Presidential Politics '04: The "Black Vote" Does it Exist?

[mulattogyrl]

1. Kerry: 100%

2. Kucinich: 100%

3. Sharpton: 95%

4. Clark: 90%

5. Edwards: 86%

6. Dean: 85%

7. Lieberman: 85%

8. Dubya: 16%

[delph998]

Sharpton
Kucinich
Dean
Edwards
Kelly

[feu_declipse]

Even though I can't vote 'cos I'm international, if I could it seems that I as well as most of the GC'ers will be voting for Kucinich or Sharpton.

1 Kucinich Score: 100%
2 Sharpton Score: 98%
3 Kerry Score: 94%
4 Edwards Score: 87%
5 Lieberman Score: 86%
6 Clark Score: 86%
7 Dean Score: 80%
8 Bush Score: 74%

[Jody]

I'm one of the nine AA that voted for GW Bush. I plan to vote for him in 04, (early and often because I live in Florida!)

I didn't vote for Al Gore because I believe he didn't do anything for the country except bid his time so he run almost unopposed in '00. Let's see mandatory minimums is a good example why I didn't like Clinton.

[whitechocolate]

Kucinich 100%

Kerry 98%

Sharpton 97%

[Eclipse]

Kucinich was my highest too, although there were several of his points that I disagree with. I wonder how accurate this really is. We need Love_Spell to take it. If she comes up with Kucinich first and Sharpton second we'll know it's rigged! LOL (no offense Love Spell! )

[Sugar_N_Spice]

1. Kucinich Score: 100%
2. Kerry Score: 100%
3. Sharpton Score: 97%
4. Dean Score: 93%
5. Edwards Score: 87%
6. Lieberman Score: 82%
7. Clark Score: 82%
8. Bush Score: 48%

I, as well as some of you, am surprised at these results...hmm...

[DIVA1177]

I was a 100% for KERRY...I guess that is OK...as long as he explains that whole vote for the war.

[ClassyLady]

My Scores

1. Kuncinich - 100%
2. Sharpton - 96%
3. Kerry - 95%
4. Clark - 87%
5. Dean - 86%
6. Edwards - 83%
7. Lieberman - 77%
8. Bush - 14%

[Honeykiss1974]

Ok, is "match generator " a ploy of Kuncinich's campaign or what?

[UpPinkies]

1 Kucinich Score: 100%
2 Sharpton Score: 98%
3 Kerry Score: 93%
4 Dean Score: 89%
5 Clark Score: 85%
6 Edwards Score: 82%
7 Lieberman Score: 79%
8 Bush Score: 34%

[Exquisite5]

So clearly GC is pretty liberal.

Apparently, I'm not quite as liberal as the rest, but I'm close.

1. Kerry 100%
2. Kuchinic 100%
3. Dean 92%
4. Edwards 89%
5. Clark 88%

Its funny, I thought Clark would be up there because military service is important to me.

I'm probably more inclined to vote for Kerry than Kuchinic because Ku's abortion stance and his opposing immigratin controls (I'm from Texas). However, I'm not down with Kerry's opposition to universal health care.

That's it...I'm voting for me

[ykimber]

Here are my presidental scores:
1. Kerry 100%
2. Kucinich 92%
3. Edwards 88%
4. Dean 87%
5. Lieberman 82%
6. Bush 38%

[Conskeeted7]

Kerry 100%
Kuchinich 98%
Edwards 96%

I'm not really feeling this though. Some of the issues I strongly oppose, Kerry is iffy on.

[Sistermadly]

Not that this is the only issue we should be concerned about, but after last night's speech in New Hampshire, I'm going to be paying more attention to Dean in the coming weeks. I'm still looking for a transcript, but here's an op-ed piece that Dean wrote back in September on the issues surrounding race (emphasis mine):

Race is a difficult subject in America. Politicians often tell black audiences that they believe in civil rights and affirmative action. Some talk about their own experiences in the Civil Rights movement. Some are now attacking the use of the word quotas in front of white audiences. Doing all of this is important.

But it is not enough.

No white American can understand what it means to be black in America. Things have improved significantly for African Americans in this country since 1964. However, it is important to recognize that the Civil Rights Movement was largely a victory over legal segregation. Discrimination still exists, and we must continue efforts to eliminate it.

Polls show that the majority of white Americans believe that race is no longer a big factor in American life, and that equality of opportunity has mostly been successfully incorporated into American political and social culture. Many white Americans assume that whatever segregation remains in the public school systems and universities around the country is either self-imposed or the product of neighborhood schools.

Bill Clinton is the only President or white Presidential candidate I have ever heard talk candidly about issues of race in America. Black Americans still believe, with some justification, that white America does not understand the historical scars left by slavery and Jim Crow, scars which cannot be erased in a generation or two. Black Americans often mistake white indifference or lack of understanding for racism, which is the case in only a small number of instances.

But many white Americans don't understand that indifference and lack of understanding does lead to institutional racism, where, despite the best intentions of the individuals who run the institution, day-to-day hiring practices only reinforce African American fears and suspicions of bias. Just last week, a Wall Street Journal article reported that white job applicants with criminal records were more likely to be called back for job interviews than African American applicants with clean records.

Affirmative action is still needed in order to overcome the unconscious biases that all Americans of every ethnic group have toward hiring people like themselves. And the discussion of that unconscious bias is essential if we are ever going to bridge the gaps between white America and not only African Americans, but the Latino community, Native-Americans, Asian Americans, and women of all ethnic backgrounds.

Talking about race means more than merely mentioning civil rights or condemning the President's use of the word quota. Talking about race means confronting ourselves with the vastly different perceptions that we have about each other, and trying to walk a mile in one another’s shoes.

Race is not simply a matter of civil rights; it can influence the right to thrive and prosper in American society. A discussion of race is incomplete without addressing the impact of race or ethnicity on the ability to access affordable health care, quality education and the capital to build businesses and create wealth.

It is particularly important for white candidates to raise these issues in front of white audiences. This kind of message can be too easily dismissed or pigeonholed coming from a member of a minority community. If America is going to prosper as the most diverse nation on the face of the earth, we are all going to have to take responsibility for the stereotypes we have of each other, and debunk them.

Let us each commit to do our part.

Bonus round: Here's Dean at a Town Hall speech in Exeter, NH. Fast forward about 49 minutes and listen to Dean's answer to a question posed by the minister at Philips Exeter Academy, who happens to be African American: http://www.cspan.org/search/basic.as...rd+dean+exeter