FJM Blog

With the 2010 Congressional races rapidly approaching us and the 2012 Presidential races following, critics continue to argue that Republicans need the African American vote to win the Whitehouse, a fact that many powerful white Republicans continue to ignore.

Ignoring the need to recruit blacks was Lincoln ’s mistake of the past and may be the Republican’s mistake of the present.  From the beginning of the war, Frederick Douglass and other abolitionist suggested that Lincoln recruit black soldiers if he wanted a Union victory.  Lincoln and other war experts had forgotten that African-Americans successfully fought in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.  Blacks were barred from state militias in 1792, ironically, the same time the pro-slavery Democratic Party was formed.  In arguing against the use of black soldiers, Lincoln told Senator Orville Browning that arming black soldiers “would produce dangerous and fatal dissatisfaction in our army and do more injury than good.”

After suffering defeats in Vicksburgh , Kentucky and Tennessee , Lincoln had a change of mind and authorized the use of black soldiers with the following statement in his newly proposed Emancipation Proclamation. “And I further declare and make known that such persons of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service.”  Lincoln wrote the Democratic Governor of Tennessee and said, “The bare sight of fifty thousand armed, and drilled black soldiers, on the banks of the Mississippi , would end the rebellion at once.”  He went on to say, “I desire that a renewed and vigorous effort be made to raise colored forces along the shores of the Mississippi .”

Lincoln realized that he an the black slave wanted the same thing: the defeat of the South.  Not only did the slaves want to see the South defeated, they were willing to give their lives to make it happen.  In 2004, George W. Bush had a Lincoln revelation.  He realized that African Americans were just as conservative as he and other conservatives were and that blacks opposed same-sex marriage and the infringement on the black church with “Hate Speech” laws - just like himself.  So contrary to the advice of his white political consultants, he spoke to the Urban League, the NAACP and the black clergy to share these thoughts. As a result, he took an unprecedented 11% of the black vote which was the margin he needed to win the election.

Why was Lincoln successful?  He realized that he and the black slave had a common goal and a common interest.  He realized that his commanders could not relate to black soldiers so they selected black officers to communicate to the black troops.  Bush did the same.  Bush knew blacks were traditionally conservative and were opposed to same-sex marriage and laws that would affect what the black preacher could or could not say in the pulpit, like the so-called “hate speech” law (which would cover sermons on homosexuality).  Like Lincoln , Bush selected key blacks like Michael Steele and Michael Williams and the members of the black clergy to communicate with the grass root black voters and the influential black leaders.

With the Republican’s anti-slavery and pro-civil rights track record and their opposition to same sex marriage and hate speech along with a host of other liberal issues, they must realize that they h ave more in common with African Americans than their Democrat counterparts.  But more importantly, they must realize like George W. Bush, they cannot win the election without the black vote!

Republicans must work from the ground up rather than the top down and work with grass-root leaders that can relate to the people in their community.  They must change the image of the Republican Party by featuring the diversity within the party.  No more super-stars like Newt and others, but the common everyday working class black, Asian, Latino, college age young people and women must take center stage.

Since Republicans already have the white conservative vote, they must divert their campaign funds to reach the population that they do not have.  When Lincoln wanted black soldiers, he did not go to the white communities to recruit them - he went to Frederick Douglass who was well respected in the black community.  When Bush wanted the black vote, he went to those who had the connection, respect and a track record in the black community.  He did not go to the Rush Limbaugh(s), the Newt Gingrich(s), the Bill Orielly(s) and other members of the white community.

It is true that at one time the Republican Party was the home of African Americans.  But before the black voter can come back home to the Republican Party, the Republican must come back to those things that once attracted blacks, and that is a sincere concern for their genuine welfare - not just their black vote.  Bush proved that he was sincere:

• By giving more money to Historical Black Colleges than any other president in U.S. history including, more than President Obama who cut their funding by $73 million.

• By opening old Civil Rights cases and getting convictions – unlike Obama and Eric Holder who refuse to give black farmers the three billion dollar award that the court granted them for discrimination.

• By approving funding for an African American Museum – as large as two football fields and a separate memorial for Rosa Park.

• By approving vouchers for inner-city kids so they could go to private schools like Obama’s two daughters and the children of the members of Congress.

• By supporting No Child Left Behind to improve test scores of blacks

• By giving more money than any other President to fight AIDS in Africa

• By attempting to put together Social Security Reform so African Americans can reap and enjoy the fruits of their labor

Tags: Uncategorized //