high for the electorate not to be actively engaged in mid-term elections. What's at stake: Three African-Americans congressperson will have the opportunity to serve as committee chairs and the election of the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives. Additionally, risks include the countless lives of our sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers trapped in a war and conflict that has very little to do with the security and safety of our nation and more to do with the widening gaps between those of material privilege and those without."

MYRA DANDRIDGE, communications director, Congressional Black Caucus: "The November 7 elections are critical to the Democratic Party regaining control of the United States Congress and hold significant historical importance to the 42 African-American members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"If the Democrats recapture the House majority, five Congressional Black Caucus members would chair five very powerful, prominent House committees. Members of the CBC would be leaders in helping to move the country in a much needed new direction and would help to pass legislation that would close the disparities gap between African-Americans and other Americans.
 
"Charles Rangel would chair the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees tax legislation and bills affecting Social Security and Medicare; John Conyers, the House Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over measures relating to law, courts and nominating federal judges; Bennie Thompson, House Homeland Security, which protects against possible terrorist attacks; Alcee Hastings, House Intelligence Committee, which maintains the security of the U.S. by gathering information on what is happening worldwide, and Juanita Millender McDonald would become chair of the House Administration Committee, which is charged with oversight of federal elections and the day-to-day functions of the House of Representatives."
 
"Additionally, James Clyburn, the current House Democratic Caucus Chair, could become the Majority Whip, the third highest ranking position in the United States Congress. Mr. Clyburn would be the second African-American member to ever hold the title."
 

THE DETROIT NEWS editorial, Sunday, Oct. 8: "The choice Michigan voters face on the anti-affirmative action proposal is anything but black and white. Proposal 2 would ban racial preferences at Michigan's public institutions, including universities. It stems from the long and somewhat inconclusive legal battle fought over the University of Michigan's admission policies. It's too simplistic to label those who support the proposal -- and oppose affirmative action -- as bigots. ... The proposal is also needlessly divisive. Many groups, including blacks and women, see this measure as an attempt to set back their progress. The last thing a state that is failing collectively needs are battles that divide us as individuals. ... The focus in Michigan should be on returning economic prosperity to all of its citizens, not quibbling over whether one person may be getting an edge over another. ... And because of that, voters should say no to Proposal 2."

ROGER WILKINS, civil rights activist and associate professor of history, George Mason University: "The United States is facing the most vexing array of crises since 1942, when the outcome of World War II was uncertain. Today, we have Iraq, North Korea, Iran, the spectre of large-scale nuclear proliferation, unimaginable debts to China, huge deficits, a broken Congress, massive obligations as the baby boomers reach old age and continued demonization and isolation of the black poor. If folk can't find a reason in all of that to cast a vote, they might as well be dead -- or living in North Korea."

BILL MURRAIN, civil rights attorney, Atlanta: "I plan to vote early and am encouraging everyone I know to do so. The photo ID issue pushed by the Republican administration to distract us was overturned by the courts, yet our preachers & civil rights leaders still allowed themselves to be distracted, succumbing to the 'victimhood game.' Instead of lamenting what they’re trying to do us, we should organize and offer rides to the DMV to everyone who needs one to get them a photo ID."

"I hope by this election that we will move to reclaim our rights as a citizenry, which this administration has stolen under the guise of providing greater security. We are less free and less secure for having abdicated our prerogatives as citizens of this society to the Bush-Cheney cabal.

"I am absolutely terrified about the quality of life we are leaving our next generations, my children and grandchildren. That we can so cavalierly walk away from our responsibilities to be good stewards of the environment; that we can shovel obscene sums of monies at the Halliburton robber barons and have nothing for our schools, public safety and healthcare; that we arrogantly cede our moral high ground to launch an unjustified preemptory war in Iraq, wasting our youth, our treasury and our hope on that battlefield ...

"I have hope. I voted early and am encouraging everyone I know not to miss this opportunity. This, to me, is probably the most important election in my 40 years of voting."

YANICK RICE LAMB, professor, Howard University: "My concern is that people vote, period, and vote intelligently -- meaning that they've done enough homework to understand the issues. Too many people are sitting on their hands because they think their votes don't count, especially outside of presidential races. Some are also turned off by extremism in rhetoric from the right and the left, posturing, pandering and all the scandals. I'm also disturbed by those who believe anything that's spooned to them. A true democracy needs a diversity of critical thought from people who are truly engaged in the process and press would-be leaders on issues that matter to them, from education to health care."

