Conservative blacks leaning towards Obama

Frederic J. Frommer - Associated Press Writer - 6/15/2008 5:15:00 AMvar addthis_pub = 'onenewsnow';

WASHINGTON - Black conservative talk show host Armstrong Williams has never voted for a Democrat for president. That could change this year with Barack Obama as the Democratic Party's nominee.  Discuss the story. 

"I don't necessarily like his policies; I don't like much that he advocates, but for the first time in my life, history thrusts me to really seriously think about it," Williams said. "I can honestly say I have no idea who I'm going to pull that lever for in November. And to me, that's incredible."

Just as Obama has touched black Democratic voters, he has engendered conflicting emotions among black Republicans. They revel over the possibility of a black president but wrestle with the thought that the Illinois senator doesn't sit beside them ideologically.

"Among black conservatives," Williams said, "they tell me privately, it would be very hard to vote against him in November."
Discuss the story in our forum 
Perhaps sensing the possibility of such a shift, Republican presidential candidate John McCain has made some efforts to lure black voters. He recently told Essence magazine that he would attend the NAACP's annual convention next month, and he noted that he recently traveled to Selma, Ala., scene of seminal voting rights protests in the 1960s, and "talked about the need to include 'forgotten Americans.'"

Still, the Arizona senator has a tall order in winning black votes, no doubt made taller by running against a black opponent. In 2004, blacks chose Democrat John Kerry over President Bush by an 88 percent to 11 percent margin, according to exit polls.

J.C. Watts, a former Oklahoma congressman who once was part of the GOP House leadership, said he's thinking of voting for Obama. Watts said he's still a Republican, but he criticizes his party for neglecting the black community. Black Republicans, he said, have to concede that while they might not agree with Democrats on issues, at least that party reaches out to them.

"And Obama highlights that even more," Watts said, adding that he expects Obama to take on issues such as poverty and urban policy. "Republicans often seem indifferent to those things."

Likewise, retired Gen. Colin Powell, who became the country's first black secretary of state under President George W. Bush, said both candidates are qualified and that he will not necessarily vote for the Republican.

"I will vote for the individual I think that brings the best set of tools to the problems of 21st-century America and the 21st-century world regardless of party, regardless of anything else other than the most qualified candidate," Powell said Thursday in Vancouver in comments reported by The Globe and Mail in Toronto.

Writer and actor Joseph C. Phillips got so excited about Obama earlier this year that he started calling himself an "Obamacan" _ Obama Republican. Phillips, who appeared on "The Cosby Show" as Denise Huxtable's husband, Navy Lt. Martin Kendall, said he has wavered since, but he is still thinking about voting for Obama.

"I am wondering if this is the time where we get over the hump, where an Obama victory will finally, at long last, move us beyond some of the old conversations about race," Phillips said. "That possibly, just possibly, this great country can finally be forgiven for its original sin, or find some absolution."

Yet Phillips, author of the book "He Talk Like a White Boy," realizes the irony of voting for a candidate based on race to get beyond race.

"We have to not judge him based on his race, but on his desirability as a political candidate," he said. "And based on that, I have a lot of disagreements with him on a lot of issues. I go back and forth."

Michael Steele, the Republican former lieutenant governor of Maryland who lost a Senate race there in 2006, said he is proud of Obama as a black man, but that "come November, I will do everything in my power to defeat him." Electing Obama, he said, would not automatically solve the woes of the black community.

"I think people who try to put this sort of messianic mantle on Barack's nomination are a little bit misguided," he said.

John McWhorter, a self-described political moderate who is a senior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute and a New York Sun columnist, said Obama's Democratic Party victory "proves that while there still is some racism in the United States, there is not enough to matter in any serious manner. This is a watershed moment."

"Obama is probably more to the left than I would prefer on a lot of issues," he adds. "But this issue of getting past race for real is such a wedge issue for me. And he is so intelligent, and I think he would be a perfectly competent president, that I'm for him. I want him to get in because, in a way, it will put me out of a job."

James T. Harris, a Milwaukee radio talk show host and public speaker, said he opposes Obama "with love in my heart."

"We are of the same generation. He's African American and I'm an American of African descent. We both have lovely wives and beautiful children," Harris said. "Other than that, we've got nothing in common. I hope he loses every state."

