Well I tried, but it the state party decided to keep the State Democratic Convention in North Georgia. I was pushing for the convention to be held here in central georgia, at Perry or even Macon. The idea was to hold the event outside the Atlanta Area to bring back conservative democrats, as well as appeal to independents, & to expand the party's base beyond the cities & suburbs.
Although many will argue that Athens is outside metro Atlanta, but its still in North Georgia being held in a democratic stronghold, which was porbably the main reason they decided to go with Athens.
How holding it in Athens helps democrats statewide, I have no idea! Having it in central georgia would make it accessibility much easier for democrats living in south as well as west central, east central, south central, southeast & southwest Georgia. They missed a huge opportunity to stake a claim on rural georgia, but they didn't. Athens was the site for the Young Democrats of Georgia Convention back in April. It would have been nice if the convention were held at a different location.
Bottom line is: if democrats perform poorly in rural georgia this election, it will be a clean sweep for the GOP & the party will be in the wilderness for the next 10-15 years.
ONCE AGAIN RURAL GEORGIA IS NOT LOVED BY THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF GEORGIA & THEY WONDER WHY RURAL,CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS HAVE VOTED WITH THE GOP SINCE THE TAKEOVER OF 2002. DO THEY EVEN WANT TO COMPETE FOR RURAL GEORGIA? HAVE A PRESNECE IN RURAL GEORGIA.
Let's face it the power is concentrated in the metro counties & they have the keys to the ship. Rural Georgia, we are not strong enough to compete with the powerhouse metro counties. But no need to worry. If democrats want to win in november, they are going to need the RURAL VOTE!
Well I'm done with it. I hope our gubernatorial candidates pay attention to rural georgia whoever becomes the nominee for their perspective races, because the DPG stiil haven't gtten the message that it has to expand its reach & its base back into the rural parts of the state.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond Gave Keynote Address at Banquet Saturday Night in Valdosta
GA Labor Commisisoner Michael Thurmond was down in Valdosta where he gave the keynote speech at the 100 Black Men of Valdosta, Inc Banquet saturday night at Valdosta Middle School.
Rather than focus on those who should but don’t, I’m going to focus on those who do,” Thurmond said. “I’m going to talk tonight about the men, like all the men in this room, who do. I’ve come to Valdosta to celebrate our men.”
Thurmond said there are too many youths in prison, too many youths who have turned to crime or drugs, and not enough emphasis on those who do right every day.“There are good men all around, and ladies, there are good black men all around. Too many women say they can’t find a good man but there are a lot of good men here tonight,” he said, asking all the men in attendance to stand.
“Men who look like Denzel Washington may be hard to find, but good men aren’t. A lot of good men drive a Lexus or a Mercedes, but there are a lot of good men who have to use their thumb to get to work every day, but they work hard and make good money to take care of their family.”
Before discussing his childhood, Thurmond added, “When fathers positively invest themselves in their children, good things happen. It doesn’t matter if that father is rich or if he’s educated or what kind of job he’s got — good things happen.”
Thurmond recounted growing up in rural Clark County as the last of nine children. His father was a sharecropper, worked nights at a poultry plant and on weekends, loaded up the kids in an old truck and delivered vegetables on a route. He told his son that one day, that route would be his.
Although that wasn’t exactly his dream, after finishing law school and practicing for several years, Thurmond said he depended on that route when he decided to run for the State House.
“I knocked on all those doors, and those ladies remembered my father and remembered me as a child and they helped me get elected. My father left me his vegetable route, and it ended up being a pathway to my future. You got all you need from your grandparents, your parents, your family. You’ve got what you need to succeed.”
Thurmond extolled the virtues of the 100, saying they walk the walk and talk the talk when it comes to helping youth. Their programs include SAT Prep, tutoring, mentoring, scholarships and more, all with an emphasis on education.
In introducing Thurmond, attorney Roy Copeland said he has known him since 1980, his first year in law school in Athens. At that time, Thurmond was already a practicing attorney and Copeland recalled all the assistance that Thurmond gave to young law students and any other student who needed help.
Thurmond is also a member of the 100 chapter in Dekalb County and he is currently seeking election to the U.S. Senate.
Following the keynote speech, 100 member Johnny Ball presented Community Service Awards to educator Helen Jackson, a Valdosta High School teacher who is active in the SAT Prep program; Percy Chastain, who works with educating youth on health issues through his position with the South Health District; and Pastor Angela Manning, who has taken the role of pastor at New Life Ministries since the passing of her husband, Pastor Larry Manning.
In his closing speech, Copeland thanked the corporate sponsor, Walmart, and told the crowd about the work of the 100.
“Our Quiz Bowl team took the National Championship last year in New York and we were named the Chapter of the Year for the National 100 organization for the third or fourth time. I want to thank my friend Michael for focusing on what we do, not what we don’t do.”
Emcee for the evening Donald Williams also thanked Valdosta musician and saxophonist Kwame Holder for serenading the crowd and the caterer for the evening, Antoine’s Flavor of New Orleans.
The Black Tie dinner is one of the 100 Black Men’s annual fundraising activities.
Rather than focus on those who should but don’t, I’m going to focus on those who do,” Thurmond said. “I’m going to talk tonight about the men, like all the men in this room, who do. I’ve come to Valdosta to celebrate our men.”
Thurmond said there are too many youths in prison, too many youths who have turned to crime or drugs, and not enough emphasis on those who do right every day.“There are good men all around, and ladies, there are good black men all around. Too many women say they can’t find a good man but there are a lot of good men here tonight,” he said, asking all the men in attendance to stand.
