Dean Says Dems Must Change Their Outreach to Blacks and Other Minorities

[Frodo]

someone finally gets it!  the first step to recovery is to recognize what's wrong with you -so this is a start:

Dean: Blacks annoyed by party's outreach

By WILL LESTER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
 
WASHINGTON -- Black voters are upset with the Democratic Party for coming around just weeks before elections seeking their votes, party chairman Howard Dean said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press.

Taking black voters for granted is a long-standing problem for the party that dates to the 1960s, said Dean, who promised changes in strategy even as he cited diversity at the top of the Democratic National Committee.

"African-Americans are annoyed with the Democratic Party because we ask them for their votes four weeks before the election instead of being in the community now and that's a mistake I'm trying to fix," he said. "There's a new generation of African-American leaders and a new generation of African-Americans. We can't go out and say could you vote for us because we were so helpful during the civil rights era."

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apelection_story.asp?category=1131&slug=Dean%20Minority%20Voters

[opebo]

I suppose Dean is strategic to make these noises, but I think we can rely upon Republican economic policies to keep African-Americans voting Democrat.

[TeePee4Prez]

I suppose Dean is strategic to make these noises, but I think we can rely upon Republican economic policies to keep African-Americans voting Democrat.

Wouldn't be so sure.  A lot of blacks I know are very churchgoing and don't like gay marriage.  We're toting a fine line here.

[opebo]

I suppose Dean is strategic to make these noises, but I think we can rely upon Republican economic policies to keep African-Americans voting Democrat.

Wouldn't be so sure.  A lot of blacks I know are very churchgoing and don't like gay marriage.  We're toting a fine line here.

Yes, I have heard they worship Master's god.

[Democratic Hawk]

The Democratic Party needs to reach out both to, and beyond, African Americans

Dave

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Opebo: shut up

Back to the news item... odd thing about Dean is that despite everything, everynow and again he get's something spot on.

[MODU]

Dean also needs to address the Union block too.  There is growing dissent there, with union members arguing against the union leaders of endorsing Democratic candidates.

[TomC]

I suppose Dean is strategic to make these noises, but I think we can rely upon Republican economic policies to keep African-Americans voting Democrat.

The ones who vote, yes. But can we count on a good turnout? Not if Dems don't "work it" and, as Dean says, if we wait until the last minute to ask for their support. Dean is right here. Hope locals follow up on this.

[AuH2O]

Dean has been, and continues to be, a complete disaster as DNC chair... as many, myself included, foresaw.

I can't believe Hillary and Bill let him take the post.

[Democratic Hawk]

Dean has been, and continues to be, a complete disaster as DNC chair... as many, myself included, foresaw.

I'll be honest, I was never enthused by the idea (and now, sadly, the reality) of Howard Dean as DNC Chair. It's early days, but I'm not optimistic. In this instance, I'd like to think I'm wrong

Dave

[TomC]

Dean was a terrible Presidential candidate. He was too honest about some things, and nixed any chances of his being seen as a leader on military and international issues. He didn't espouse a good winning vision. When he said stuuf like "I don't care what 70% of Americans think." and then "I want to be the guy that southern men with confederate flags on their pickup trucks can vote for." I mean these two things are very contradictory. Bad presidential candidate.

However, he is not a stupid man; far from it. He knows what it takes for Dems to start being more competetive, but as a candidate, he is the wrong person to do just that. I was nervous about him being DNC chair, but feel he's been doing a good job so far. He is absolutely right on this issue.

[AuH2O]

Fundraising: complete failure
Good press: complete failure
Recruiting: too early to tell

Doesn't look too good to me.

[J. J.]

I suppose Dean is strategic to make these noises, but I think we can rely upon Republican economic policies to keep African-Americans voting Democrat.

Wouldn't be so sure.  A lot of blacks I know are very churchgoing and don't like gay marriage.  We're toting a fine line here.

Yes, I have heard they worship Master's god.

Yes, Black people and White people have the same master.

[Akno21]

It doesn't take a genius to figure this out, lets see him do something about it.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Opebo: shut up

Back to the news item... odd thing about Dean is that despite everything, everynow and again he get's something spot on.

Despite what?

[Rob]

The Democratic Party has severe structural problems. Their reliance on minorities and special interest groups is so complete that if their base softens just a bit- as happened in 2004 among blacks and, to a much greater extent, Hispanics- they will lose. A few words from the great Mr. Dean won't solve this problem.