Moderate Republican Edward Brooke, who blazed his own trail in Massachusetts in 1966 as the first black popularly elected U.S. senator, said he is "extremely proud and confident and joyful" to see Obama ascend. Obama sent Brooke a signed copy of his book, inscribed, "Thank you for paving the way," and Brooke sent his own signed book to Obama, calling the presumed Democratic nominee "a worthy bearer of the torch."

Brooke, who now lives in Florida, won't say which candidate will get his endorsement, but he does say that race won't be a factor in his decision.

"This is the most important election in our history," Brooke said. "And with the world in the condition that it is, I think we've got to get the best person we can get."

Williams, the commentator, says his 82-year-old mother, who also hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate, has already made up her mind.

"She is so proud of Senator Barack Obama, and she has made it clear to all of us that she's voting for him in November," Williams relates. "That is historic. Every time I call her, she asks, 'How's Obama doing?' They feel as if they are a part of this. Because she said, given the history of this country, she never thought she'd ever live to see this moment."   Discuss the story in our forum

Here is what I care about.

If an elected official after winning an election as a U.S. Senator in the United States of America such as Barack Obama, could not raise his right hand, state The Pledge Of Allegiance To The United States Flag, while his left hand is placed on the BIBLE, while being sworned into office, they have no business in any elected office here in the USA.

If an elected official after winning an election as a U.S. Senator quoted that he would swear into office using the KURAN, the Muslim Bible, they have no business in any elected office here in the USA. Thank goodness they would not let him commit such a horrific act!!!

If an elected official such as Barack Obama wrote a book and quoted, "I Will Stand With The Muslims Should The Political Winds Shift In An Ugly Direction," that person whether they may be a he or she or both, that person whether they may have the skin color of white, black, yellow, green, red, or any other color, or that person is of any race, they have no business being an elected official of the United States Of America...There should be laws passed by our government on these very matters of swearing into an elected office, whether it is city, county, state, or federal.

REMEMBER, BARACK OBAMA DID NOT QUOTE, "STAND WITH AMERICANS."

Do any of you folks agree with me on this???

Draft Lou Dobbs for President

I don't know if Obama is Muslim, or if he is pro-Islam, but his liberal ideology alone is enough for me to oust him.

America's public policy now is bad enough, we certainly don't need it to get worse by a liberal president. 

kmcheng said:

I don't know if Obama is Muslim, or if he is pro-Islam, but his liberal ideology alone is enough for me to oust him.

America's public policy now is bad enough, we certainly don't need it to get worse by a liberal president. 

CONCUR

MoralsMan said:

Here is what I care about.

If an elected official after winning an election as a U.S. Senator in the United States of America such as Barack Obama, could not raise his right hand, state The Pledge Of Allegiance To The United States Flag, while his left hand is placed on the BIBLE, while being sworned into office, they have no business in any elected office here in the USA.

If an elected official after winning an election as a U.S. Senator quoted that he would swear into office using the KURAN, the Muslim Bible, they have no business in any elected office here in the USA. Thank goodness they would not let him commit such a horrific act!!!

If an elected official such as Barack Obama wrote a book and quoted, "I Will Stand With The Muslims Should The Political Winds Shift In An Ugly Direction," that person whether they may be a he or she or both, that person whether they may have the skin color of white, black, yellow, green, red, or any other color, or that person is of any race, they have no business being an elected official of the United States Of America...There should be laws passed by our government on these very matters of swearing into an elected office, whether it is city, county, state, or federal.

REMEMBER, BARACK OBAMA DID NOT QUOTE, "STAND WITH AMERICANS."

Do any of you folks agree with me on this???

 

 

 

No, you are wrong, there are GOD fearing Muslims (they are good people).  And there are extremist muslims (the muslims that promised to wipe Israel and America off of the face of the earth).  I can't tell you that I hate Muslims, any Muslims as a matter of a fact, but I am worried when an elected office can not quote the Pledge Of Allegiance To The United States Flag.

I never stated above that Obama is a Muslim, I made a statement about what Obama quoted in his book.

There are American Muslims here and have been here for dozens of years.  But, should they not be able to quote the Pledge Of Allegiance To The American Flag, yes they should, that's part of assimination.  ASSIMINATE OR BE GONE, THAT IS MY QUOTE!!!

