Black Gay Republicans Break with Log Cabin Republicans, Endorse Bush
Abe Lincoln Black Republican Caucus Letter of Endorsement Will Be Delivered to the Republican National Committee Headquarters at 11:30 a.m. Today, Wednesday, September 22
DALLAS, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The Abe Lincoln Black Republican Caucus (ALBRC), a group of young urban Black gay Republicans, voted today in a special call meeting in Dallas, Texas, to endorse President Bush for re-election.
The ALBRC was co-founded by Don Sneed, a member of the Log Cabin Republicans, to address the political issues and needs of young Black gay Republicans, who he says: "Our voices are never heard, yet we exist and are growing in numbers." The endorsement was fueled by the Log Cabin Republicans' refusal to endorse President Bush. "We think that the 'Republican Tent' is inclusive and there is room for differences, but one does not pick up their marbles and go home if there are a few points of disagreement," stated Anthony Falls, Republican Precinct Chairman -- Dallas and the ALBRC National Spokesperson. "The ALBRC does not support marriage for gays, yet we do support and call for recognition of domestic partnerships," he stated.
"Although we are small, have meager resources and are not as widely known as our counterparts in the Log Cabin Republicans, we do exist, we have families and friends who listen to our voting recommendations and we have the capacity to get our message up and out through the worldwide webcasting of our community television show: the 'ALBRC Community Informer,'" stated Don Sneed, who is also a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (a Bush Appointee). "With this election as close as it is, especially in the battleground states, any movement of the Black vote towards President Bush, could make a significant difference," stated Sneed. "We are determined to use whatever resources we have to get the word out, especially to Black voters of why a vote for Bush is a vote for economic, social and political self-upliftment."
The "ALBRC LETTER OF ENDORSEMENT" will be delivered to the Republican National Committee Headquarters at 11:30 a.m. today, Wednesday, September 22 by Mr. Sneed, who is also an AIDS Community Activist in attendance at the "Breakfast of Champions" being sponsored by AIDS ACTION of Washington DC.
Contact: Anthony Falls
ALBRC National Spokesperson
214-912-6289 or 214-428-4146
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stori ... 563&EDATE=
Young black gay Republicans endorse Bush
-
Bennett Cerf
- Posts: 739
- Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2003 7:54 pm
-
Rspaight
- Posts: 4386
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2003 10:48 am
- Location: The Reality-Based Community
- Contact:
The hell? Is that a joke? "As black gays, members of *two* of the most mistreated groups in America, we proudly support the man who wants to enshrine our second-class citizenship into the Constitution."
Well, even if it is serious, I guess it's still a joke...
Ryan
Well, even if it is serious, I guess it's still a joke...
Ryan
RQOTW: "I'll make sure that our future is defined not by the letters ACLU, but by the letters USA." -- Mitt Romney
-
Ess Ay Cee Dee
- Posts: 1458
- Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2004 1:35 pm
- Contact:
-
Rspaight
- Posts: 4386
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2003 10:48 am
- Location: The Reality-Based Community
- Contact:
OTOH, what better way to shake up those crusty, bigoted christian conservatives than to infilterate the Republican party with black gays?
Good point. I wonder if Bush will appear at an ALBRC event to accept their endorsement. I'd pay money to see that.
Ryan
RQOTW: "I'll make sure that our future is defined not by the letters ACLU, but by the letters USA." -- Mitt Romney
Rspaight wrote:OTOH, what better way to shake up those crusty, bigoted christian conservatives than to infilterate the Republican party with black gays?
Good point. I wonder if Bush will appear at an ALBRC event to accept their endorsement. I'd pay money to see that.
Ryan
It does make me wonder if those young black gay guys have a hidden agenda doing this. Hmmmmm...
If you can cause enough of a rift in the Republican party, you can weaken their united support for their man and ruin his chances of re-election. If Bush gave them lip service, the disenfranchised neo-cons and nazi-christians just won't vote at all! They already have concerns about Dick Cheney, and it shows. Have you ever wondered why they took Cheney's name off their current bumper sticker? They don't want to remind everyone of him. -
Crummy Old Label Avatar
- Posts: 1226
- Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2004 5:55 pm
- Location: Out of my fucking mind
In related news, gay communist Orthodox Jews endorse Hitler. Story at 11.
If you love Hi-REZ TAPE HISS, you're REALLY going to love Stereo Central
-
lukpac
- Top Dog and Sellout
- Posts: 4592
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 11:51 pm
- Location: Madison, WI
- Contact:
They aren't gay (that I'm aware of) or young, but I figured Grant would appreciate more blacks voting for Bush...
The Daniels factor
Can an influential but politically divided family swing black voters to Bush?