“Men who look like Denzel Washington may be hard to find, but good men aren’t. A lot of good men drive a Lexus or a Mercedes, but there are a lot of good men who have to use their thumb to get to work every day, but they work hard and make good money to take care of their family.”
Before discussing his childhood, Thurmond added, “When fathers positively invest themselves in their children, good things happen. It doesn’t matter if that father is rich or if he’s educated or what kind of job he’s got — good things happen.”
Thurmond recounted growing up in rural Clark County as the last of nine children. His father was a sharecropper, worked nights at a poultry plant and on weekends, loaded up the kids in an old truck and delivered vegetables on a route. He told his son that one day, that route would be his.
Although that wasn’t exactly his dream, after finishing law school and practicing for several years, Thurmond said he depended on that route when he decided to run for the State House.
“I knocked on all those doors, and those ladies remembered my father and remembered me as a child and they helped me get elected. My father left me his vegetable route, and it ended up being a pathway to my future. You got all you need from your grandparents, your parents, your family. You’ve got what you need to succeed.”
Thurmond extolled the virtues of the 100, saying they walk the walk and talk the talk when it comes to helping youth. Their programs include SAT Prep, tutoring, mentoring, scholarships and more, all with an emphasis on education.
In introducing Thurmond, attorney Roy Copeland said he has known him since 1980, his first year in law school in Athens. At that time, Thurmond was already a practicing attorney and Copeland recalled all the assistance that Thurmond gave to young law students and any other student who needed help.
Thurmond is also a member of the 100 chapter in Dekalb County and he is currently seeking election to the U.S. Senate.
Following the keynote speech, 100 member Johnny Ball presented Community Service Awards to educator Helen Jackson, a Valdosta High School teacher who is active in the SAT Prep program; Percy Chastain, who works with educating youth on health issues through his position with the South Health District; and Pastor Angela Manning, who has taken the role of pastor at New Life Ministries since the passing of her husband, Pastor Larry Manning.
In his closing speech, Copeland thanked the corporate sponsor, Walmart, and told the crowd about the work of the 100.
“Our Quiz Bowl team took the National Championship last year in New York and we were named the Chapter of the Year for the National 100 organization for the third or fourth time. I want to thank my friend Michael for focusing on what we do, not what we don’t do.”
Emcee for the evening Donald Williams also thanked Valdosta musician and saxophonist Kwame Holder for serenading the crowd and the caterer for the evening, Antoine’s Flavor of New Orleans.
The Black Tie dinner is one of the 100 Black Men’s annual fundraising activities.
Gun Owners of America: No on anti-Gun Supreme Court Nomination
They call Supreme Court nominee: An anti-gun ObamaPET!
The next justice of the Supreme Court could well cast the deciding vote on the constitutionality of ObamaCare. And that justice will almost certainly preside, during the next thirty years, over dozens of cases which could very well chip away at the DC v. Heller decision, telling us which gun laws the court views as "constitutional" and which "unconstitutional."
So it is more than a little interesting that Barack Qbama has reached into his closet of political leftists to bring out Elena Kagan -- a woman whose legal views have been shaped by the most extreme socialist voices in Washington.
Kagan doesn't have a record of judicial opinions. She hasn't been a judge. So the crafty Obama figures that, without a paper trail, we won't know of the ways she is moving American jurisprudence to the left until it's too late.
But Kagan's views on the Second Amendment are no mystery. According to columnist James Oliphant, Kagan was part of "a small group of staffers work[ing] behind the scenes to pursue an aggressive policy agenda" during President Bill Clinton's second term.
Oliphant writes: "According to records at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Ark., [Kagan] drafted an executive order restricting the importation of certain semiautomatic assault rifles. She also helped prepare a question-and-answer document advocating the campaign-reform legislation then proposed by Sens. Russ Feingold and John McCain."
Kagan was also part of the Clinton team that pushed the firearms industry to include gun locks with all gun purchases and was in the Clinton administration when the president pushed legislation that would close down gun shows.
President Obama has made it very clear that he expects Kagan's "powers of persuasion" to make her and Justice Anthony Kennedy the swing votes to uphold his anti-gun ObamaCare legislation.
Kagan's opinion of the "greatest lawyer" of her lifetime was her former boss -- the consistently left-wing Justice Thurgood Marshall.
Bloomberg News reported on May 13 that while working for Justice Marshall, Kagan urged him to vote against hearing a gun owner's claim that his constitutional rights were violated.
Kagan wrote that she was "not sympathetic" toward the gun rights claim that was made in Sandidge v. United States -- an amazing statement for a woman who is being heralded for supposedly showing a "special solicitude" for the interests of certain groups.
Alas, it seems that gun owners are not a part of those groups for whom she would like to show special concern.
After the Heller case was handed down, Kagan did concede that the Second Amendment was an "individual right." But that makes her no different than the talking heads at the Brady Campaign.
Kagan, like the President who nominated her, is an extreme leftist. According to WeeklyStandard.com (May 6, 2009), she is so far to the left she has lamented that socialism has "never attained the status of a major political force" in our country.
And according to Politico.com (March 20, 2009), she says that foreign law can be used to interpret the U.S. Constitution in "some circumstances." Considering that most of the world does not respect the freedoms that are protected in our Second Amendment, this is a bad sign.
While every Senator needs to hear from us, there are seven Republican Senators in particular who need to hear from their constituents. These seven Republicans voted for Elena Kagan last year when she was confirmed as Obama's Solicitor General:
* Coburn (R-OK)
* Collins (R-ME)
* Gregg (R-NH)
* Hatch (R-UT)
* Kyl (R-AZ)
* Lugar (R-IN)
* Snowe (R-ME)
Well this group isn't going to welcoe Miss. Kagan with open arms.
