Disagreement about racial preferences is one of the primary divisions between Democrats and Republicans (or at least between Democrats and Republican voters; most Republican office holders are too timid to confront this issue). But in Maryland, as this fascinating article reveals, race is also dividing Democrats. (Funny, isn’t it, how the attempts to promote “inclusiveness” and “diversity” always wind up dividing people into warring racial groups.)
Black Democrats in Maryland are angry that white Democratic office holders and leaders did not rush to endorse the senatorial candidacy of Kweisi Mfume and instead waited for and then endorsed his leading rival for the Democratic nomination, Rep. Benjamin Cardin, a 10-term member of Congress and former speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. In response,
a group of 300 black Democrats in Montgomery County mailed a letter to 28 elected officials from their county — all of them white — calling their quick endorsement of Cardin hasty and inconsiderate of black constituents.
….
In the letter sent by the [Montgomery County] African American Democratic Club, [club president Ann] De Lacy reminds the lawmakers that former lieutenant governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D) struggled in her 2002 bid for governor in part because some African Americans were angry that she did not choose a black running mate.
“We recall election year 2002 in which hasty, non-collaborative decisions were made that resulted in the election of a Republican governor,” De Lacy wrote. “We view your endorsement of Mr. Cardin as continuing along the same path, and which may produce results you may not have intended.”
In an interview, De Lacy speculated that race factored into the Cardin endorsements.
“I don’t like to look for racism or the polarizing things, but when I look at the endorsements Mfume has received and the endorsements Cardin has received, it’s along racial lines. What is up with that?” she said.
The theory seems to be that blacks should support Mfume because he’s black … and white’s should support Mfume because he’s black. Supporting a candidate because he’s black is fine, but not supporting him, for whatever reason, is “polarizing,” even evidence of “racism.”
It will be interesting to see how race-centric black Democrats vote in 2006 if Cardin wins the Democratic nomination and faces Republican Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, as expected, who is black. Or, as Ms. De Lacy implies, whether they vote at all.
Perhaps even more interesting, however, would be to hear Rep. Cardin try to explain why Democrats should support racial preferences in all areas of American life (which, after all, is now the position of the Democratic Party) … except in his own campaign. “Diversity” for thee, but not for me….