By LEONARD SYKES JR.
lsykes@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 17, 2004
In matters of faith and family, Bishop Sedgwick Daniels and his brother John Daniels are unflappable.
Sedgwick, 45, the second youngest of eight children, is pastor of Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ. John Daniels, 56, is a managing partner with the law firm Quarles & Brady and is active on boards and foundations.
Their sisters Hattie Daniels-Rush and Valerie Daniels-Carter are entrepreneurs. Valerie owns more than 150 food franchises. Hattie makes her living from travel and consulting services. By profession, she is a family and marriage counselor.
But in matters of politics, there is a political divide in the family this year, and some think that division may have the potential to affect the outcome of the election in Wisconsin.
"It's a little bit like James Carville and Mary Matalin," quips John Daniels. "You advocate the policies you feel strongly about, but obviously family is most important."
The family that eats and prays together may stay together. But politically, they may not always agree.
Sedgwick is an independent, Hattie is a Republican. Both were delegates to the Republican National Convention. Both support the re-election of George W. Bush.
John, an attorney and lobbyist, considers himself "a pro-business moderate independent." He worked for Democratic congressional candidate Matt Flynn, a law partner and friend. He supports and has contributed to Democrat John Kerry's presidential campaign and was a key adviser to Marvin Pratt in the city's spring mayoral race.
In the final weeks of the 2004 presidential election, the Daniels family's political differences reflect the deep political divide in America. Their influence in Milwaukee's black neighborhoods could be a deciding factor in whether support for Bush among African-American voters breaks into the double digits.
And that, ultimately, could help decide who wins the state's 10 electoral votes Nov. 2. Wisconsin - like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and Iowa - is a key battleground state. Bush lost Wisconsin to Al Gore in 2000 by a mere 5,708 votes.
Entree to both parties
There is little doubt that Bishop Sedgwick Daniels is a persuasive force among undecided black voters and members of his congregation.
Some think he has the potential to make a difference. Others believe blacks see Bush's domestic policies as so harsh that efforts to attract them will fail.
There is agreement on one point. This is the most aggressive tactic Republicans have ever used to lure black voters, and Bishop Daniels and his sister Hattie represent the most potent force yet to change the image of the Republican Party among Milwaukee's blacks.
By breaking the stereotype that African-Americans are solidly Democratic, the Daniels family has gained entree to both parties.
"They're kind of the creme de la creme of the black community," said Michael Rosen, chairman of the economics department at the Milwaukee Area Technical College.
"They're doing what a lot of very wealthy people do. You cover all the bases."
Publicly and at the pulpit, if Daniels does nothing more than encourage his parishioners in the strongest of terms to vote, he stands the chance of swaying a bloc of voters, says Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr., who sought conservative support in his ill-fated run at the mayor's office last spring.
This may be strange territory for Daniels. He twice voted for Clinton and is a personal friend of Democratic activist Jesse Jackson. But he is solidly for Bush this year.
"On the critical issues that impact our community, President Bush shares our views," reads part of the message on a flier being sent to prospective voters.
The active campaigning is left to his sister Hattie Daniels-Rush.
"This is about empowerment," said Daniels-Rush, who voted for Bush in 2000. "And that's why I think I have such a commitment to the president. Many of the things that he has put forth - creating independence - are just right on target.
"If we're going to make change and create wealth, we've got to stop doing things the same old way."
Holy Redeemer has more than 8,000 members, and Daniels' jurisdiction in the Church of God in Christ stretches from Milwaukee throughout southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
It isn't surprising during a political season to see candidates from both parties make the trek to Holy Redeemer at 3500 W. Mother Daniels Way to seek the support of its membership.
Bush has been to Holy Redeemer twice. Democratic hopeful Howard Dean was there during the primary season. And locally, politicians from both parties have courted the support of the congregation.
Daniels-Rush, the first member of her family to join the Republican Party, has traveled as far south as Chicago to campaign for the president.
She can't speak for everyone in the family, but she said they agree on one thing. "We look for a candidate who really is going to make a significant different in terms of empowering people."
Courting the black clergy
Republican efforts to court black voters are nothing new, but the methods are different this time, said Walter C. Farrell Jr., a professor in the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He calls it "niche politics."
Republicans are picking through layers of demographics in the African-American community to find people who are the most receptive to the conservative agenda, in this case faith communities, he said.
Similarly, Democrats are leaning on traditional ties to the black Baptist churches to blunt the conservative push among black Pentecostals and evangelicals.
"They've looked at all the strategies that have worked. And they've looked at what the Democrats have used that has been successful, and they've incorporated it," Farrell said. "They're doing nothing different from what John Kennedy did in 1960."
