TEXAS’ Widest Circulated and Read Newspaper with a Black Perspective

Click here to join our mailing list and to receive late-breaking news

Black voters can “spoil” the party

“Bush declined to speak to the NAACP during its convention in Philadelphia this week, drawing criticism from NAACP leaders. Although he spoke to the group when he was running for president, Bush has not attended its convention as president, the first since the 1930s to decline to speak to the group. Kerry spoke to the NAACP Thursday (July 15, 2004). The White House cited a scheduling conflict when it turned down the NAACP invitation. Bush later said his relationship with NAACP leaders was ‘nonexistent’ and said, ‘You've heard the rhetoric and the names they've called me." For sure, the foregoing text, which was lifted from a July 16, 2004 Associated Press (AP) press release, is almost comical.

Additionally, it’s downright infantile (when viewed from a common sense Black perspective), insofar as it’s ridiculous for the 58-year-old leader of the most powerful nation-- in the history of the known, civilized universe-- to explain his disaffection (for the what is historically the oldest and most effective civil rights advocacy in the land of the free), like a petulant, spoiled brat… telling a group of kids that he isn’t going to play with them any more because they called him a bad name when they caught him cheating in their Monopoly game. Nevertheless, African American News & Issues would be presumptuous to think that every one of our estimated 2 million readers and multitude of weekly visitors to our Web Page (www.aframnews.com) are “old school” Black voters who knew how to read between the lines.

Then again, that was an era when voting was second only to worshipping Jesus the Christ for “Negroes,” who had yet to be proud of being called Black, when political astute descendents of slaves had the ability to separate politician’s “funny business” from sell-out Black leader’s “bullshit.” Thus, they would quickly discern whom Pres. George W. Bush was talking to when he said, “You’ve heard the rhetoric and the names they’ve called me.” Translation: “THEY” (arrogant Black people) apparently have forgotten their place to insult a rich and powerful White man without fear of retribution. So “YOU” (White America) and I must put them back into their place. Dare we suggest that Bush set up NAACP purposely, in order to neutralize them?
Believe it, or not, one of Bush’s strengths is the fact that he bonded with Black folks and Hispanics from the time he was a child, therefore knows how they think. And if you don’t think a large number of Black folks don’t relate to a man who will destroy a nation because, “They tried to kill my daddy,” or snub an organization that “dissed” him, you’re sadly mistaken. In essence, if you’re unable to see how cleverly Bush started lining up all of his political ducks in a row (to assure his reelection from day one), we would be remiss (as Texas’ widest circulated newspaper with a Black perspectives and Black America’s uncompromised editorial voice), if we didn’t expose the Republican Party’s devious divide and confuse political game that will allow Bush to play the “Race Card” as a Joker… which becomes a wild trump card in a political poker game.
For sure, Bush certainly knew what he was doing when he made Gen. Colin Powell the first Black Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice as his National Security Advisor and Dr. Rod Paige as his Secretary of Education. What better Black people to have at your back than a good solider who faithfully follows orders and speaks only in defense of those whom he serves; an elitist educator, who propagates that African Americans are not a monolithic people who all think alike. And, most assuredly, a former football coach who knows how to psyche out the opposition? Although today’s NAACP is already a joke under Kweisi Mfume (a former Democrat Congressman), he played into Bush’s hand when he tried to sneak the race card into a political game. Dr. Paige, a lifelong NAACP member, then blitzed him with a simple truth.
When Dr. Paige said, “You do not own, and you are not the arbiters of, African American authenticity,” he not only neutralized the NAACP’s hierarchy, but turned the race card into a Joker. Bush’s cleverest move, however, was blessing Black preachers with federal funds, insofar as there are 65,000 Black churches, with more than 20 million members and $50 billion in revenues nationwide. Regardless of some mild protests from Black pastors (already getting their political money under the table), Bush’s “Faith Based Initiatives,” opened the door for the GOP to build a base, using his focus on social issues, and “helping blacks make the logical connection between their faith and the importance of individual freedom and personal responsibility,” according to Sue Parker, president of the Coalition on Urban Research and Education.
Then again, politics is still all about money, therefore many “What’s in it for me?” Black “leaders” are likely to be influenced by the following intelligence: “Bush raised more money than Kerry in 48 states through March 31, illustrating that Bush’s overall fundraising advantage in the presidential race extends to areas throughout the country. The finding was revealed in a study by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics of individual donors of $200 or more. Bush raised $185.1 million to Kerry’s $85.6 million through March 31, the end of the most recent reporting period.” Even so, since Bush must carry his home state, Black Texans who’re hoping to “spoil” the GOP’s party are most intimidated by the report’s revelation, “Bush raised more money in Texas than in any other state through March.

“Houston, at No. 4 among metro areas in contributions to Bush, is his highest ranked city in Texas with $4.7 million. Dallas is No. 6 with $4.5 million. Boston, the heart of Kerry’s political base, is No. 9 among metro areas to Bush with $2.7 million.” Meanwhile, inasmuch as African American News & Issues realizes that Black voters have no choice but to play the hand that’s dealt them, we-- as always-- will be on top of Bush’s political game from an uncompromised Black perspective. We must make sure that he doesn’t use the race card as a Joker. Even so, the only way Black America can spoil the GOP’s party is to flood the polls in unprecedented numbers on Nov. 2, 2004. Lest the joke will be on us.