> Based on Dean's recent hiring of Carol Moseley Brauns's campaign
> manager and a few other African Americans to his campaign staff, I
> don't see how you could say he was apathetic. It's more likely that's
> he inept in that regard, but willing to learn.
Let's hope so. I don't know anything about Dean's operation but what I read and hear. But I'm going on the obvious fact that Clinton, whatever his failings, has always been able to elicit an enthusiastic response from African Americans that most other white Demo candidates have not. I think it is not just a matter of putting some AAs on your staff -- even the Repubs do that. It has more to do with an emotional rapport -- "message: I care." But not just claiming it -- making the claim believable. (Of course, once you get into office, you can reneg on most or all of your promises, because this constituency is not going to defect to the GOP.)
> It's not often mentioned but Al Gore had pretty good rapport with
> African Americans. I saw him on TV give a really rousing shirt sleeve
> speech African American group. He was animated he and excited and
> seemed very at home. I think if he could have been that way in front
> of white folks, he would have done better (won a bigger majority of
> votes) than he did.
Yes, I agree that Gore was almost as good in this respect as his boss. Probably not coincidentally, both are Southern politicians (as was LBJ, for example). What examples are there of Yankee Dem politicians with that kind of interracial rapport?
Jon Johanning // jjohanning at igc.org ________________________________ Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. - Frank Zappa