Monday, May 31, 2004

Why is it that black politicians are practically never elected to statewide office? In an article in the May 31 issue of The New Republic, Noam Scheiber addresses that question, even as he contends that Barack Obama will be an exception to the rule. Based on his performance in the primaries, Obama, who is facing Jack Ryan for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois, is looking good for a November victory.
Black politicians do poorly statewide, according to Scheiber, because they depend on votes from African Americans and liberal white voters. Among moderate swing voters--who decide races in most of the country--they face a stereotype that they are "overly tolerant of crime and devoted to government programs that primarily benefit African Americans." If, in order to allay these suspicions, they emphasize being centrist, they may alienate their core constituency.
The other big hurdle black politicians face is a white perception that there are "good blacks" and "bad blacks". Scheiber cites a study done in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn: While white employers in the area were perfectly comfortable--even eager--to employ West Indian immigrants from outside the neighborhood, most were deadset against hiring local African Americans and Puerto Ricans. One local employer boasted of the team of West Indians he'd hired to guard his factory, but, when asked about hiring local African Americans, remarked, "What, the bums hanging around outside? You want me to hire the guys who are trying to rob me?"
Immigrants from Jamaica or Africa are often looked on as more hard working and goal oriented than American born blacks. That perception has worked in Obama's favor: his father is from Kenya, his mother is white. Furthermore, he was the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review. But running for statewide office hasn't tempted him to be more centrist. He takes pride in his progressive record in the state legislature and projects earnest idealism in person and in his TV ads. One ad shows him speaking to the camera, saying, "They said an African American had never led the Harvard Law Review--until I changed that." The commercial concludes, "Now they say we can't change Washington, D.C. ...I approved this message to say, 'Yes we can.'" Voters seem to believe him. One liberal, North Shore woman in a focus group, when asked whom he reminded her of, said 'Sidney Poitier.'
In the primary, Obama ran in a field of seven Democrats and still garnered 53 percent of the vote--almost unheard of. The TV blitz the Obama campaign unleashed in the Chicago metro area during the last three weeks of the race--and downstate in the last six days--paid huge dividends among white voters, particularly in the collar counties, where Obama had done little campaigning. Obama ended up carrying 50 of blue-collar Joliet's 52 precincts. Likewise, he managed to win pluralities in several white ethnic wards in Chicago, the kinds of places Washington lost by huge margins in 1983. And Obama managed to attract white voters without eroding his standing among his core supporters. Indeed, the impressive margins among working-class whites paled in comparison with his margins among African Americans (about 90 percent or higher in ten heavily African American wards in Chicago, where turnout was up as much as 30 percent over recent elections).
Assuming that those kinds of figures transfer to the general election, Jack Ryan has a bleak outlook for becoming the next senator from Illinois.

Sunday, May 30, 2004

During Nam, Senator William Fulbright, a Democrat from Arkansas, was highly critical of our presence there. To illustrate his scorn for the idea of "democratization", he told the following anecdote in his book The Arrogance of Power.
I am reminded of the three Boy Scouts who reported to their scoutmaster that as their good deed for the day, they had helped an old lady across the street. "That's fine," said the scoutmaster, "but why did it take three of you?" "Well," they explained, "she didn't want to go."
Both the anecdote and the title of his book apply to Iraq.

Saturday, May 29, 2004

Until a couple of months ago, I didn't know that Laura Bush had ever killed anybody. Did everyone but me know this? Admittedly, she's not the president, so her reckless driving at age seventeen is less newsworthy than it would be if George had done it.
Last week, Amy White got on Ted Kennedy's case again for Chappaquiddick. Thirty-five years later, he's still taking flak for it--and deservedly so. Fair enough. But if everybody knows about Ted's past, why don't they know about Laura's? I guess nobody mentions her car wreck because she wasn't a U.S. senator when it happened. But the gist of it is that one night in 1963, Laura was driving with her friend Judy toward the only highway in town. She ran a stopsign just as her boyfriend was driving past. She killed him. Some people think it was premeditated.
Okay, I'll admit that this is just juicy gossip, not important public policy. This is the stuff soaps are made of. But if you're curious, here are two versions. For the cut and dried USA Today report,click here. For the sensational version, click here. Be advised, though: while the facts in the second article are intriguing, the emotional word choice is so overdone that I don't know if any of it is credible.

Friday, May 28, 2004

Howard Zinn, bless his heart, has resolved my doubts about the wisdom of taking our troops out of Iraq. His article in the June issue of The Progressive recounts our abysmal history of failure at military occupation and concludes:

Truth is, no one knows what will happen if the United States withdraws. We face a choice between the certainty of mayhem if we stay and the uncertainty of what will follow if we leave.

Zinn argues that civil war is not inevitable and offers a course of action to forestall it. Click here to read the article.

So rather than leaving our troops in Iraq and continuing thereby to recruit for al-Qaida, we should leave.

