First things first: While the NAACP bills itself as "nonpartisan" the rhetoric coming from the group in the last few years shows they do have their leanings against the President. Since most African Americans are Democrats, it should be no suprise that the NAACP is pretty much a Democratic audience.
With that said, the President made a big mistake when he skipped the NAACP national convention in Philly citing a "scheduling conflict." Yes, a scheduling conflict. Uh huh.
The President has the dubious distinction of being the first President in over 80 years to not address the civil rights group and the President and his aides did not hide the fact that they thought it would be a waste of time. Look at this:
"The White House said Bush had a scheduling conflict, but Bush also has described his relationship with the NAACP leadership as "basically nonexistent" -- "You've heard the rhetoric and the names they've called me."
"The current leadership of the NAACP has certainly made some rather hostile political comments about the president over the past few years," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Friday.
So because they called him bad names that gives him reason to skip? Please. People always call presidents bad names, that's American. In every election, there are going to be people who don't like you. That's politics. But as President you have to be-well, presidential and keep good relations even with groups you don't like.
What this shows is that the President is not interested in at least trying to appear to build a bridge. Sure, the NAACP is not going to endorse him for President, but to put it in business terms these people are your bosses and if you get them really angry, they will fire you. Our President seems to think that the only people he should listen to is his far right wing base.
This is par for the course for Bush. When he was elected or whatever, he could have used the closeness and bitterness of the election to work with Dems to come up with an agenda both sides could agree with. He didn't. After 9/11, he could have again stepped up to be the leader for all of America. He didn't.
Mr. President, you are the leader of a nation of nearly 300 million people. Start acting like it.
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Posted by: blague drole at October 24, 2005 07:52 AMFuc the the kkked white Bush..
Posted by: cujo skills at July 17, 2004 04:25 AMWow Eldred Marshall you're really rather dim aren't you. I suggest you re-read the comment of the day and then read what Dorsano said because both of them hae hit the nail on the head, so to speak. The point is that this organization, like it or not, advocates issues that are of pressing concern to alot of African-Americans. By Bush just brushing them off he's basically saying that African-Americans don't matter. Just because someone (in this case the vast majority of African-Americans who don't vote Republican) didn't vote for him doesn't mean that he can just say that their concerns are unimportant. If he does then he's basically telling Black people that he couldn't care less about them or their votes.
Posted by: D. C. at July 16, 2004 04:42 AMI am reminded all of a sudden of this episode of "Whoopi" (I love Whoopi Goldberg's work but that show stank!) where Whoopi gets invited to a Republican shindig after being mistaken for a fan of the president.
At first she enjoys it, but then an African American woman comes up to Whoopi (whose character is a once-famous musician past her prime) and congratulates her on coming out of "the closet". The Republican closet. Much hilarity ensues (not really) as Whoopi starts railing, accusing the woman and her husbands of being traitors.
Ironic when you consider Slim-Fast canned her for dissing the president.
Still, there's no excuse for Bush walking away from the NAACP.
Posted by: Anonymous at July 15, 2004 11:43 AMIt serves the NAACP right to be snubbed by Bush; they did all they could to undermine his presidency even before his presidency began. Calling a president "illegitamite" automatically puts you and your interests in the never-mind pile. Julian Bond, Kweisi Mfume have always been guilty of using vitrolic language against white officeholders, but they vilanized a man who doesn't have a racist bone in his body only because he happens to be a Republican! Moreover, they vilanized him because he ran against another guy who could have cared less about black people but was linked to Bill Clinton. Our black leadership has really screwed us over yet again. It's time for far more moderate, independent-minded younger black leaders to take the helm.
Posted by: Eldred Marshall at July 14, 2004 02:53 PM"Since most African Americans are Democrats"
Dennis, molotov asked you in one of his comments to address this issue.
If you are comfortable with the notion, I would suggest that you frame an open letter to all Black Americans,
* If you vote Republican, Why?
* If you don't, Why not?
* Do you believe, as I have occasionally heard in my neighborhood that "asking Black Americans to vote Republican is like asking chickens to vote for Colonel Sanders?" --- If so, why?
This the party that ended slavery under Lincoln, outlawed segregration under the Warren Court, enforced the court ordered desegregation rulings under Eisenhower.
What needs to be done to encourage Black Americans to vote Republican?
------------
The fact that Black Americans, Latino Americans or any minority group might feel compelled to favor in large numbers one political party over another,
should be a concern to all Americans,
and should be considered an unacceptable state of affairs.
If that is reality -- how do we change it?
Posted by: dorsano at July 13, 2004 01:15 AM