"Year of the black Republican" not going as planned 
Some time ago, conservatives came up with a way of explaining why the modern, post-Southern Strategy GOP has lost black voters to the Democrats.
Black voters are stupid.
As Republican leaders tell it, blacks don't realize that the Democrats take them for granted; they want to keep them poor, they don't elevate them to the highest offices, and generally they want them to stay on the "Liberal plantation". Accordingly, RNC chairman Ken Mehlman has gone around the country asking blacks to join his party, with a promise: 2006 will be the "year of the African American Republican." Said Mehlman:
Already, 7 African American men and women are looking hard at running for statewide office as Republicans: 2 for U.S. Senate in Maryland and Michigan, 2 for governor in Ohio and Pennsylvania; the Treasurer in Ohio, Auditor of Vermont and Supreme Court Justice of Texas are all African American Republicans likely to seek re-election in 2006.Let's not all make fun of this - the GOP got a black man elected auditor of Vermont, which as Al Sharpton reminded us was more than Howard Dean was ever able to do.
But how's the GOP treating its four new statewide candidates? They're not taking them for granted, like the Democrats do ... right?
Secretary of State Ken Blackwell was one of the key Republicans in the Bush-Cheney re-election effort. How's the party rewarding him in his run for governor? Why, by courting former congressman and current Fox News host John Kasich to beat him in a primary.
Although Bennett would like to avoid a bloody primary involving three of his party's stars -- Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, Auditor Betty D. Montgomery and Attorney General Jim Petro -- it seems doubtful at this juncture that Kasich would scare any of them out.Well, that's just one race.Kasich has told political allies he won't run against Petro or Montgomery, whom he considers friends. He would, however, take on Blackwell, whose fiscal proposals Kasich views as irresponsible, sources said.
Pennsylvania
Gubernatorial candidate and retired Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swann has been touring the state and courting support since campaigning for President Bush in 2004. How's the GOP doing clearing the field for him?
At the end of Republican State Committee on Sept. 10, GOP insiders said Republican gubernatorial hopefuls, former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton and former Steelers star Lynn Swann, were essentially tied in the state committee endorsement sweepstakes.Oh well. That's only two races.Swann, who had fallen slightly behind Scranton over the summer, used a blitzkrieg of charm and previewed television commercials he and his well-known media advisor had produced to show his seriousness about the race - although he didn't declare his candidacy (see accompanying story on that).
Meanwhile, Bill Scranton is raising eyebrows because he is now making soundings that he may run in a Republican primary next May regardless of whether he wins next February's endorsement of Republican State Committee.
Michigan
Rev. Keith Butler, a Senate candidate, has been a stalwart in Republican politics since 1984, when he chaired Blacks for Reagan/Bush in Michigan. How's the party rewarding him?
The Rev. Keith Butler, front-runner for the 2006 Republican nomination to oppose Sen. Debbie Stabenow, is perplexed that what he calls "a small but very powerful cabal" in the party is trying to recruit Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard to run against him.Oh, well. At least Maryland's Michael Steele is going to get a crack at that state's open Senate seat. Unless someone else wants to run.Considering his fundraising and other successes, he said Wednesday, "it is befuddling to me ... kind of mystifying" why Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and some others would seek to lure Bouchard into the race.
A few hours before Butler called out of the blue with his lament, one of his supporters, Republican National Committeeman Chuck Yob, told me: "Elizabeth Dole is begging (Bouchard) every week" to run and met with him in Washington last week.
Said Yob: "I hear he's getting in. It will be an interesting wrinkle."
Bouchard told me late Wednesday he has been getting "nothing but positive feedback" and will make a decision whether to challenge Butler "in the next five or six days."
The point here isn't to show that Republicans are actively, consciously backstabbing their black candidates. Folks like RNC chair Mehlman know that their lack of black elected officials is a weakness, and a lot of them honestly believe the GOP's agenda of tax cuts and privatization would be great for blacks if only they could sell it to them.
But with that said ... maybe they shouldn't yell so loud about which party is taking blacks for granted.
KEYWORDS: Black, Michigan, Senate
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