Black voters have been considered strong constituents of the Democratic Party since the New Deal era of the 1930s. They supported Al Gore by a margin of 9-to-1 over Bush in 2000.
But a Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies poll last year found that younger black adults are growing more politically independent and less likely to identify themselves as Democrats.
NAACP President Kweisi Mfume scolded three of the Democratic candidates — Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich — for not attending and said black voters should no longer be considered safe bets for the Democrats.
"Candidates who somehow believe that black people and black voters are always going to be there, you are in for a rude awakening," Mfume said. "Just being a Democrat is no longer enough to buy your legitimacy."
| Associated Press (via Sarasota Herald-Tribune), Ken Walker, "NAACP members express concern over Democratic presidential race"
posted in articles on July 14, 2003 11:11 PM | t (0)
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Mfume's point is well-taken, but, as always, there's the "consider the alternative" argument: ought being a Republican be enough to ensure a candidate's illegitimacy?
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