The next justice of the Supreme Court could well cast the deciding vote on the constitutionality of ObamaCare. And that justice will almost certainly preside, during the next thirty years, over dozens of cases which could very well chip away at the DC v. Heller decision, telling us which gun laws the court views as "constitutional" and which "unconstitutional."
So it is more than a little interesting that Barack Qbama has reached into his closet of political leftists to bring out Elena Kagan -- a woman whose legal views have been shaped by the most extreme socialist voices in Washington.
Kagan doesn't have a record of judicial opinions. She hasn't been a judge. So the crafty Obama figures that, without a paper trail, we won't know of the ways she is moving American jurisprudence to the left until it's too late.
But Kagan's views on the Second Amendment are no mystery. According to columnist James Oliphant, Kagan was part of "a small group of staffers work[ing] behind the scenes to pursue an aggressive policy agenda" during President Bill Clinton's second term.
Oliphant writes: "According to records at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Ark., [Kagan] drafted an executive order restricting the importation of certain semiautomatic assault rifles. She also helped prepare a question-and-answer document advocating the campaign-reform legislation then proposed by Sens. Russ Feingold and John McCain."
Kagan was also part of the Clinton team that pushed the firearms industry to include gun locks with all gun purchases and was in the Clinton administration when the president pushed legislation that would close down gun shows.
President Obama has made it very clear that he expects Kagan's "powers of persuasion" to make her and Justice Anthony Kennedy the swing votes to uphold his anti-gun ObamaCare legislation.
Kagan's opinion of the "greatest lawyer" of her lifetime was her former boss -- the consistently left-wing Justice Thurgood Marshall.
Bloomberg News reported on May 13 that while working for Justice Marshall, Kagan urged him to vote against hearing a gun owner's claim that his constitutional rights were violated.
Kagan wrote that she was "not sympathetic" toward the gun rights claim that was made in Sandidge v. United States -- an amazing statement for a woman who is being heralded for supposedly showing a "special solicitude" for the interests of certain groups.
Alas, it seems that gun owners are not a part of those groups for whom she would like to show special concern.
After the Heller case was handed down, Kagan did concede that the Second Amendment was an "individual right." But that makes her no different than the talking heads at the Brady Campaign.
Kagan, like the President who nominated her, is an extreme leftist. According to WeeklyStandard.com (May 6, 2009), she is so far to the left she has lamented that socialism has "never attained the status of a major political force" in our country.
And according to Politico.com (March 20, 2009), she says that foreign law can be used to interpret the U.S. Constitution in "some circumstances." Considering that most of the world does not respect the freedoms that are protected in our Second Amendment, this is a bad sign.
While every Senator needs to hear from us, there are seven Republican Senators in particular who need to hear from their constituents. These seven Republicans voted for Elena Kagan last year when she was confirmed as Obama's Solicitor General:
* Coburn (R-OK)
* Collins (R-ME)
* Gregg (R-NH)
* Hatch (R-UT)
* Kyl (R-AZ)
* Lugar (R-IN)
* Snowe (R-ME)
Well this group isn't going to welcoe Miss. Kagan with open arms.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Farm Aid: They Don't want Farmers telling the Truth
I got this newsletter from Hilde Shelley from Farm Aid:
On May 21st, the Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Agriculture will hold a workshop to investigate the abusive state of contract poultry farming in the United States. Well, nobody knows more about the problem than family farmers. But the DOJ and USDA are having a hard time finding farmers who are willing to speak out. Why? Farmers are scared of retaliation by the big poultry companies, and for good reason.
They need us to stand up for them now. Tell the DOJ and USDA to protect family farmers and stop the abusive practices of big poultry companies.
Nowadays more than 90% of poultry is raised under a contract situation, meaning that farmers sign a contract with a big poultry company. And for a lot of family farmers, there's no choice – they are forced to sign whatever contract the company comes up with if they want to stay on the land and keep farming. The company controls the whole process from chick to market, and requires the farmer to build particular kinds of barns and use specific practices in raising the birds, all at the farmers' expense.
The company has all the control. The farmer has none. And that means they're left wide open to abuse.
We know why these farmers are scared of retaliation from these companies. We’ve heard the stories about what happens when a farmer speaks up about the unfair, one-sided and abusive contracts:
Poultry companies provide poor quality feed or sick chicks that die within days
The companies halt or delay the delivery of new birds
Farmers are required to make expensive farm upgrades without fair compensation
Farmers' contracts are dropped without warning
Farm Aid can tell the DOJ and USDA the truth because we’ve heard the stories from farmers themselves, and we want you to join us.
Send a letter to the DOJ and USDA. Tell them we need to overhaul the poultry system and ensure fair contracts and a living wage for our nation’s poultry growers. Without fair contracts, these farmers are trapped in an abusive system that they have little control over. We need to restore fairness in poultry farming, and you can help.
The big poultry companies can try to silence farmers with their intimidation tactics. But they can't keep Farm Aid quiet, and they can't stop you and me from standing up for family farmers. Let's show them what we can do.
It's sbout time!
On May 21st, the Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Agriculture will hold a workshop to investigate the abusive state of contract poultry farming in the United States. Well, nobody knows more about the problem than family farmers. But the DOJ and USDA are having a hard time finding farmers who are willing to speak out. Why? Farmers are scared of retaliation by the big poultry companies, and for good reason.
They need us to stand up for them now. Tell the DOJ and USDA to protect family farmers and stop the abusive practices of big poultry companies.
Nowadays more than 90% of poultry is raised under a contract situation, meaning that farmers sign a contract with a big poultry company. And for a lot of family farmers, there's no choice – they are forced to sign whatever contract the company comes up with if they want to stay on the land and keep farming. The company controls the whole process from chick to market, and requires the farmer to build particular kinds of barns and use specific practices in raising the birds, all at the farmers' expense.
