Sidelining Blacks, Losing Elections

[Yoshie Furuhashi <furuhashi.1@xxxxxxx>]

<blockquote>"The telltale sign" of looming defeat is the Democrats'
failure to register 9 million black voters, [Ralph] Nader told
reporters. . . .

. . . Kerry and the Democrats have indeed failed to make a strong
effort to register black voters, said Ron Walters, a black political
activist and University of Maryland political scientist.

"Nader is absolutely right about this," Walters said. "It's one of
those subterranean stories nobody wants to talk about because Kerry
could lose."

While Democrats have raised enormous amounts of money in this
campaign, Walters said, money is only "trickling in" to traditional
black voter-registration groups.

The independent political organizations known as 527s raised $150
million, he said, "but they have not used it very effectively -- they
have tried to substitute people with Palm Pilots and Blackberries for
the success we had over the years."

Walters said the problem was a hot topic of behind-the-scenes
discussion Thursday at a Congressional Black Caucus Town Hall
Meeting, part of a three-day legislative conference that he said drew
35,000 attendees.  (Miles Benson, "Nader Says Kerry 'Blew It,'
Ensuring Bush Will Win Race," <em>The Times-Picayune</em>, <a
href="http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0910-04.htm";>September
10, 2004)</blockquote>

<blockquote>A new strategy to expand the black vote -- primarily in
swing states -- has triggered infighting among black and white
Democratic activists over money, turf and political priorities.

The plan, launched by "527" groups led by powerful white Democrats,
angers Jesse Jackson and other black leaders, who say they have been
bypassed and denied funds.

"Of black organizations that have been traditionally responsible for
increasing voter registration and turnout, none have been empowered
to determine priorities for the resources," Jackson said in an
interview. "We know what to do and how to do it -- we've done it
before. It's insulting that none of us who have been responsible for
most registration and turnout are at the table determining
priorities."

Ron Walters, a longtime black political activist and University of
Maryland political scientist, said funds are only "trickling in" to
traditional groups like Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and the
National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.

Walters said white Democratic leaders "have tried to substitute
people with Palm Pilots and Blackberries for the success we have had
over the years" in voter efforts.

The 527 groups are named for the provision in the Internal Revenue
Service code that allows them to raise millions of dollars to help
elect both Democrats and Republicans. Under law, they may not
coordinate their activities with the candidates.

Kirk Clay, deputy director of the National Coalition on Black Civic
Participation, which includes Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH, said that in a
typical election their groups would receive $8 million for
registration efforts. While he said he could not specify this year's
amount, he added, "we're not anywhere near that." The groups relied
in past years on contributions from individuals and other sources;
they believe those funds are now being diverted to the 527s.

Jackson said white leaders of the 527 groups are making decisions
about black vote mobilization based "on their own views and values,
and they have a tendency to write off too much of the South."

He specifically blames influential Democrats such as Harold Ickes,
head of the Media Fund; Steve Rosenthal, the former AFL-CIO political
director, who runs America Coming Together (ACT); and John Podesta,
former White House chief of staff to Democratic President Bill
Clinton, who directs the Center for American Progress.

For example, Jackson said, Democrats are blowing opportunities to win
back control of the Senate by failing to spend funds to target
600,000 unregistered black potential voters in Georgia, where a black
House member, Denise Majette, is running against Republican Rep.
Johnny Isakson for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen.
Zell Miller, who backs President Bush against Sen. John Kerry.
(Miles Benson/Newhouse News Service, "Black Activists Decry Shutout
in Voter Registration Efforts," <a
href="http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/benson092304.html";>September
23, 2004</a>)</blockquote>

Cf. Mike Davis, "The Political Sidelining of Blacks," <a
href="http://progressivetrail.org/articles/040924Davis.shtml";>September
23, 2004</a>.
--
Yoshie

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