To those who worry about what would happen in Iraq after our troops leave, they should consider the effect of having foreign troops stay: continued, escalating bloodshed, continued insecurity, increased hatred for the United States in the entire Muslim world of over a billion people, and increased hostility everywhere. The effect of that will be the exact opposite of what our political leaders--of both parties--claim they intend to achieve, a "victory" over terrorism. When you inflame the anger of an entire population, you have enlarged the breeding ground for terrorism.

Monday, May 10, 2004

HOW TO DEFEAT GEORGE BUSH AND ELECT NANCY FARMER

It is now very apparent that John Kerry has no ability to beat George Bush by himself. While Democrats may have said "Anybody But Bush", the reality is Kerry is no John F. Kennedy, especially with No Mayor Daley to vote the dead in Chicago. So Kerry must run with hope that the lower parts of the Democrat ticket can pull him to victory.

This means the only hope of a Democrat Victory in Missouri rest on the slender shoulders of Nancy Farmer who must defeat Kit Bond handily in Metropolitan St. Louis and Jackson County. This can happen if we do the following:

1. Stop by Nancy Farmer HQ in Deer Park Shopping Center, 3232 Laclede Station Road, St. Louis County, 314-645-8103 where you can pick up a bumper sticker and volunteer some time. They will also accept donations and many days Nancy is there dialing for dollars.

2. You can tell your neighbors and friends just how important a Nancy Farmer victory is to the USA. Democrats can regain control of the US Senate and retire Kit Bond who embarrasses progressives daily.

3. You can join a canvass team to register voters and spread the word about Nancy Farmer throughout Missouri.

Nancy Farmer is the only candidate running state-wide who will make a lasting difference to the future of our country.

GO NANCY GO!

Saturday, May 08, 2004

CITY OF ST. LOUIS SEEKS CHARTER REFORM

Prior to our picnic in Carondelet Park I invite all to hear the final report of ADVANCE ST. LOUIS beginning at 10:00 a.m. until noon in the Cafeteria of Forest Park Community College.

Then all of us good government believers should do all within our ability to get these recommendations adopted and enacted by the voters of St. Louis City.

Even if you do not live in the City, come and participate so that the city will not be the drag on progress in metropolitan St. Louis. I can vote on this, but I and my fellow city dwellers need your support.

COME ON DOWN BEFORE THE PICNIC TODAY MAY 8 ON SATURDAY MORNING BEGINNING AT 10:00 a.m.

Friday, May 07, 2004

JEFF SMITH FOR CONGRESS

Let me list the reasons why Jeff Smith should win the endorsement of Change for Missouri over 9 other worthy candidates:

1. Jeff has worked with and for Howard Dean.

2. Jeff already knows many of the Democrat leaders in Congress and lobbyists so he will be ready to serve the day he is elected.

3. Jeff is a fiscal conservative judging by his humble office in the heart of the City just 4 blocks from where we meet at Bevo Mill.

4. Jeff is a social liberal who cares about all regardless of gender, social standing, color, creed, sexual orientation, age,etc.

5. Jeff opposes the Patriot Act and all attempts by John Ashcroft to limit our freedoms.

6. Jeff is a teacher and on the Board of a Charter School that has won many awards and stresses education for all children who want to learn.

7. Jeff favors a single payer healthcare system.

8. Jeff is pro-choice and opposes all attempts to prohibit gay marriage through constitutional amendment.

9. Jeff is young enough to serve 20 years in Congress and retain his energy and zest for using government to help rather than harm.

10. Jeff is my friend and I am proud to be his friend.

Sunday, May 02, 2004

Lt. Governor Race-Missouri

The candidates are both outstanding.

Bekki Cook is the former Secretary of State and from Cape Giradeau. As Secretary of State she replaced an impeached office holder and was appointed by Mel Carnahan. She immediately turned the office around and instituted the first website ever for this office.

She was reelected in her own right and has an excellent reputation.

Senator Ken Jacob is currently the Minority Leader in the Missouri Senate. As leader of the minority he has become an expert in filibusters to slow down Senate action on Catherine Hanaway's Missouri House cruel legislation cutting Medicaid and health insurance for kids. A recent example was adjourning the Senate for a day while Republican Senators were off the floor.

Ken was elected to the MO House in 1984 from Columbia and has served in the General Assembly ever since.

If the position were solely an Executive Position, Bekki Cook would be the best candidate. These functions include membership on the Board of Public Buildings, Board of Fund commissioners, MO Finance Development Board, MO Housing Development Commission, MO Rural Economic Development Commission and the MO Tourism Commision. The Lt. Governor also acts as Governor when the Governor is out of state and succeeds the Governor upon his death.

The other Major duty is to preside over the Missouri Senate on a daily basis. When the general assembly is controlled by Republicans, this duty is of great importance.

Due to the mean legislation now being enacted by Republicans, I believe Ken Jacob is the person we should support.