The company has all the control. The farmer has none. And that means they're left wide open to abuse.
We know why these farmers are scared of retaliation from these companies. We’ve heard the stories about what happens when a farmer speaks up about the unfair, one-sided and abusive contracts:
Poultry companies provide poor quality feed or sick chicks that die within days
The companies halt or delay the delivery of new birds
Farmers are required to make expensive farm upgrades without fair compensation
Farmers' contracts are dropped without warning
Farm Aid can tell the DOJ and USDA the truth because we’ve heard the stories from farmers themselves, and we want you to join us.
Send a letter to the DOJ and USDA. Tell them we need to overhaul the poultry system and ensure fair contracts and a living wage for our nation’s poultry growers. Without fair contracts, these farmers are trapped in an abusive system that they have little control over. We need to restore fairness in poultry farming, and you can help.
The big poultry companies can try to silence farmers with their intimidation tactics. But they can't keep Farm Aid quiet, and they can't stop you and me from standing up for family farmers. Let's show them what we can do.
It's sbout time!
Press Release: AG Candidate Teilhet to Focus Policy on Crime Prevention and Education
In March of 2010 Attorney General Candidate and State Representative Rob Teilhet unveiled a major component of his campaign platform, the creation of a Child Protection Unit within the Office of Attorney General. Today Teilhet announced a top policy priority in the unit— a focus on crime prevention and education. (See Rob’s video announcement here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcLOzLIeVWo )
Teilhet voted against the state budget for Fiscal Year 2011, which once again slashed funding for public education in Georgia, forcing massive teacher layoffs and program cuts across the state.
“Failing to invest in students, mistreating teachers, and turning a blind eye to the crisis unfolding in our schools has to stop,” said Rob Teilhet. “Summer school programs are closing, class sizes are growing, alternative education programs are shutting down. Georgia is systematically removing opportunities for kids to succeed, and we’ll pay for it later,” said Rep. Teilhet.
Education has long been proven an effective prevention measure against unemployment, crime rates and increasing recidivism rates. High school dropouts are eight times more likely to end up in jail or prison. The Department of Corrections reports that 65 percent of Georgia’s prison population did not complete the 12th grade. According to research conducted at Columbia University, if a community could increase its average level of school completion by one year, there is an associated 30 percent decrease in murder and assault rates to follow.
“Georgia cannot afford an Attorney General whose only concern is prosecuting a crime after it has been committed,” said Teilhet. “Georgia needs an Attorney General who will work to prevent crime from happening in the first place. Supporting Georgia’s teachers, kids and schools is the right place to start.”
In addition to investigating and prosecuting those that harm children, Teilhet’s Child Protection Unit will drive policies that will prevent youth perpetuated crime. Supporting education funding and protecting Georgia teachers will be key components of Teilhet’s legislative agenda as Attorney General.
“I can promise this, as Attorney General, no one in the nation will go after child predators as hard as I will. I will make Georgia the toughest state in the country to commit crimes against our kids,” said Teilhet. “At the same time, the Office of the Attorney General will not lose sight of prevention. I vow to work closely with the new state school superintendent to find ways to invest in our kids and give them every opportunity for success in school means less crime in our communities. Better schools mean safer streets. ”
Teilhet has introduced and supported measures to protect Georgia’s children and families since first elected in 2002 and has been a member of the House Education Committee. He has authored numerous crime prevention bills including “The Johnia Berry Act” which would expand Georgia’s DNA database and has been proven to prevent crimes such as murders and rape, “E-STOP” legislation that would prevent registered sex offenders from contacting children on social networking sites, and legislation that requires individuals working at daycare facilities to undergo criminal background checks.
Teilhet voted against the state budget for Fiscal Year 2011, which once again slashed funding for public education in Georgia, forcing massive teacher layoffs and program cuts across the state.
“Failing to invest in students, mistreating teachers, and turning a blind eye to the crisis unfolding in our schools has to stop,” said Rob Teilhet. “Summer school programs are closing, class sizes are growing, alternative education programs are shutting down. Georgia is systematically removing opportunities for kids to succeed, and we’ll pay for it later,” said Rep. Teilhet.
Education has long been proven an effective prevention measure against unemployment, crime rates and increasing recidivism rates. High school dropouts are eight times more likely to end up in jail or prison. The Department of Corrections reports that 65 percent of Georgia’s prison population did not complete the 12th grade. According to research conducted at Columbia University, if a community could increase its average level of school completion by one year, there is an associated 30 percent decrease in murder and assault rates to follow.
“Georgia cannot afford an Attorney General whose only concern is prosecuting a crime after it has been committed,” said Teilhet. “Georgia needs an Attorney General who will work to prevent crime from happening in the first place. Supporting Georgia’s teachers, kids and schools is the right place to start.”
In addition to investigating and prosecuting those that harm children, Teilhet’s Child Protection Unit will drive policies that will prevent youth perpetuated crime. Supporting education funding and protecting Georgia teachers will be key components of Teilhet’s legislative agenda as Attorney General.
“I can promise this, as Attorney General, no one in the nation will go after child predators as hard as I will. I will make Georgia the toughest state in the country to commit crimes against our kids,” said Teilhet. “At the same time, the Office of the Attorney General will not lose sight of prevention. I vow to work closely with the new state school superintendent to find ways to invest in our kids and give them every opportunity for success in school means less crime in our communities. Better schools mean safer streets. ”
Teilhet has introduced and supported measures to protect Georgia’s children and families since first elected in 2002 and has been a member of the House Education Committee. He has authored numerous crime prevention bills including “The Johnia Berry Act” which would expand Georgia’s DNA database and has been proven to prevent crimes such as murders and rape, “E-STOP” legislation that would prevent registered sex offenders from contacting children on social networking sites, and legislation that requires individuals working at daycare facilities to undergo criminal background checks.
