Why some black voters say they're listening to Rand Paul

[jct74]

Political Paddock: Why some black voters say they're listening to Rand Paul

BY SAM YOUNGMAN
December 9, 2013

Going by conventional wisdom and modern political party tendencies, it's hard to imagine a more unlikely setting.

But there was U.S. Sen. Rand Paul last Thursday, sitting in a leather wingback chair, a large collection of African ceremonial masks on the wall to his left, as he discussed the contributions of Malcolm X to the civil rights movement.

It was a cold, gray morning at Simmons College in Louisville's West End. Paul had a full day of events scheduled around the commonwealth as he pushed for "Economic Freedom Zones" and attempted to shore up his support in Kentucky before possibly embarking on a run for the White House. But his morning was set aside for Rev. Kevin Cosby, a well-respected leader within Louisville's black community, and a man who calls Paul a friend.

After the Republican Party's shameful showing with minority groups in the 2012 election, Paul has been far from subtle about trying to take the lead in reaching out to black voters.

So he gave a speech at Howard University in April, and last week followed up with a speech to the Detroit Economic Club. The scoffs from national black leaders and the Democratic Party weren't subtle, either.

What in the world is a man who questioned the constitutionality of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and reluctantly accepted the resignation of a staffer who once called himself the Southern Avenger doing leading the GOP's efforts to reach black voters?

Pundits and national Democrats — and probably an overwhelming majority of black voters — have all but doubled over laughing at the sometimes clumsy efforts of the GOP's unlikely director of minority outreach.

Cosby isn't laughing.

...

read more:
http://www.kentucky.com/2013/12/09/2979825/political-paddock-why-some-black.html

[jmdrake]

Good read! Thanks for posting! If Rand wins the primary and then pulls 10 to 15 percent of the black vote in the general then Hillary (or whoever) is toast.

[jct74]

this was at the top of HuffPo today btw, apparently an event Rand spoke at after opening the GOP outreach office didn't have enough black people at it. :rolleyes:

h ttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/09/rand-paul-african-american_n_4409356.html
http://i.imgur.com/HXSZQAL.jpg

[VoluntaryAmerican]

this was at the top of HuffPo today btw, apparently an event Rand spoke at after opening the GOP outreach event didn't have enough black people at it. :rolleyes:

h ttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/09/rand-paul-african-american_n_4409356.html
http://i.imgur.com/HXSZQAL.jpg

lmao@ that picture... looks like Rand is having a heart attack. FFS, keep it classy Huffpost!

[enhanced_deficit]

Like many Americans from all walks of like, increasing number of black Americans are also starting to see the scam that current politica drama has been. It will not be surprising at all if Rand gets support everywhere, he is the closest and probably only game in town for 2016 that has any resemblence to any REAL change possibility.

Drone King's only affect was in optics/symbolism it turns out and he outlived that long time ago.


Tavis Smiley: Obama Administration Is Hurting African-Americans

Posted: 10/14/2013 5:39 pm EDT | Updated: 10/14/2013 5:39 pm EDT


http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1406351/original.jpg (http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=BDNust6cjWk4dM&tbnid=iHQAv7CrCogz6M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2F2013%2F1 0%2F14%2Ftavis-smiley-barack-obama-african-americans_n_4098719.html&ei=2nimUpWtOJDAkQe-0YGAAQ&bvm=bv.57799294,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNHz1O8ZfZWDZlvD-jGh_Gykj5Iocw&ust=1386728002653478)


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/14/tavis-smiley-barack-obama-african-americans_n_4098719.html

http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/azz1.jpg (http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=QOIB3jwJMx1PKM&tbnid=TXpkhJ3LfWrIXM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.whatdoesitmean.com%2Findex171 2.htm&ei=A3mmUvqqBoegkAf324HABA&bvm=bv.57799294,d.eW0&psig=AFQjCNEf39XFKYudPIqPfLISpfszr-dJGQ&ust=1386728057793782)

[Brian4Liberty]

read more:
http://www.kentucky.com/2013/12/09/2979825/political-paddock-why-some-black.html

And the article doesn't even get to the reaction from small business owners in Detroit to his latest economic proposals. They will be happy when they find out what Rand is proposing. Real economic solutions instead of rich Democrats lying to them.