And please do not make it look like I am a racist, I AM NOT!!!  If Colin Powell were running for President, he would be my man, he is a good moral man!!!

So RELLIK, please re-read my first post, read into it just a little deeper!!!

Draft Lou Dobbs for President

OBAMA IS A MUSLIM.  Any Middle East site will confirm that 

 1) he is the son of a BLack seducer from AFfrca & a muslim.

2) under ISLAMIC LAW  that makes him a Muslim.

3)he attended MUSLIM school & was registered as one.

4) under ISLAMIC LAW (oh we don't dare judge them do we)(stance of wimpy BDEL(brain dead eastern liberal) once a person is a Muslim he always is.

5) IF he converted as child, then he is to be held in confinment until redeemed.

6)If converted as an adult then that is an automatic INTERNATIONAL death sentence under Islamic law.

7) ever notice how the BDEL Media never ever answers these questions!! they just shrug  & say "he is a Christian".

8) Why when the BDEL media will interview  about the evil Israelis, the 4th cousin of the Janitor in a store in Paris who once met the uncle of a person whose house with rocket factory the Israelis bulldozed after the terrorists living the killed 4 year old girls.  BUT THEY will NOT interview any Muslim clerics about Obams status to them under Islamic law.

I don't see how any conservative could vote for such a socialist liberal.  The color of his skin is irrelevant.  The damage his beliefs would do is undeniable.

And, for him to unequivocally state that he would stand with the Muslims should the wind shift in an ugly direction is a telling statement.  Most Muslims are rather moderate and not engaged in a jihad.  However, the leadership of many Muslim nations is not moderate and that is all that matters.  Most Germans were moderate as well but that didn't mean that we shouldn't have done all we did to stop Hitler.  Until Hitler was eliminated, moderate Germans didn't even have the option of behaving in a moderate manner.

And, what's wrong with the pledge being pure nationalism? 

So, black conservatives are basically saying:

We should all be colorblind -- I'm abandoning my conservative values to vote for my race!    

(CM) Jim from Texas said:

So, black conservatives are basically saying:

We should all be colorblind -- I'm abandoning my conservative values to vote for my race!    

Totally wrong Jim. Both Obama and McCain are liberals. Black conservatives are thinking "I'm going to have to give up my conservative values anyway given that both candidates are liberals, so I might as well vote for the candidate that shares my skin color (which is a big deal because this is the first time a black man has a shot at the presidency), receives wide support from my ethnic group, and has a very positive message that may bring the U.S. together."

 At the very least, you could have interpreted it as political peer pressure.

I hold by my original post, RELLIK.  While McCain is not a conservative, he is certainly LESS liberal than Obama -- so you'll never convince me that conservative blacks that would vote for Obama are more conservative than black as the reason!

And I don't get all this "first black president" cr*p -- he is 50% white, and I have seen (unverified) info to the effect that his father was 7/8 Arab and 1/8 Black -- so he could be as little as only 1/16th black, but not more than 50% -- so he isn't "black"!!

RELLIK said:

(CM) Jim from Texas said:

So, black conservatives are basically saying:

We should all be colorblind -- I'm abandoning my conservative values to vote for my race!    

 

Totally wrong Jim. Both Obama and McCain are liberals. Black conservatives are thinking "I'm going to have to give up my conservative values anyway given that both candidates are liberals, so I might as well vote for the candidate that shares my skin color (which is a big deal because this is the first time a black man has a shot at the presidency), receives wide support from my ethnic group, and has a very positive message that may bring the U.S. together."

 At the very least, you could have interpreted it as political peer pressure.

If Martin Luther King Jr is the candidate, I would very much like this idea, but this is Obama we are talking about.

And, no matter how much you don't like McCain, he is certainly less liberal than Obama, even he is a moderate from what I see. 

(CM) Jim from Texas said:

I hold by my original post, RELLIK.  While McCain is not a conservative, he is certainly LESS liberal than Obama -- so you'll never convince me that conservative blacks that would vote for Obama are more conservative than black as the reason!

And I don't get all this "first black president" cr*p -- he is 50% white, and I have seen (unverified) info to the effect that his father was 7/8 Arab and 1/8 Black -- so he could be as little as only 1/16th black, but not more than 50% -- so he isn't "black"!!