Why has it been so Difficult for Black Candidates to win Statewide races in the Deep South since Reconstruction? Will it Change this year?
Harold Ford, Jr
Michael Thurmond
It amazes me that there have only been Four Black candidates that have ever been elected to the U.S. Senate since reconstruction. Edward Brooke (R) & the other three all from Illinois: Carol Moseley Braun, Barack Obama & Roland Burris, all democrats.
In 1990s Harvey Gantt almost defeated arch-conservative Jesse Helms for the North Carolina Senate Seat & 2007 then congressman Harold Ford Jr, narrowly lost to Bob Corker for the open senate seat in Tennessee. This year you have Artur Davis running for governor of Alabama, Thurbert Baker of Georgia, Mike Thurmond, RJ Hadley & Kendrick Meek for U.S. Senate seats in Georgia & Florida respectively. Will this change this year?
For example, look at the state of Mississippi. Its state population is almost 40% African American, but it African-American Candidates do not fare well when they are running statewide. Georgia according to the 2000 census has about a 30% African-American population, which most likely has increased since then.
Percentage of Black Population in these southern states:
Mississippi 37.4 R +8 9.0%
Louisiana 31.6 R +6 5.6%
Georgia 29.8 R +6 4.3%
South Carolina 28.6 R +7 3.3%
Alabama 26.3 R +9 2.1%
Florida 15.4 D +1 1.0%
Tennessee 16.8 R +3 0.8%
Arkansas 15.6 R +3 0.7%
North Carolina 21.4 R +5 1.5%
Due to Gerrymandering, which led to the creation of majority back districts, Black candidates have not had to develop a message that appeals to white voters, because most of them don't have very many white voters in their districts, (like David Scott, John Lewis, Artur Davis over in Alabama for example) plus they do not have very many conservative voters in their districts, and so they have not had to develop a message that appeals to conservatives, even though the black population itself is far more diverse in its political views than is generally acknowledged (like here in the 2nd congressional district where Sanford Bishop is the representative, who was first elected in 1992, in which was then a white majority district). Bishop would have been the perfect candidate to run statewide due to his moderate/Conservative voting record prior to 2008. He's socially conservative, economically moderate, in addition has strong crossover appeal. But if were to run statewide in the near future, that'll be all gone due to his vote for the Healthcare reform among other things.
But back to the question I asked, why have there been only 4 black senators that have been elected to the U.S. Senate?
Well here are some of my theories:
-Since most blacks are going to vote for Democrats no matter what, Democrats use this fact and do not push blacks to run for the highest offices. If someone is going to do something for you anyway, why not take advantage of them seems to be the line of thinking.
-Many black office holders have safe majority-minority districts or serve in majority-black cities, why take a chance on a tough statewide race?
-Black politicians often have a terrible record of cultivating new people and young people for the tough battles ahead. It’s easy to sit in a safe seat and accumulate power . It is more difficult to help people and fight for people in a more constructive way.
-States with high Black populations are still outnumbered by whites by two to one, are unlikely places for a Black candidate to run statewide and win with the support of a quarter of the white vote.
RJ Hadley
The vast majority of blacks in the House of Representatives who could be good statewide candidates have come from majority-black districts, which seems to reflect a general fact that black legislators can't seem to get elected easily from majority-white populations. Some states simply don't have a lot of black people to run for office. Then there are also the socio-economic factors that make it harder for black people to end up in the position to be able to run for government to begin with.
Some factors are due directly to anti-black racism. There are some people who are very resistant to voting for a black person. Some voters admitted to this during the 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama & John McCain. I'm not sure that's the main explanation, though. There are a lot of people who are willing to vote for a black candidate but who just don't vote for the ones who are running.
Harvey Gannt
Although I voted for Barack Obama, it didn't come very easily. I was a John Edwards supporter & I wasn't that warm to Hillary Clinton. Obama was a virtual unknown to me & I didn't have a clue on how he was going to be as president. I was leaning toward McCain, but in the end, I went for president Obama, but I'd be happy to vote for someone like Michael Steele or J.C. Watts.
Moderates are more likely to get elected to statewide office than extremists except in very strongly politically-aligned states. I should note that the two closest black candidates to the Senate who lost in recent elections were Harold Ford, Jr., a moderate Democrat, Michael Steele, a Maryland Republican & back in 1990 Harvey Gantt who almost upended Jesse Helms. Neither is ideologically very much like the typical member of his respective party, Ford because he's much more moderate than many Democrats and Steele because he's moderate to conservative in the GOP. Tennessee and Maryland voters didn't actually go for either, but both got enough support to remain continuing figures in politics, although Ford wrecked his political career by flirting with a Senate run up in New York & changing his position on Abortion, so he can forget about running for public office again in the state of Tennessee.
Artur Davis
But there are some people who would be comfortable voting for perceived moderates from either party, even if they lean to one party, who resist voting for many black candidates, and I can think of two reasons why this would be so. One is that most black candidates don't come across as moderates the way Barack Obama does or did in his run for president, and most of the black politicians who managed to win statewide elections have been relatively moderate-sounding on at least certain issues.
