Isaac J. Bailey, a columnist for the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Sun News, asks a very good and interesting question:
Has the question ever been asked? And if it ever were, how would John Kerry, John Edwards and the leadership of the Democratic National Committee respond?
The question: Why hasn’t the Democratic Party used race-based affirmative action to assure someone other than white men make their way to the White House?
I’m not big on that kind of affirmative action, but it’s supposed to be more than a public pronouncement for Democrats. It’s supposedly a bedrock principle. If so, then why is it that campaign after campaign, the people they anoint are those who will extend the unbroken line of white commanders in chief?
Take a look at his column to see some of the possible answers he provides.
I have not read the column and so do not know what his ideas are, but one might start thinking about this in a trivially numerical way by asking these questions: How many Presidents have there been? What is the ratio of the total white population to the total black population in the US today? If it’s greater than the number of Presidents, then you could say having even one black President would be disproportionate. But then isn’t that (just) one of the problems with affirmative action programs? That they are based on numerical triviality.
To EH: Approximately 12% of the U.S. population is black, and there have been 42 different people who have served as president, so if blacks were proportionately represented in the presidency, there would have been 5 black presidents.
Regarding the underlying question, the Democrats do use a racial and gender quota system to select the delegates to their convention, which may not be what the columnist is looking for but is certainly a step in that direction.
“If so, then why is it that campaign after campaign, the people they anoint are those who will extend the unbroken line of white commanders in chief?”
Obama 08.
In 08 Obama, presuming he is elected to the Senate, will not even have one complete national term under his belt. Not quite ready for prime time.
An excellent question.
I suggest someone ask Kerry and Edwards. I’d love to hear their answers.
I seem to recall Alan Keyes running for President in 2000 under the GOP. I don’t recall Keyes speaking at the 2000 GOP Convention. I don’t recall Keyes receiving any significant votes. I do recall outcries from conservative commentators to ban him from the primary debates. If the GOP champions “color-blindness”, why did they apparrently short-sheet a staunchly conservative, well-spoken minority candidate like Keyes?
Points to ponder…hmm?
–Cobra
In 2000 the Republicans were focused on a moderate message carried by a non-offensive, bleh candidate, not staunch conservatism. Alan Keyes is the theocratical counterpoint to Ralph Nader.
The answer is obvious. Even a small percentage of voters who refuse to vote women or minority will throw the election to the other guy. Blacks understand this so of course will not resent it.
And you are pretty stupid if you think affirmative action applies to the highest ranks of society.
Cobra, here are a couple of articles, circa 2000, that I was able to dig up and thought you might find interesting:
Watts, E. Dole Win GOP Support
California likes Watts for #2 GOP spot
“In 08 Obama, presuming he is elected to the Senate, will not even have one complete national term under his belt. Not quite ready for prime time.”
Maybe he should be governor of a flyover state.
Cobra, it looks as though the Republicans didn’t forget about Alan Keyes:
GOP wooing Keyes to take on Obama
Nels,
I would welcome Alan Keyes to run against Obama in Illinois! I can’t pick which of my favorite Alan Keyes moments have been. Was it when he told Larry King that all black people deserved to be profiled during the 2000 debates, or when he was led out of the Georgia statehouse in cuffs after being denied admission to the 1996 Presidential debates.
And exactly who’s going to vote for Alan Keyes in Illinois?
Cobra
Another question for the bloggers… Why isn’t the courting of Alan Keyes, a non-illinois resident considered a racial preference choice by the GOP, considering that Alan Keyes has NEVER WON any political post he’s run for? Surely, there are white republican candidates SOMEWHERE across America that are more qualified, don’t you think?
–Cobra