You hold by your original post, okay. This was it:

<<So, black conservatives are basically saying:

We should all be colorblind -- I'm abandoning my conservative values to vote for my race!>>

You have yet to explain how voting for either candidate does not count as abandoning conservative values. You also have yet to even read the article in the first post, which explains the situation in detail. Let's see what we find.

<<J.C. Watts, a former Oklahoma congressman who once was part of the GOP House leadership, said he's thinking of voting for Obama. Watts said he's still a Republican, but he criticizes his party for neglecting the black community. Black Republicans, he said, have to concede that while they might not agree with Democrats on issues, at least that party reaches out to them.

"And Obama highlights that even more," Watts said, adding that he expects Obama to take on issues such as poverty and urban policy. "Republicans often seem indifferent to those things.">>

You also neglect other key facts, such as...

- people are just trying to vote for the better candidate; McCain looks like a doofus compared to Obama, so you might as well vote for the articulate candidate that's not senile.

- it's not just black conservatives that are jumping ship; white conservatives are also moving to Obama, so this isn't really voting by race, but rather voting for who they think is better.

I don't see how you can take all this information and conclude that black conservatives are voting by race. I expect an answer from you, Jim. This time you have to address these points. If you dont want to do that, you could always just ban me. *sarcasm* 

RELLIK said:

(CM) Jim from Texas said:

I hold by my original post, RELLIK.  While McCain is not a conservative, he is certainly LESS liberal than Obama -- so you'll never convince me that conservative blacks that would vote for Obama are more conservative than black as the reason!

And I don't get all this "first black president" cr*p -- he is 50% white, and I have seen (unverified) info to the effect that his father was 7/8 Arab and 1/8 Black -- so he could be as little as only 1/16th black, but not more than 50% -- so he isn't "black"!!

 

 

You hold by your original post, okay. This was it:

<<So, black conservatives are basically saying:

We should all be colorblind -- I'm abandoning my conservative values to vote for my race!>>

 

You have yet to explain how voting for either candidate does not count as abandoning conservative values. [Did you not see this? -- While McCain is not a conservative, he is certainly LESS liberal than Obama] You also have yet to even read the article in the first post [Wow -- you're really good -- do you work for the feds? -- you now know what I read or don't read? -- impressive!] , which explains the situation in detail. Let's see what we find.

<<J.C. Watts, a former Oklahoma congressman who once was part of the GOP House leadership, said he's thinking of voting for Obama. Watts said he's still a Republican, but he criticizes his party for neglecting the black community. Black Republicans, he said, have to concede that while they might not agree with Democrats on issues, at least that party reaches out to them.

"And Obama highlights that even more," Watts said, adding that he expects Obama to take on issues such as poverty and urban policy. "Republicans often seem indifferent to those things.">>

[Sounds to me like old J.C.Watts is leaning a little more toward the entitlement mentality on behalf of his "people" who aren't listened to by Republicans......... so maybe he's becoming more liberal and switching to Obama all of a sudden because of race?]

You also neglect other key facts, such as...

- people are just trying to vote for the better candidate[Again, if Obama is more liberal (which he is), he isn;t my "best candidate"]; McCain looks like a doofus [Wow -- you vote against someone because of their looks? -- very educated approach] compared to Obama, so you might as well vote for the articulate candidate that's not senile [Here you go again -- what's your proof that he's senile?  Even though we might not like a lot that he has done, unlike Obama he has accomplishments -- Obama?].

- it's not just black conservatives that are jumping ship; white conservatives are also moving to Obama, so this isn't really voting by race, but rather voting for who they think is better. [Or they're just falling for the hope, change, hope, change socialistic approach]

 

I don't see how you can take all this information and conclude that black conservatives are voting by race. [If they weren't, they'd be voting for the more conservative candidate] I expect an answer from you, Jim. [Expect all you want -- it's above -- you probably still won't agree, so ....... ] This time you have to address these points [I don't HAVE to do squat] . If you dont want to do that, you could always just ban me. *sarcasm* [I've posted as a member -- not a moderator -- when I post as a (CM) you'll know it .......... and don't tempt me ......... ]