[Storebought]

What I find interesting is that Dean has the same tin-ear pandering to black people that Republicans have always had

[tarheel-leftist85]

The Democratic Party has severe structural problems. Their reliance on minorities and special interest groups is so complete that if their base softens just a bit- as happened in 2004 among blacks and, to a much greater extent, Hispanics- they will lose. A few words from the great Mr. Dean won't solve this problem.

Exactly, but I'd also add single, childless, affluent, whites in declining urban areas.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The Democratic Party has severe structural problems. Their reliance on minorities and special interest groups is so complete that if their base softens just a bit- as happened in 2004 among blacks and, to a much greater extent, Hispanics- they will lose. A few words from the great Mr. Dean won't solve this problem.

Exactly, but I'd also add single, childless, affluent, whites in declining urban areas.

Republicans are really using abortion to their advantage. Educated liberals have abortions. Uneducated conservatives don't.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Republicans are really using abortion to their advantage. Educated liberals have abortions. Uneducated conservatives don't.

Elitist prick. That's inaccurate as well- do you think inner-city blacks that vote Democratic (if they vote at all) are really "educated liberals"? Or are those individuals with incomes of over $100,000 who voted for Bush (a majority, I might add) "uneducated"? Enlighten us, please.

Yawn. Look at the birth rates. They're much higher in conservative areas.

[tarheel-leftist85]

The Democratic Party has severe structural problems. Their reliance on minorities and special interest groups is so complete that if their base softens just a bit- as happened in 2004 among blacks and, to a much greater extent, Hispanics- they will lose. A few words from the great Mr. Dean won't solve this problem.

Exactly, but I'd also add single, childless, affluent, whites in declining urban areas.

Republicans are really using abortion to their advantage. Educated liberals have abortions. Uneducated conservatives don't.

IDK, I think a lot of Reps. don't want to get rid of abortion.  As long as it's hanging out there, they have leverage to try to gain Senate seats and what not w/o delivering anything except making the ppl. in the O.C. and New England richer and richer.  When Reps. court Southerners, I'm reminded of some of the derogatory things I heard from Republicans about people in AR, WV, TN, and LA--I won't repeat them, as they're quite offensive.  I really don't want to do the same thing they did when they were losing (worse than we are now, at least on the national level).

[Rob]

The high birth rates aren't necessarily from "conservatives". In fact, in most cases it's likely the opposite.

And I'm still waiting for that no doubt brilliant analysis of "uneducated conservatives" and "educated liberals" you hinted at. Come on. I'd love to see you explain it.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The high birth rates aren't necessarily from "conservatives". In fact, in most cases it's likely the opposite.

And I'm still waiting for that no brilliant analysis of "uneducated conservatives" and "educated liberals" you hinted at. Come on. I'd love to see you explain it.

High education is correlated with low birth rates.


Here are teen birth rates. They're above 38 per thousand in all Bush states except MT, ND, UT, NE, IA, and below 38 per thousand in all Kerry states except CA, HI, DE, DC.
http://www.teenpregnancy.org/america/statisticsDisplay.asp?ID=4&sID=44


In 2000, Bush won the 19 states with the highest white birth rates.
http://www.isteve.com/2000_Bush_Won_19_States_with_Highest_White_Birthrates.htm

[Beet]

The high birth rates aren't necessarily from "conservatives". In fact, in most cases it's likely the opposite.

No, look at Utah. I'm pretty sure you could apply HLM modelling there and come up with a statistically significant proof that conservatives have higher birthrates based on the ecological data alone. But it's not so much conservatism as religion that somehow does it. I don't know exactly why.

jfern- duh, it takes time to (a) maintain a family and (b) get an education.

[Rob]

High education is correlated with low birth rates.


Here are teen birth rates. They're above 38 per thousand in all Bush states except MT, ND, UT, NE, IA, and below 38 per thousand in all Kerry states except CA, HI, DE, DC.
http://www.teenpregnancy.org/america/statisticsDisplay.asp?ID=4&sID=44

Um, I wasn't disputing that the bulk of them are in "Bush states". I was making the point that a great deal of these births happened among people likely to vote Democratic.

Oh, and I'll quote myself here:

And I'm still waiting for that no brilliant analysis of "uneducated conservatives" and "educated liberals" you hinted at. Come on. I'd love to see you explain it.

Although I won't bump the thread up and call you a "g liar" if you don't answer within 15 minutes (as you did with Carl Hayden once), I really would like to see your reasoning here.