Politics

affliation

Black Candidates Return to Republican Roots

By Paul Strand
Washington Sr. Correspondent

CWNews.com – SOUTHFIELD, Michigan - Democrats for years now have had what seems to be a stranglehold on the black vote.

But that may be changing, especially with the sudden appearance of four big-name personalities all running for high office as African-American Republicans this year.

Many black Americans almost automatically vote Democrat, and in recent times, more than 90 percent of them have opposed the Bush presidency -- a sign that Republicans might not do much better with them this November.

But there are signs too, and some black pundits and politicians say African-Americans are handicapping their own interests unless they make both parties fight for the black vote.

Commentator Herman Cain says when blacks vote Republican, "It sends a very strong message that you can no longer look at the African-American vote as one monolithic group.”

Dwight McKissic is a politically active pastor in Dallas, Texas. He said, "The problem is, as Dr. E. V. Hill used to say, 'If all blacks vote Democrat and Republicans are in office, we're out of power, we have no access."

Former football superstar Lynn Swann is now a Republican running for governor of Pennsylvania.

"You have to have representation on both sides of the aisle,” Swann said. “What's freedom if you don't have choices and options?"

Enough blacks are joining the GOP that the National Black Republican Association recently formed in Washington, D.C., and this week is co-sponsoring the high-powered Conservative Political Action Conference in the nation's capitol.

Condoleezza Rice is often spoken of as a leading Republican candidate for the presidency in 2008.

And this year, four well-known black personalities have thrown themselves into high-profile races as Republican candidates.

Swann may be the most well-known, with his famous past as a Pittsburgh Steeler and a sports broadcaster.

Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell may be the most-experienced, having been Cincinnati's mayor, Ohio's treasurer, a deputy Cabinet secretary in the first Bush administration, and a U.N. Human Rights Commission ambassador.

Then there is Maryland's first black lieutenant governor, Michael Steele, who would like to be Maryland's first black U.S. senator next year.

Now all of these Republican candidates also happen to be dedicated Christians. Keith Butler, is a minister of the 21,000-member mega church Word of Faith International Christian Center, outside Detroit, Michigan.

Butler said, "I've grown through tribulations, tests, and trials for being a Republican. I've been one for 25 years."

He has received an almost-giddy endorsement from Charisma Magazine, excited that Butler is the very embodiment of today's charismatic conservative -- pro-life, anti-gay marriage, a big backer of low taxes and the free market.

Butler says he gets little guff for being either black or conservative these days in Michigan, which is in dire economic straits.

"People don't really care much about your skin color or care much about your political affiliation,” Butler said. “They want to know, what are you going to do to help us get out of this mess that we're in?"

Cain added, "And if you look at the biggest impediments to economic success for people in this country, it's not a black issue, it's not a white issue -- it's a green issue."

Which is why capitalist conservatives may be doing well in the polls this year, especially when they are also cultural conservatives. Because it is this combo that is attracting many whites as well as blacks, to the GOP and its slate of issues.

"Same-sex marriage, abortion, and lower taxes benefit the family - strong defense, less government," explained Pastor McKissic.

But it is Swann's lack of experience in discussing and dealing with these issues that is the main argument that his opponents are using on the political newcomer.

CBN News asked Swann, "What makes you feel like you have a good chance to win this race?"

He replied, "Because Ronnie Reagan did the same thing…Ronald Reagan became president of the United States, and before he became governor of California, he had no political experience. There have been so many people who have come from some other field of endeavor without political experience to become very good leader[s]. So, that's what I intend to do."

It's all but certain Swann will be the Republican candidate this November, since he was unanimously endorsed Feb. 11th by Pennsylvania's Republican Party leaders at a gathering in Harrisburg.

Also leading in his primary is Ohio's Blackwell.

He thinks it is important that prominent black candidates may attract more African-Americans to the GOP, but also to politics, in general.

"It's good for African-Americans, because when you have a competitive two-party system,” Blackwell explained, “one party can't write you off and the other party can't take you for granted."

Michael Steele is the only one of these four who has actually been hassled for being both African-American and Republican.

Some Maryland Democrats have thrown Oreo cookies at him, accusing him of being black on the outside but white on the inside.

He says he is ignoring the noise, to stay focused on his dream "...that I can be the kind of senator as I've been lieutenant governor: responsible, responsive and ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work," Steele said.

If you go back in history, you will find that it is not that strange that African-Americans should run as Republicans or vote for the GOP.

The party formed in the 1800s around the fight against slavery, and championed rights for the freed slaves in the post-Civil War South.

Historian David Barton points out that blacks formed all state Republican parties across the South.

"Here I stand in Texas as a Texan,” Barton remarked. “My Republican party was started on the 4th of July, 1867 by 150 blacks and 20 whites. Every southern Republican party was started by blacks, not whites."

Swann echoed that sentiment, saying, "The African-American vote hasn't always been Democratic. Before it was a Democratic bloc, it was a Republican bloc."

Now, the Democrats may feel they can beat all four of these candidates. But the fact that four such popular and talented African-Americans have decided to run -- and confidently -- as Republicans this year, puts the Democratic Party on notice: it can no longer take the black vote for granted. It is going to have to fight for it.

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