Take president Obama for example, he was not raised ethnically black, even if he's racially black just because of what he looks like. His mother is white. He was born in Hawaii and partly raised in the rural Midwest. His black father isn't African-American, (African) and he was absent most of his life. It also helped that his policies were, on the whole but with a few exceptions (most notably health care), more liberal than Hillary Clinton's, and his rhetoric is more decidedly socialist even if his implementation is very gradualist. So the black community eventually came to accept him as "black enough". What about white voters?
Thurbert Baker
His moderate rhetoric and likable manner appealed to middle America, which in effect helped him tremendously in hie run for the White House. But notice the difference between him and most black politicians. Most black politicians are decidedly race-focused & that's a non-starter when running for the U.S.Senate, or any statewide office for that matter. Many black candidates have represented themselves and black politicians in general in such a black anti-white racist way that it's hard for many white voters to see them as serious candidates unless they see a clear difference.
So why are there so few black Senators or governors governors and Congressmen & Women in the U.S. House from majority-white districts? The explanation isn't very simply. Racism certainly has something to do with it, both direct and immediate in some voters and the racism of previous generations in its indirect effects. But a number of other factors play a role, and a good part of the explanation has to do with which potential black candidates are actually running for these offices.
Another factor to consider: most successful politicians have some kind of academic, business, or military success prior to their political success. Is the achievement gap in these areas still significant enough that it is feeding fewer qualified blacks into the political arena than whites? I don't know.
Kendrick Meek
Here in 2010, You have Michael Thurmond, who currently Labor Commissioner of Georgia running for the senate held by republican Johnny Isakson. Down in Florida, Kendrick Meek is running for the open senate seat formerly held by republican Mel Martinez. Meeks is from a majority-Minority District & is trying to win in a state that is more conservative leaning that his minority-majority district.
And here in Ga, Mike Thurmond is trying for another statewide seat: The U.S. Senate. Thurmond has won three statewide contest since 1998 (becoming the first black candidate to win a statewide seat from the deep south without being appointed. Another candidate, R.J. Hadley, another African-American Candidate is also vying for the senate seat as well. Thurmond is a centrist, African-American Democrat who first won a seat to the State Legislature from a majority white district out of Clarke County. Thurmond is not your race-baiting, play the victim card black candidate that most of us have seen on television. Thurmond has significant appeal among white voters in the state & is one of, if not the most popular statewide candidate in Georgia.
The question is will Georgia, a former state of the confederacy where Jim Crow was the law of the land, a republican leaning state elect a African-American to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction? That remains to be seen. You already know that the GOP are going to try to tie either Thurmond or Hadley to President Obama & the wildly unpopular Nancy Pelosi & Co when it comes to his policies. If Thurmond can win statewide three times here, he can definitely win a seat to the U.S. Senate. The Senate is a different kind of animal that Labor Commissioner. It rivals that of governor where Thurbert Baker, a conservative African-American Democrat is battling for the democratic nomination.
Baker is the long-time Attorney General of Georgia, having been appointed by Zell Miller to the office back in 1997. He is the kind of African-American candidate that has the tools to win in a southern, conservative leaning state. If he were to go on to win the democratic nomination, no one know how his refusal to join the other Attorney Generals (mostly republicans) in suing the federal government over the constitutionality of the new Healthcare Reform Bill. But he has the type of track record that can definitely appeal to a cross section of voters.
Michael Thurmond
It amazes me that there have only been Four Black candidates that have ever been elected to the U.S. Senate since reconstruction. Edward Brooke (R) & the other three all from Illinois: Carol Moseley Braun, Barack Obama & Roland Burris, all democrats.
In 1990s Harvey Gantt almost defeated arch-conservative Jesse Helms for the North Carolina Senate Seat & 2007 then congressman Harold Ford Jr, narrowly lost to Bob Corker for the open senate seat in Tennessee. This year you have Artur Davis running for governor of Alabama, Thurbert Baker of Georgia, Mike Thurmond, RJ Hadley & Kendrick Meek for U.S. Senate seats in Georgia & Florida respectively. Will this change this year?
For example, look at the state of Mississippi. Its state population is almost 40% African American, but it African-American Candidates do not fare well when they are running statewide. Georgia according to the 2000 census has about a 30% African-American population, which most likely has increased since then.
Percentage of Black Population in these southern states:
Mississippi 37.4 R +8 9.0%
Louisiana 31.6 R +6 5.6%
Georgia 29.8 R +6 4.3%
South Carolina 28.6 R +7 3.3%
Alabama 26.3 R +9 2.1%
Florida 15.4 D +1 1.0%
Tennessee 16.8 R +3 0.8%
Arkansas 15.6 R +3 0.7%
North Carolina 21.4 R +5 1.5%
Due to Gerrymandering, which led to the creation of majority back districts, Black candidates have not had to develop a message that appeals to white voters, because most of them don't have very many white voters in their districts, (like David Scott, John Lewis, Artur Davis over in Alabama for example) plus they do not have very many conservative voters in their districts, and so they have not had to develop a message that appeals to conservatives, even though the black population itself is far more diverse in its political views than is generally acknowledged (like here in the 2nd congressional district where Sanford Bishop is the representative, who was first elected in 1992, in which was then a white majority district). Bishop would have been the perfect candidate to run statewide due to his moderate/Conservative voting record prior to 2008. He's socially conservative, economically moderate, in addition has strong crossover appeal. But if were to run statewide in the near future, that'll be all gone due to his vote for the Healthcare reform among other things.
But back to the question I asked, why have there been only 4 black senators that have been elected to the U.S. Senate?
Well here are some of my theories:
-Since most blacks are going to vote for Democrats no matter what, Democrats use this fact and do not push blacks to run for the highest offices. If someone is going to do something for you anyway, why not take advantage of them seems to be the line of thinking.