THE ASHLAND CITY TIMES (Tennessee) editorial, Sunday, Nov. 5: "The biggest focus in Tuesday's balloting for many Tennesseans -- but also for many congressional watchers, because the Senate majority could be at stake — is the hotly contested race between Democrat Harold Ford Jr. and Republican Bob Corker. ... As this page stated three weeks ago, Ford is the better choice for the Senate seat because he represents the best chance for change in the way the government is functioning in Washington -- from the handling of the war in Iraq to the need for attention to social issues, to just plain standing up to President Bush."

AMINA J. DICKERSON, director corporate contributions, Kraft Foods, Chicago: "If you don’t like the quality of life and the range of opportunity in our communities, you must get in the game, and participate to change them. Voting is a primary way for us to make our presence and concerns as African-Americans known, our voices heard. This is critical today as changes in the demographic makeup of our cities and states shifts the focus away from the needs of black communities. The historic lack of investment to build our communities, better our schools and provide meaningful economic opportunities will only worsen if we do not use the political tools that we have. Clearly, there must be other means to create change, but voting is a primary resource that must not be ignored. Too many people fought, struggled and lost their lives to afford us this right. It is now up to us to use it."

DENISE SAVAGE, consultant, Washington, D.C.: "I detest when people say that their vote doesn't count. Just think about the Lotto slogan -- you have to play to win. If you don't vote, don't complain. Vote on November 7."

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES editorial, Sunday, Nov. 5: "California, land of the perpetual election, seems almost a land apart this campaign season. We're peripheral to the passionate battle for control of Congress. The Republican governor is so completely outpacing his Democratic challenger in the polls that voters of any party might well figure, 'Why bother?' We vote so often in this state that it seems more like a chore than a privilege. But every election is important, and this year's bond measures are an important investment in the state's future, a step toward repairing and rebuilding our highways, ports, water systems and other crucial infrastructure."

ETHEL MITCHELL, attorney, Washington, D.C.: "Let your vote do the talking. If you don't vote, you can't complain. A wise man speaks with his vote."
 

LORNA GREEN, recently laid-off administrative, business and marketing assistant at Giant Foods, Inc., Landover, Maryland: "I feel if you do not vote, you lose your right to complain about the state of affairs. You have to let your voice be heard. Also it gives you more leverage when you call one of our public officials, some check to see if you are a registered voter before acting on your complaint or request."

THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE editorial, Monday, Nov. 6: "It seems that candidates across the country are trying to run against House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and all those 'San Francisco values' she represents. ... So, what are those "San Francisco values" that are being invoked as frightening words in talk-radio land from coast to coast? Is it code for the scary thought that gays and lesbians might someday live openly wherever they happen to land in this free country? We certainly hope that bigotry is not being used as a political weapon in 2006. Right, Karl Rove? ... It's easy to caricature the fringe elements of our politics and culture -- the medical-marijuana clubs that cross the line into party halls, the wacky supervisors who say the outrageous for 15 seconds of fame, the street fairs for adults only. Just remember, San Francisco didn't send any of these characters to Congress. It sent Nancy Pelosi, a representative of great decorum and considerable ability, who is on the brink of becoming speaker of the House because Middle America is growing wary of the war, the corruption of Congress, the seeping of religious intolerance into public policy and the unwillingness of the Bush White House to acknowledge and address the pangs of economic insecurity gripping those who did not reap its tax cuts."

FELICIA EAVES, chair, Black Voices for Peace, Washington D.C.: "I believe it is important to vote because it is the only true expression of democracy we have in this country, and it is a right that we can no longer afford to take for granted. It is important to vote in this election particularly, because, the outcome of these mid-term Congressional elections will be a determining factor in the direction the United States will take for at least the next decade."

CLEM RICHARDSON, columnist, New York Daily News: "The main issue, besides my adamant disagreement with a conservatism that in practice equates to 'it's wasteful to spend money on anything but the concerns of rich people,' is competence. I pray each day that a majority of Americans of all colors and creeds now realize that the folks now running the country are incompetent and maliciously corrupt. We can’t afford them any more. They must go."