If the Bush-Kerry race is close, support from Daniels and other African-Americans could tip the balance in swing states such as Wisconsin, experts believe. "I think (Daniels') influence transcends Holy Redeemer," said Clarke. ". . . I think he's going to be able to go outside as well and draw support."
Rosen disagrees. "You can certainly curry favor, which is something that executive politicians have always done with certain leaders by throwing a few dollars in their direction," Rosen said. "But I don't think it has much impact on the views of the vast majority of people who go out and vote because they see and feel every day the impact of the Bush administration's policies."
Either way, the strategies pursued in the 2004 race are a stark departure from the catch-as-catch-can Republican campaign tactics used to lure black voters in the past. "It's a drama that's intoxicating to a lot of people," Farrell said. "Bush has given close and personal attention to designated black ministers and black Protestants. And he's been at it doggedly for four years."
The strategy should have come sooner, said Rick Graber, chairman of the state Republican Party. "Obviously Republican candidates haven't done particularly well in the African-American community, and I hope this is the beginning of a breakthrough," Graber said. "I fully appreciate and understand the influence that the bishop has at Holy Redeemer and the influence that Holy Redeemer has in the community.
"When you lose by 5,708 votes, as we did in 2000, everything helps."
The net appeal of the alliance between Republicans and black clergy is seen by some as a quid pro quo. Churches reap the benefits of the Bush administration's faith-based initiatives funding and Bush gets their support.
But the Rev. Rolen Womack Jr., pastor of Progressive Baptist Church, 8324 W. Keefe Ave., is one of those who does not believe the GOP efforts will translate into votes on election day. Womack's congregation has dual affiliations with the American Baptist Churches USA and the National Baptist Convention, USA.
"Do you think there's still sin in the world?" Womack asked. "If you have a bishop who becomes a poster child for a particular movement or idea, you have some people who will listen to what he says, but the majority of the people will make up their own minds.
"That's the way it is when you are preaching and pastoring a church. If everybody did what they were told to do, we wouldn't have any crime, we wouldn't have children born out of wedlock."
John Daniels, who respects his family's embrace of Bush, said the bottom line for everyone should not necessarily be which candidate they support but the act of participating in a democracy.
"I certainly respect and admire everything my family has done," he said. "The great thing about the American political system is that we get a chance to advocate those things we feel strongly about. And my family is no different from others."
Tom Heinen of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
The Daniels factor
Can an influential but politically divided family swing black voters to Bush?
By LEONARD SYKES JR.
lsykes@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 17, 2004
In matters of faith and family, Bishop Sedgwick Daniels and his brother John Daniels are unflappable.
Sedgwick, 45, the second youngest of eight children, is pastor of Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ. John Daniels, 56, is a managing partner with the law firm Quarles & Brady and is active on boards and foundations.
Their sisters Hattie Daniels-Rush and Valerie Daniels-Carter are entrepreneurs. Valerie owns more than 150 food franchises. Hattie makes her living from travel and consulting services. By profession, she is a family and marriage counselor.
But in matters of politics, there is a political divide in the family this year, and some think that division may have the potential to affect the outcome of the election in Wisconsin.
"It's a little bit like James Carville and Mary Matalin," quips John Daniels. "You advocate the policies you feel strongly about, but obviously family is most important."
The family that eats and prays together may stay together. But politically, they may not always agree.
Sedgwick is an independent, Hattie is a Republican. Both were delegates to the Republican National Convention. Both support the re-election of George W. Bush.
John, an attorney and lobbyist, considers himself "a pro-business moderate independent." He worked for Democratic congressional candidate Matt Flynn, a law partner and friend. He supports and has contributed to Democrat John Kerry's presidential campaign and was a key adviser to Marvin Pratt in the city's spring mayoral race.
In the final weeks of the 2004 presidential election, the Daniels family's political differences reflect the deep political divide in America. Their influence in Milwaukee's black neighborhoods could be a deciding factor in whether support for Bush among African-American voters breaks into the double digits.
And that, ultimately, could help decide who wins the state's 10 electoral votes Nov. 2. Wisconsin - like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and Iowa - is a key battleground state. Bush lost Wisconsin to Al Gore in 2000 by a mere 5,708 votes.
Entree to both parties
There is little doubt that Bishop Sedgwick Daniels is a persuasive force among undecided black voters and members of his congregation.
Some think he has the potential to make a difference. Others believe blacks see Bush's domestic policies as so harsh that efforts to attract them will fail.
There is agreement on one point. This is the most aggressive tactic Republicans have ever used to lure black voters, and Bishop Daniels and his sister Hattie represent the most potent force yet to change the image of the Republican Party among Milwaukee's blacks.
By breaking the stereotype that African-Americans are solidly Democratic, the Daniels family has gained entree to both parties.