-Many black office holders have safe majority-minority districts or serve in majority-black cities, why take a chance on a tough statewide race?
-Black politicians often have a terrible record of cultivating new people and young people for the tough battles ahead. It’s easy to sit in a safe seat and accumulate power . It is more difficult to help people and fight for people in a more constructive way.
-States with high Black populations are still outnumbered by whites by two to one, are unlikely places for a Black candidate to run statewide and win with the support of a quarter of the white vote.
RJ Hadley
The vast majority of blacks in the House of Representatives who could be good statewide candidates have come from majority-black districts, which seems to reflect a general fact that black legislators can't seem to get elected easily from majority-white populations. Some states simply don't have a lot of black people to run for office. Then there are also the socio-economic factors that make it harder for black people to end up in the position to be able to run for government to begin with.
Some factors are due directly to anti-black racism. There are some people who are very resistant to voting for a black person. Some voters admitted to this during the 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama & John McCain. I'm not sure that's the main explanation, though. There are a lot of people who are willing to vote for a black candidate but who just don't vote for the ones who are running.
Harvey Gannt
Although I voted for Barack Obama, it didn't come very easily. I was a John Edwards supporter & I wasn't that warm to Hillary Clinton. Obama was a virtual unknown to me & I didn't have a clue on how he was going to be as president. I was leaning toward McCain, but in the end, I went for president Obama, but I'd be happy to vote for someone like Michael Steele or J.C. Watts.
Moderates are more likely to get elected to statewide office than extremists except in very strongly politically-aligned states. I should note that the two closest black candidates to the Senate who lost in recent elections were Harold Ford, Jr., a moderate Democrat, Michael Steele, a Maryland Republican & back in 1990 Harvey Gantt who almost upended Jesse Helms. Neither is ideologically very much like the typical member of his respective party, Ford because he's much more moderate than many Democrats and Steele because he's moderate to conservative in the GOP. Tennessee and Maryland voters didn't actually go for either, but both got enough support to remain continuing figures in politics, although Ford wrecked his political career by flirting with a Senate run up in New York & changing his position on Abortion, so he can forget about running for public office again in the state of Tennessee.
Artur Davis
But there are some people who would be comfortable voting for perceived moderates from either party, even if they lean to one party, who resist voting for many black candidates, and I can think of two reasons why this would be so. One is that most black candidates don't come across as moderates the way Barack Obama does or did in his run for president, and most of the black politicians who managed to win statewide elections have been relatively moderate-sounding on at least certain issues.
Take president Obama for example, he was not raised ethnically black, even if he's racially black just because of what he looks like. His mother is white. He was born in Hawaii and partly raised in the rural Midwest. His black father isn't African-American, (African) and he was absent most of his life. It also helped that his policies were, on the whole but with a few exceptions (most notably health care), more liberal than Hillary Clinton's, and his rhetoric is more decidedly socialist even if his implementation is very gradualist. So the black community eventually came to accept him as "black enough". What about white voters?
Thurbert Baker
His moderate rhetoric and likable manner appealed to middle America, which in effect helped him tremendously in hie run for the White House. But notice the difference between him and most black politicians. Most black politicians are decidedly race-focused & that's a non-starter when running for the U.S.Senate, or any statewide office for that matter. Many black candidates have represented themselves and black politicians in general in such a black anti-white racist way that it's hard for many white voters to see them as serious candidates unless they see a clear difference.
So why are there so few black Senators or governors governors and Congressmen & Women in the U.S. House from majority-white districts? The explanation isn't very simply. Racism certainly has something to do with it, both direct and immediate in some voters and the racism of previous generations in its indirect effects. But a number of other factors play a role, and a good part of the explanation has to do with which potential black candidates are actually running for these offices.
Another factor to consider: most successful politicians have some kind of academic, business, or military success prior to their political success. Is the achievement gap in these areas still significant enough that it is feeding fewer qualified blacks into the political arena than whites? I don't know.
Kendrick Meek
Here in 2010, You have Michael Thurmond, who currently Labor Commissioner of Georgia running for the senate held by republican Johnny Isakson. Down in Florida, Kendrick Meek is running for the open senate seat formerly held by republican Mel Martinez. Meeks is from a majority-Minority District & is trying to win in a state that is more conservative leaning that his minority-majority district.
And here in Ga, Mike Thurmond is trying for another statewide seat: The U.S. Senate. Thurmond has won three statewide contest since 1998 (becoming the first black candidate to win a statewide seat from the deep south without being appointed. Another candidate, R.J. Hadley, another African-American Candidate is also vying for the senate seat as well. Thurmond is a centrist, African-American Democrat who first won a seat to the State Legislature from a majority white district out of Clarke County. Thurmond is not your race-baiting, play the victim card black candidate that most of us have seen on television. Thurmond has significant appeal among white voters in the state & is one of, if not the most popular statewide candidate in Georgia.
The question is will Georgia, a former state of the confederacy where Jim Crow was the law of the land, a republican leaning state elect a African-American to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction? That remains to be seen. You already know that the GOP are going to try to tie either Thurmond or Hadley to President Obama & the wildly unpopular Nancy Pelosi & Co when it comes to his policies. If Thurmond can win statewide three times here, he can definitely win a seat to the U.S. Senate. The Senate is a different kind of animal that Labor Commissioner. It rivals that of governor where Thurbert Baker, a conservative African-American Democrat is battling for the democratic nomination.
Baker is the long-time Attorney General of Georgia, having been appointed by Zell Miller to the office back in 1997. He is the kind of African-American candidate that has the tools to win in a southern, conservative leaning state. If he were to go on to win the democratic nomination, no one know how his refusal to join the other Attorney Generals (mostly republicans) in suing the federal government over the constitutionality of the new Healthcare Reform Bill. But he has the type of track record that can definitely appeal to a cross section of voters.