[Matt Collins]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXGMi7a53jA

[rich34]

This is why I'm disappointed that drudge isn't even covering any of this. He at the very least should be covering the economic freedom zones. I'd bet anything if Cruz or any other GOP member of the house or senate was proposing this he'd be all over it, but then again I'm sure if drudge covered it with as many conservatives that read his site Rand would be shooting back up in the polls.

[WD-NY]

This is why I'm disappointed that drudge isn't even covering any of this. He at the very least should be covering the economic freedom zones. I'd bet anything if Cruz or any other GOP member of the house or senate was proposing this he'd be all over it, but then again I'm sure if drudge covered it with as many conservatives that read his site Rand would be shooting back up in the polls.

Im ticked off too but I also think it's possible that Drudge isn't covering/promoting Rand's plan (yet) because for some unknown reason, popular conservative bloggers/writers aren't rallying behind it and/or punching back against the left's counter offensive to Rand's plan to save Detroit.

I'm not sure how such things work at the level Rand is operating within, but I imagine (hope) that someone on his staff is reaching out to allies within the conservative mediasphere - afterall, it only take a single well constructed op-ed to *shift the narrative* and/or utterly obliderate the FUD being spewed by the left (and their hacks at sites like huffpost and msnbc).

I also think that we, ourselves, can help the cause by reaching out to bloggers/reporters via twitter and asking them to write about their thoughts on the huffpost FUD/spin that seems intentionally designed to avoid a substantional discussion/debate of the solutions Rand is proposing.

Case in point: "Conservative" columnist Ross Douthat should be getting bombarded by us on twitter for his blog post yesterday about the lack of conservative solutions to 'structural racism' in America which ALL BUT COMPLETELY IGNORES RAND'S POSITIONS ON MANDATORY MINIMUMS, WAR ON DRUGS, SCHOOL CHOICE, VOTING RIGHTS FOR EX-NON-VIOLANT FELONS, and even tangential issues like war (which disproportionately impacts the poor & minorities who join the military for financial reasons)
http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/douthat/2013/12/05/conservatives-and-structural-racism/?from=douthat

Instead of more or less agreeing with the claptrap of leftists like James Bouie, Douthat could've easily pushed back by a.) citing each of the policy positions highlighted above that Rand Paul is actively/vocally pushing for and b.) challenging Bouio to either reject the rightness of these positions or give Rand his due.

[Liberty74]

The Republican presidential candidate usually gets less than 10% of the black vote. Also, Reps get about 30-35% of the Hispanic vote which is a GROWING demographic. If Rand can squeeze out 15% of the black vote and get 50% of the hispanic vote by having Cruz as a VP (has it been established if Cruz is even eligible considering he was born in Canada?), then Hillary has no chance in hell beating a Paul/Cruz ticket. It would be mathematically impossible for her to win unless she captured the majority of the white vote which no Democrat can really do. Romney won 59% of them in 2012.

[Koz]

Personally I think blacks will just stay home unless there is a black running for office. I have several black clients who do not agree with Obama's policies yet voted for him just because of his color.

[juleswin]

Personally I think blacks will just stay home unless there is a black running for office. I have several black clients who do not agree with Obama's policies yet voted for him just because of his color.

At least they can say they've gotten that need to vote for someone their own colour out of their system. The next time around, I believe would produce a better result. The last time I went to the barber's shop to cut my hair, the conspiracy theory about Obama and how hes just a puppet of the elite was flying left and right in the room

Then I asked the guy cutting my hair if he was going to vote for Obama and he said he couldn't vote for him. He told me that he has a felony in his record and cannot vote but added that if he could, he would not vote for the man.

[anaconda]

Personally I think blacks will just stay home unless there is a black running for office. I have several black clients who do not agree with Obama's policies yet voted for him just because of his color.

I predict Rand will fire up some significant amount of African Americans. I'll bet a lot of African Americans are fed up with the condescending socioeconomic glass ceiling that the federal government has been ensnaring them with for decades.

[Working Poor]

Personally I think blacks will just stay home unless there is a black running for office. I have several black clients who do not agree with Obama's policies yet voted for him just because of his color.

Rand should get Ben Carson to run with him 2 doctors for the cure.

[anaconda]

Rand should get Ben Carson to run with him 2 doctors for the cure.

That would be a very exciting ticket. How about Walter Williams?