OPINION & EDITORIAL
Do Democrats take minority votes for granted?
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Also by Bassey Etim:
- Religion: Does it benefit society? (November 29, 2007)
- Do Democrats take minority votes for granted? (November 15, 2007)
- It's the media, stupid: Political coverage misleads (November 8, 2007)
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by Bassey Etim
Thursday, November 15, 2007
As I walked to a local Milwaukee barbershop early in November 2006 to interview patrons about the impending election, it became clear that this year would be different for the Democrats. Usually, political yard signs are the decoration of old ladies and corner markets. That November, they were universal — touting everything from school board to sheriff candidates.
I soon came to a corner lot populated by cracked dirt, overgrown tufts of grass and signs promoting seemly every local Democrat. They were surrounded by more signs and littered fliers imploring residents to "vote yes" and ban gay marriage. Even though the candidates this inner-city district supports are against the constitutional amendment, these voters believe in an ideology, not a party. Despite the daunting numbers facing Republicans, the black vote is still up for grabs.
In the past few election cycles, national media and a few prominent political officials have suggested the Democratic Party takes its loyal minority voters for granted. Most recently, these charges have come from prominent evangelical leaders who urge the GOP not to follow the Democrats' example in dealing with their base. With Democratic presidential candidates regularly drawing around 90 percent of black voters, it's easy to believe a bit of complacency has crept into the attitudes of Democratic leaders.
Following a series of conversations with Wisconsin Democratic officials, it is clear that while they are aware of issues minority groups might have with their performance, they don't perceive any imminent threat from Republicans. However, their own statements make it clear that plenty of chinks exist in the Democratic armor for the GOP to exploit.
In 2008, the Republicans have the chance to take their localized successes, such as New York and Massachusetts and bring them to the national arena. The tenures of Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney proved that inner-city voters prefer solutions to plight over partisan loyalty.
"New York City was one of the most dangerous cities in the planet," Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, said at the College Democrats State Government Forum Monday, later noting that America once saw the mafia as a problem that "was never going to go away." Inadvertently or not, Mr. Pocan raises an intriguing question. How long can Democrats rely on consistent support from inner-city voters if local officials remain incapable of resolving gang violence that plagues cities like Milwaukee? If the GOP can remain a "law and order" party without engaging in the scapegoating that has killed its standing in minority communities, they could drastically bolster their numbers. Exporting the Rudy Giuliani model would offer inner-city voters an option too tantalizing to reject if Republicans would only take the time to build trust within minority communities.
Nonetheless, on the state level, Republicans keep making the same tired mistakes. The first is the unwillingness of the party and its predominantly rural state legislators to invest in inner cities come budget time. While Democrats certainly catch flak for urban job development in their districts, they've got a fairly unchallenged excuse.
"Unless you have jobs in those urban centers," Mr. Pocan said, "you're going to have crime as a main problem."
He went on to cite examples of neglect from the Republican-controlled state Assembly that clearly reflected what urban legislators around the state are telling their constituents to great applause and sympathy. Quite simply, Republicans are failing to grow the brand.
At the State Government Forum, Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, highlighted Wisconsin's broken corrections system, an issue widely decried in the state's minority communities, where large portions of the adult male population are behind bars. Democrats' continued attempts to improve rehabilitation in state prisons for nonviolent drug offenders are often met with scorn from conservative Republicans.
Mr. Parisi even quoted Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, as saying "catch and release is for fish." It seems state Republicans ought to consider showing strength on law enforcement by strengthening communities decimated by drug crimes rather than overcrowding prisons and graduating hardened criminals. It's hard to wonder how we can improve economic growth rates while the state spends far more per capita housing prisoners than putting its citizens through college.
A similar political phenomenon is occurring with Wisconsin's Hispanic population, and Democrats have certainly left their foes an opening once again.
"Democrats have been impotent on leading on immigration from the Senate all the way down to Main Street," Rep. Pedro Colón, D-Milwaukee, said in a phone interview. Mr. Colón also expressed disgust toward the tactics he and his constituents see from the Republican Party, especially northern Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner. Mr. Colón sees greater perils for the Democratic Party than Latino voters switching allegiances to the GOP.
"The threat is turning off people to the extent they’re not going to show up [to the polls]," Mr. Colón said.
In an interview, Mr. Pocan pointed to longstanding tradition as part of the reason many minorities feel slighted by the Democratic National Committee. In pursuit of early primary states that are predominantly white, presidential candidates have discussed the issues that impact these voters more, Mr. Pocan said.
With South Carolina and Nevada moving up in the primary calendar, Democrats may be applying a lesson former State Budget Director David Riemer says isn't lost on either party.
"It used to be to be that African-Americans voted overwhelmingly Republican," Mr. Riemer said. "There's enough people with enough historical memory to know that no group [is going to] stay with you forever if you do things contradictory to what they want from government."
Considering an interview with UW-Milwaukee sophomore Anthony Johnson, the Democratic Party's greatest threat may well be apathy stemming from their recent ineffectiveness. He reflected a widespread view that politicians are preoccupied with the pursuit of power and doubts many would be able to identify a truly righteous politician in today's climate.
"If one person is looking at a politician, and trying to get other people to look at him, people won’t look at him like he’s really going to do what he’s saying," Mr. Johnson said.