"They're kind of the creme de la creme of the black community," said Michael Rosen, chairman of the economics department at the Milwaukee Area Technical College.
"They're doing what a lot of very wealthy people do. You cover all the bases."
Publicly and at the pulpit, if Daniels does nothing more than encourage his parishioners in the strongest of terms to vote, he stands the chance of swaying a bloc of voters, says Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr., who sought conservative support in his ill-fated run at the mayor's office last spring.
This may be strange territory for Daniels. He twice voted for Clinton and is a personal friend of Democratic activist Jesse Jackson. But he is solidly for Bush this year.
"On the critical issues that impact our community, President Bush shares our views," reads part of the message on a flier being sent to prospective voters.
The active campaigning is left to his sister Hattie Daniels-Rush.
"This is about empowerment," said Daniels-Rush, who voted for Bush in 2000. "And that's why I think I have such a commitment to the president. Many of the things that he has put forth - creating independence - are just right on target.
"If we're going to make change and create wealth, we've got to stop doing things the same old way."
Holy Redeemer has more than 8,000 members, and Daniels' jurisdiction in the Church of God in Christ stretches from Milwaukee throughout southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
It isn't surprising during a political season to see candidates from both parties make the trek to Holy Redeemer at 3500 W. Mother Daniels Way to seek the support of its membership.
Bush has been to Holy Redeemer twice. Democratic hopeful Howard Dean was there during the primary season. And locally, politicians from both parties have courted the support of the congregation.
Daniels-Rush, the first member of her family to join the Republican Party, has traveled as far south as Chicago to campaign for the president.
She can't speak for everyone in the family, but she said they agree on one thing. "We look for a candidate who really is going to make a significant different in terms of empowering people."
Courting the black clergy
Republican efforts to court black voters are nothing new, but the methods are different this time, said Walter C. Farrell Jr., a professor in the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He calls it "niche politics."
Republicans are picking through layers of demographics in the African-American community to find people who are the most receptive to the conservative agenda, in this case faith communities, he said.
Similarly, Democrats are leaning on traditional ties to the black Baptist churches to blunt the conservative push among black Pentecostals and evangelicals.
"They've looked at all the strategies that have worked. And they've looked at what the Democrats have used that has been successful, and they've incorporated it," Farrell said. "They're doing nothing different from what John Kennedy did in 1960."
If the Bush-Kerry race is close, support from Daniels and other African-Americans could tip the balance in swing states such as Wisconsin, experts believe. "I think (Daniels') influence transcends Holy Redeemer," said Clarke. ". . . I think he's going to be able to go outside as well and draw support."
Rosen disagrees. "You can certainly curry favor, which is something that executive politicians have always done with certain leaders by throwing a few dollars in their direction," Rosen said. "But I don't think it has much impact on the views of the vast majority of people who go out and vote because they see and feel every day the impact of the Bush administration's policies."
Either way, the strategies pursued in the 2004 race are a stark departure from the catch-as-catch-can Republican campaign tactics used to lure black voters in the past. "It's a drama that's intoxicating to a lot of people," Farrell said. "Bush has given close and personal attention to designated black ministers and black Protestants. And he's been at it doggedly for four years."
The strategy should have come sooner, said Rick Graber, chairman of the state Republican Party. "Obviously Republican candidates haven't done particularly well in the African-American community, and I hope this is the beginning of a breakthrough," Graber said. "I fully appreciate and understand the influence that the bishop has at Holy Redeemer and the influence that Holy Redeemer has in the community.
"When you lose by 5,708 votes, as we did in 2000, everything helps."
The net appeal of the alliance between Republicans and black clergy is seen by some as a quid pro quo. Churches reap the benefits of the Bush administration's faith-based initiatives funding and Bush gets their support.
But the Rev. Rolen Womack Jr., pastor of Progressive Baptist Church, 8324 W. Keefe Ave., is one of those who does not believe the GOP efforts will translate into votes on election day. Womack's congregation has dual affiliations with the American Baptist Churches USA and the National Baptist Convention, USA.
"Do you think there's still sin in the world?" Womack asked. "If you have a bishop who becomes a poster child for a particular movement or idea, you have some people who will listen to what he says, but the majority of the people will make up their own minds.
"That's the way it is when you are preaching and pastoring a church. If everybody did what they were told to do, we wouldn't have any crime, we wouldn't have children born out of wedlock."
John Daniels, who respects his family's embrace of Bush, said the bottom line for everyone should not necessarily be which candidate they support but the act of participating in a democracy.
"I certainly respect and admire everything my family has done," he said. "The great thing about the American political system is that we get a chance to advocate those things we feel strongly about. And my family is no different from others."
Tom Heinen of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD