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 ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science and journalism.