Crucial Primaries Today in Arkansas, Pennsylvania & Kentucky
In Arkansas, Incumbent Blanche Lincoln, a moderate democrats is being challenged from her left from Bill Salter, Lt. Govenror of Arkansas.
Halter has the support of liberal activists such as MoveOn, League of Conservation Voters, and unions. The US Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Lincoln. Former President Bill Clinton and President Obama have also cut radio ads for Lincoln.
In Pennsylvania, Incumbent Arlen Spector, republican turned democrats will face Joe Sestak for the democratic nomination.
Spector, a longtime political survivor, switched parties last year when it looked increasingly likely that he would lose the 2010 Republican primary to a more conservative candidate. Now, on the eve of the primary, it is quite possible that Specter won't survive the Democratic one either: his opponent, Congressman Joe Sestak, has been charging hard in the closing weeks with ads that use Specter's own words to portray his switch as self-serving. Polls statewide on election eve show the contest as too close to call: the Muhlenberg College/Allentown Morning Call poll today showed the two tied at 44 percent, and the RealClearPolitics average of polls gives Sestak a 3-percentage-point edge, within the margin of error for most polls.
My money's on Sestak to win the nomination.
In Kentucky, you have two interesting primaries. First the GOP primary of Rand Paul, son of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul & Trey Grayson.
There is every reason to believe that Rand Paul will win Tuesday's Republican Senate primary in Kentucky. And, given the state's conservative leanings and the political climate of 2010, there's every reason to believe he'll go on to win the November election, no matter which candidate Democrats nominate.
Paul said a clear-cut victory by him in Kentucky's Republican primary for U.S. Senate would be a strong showing for the tea party movement.
His main rival in the hard-fought Senate primary, Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, who is backed by Kentucky's most powerful Republican, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell. Paul has the backing of Kentucky's other Republican senator, Jim Bunning, who is retiring after two terms. At last check, Paul was leading in double-digits against Grayson.
On the democratic side, you have Jack Conway & Dan Mongiardo.
Mongiardo is trying to hold on to what had been a huge lead two months ago — one that has wilted under a withering and well-funded television ad campaign by Conway.
Conway has raised more money than Mongiardo and has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own wealth.
The Bluegrass Poll found Mongiardo with 38 percent support to Conway's 37 percent; 12 percent said they haven't made up their mind.
The poll found that Mongiardo leads among men, older voters, conservatives and church-goers. He also leads among poorer voters, those who oppose abortion rights and gun owners.
Conway leads among women, younger voters, liberals, and those who favor abortion rights, as well as among those who don't own guns and earn more than $50,000 a year.
Mongiardo, a Hazard physician, holds big leads in Eastern and Western Kentucky.
Conway, who is the State Attorney General has closed the gap with Mongiardo & is within striking distance of winning the nomination.
I say Mongiardo is the favorite to win the nod & may give democrats their best chance of winning the open senate seat.
Halter has the support of liberal activists such as MoveOn, League of Conservation Voters, and unions. The US Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Lincoln. Former President Bill Clinton and President Obama have also cut radio ads for Lincoln.
In Pennsylvania, Incumbent Arlen Spector, republican turned democrats will face Joe Sestak for the democratic nomination.
Spector, a longtime political survivor, switched parties last year when it looked increasingly likely that he would lose the 2010 Republican primary to a more conservative candidate. Now, on the eve of the primary, it is quite possible that Specter won't survive the Democratic one either: his opponent, Congressman Joe Sestak, has been charging hard in the closing weeks with ads that use Specter's own words to portray his switch as self-serving. Polls statewide on election eve show the contest as too close to call: the Muhlenberg College/Allentown Morning Call poll today showed the two tied at 44 percent, and the RealClearPolitics average of polls gives Sestak a 3-percentage-point edge, within the margin of error for most polls.
My money's on Sestak to win the nomination.
In Kentucky, you have two interesting primaries. First the GOP primary of Rand Paul, son of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul & Trey Grayson.
There is every reason to believe that Rand Paul will win Tuesday's Republican Senate primary in Kentucky. And, given the state's conservative leanings and the political climate of 2010, there's every reason to believe he'll go on to win the November election, no matter which candidate Democrats nominate.
Paul said a clear-cut victory by him in Kentucky's Republican primary for U.S. Senate would be a strong showing for the tea party movement.
His main rival in the hard-fought Senate primary, Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, who is backed by Kentucky's most powerful Republican, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell. Paul has the backing of Kentucky's other Republican senator, Jim Bunning, who is retiring after two terms. At last check, Paul was leading in double-digits against Grayson.
On the democratic side, you have Jack Conway & Dan Mongiardo.
Mongiardo is trying to hold on to what had been a huge lead two months ago — one that has wilted under a withering and well-funded television ad campaign by Conway.
Conway has raised more money than Mongiardo and has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own wealth.
The Bluegrass Poll found Mongiardo with 38 percent support to Conway's 37 percent; 12 percent said they haven't made up their mind.
The poll found that Mongiardo leads among men, older voters, conservatives and church-goers. He also leads among poorer voters, those who oppose abortion rights and gun owners.
Conway leads among women, younger voters, liberals, and those who favor abortion rights, as well as among those who don't own guns and earn more than $50,000 a year.
Mongiardo, a Hazard physician, holds big leads in Eastern and Western Kentucky.
Conway, who is the State Attorney General has closed the gap with Mongiardo & is within striking distance of winning the nomination.
I say Mongiardo is the favorite to win the nod & may give democrats their best chance of winning the open senate seat.
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