Despite a remarkable string of errors, Republicans can still gain ground with minorities without reinventing the wheel. Mr. Riemer cites Mr. Romney and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's success with health care reform as examples.
"Frankly, you could probably say that with the exception of civil rights laws, the things that have most helped African-Americans have been programs like Medicare without a minority label on it," Mr. Riemer said.
The ongoing health care and violence crises that plague Milwaukee prove that thus far, both Democrats and Republicans have not had the answers. Democratic Mayor Tom Barrett has presided over the increasingly violent city streets outside my local barbershop and the black former Police Chief Arthur Jones was widely considered an embarrassment in his own community.
Indeed, the minority vote is still very much up for grabs to any candidate or party that can find viable solutions to rampant poverty and the crime that stems from it. All it would take is one person with an aggressive nonpartisan agenda to get it done. But until then, support of civil rights, along with the shortsighted idiocy of national and state Republicans, will ensure that minority voters remain Democratic for some time.
Bassey Etim (betim@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in political science and journalism.
Anonymous (November 15, 2007 @ 9:21am):
"Do Democrats take minority votes for granted?"
Is the Pope Catholic?
Anonymous (November 15, 2007 @ 9:25am):
All politicians take all votes for granted, Bassey! You've lived in the US long enough to know that!
Anonymous (November 15, 2007 @ 9:53am):
Hey stud, if you're not in a SWING STATE, you're taken for granted. Isn't the electoral college fantastic?
Anonymous (November 15, 2007 @ 11:17am):
the election isn't for a YEAR..isn't there anything else remotely relevant going on??
Anonymous (November 15, 2007 @ 12:26pm):
"Isn't the electoral college fantastic?"
It is if you don'rt want every presidential election to take forever with recounts and court cases all over the country.
Voter fraud would "pay off" everywhere instead of just the graveyards of Cook County.
Anonymous (November 15, 2007 @ 2:48pm):
12:26, you're right, our election results are a sham and we shouldn't even bother voting.
Too bad every American couldn't be identified by some kind of unique number, some kind of social and secure number.
We've got phones and internets attached to our persons 24-hrs/day and we still have to show up at the church basement or elementary school to cast our ballots.
You're government hates you.
Anonymous (November 15, 2007 @ 3:16pm):
"our election results are a sham and we shouldn't even bother voting"
The more people who believe that, the more my vote decides elections.
Anonymous (November 15, 2007 @ 6:03pm):
You know who doesn't take minority votes for granted?
RONPAUL!!
Anonymous (November 15, 2007 @ 7:47pm):
you should ask Russel Wallace if Democrats take minorities for granted.
Anonymous (November 15, 2007 @ 8:20pm):
ron paul for nazis.
i can't wait for michael jordan to run as a repub. it will mark the end of the dem party as we know it.
Michael Johnson (November 15, 2007 @ 9:39pm):
O Bassey, naive old Bassey...You do realize that Rudy was a democrat as late as 80...
In 1975 Giuliani switched his party registration from Democratic to Independent.On December 8, 1980, one month after the election of Ronald Reagan brought Republicans back to power in Washington, he switched his party affiliation from Independent to Republican.Others suggested that the switches were made in order to get positions in the Justice Department. Giuliani's mother maintained in 1988 that, "He only became a Republican after he began to get all these jobs from them. He's definitely not a conservative Republican. "
and Romney said he would be a" ted kennedy liberal who would do more for gay rights than he ever did" when he ran for governor. So what you meant to say was both were very good at pandering to WHITE liberals in those locations and then switching positison to pander to social conservatives. Thier about as conservative as a gas pump.Rudy's ability to fight the mafia, just like black drug dealers in black communities, came from Mafia attacks on cops and FBI agents, this lead to to more resources from the federal government.
As far as Milwaukee, If Conservative County Exec wouldn't cut social welfare programs, just like the state legislature, then maybe we could stop gang violence...poverty cause that not politicians.
Scapegoating??/ Look at The Tenn Senate election of 06, and that racist commerical they ran against Herald Ford, that even his oppenent called racist, yet the RNC would not pull the ad.
California???a state with a black pop of 13 percent? how is that a sign black people are following the GOP???Everyone whats health care reform.
I mean Bush wouldn't evvn go see the NAACP!!!
The GOP will always be a dividing group...The best example? Ken Melhman, who spoke this week, during his tenure, apologized for using the Southern Strategy!!!
Case Closed
Michael Johnson (November 15, 2007 @ 9:46pm):
As far as Michael Jordan...
Check into a case at his College, North Carolina were he choose not to stand behind black students dealing with racial issue on campus, so not to damage his image with Nike and Hanes...Black people dont like real uncle toms, who don't stand for social justice like Jordan did....Same goes for Cosby, who's more worried about paychecks than social welfare..and Ron Paul...the guy who whats to privatize education and close the IRS which will lead to the fall of social programs as we know it...
Anonymous (November 15, 2007 @ 11:26pm):
"ron paul for nazis."
Are you poor, poor Democrats and liberals so afraid that Hillary or Obama will lose in '08 that you have to resort to bashing Ron Paul, the candidate that has the best chance overall of winning? Boy, do you all have issues!
Anonymous (November 25, 2007 @ 1:29pm):
great article. here in massachusetts democrats are nominating kerry again. guns are many. prison are full. democrats lost black vote in ohio on gay marriage. great article. this is the dems weakness.
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