Why Do Blacks LOATHE George W. Bush?

Great Debates
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I’m a Republican and a brown-skinned American female one, at that! I can’t stand George W. Bush. I didn’t vote for him. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of one Republican candidate I’ve voted for since I’ve been of voting age.

I’m actually very middle-of-the-road, I just sway a little to right, hence my political affiliation.

It’s a fact that Democrats take the ‘Black vote’ for granted. Their line of thinking seems to be: ‘So we can count on you to vote for us again, right (wink, wink… nudge, nudge)?’ I’m somewhat insulted by this, but can understand their point of view. Why should they work hard for something they’ve pretty much got in the bag?

I think the reason a lot of Black Americans don’t trust Republicans is because they’re very vocal about not supporting many of the social programs Blacks hold dear. That’s not to say that every Democrat votes in favor of them, they’re just not as vocal about it. Organizations such as the Council of Conservative Citizens don’t help the situation either. It lends to the rationale that O of CC is politically conservative, the Republican party is the conservative party, the O of CC is a thinly veiled hate group, therefore the Republican party is a hate group! Now, I don’t agree with this, but it’s an example of why many Blacks distrust the Republican party.

It was also widely publicized that Jesse Jackson ([sarcasm] there’s a special place in my heart for him[/sarcasm]) offered to speak at the Republican Convention and was turned down. I don’t know the particulars of the reasons why, but that doesn’t play to well in the minds of Blacks, either. (Great, now I’ve got J.J. shouting ‘Stay… Out… Da’… Bushes!’ in my head).

Now some might argue that I’m not giving Blacks a lot of credit here. I mean, surely they can weed out the facts from the misconceptions! Of course we can! But when your mother and your mother’s mother and so forth voted Democrat coupled with the media electing to highlight ‘Republicans being Republicans’ (i.e. voting against Affirmative Action, not having golden boy Jesse Jackson speak at their little get-together, Strom Thurman, etc.), the deck is definitely stacked against changing the minds of Black voters.

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I’m just alittle confused… you never vote Republican, yet you identify as Republican…doesn’t that cause a little disconnect in your head?

Why not just start identifying as Independent?

stoid

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Just because I haven’t found a Republican Presidential candidate I like doesn’t mean I don’t agree with (most of) the Republican platform. I don’t know what the Independent platform is. If I read up on it and like it, who knows, perhaps I’ll switch. Luckily, they won’t kick me out of the GOP for not agreeing with Bush, Dole and Bush.

But we digress. I wanted to point out that I was a female, brown-skinned American who happens to be Republican. I can’t speak for every Black American but I don’t think Black Americans loathed Govenor Bush any more than they’ve hated any other Republican candidate. It just seems that way because it’s been four years since we’ve seen the last pathetic excuse for a Republican Presidential candidate.

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Juanita: First of all, a high-diddly-do welcome to The Straight Dope!

Secondly, if you’re interested in learning more about the various parties and their platforms check out Presidential Campaign 2000.

Down towards the bottom is a index of the various parties and links to their websites.

Biggirl: There have been very intelligent and eloquently stated reasons from all spectrums of the political rainbow presented here regarding the OP.

Unfortunately, none of them are yours or Stoidela’s.

When presented (confronted) with fact, you both resort to “he’s an idiot” attacks in place of actually making an argument.

If you presented your viewpoints with more intelligence and class (even a good many of the Gore/liberal-supporters are able to do this, and have mine and the conservatives respect for it), then maybe you and Stoi wouldn’t be getting bashed so hard.

Just a redneck’s opinion, of course. Although I prefer “Southern Gentleman” to redneck, as I don’t drive an SUV, I’m a salaried professional, only wear camoflague when hunting (not as a fashion/political statement), like fine unblended scotch whiskeys, smoke good cigars, and am a snappy dresser without a single pair of cowboy boots to my name.

Most of my black friends/acquaintences/co-workers are ex-military, so I don’t perceive them as being representative of the overall black population. Most of them are very conservative in outlook, yet hate Republican politics/platform. When I gently and politely point out the inconsistencies of their viewpoints and their politics, they generally clam up, thus ending any possibility of meaningful dialogue.

I attribute the dismal conservative/Republican record with regards to blacks (I’m sorry, I refuse to use “African-American” for purely personal reasons) to a dismal record of conservatives/Republicans in campigning for the black vote, to explain the conservative principles better, and how they can benefit the black community(s).

General Colin Powell, Congressman J.C. Watts and Mr. Alan Keyes have my highest regards; not a “black men who have made it”, but as people of intellignece, integrity and class. Leaders. Their skin color is immaterial only inasmuch as their color, combined with their leadershp and charisma, is an opportunity to show the black community(s) that there is an equal place for them at the conservative/Republican table.

Off the OP:

I too am turned off by the partisan nature of so many of the politiacl debates here in GD, which is why I have been keeping a lower profile. I would correct/chastise conservatives for partisan mud-slinging, but the intelligent liberals here do a much better job at it than I do, and rarely feel the need for a “me too” addendum to a well spoken post.

Kudos to you good people. Y’all know who you are.

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Gee Ex-Tank, I thought I was presenting my opinions straightforwardly and clearly stated as opinion and my facts with the appropriate back-up.

I say he’s an idiot because I believe he is one. I have also said that this is my opinion and gave reasons why I have come to this belief. I’ve said I do not agree with his stance on many of the issues and gave my reasons why.

When confronted with my erroneous assumption that all blacks were liberal, I accepted the fact that I was wrong. I have also stated that it is true that many black people give no good reason why they do not vote Republican.

There are plenty of people who have responded to this thread who I don’t agree with, but they have not resorted to personal attacks and “bashing”. Bashing a poster is not debating. It disrupts the actual debate. We do not have to agree. But just because we don’t agree doesn’t mean that gives you the right to bash me.

Aside from your personal attacks on me and Stoid, your last post was informative and non-inflamatory. I agree with most of it. Perhaps if the Republicans did more outreach less black people would vote Democratic just because. However, there would still be plenty of blacks who would not vote Republican because they do not agree with the Republican platform.

As I have mentioned before, beside the kneejerk Dem voters, all minorities that I know personally do not agree with GWB’s stance on many of the issues. Here is were ideology comes into play. There are deep set personal differences that bring a person to take a stance one way or the other on such issues as gun control, abortion, affirmative action and others. My convictions are as deeply felt as any Republican.