OK—let me run down YOUR list

Dafur (as no one is doing anything about it)

Let some other nation send troops. How about France? What’s the French Foreign Legion up to these days? Why can’t the African Union deal with the problem. Why is Darfur OUR responsibility?

New Orleans (help remove corruption, and bring real relief)

“Help remove corruption.” OK—how? Send the US Army in to take over? Why can’t New Orleans elect non-corrupt officials?

Charter schools (give parents more choice in where to send their kids)

Ummm…Planet Earth to Darnell: Conservatives and Republicans have been pushing school vouchers for years. It’s the teachers unions and the Democratic Party that fights vouchers. You know—the same political party that receives 90% of African-American votes. Why don’t you take your complaints to the Democrats?

Invest in Africa (basically what Bush is doing, but bring more visibility to it).

“bring more visibility to it.” How? The President visited there, and had a major state visit.

Jeez…

Oh…gimme a break!

Bush 43 goes to the NAACP collection during the 2000 election campaign…and is rewarded with the James Byrd ad.

Ken Mehlman reached out A LOT to African-Americans during this past election cycle.

I grow sick of hearing conservative pundits criticizing our party’s leadership for not reaching out effectively enough to America’s black community.

Well, sorry Ed, but there no point in talking when not many people are listening. And, many African-Americans aren’t interested in the GOP’s message. They prefer affirmative action, as well as centralized government solutions to many of our nation’s concerns. That puts them ideologically at odds with most conservatives.

Ed, what should Ken Mehlman have done? Pulled a Jedhi mind trick on America’s black community? Just what did you expect the GOP to do? Reprogram the thinking and ideological preferances of the majority of African-Americans? Do they have a mind ray atop GOP HQ in Washington?

Let’s stop blaming our party leaders for not reaching out to the African-American community. For, in so doing, we reinforce a media-fueled perception that we ARE a bigoted party.

We’ve reached out to America’s black voters—they’re not listening.

Let me just ask outright —- what (in your opinion) does the liberal black community want from the Republican party, and what could the Republican Party do that would entice members of the liberal black community to vote for it?

What would you like to hear McCain say to the NAACP?

BigD on May 21, 2008 at 5:42 PM

Hmm…let me run down the list.

Dafur (as no one is doing anything about it)
New Orleans (help remove corruption, and bring real relief)
Charter schools (give parents more choice in where to send their kids)
Invest in Africa (basically what Bush is doing, but bring more visibility to it).

My guess is that McCain goes and craps all over his own party again, calling every Republican except himself a bigot, racist, uncaring, backward ignorant creep unlike his own honorable self.

BigD on May 21, 2008 at 3:47 PM

Are you serious? I’ll bet you $10,000 that he doesn’t do that.

Badger at 5:33PM

On your list of McCain’s conservative positions, add heroic pork-fighter.

While most of them will prefer Obama over anyone else in the race (including Hillary), McCain may at least be able to make inroads within the community, instead of ignoring it at large like most Republicans.

Darnell Clayton on May 21, 2008 at 5:13 PM

Let me just ask outright —- what (in your opinion) does the liberal black community want from the Republican party, and what could the Republican Party do that would entice members of the liberal black community to vote for it?

What would you like to hear McCain say to the NAACP?

What issues does McCain have “popular conservative stances” on?

flenser on May 21, 2008 at 5:20 PM

Abortion, guns, and Iraq, to just rattle a couple off my head.

Look, no one has ever said McCain is a rock-ribbed conservative. That’s why he’s probably the only GOPer who could do this. Jeez, everyone, let him give it a shot. Who knows? This might be the thing to get the ball rolling towards a more beneficial black turnout for the Repubs.

As an African American, I can tell you that the current perception (at least around those I am in contact with) is that McCain is not your average GOPer

That’s a pretty accurate assessment, though not one very consoling to average GOPer’s.

McCain’s appeal to moderates is his combination of popular conservative stances on most issues

What issues does McCain have “popular conservative stances” on?

he might as well go to the dailykos convention.

It would be a huge contrast to Obama who can’t even bring himself to go to Kentucky or West Virginia — and in my opinion would make a great 527 ad, McCain showed at NAACP, Obama no show in Kentucky.
DKK

It is not a good first step it is pandering to the organization that ran ads all but claiming GWB was driving the truck that dragged James Bird to death. The Urban League or, here’s a shocker, how about a non-race-based organization focused on racial equality and diversity!

highhopes on May 21, 2008 at 3:31 PM

If McCain can reach out to them, he can reach out to anyone! While I doubt he will make friends with anyone from the NAACP, it may open doors to other organizations.

Can I ask upon what information this is based? I can understand some Hispanics might like his illegal immigration stance; I’ve heard nothing about his appeal to African Americans or any other minority group, including versus the Democrats.

BigD on May 21, 2008 at 3:33 PM

As an African American, I can tell you that the current perception (at least around those I am in contact with) is that McCain is not your average GOPer, mainly because he tends to buck his own party (which gives him more favor with the Democrats).

While most of them will prefer Obama over anyone else in the race (including Hillary), McCain may at least be able to make inroads within the community, instead of ignoring it at large like most Republicans.

The question will be whether McCain takes the opportunity to espouse specific conservative policies like school vouchers and reducing regulation and taxes to encourage small-business growth in urban centers

School vouchers are the civil rights movement of our time. The Republicans could break that monolithic black vote if they just pursued this issue vigorously. Especially if Hillary snatches the nom away from Obama.

And I’ve always admired Jack Kemp’s notion of empowerment zones as ways of encouraging economic development and property ownership in the inner cities. In fact, seems ol’ Jack has been making quite a few appearances on McCain’s behalf lately.

Shit happens. Stir the pot.

My guess is that McCain goes and craps all over his own party again, calling every Republican except himself a bigot, racist, uncaring, backward ignorant creep unlike his own honorable self.

BigD on May 21, 2008 at 3:47 PM

My guess too. Part of a strategy to convince voters that he is really an “independent liberal” running as a new kind of Republican much more tolerant and open to race-based special interests than those evil old Republicans that have denied him his rightful spot in the world for all these years. In other words, he will throw every Republican for himself under the bus while repeatedly calling everybody friend and using that arrogant smirk that passes for a smile.