[...] Republican Kirt Bennett said changing perceptions and habits will not be easy in a state where African-American voters support Democrats 90 percent of the time.
"People feel more comfortable with stability, and they know what they have in George Bush," Bennett said. "They have a decisive leader."
Bennett is the founder of the Pinchback Society, a group named after P.B.S. Pinchback, a Republican who briefly served as Louisiana's first African-American governor during reconstruction.
More than 130 years later, Pinchback is serving as a source of inspiration for black Louisianans hoping to expand their numbers and influence in a state where only 3.4 percent of African-Americans are registered as Republicans.
"Too many times African-American Republicans feel compelled to defend and define themselves and for that reason most people are quiet about their political affiliation," Bennett said.
Bennett said African-Americans have more in common with the party of Abraham Lincoln than they realize, citing examples such as its pro-life stand on abortion, support for school vouchers and a ban on gay marriage.
"The African-American community is very conservative in many ways," Bennett said. "And typically our registration doesn't confirm that." [...]
| That's what caught our eye in Brent Troxler's Baton Rouge Advocate article "La.'s black Republicans seek to expand numbers "
posted in articles on September 3, 2004 12:36 AM | t (0)
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