jmdrake
09-16-2009, 01:01 PM
This is a personal rant. I think I've read one to many "Why don't more blacks support....X" post which is inevitably followed up by "It's because they are all...Y" responses. Whenever I read posts like this I invariably think to myself "What the hell am I then? Swiss cheese?" :rolleyes:
I've posted my experiences here on successfully reaching out to other blacks and those experiences have typically been ignored. Case in point this thread that got all of 1 responses!
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=92475&highlight=stumping+gas+station
At some point I'll write out my experiences when A) I have time and B) I can think of a way to write this up that won't get moved to "hot topics". (The fact is that some of the most successful methods to reaching African Americans involve methods that some people on this forum simply don't want to hear. And no it's got nothing to do with "fried chicken". :rolleyes:)
In the meantime I am reminded of the tendency of (some) to attack the very voters we want to reach. It's not just a "black thing".
During the campaign the following things happened:
* Ron Paul didn't do well among seniors. Response at RPF? "Those old geezers should lose their right to vote".
* The religious conservative vote when Huckabee's way. Response at RPF? "Those evil non thinking Christians shows that religion is what is wrong with this country!"
* The youth vote (where we were strongest) either didn't come out in numbers that we would have liked, or went for Obama? Response at RPF? "Those lazy, fickle youngsters shouldn't be allowed to vote."
See my point? How often have people sat back and analyzed how to improve the situation? I point out polls that the elderly are turning against Obamacare? No response. I point out polls that show blacks are turning against Obama? A few responses, but not nearly as many as the "Blacks are racist for voting for Obama and socialist for supporting his policies" threads.
It all really comes down to this. Most people still don't realize that they have a real choice! Between McCain and Obama did any vote REALLY matter?
The problem with reaching out to any Obama constituency is that we've allowed ourselves to be too closely allied with the "leaders" of the GOP who helped create the mess in the first place. Gingrich took out an ad with Pelosi supporting cap and trade. Beck said we need more bailout money! I've already heard the argument "You are only against the bailout now because it is Obama doing it". I can point to my own personal record and say it's not true. But what about the media appointed "leaders"? What about Beck and Gingrich and Palin and Cornyn and others held up as "leaders"?
But worse than who we've allied ourselves with is the fact that we are by in large not doing the outreach that we should. It's easy to go to "tea parties". It's easy to blog and do money bombs. It's harder to hit the road, go to retirement homes, churches, store parking lots, wherever and talk to real voters that might be on the other side of the fence as you about what's going on in this country and what they can do to help change it.
Just my 2 cents. ($2.50 adjusted for inflation)
Regards,
John M. Drake
I've posted my experiences here on successfully reaching out to other blacks and those experiences have typically been ignored. Case in point this thread that got all of 1 responses!
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=92475&highlight=stumping+gas+station
At some point I'll write out my experiences when A) I have time and B) I can think of a way to write this up that won't get moved to "hot topics". (The fact is that some of the most successful methods to reaching African Americans involve methods that some people on this forum simply don't want to hear. And no it's got nothing to do with "fried chicken". :rolleyes:)
In the meantime I am reminded of the tendency of (some) to attack the very voters we want to reach. It's not just a "black thing".
During the campaign the following things happened:
* Ron Paul didn't do well among seniors. Response at RPF? "Those old geezers should lose their right to vote".
* The religious conservative vote when Huckabee's way. Response at RPF? "Those evil non thinking Christians shows that religion is what is wrong with this country!"
* The youth vote (where we were strongest) either didn't come out in numbers that we would have liked, or went for Obama? Response at RPF? "Those lazy, fickle youngsters shouldn't be allowed to vote."
See my point? How often have people sat back and analyzed how to improve the situation? I point out polls that the elderly are turning against Obamacare? No response. I point out polls that show blacks are turning against Obama? A few responses, but not nearly as many as the "Blacks are racist for voting for Obama and socialist for supporting his policies" threads.
It all really comes down to this. Most people still don't realize that they have a real choice! Between McCain and Obama did any vote REALLY matter?
The problem with reaching out to any Obama constituency is that we've allowed ourselves to be too closely allied with the "leaders" of the GOP who helped create the mess in the first place. Gingrich took out an ad with Pelosi supporting cap and trade. Beck said we need more bailout money! I've already heard the argument "You are only against the bailout now because it is Obama doing it". I can point to my own personal record and say it's not true. But what about the media appointed "leaders"? What about Beck and Gingrich and Palin and Cornyn and others held up as "leaders"?
But worse than who we've allied ourselves with is the fact that we are by in large not doing the outreach that we should. It's easy to go to "tea parties". It's easy to blog and do money bombs. It's harder to hit the road, go to retirement homes, churches, store parking lots, wherever and talk to real voters that might be on the other side of the fence as you about what's going on in this country and what they can do to help change it.
Just my 2 cents. ($2.50 adjusted for inflation)
Regards,
John M. Drake