One message minority voters already sent Georgia’s GOP
The GOP’s post-election listening tour comes to Atlanta today, with a twist.
Reince Preibus, the recently re-elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, is scheduled to meet this afternoon with a couple of dozen black Republicans in an “engagement and listening session” aimed at widening the GOP’s appeal. It’s an imperative bit of outreach for Georgia Republicans — the like of which the state party, despite undeniable demographic trends away from its nearly all-white voting base, has done dangerously little.
No doubt, any number of ideas will be discussed during this session. But there’s one policy that is a color-blindingly obvious necessity for any serious attempt to win over minority voters: school choice.
Just a week ago, hundreds of students and their parents and teachers braved the cold for the annual school-choice rally on the Capitol steps. As is the case every year, the majority of these students were not white.
And almost all of them will be eligible to vote by 2018 or 2020.
If you don’t know, those are pretty much the years Georgia Democrats are eyeing as the time those demographic trends will make them competitive again in state politics.
So, let’s see … we have a group of people who traditionally don’t vote for Republicans, rallying in support of a policy that, in Georgia anyway, has been promoted chiefly by Republicans.
If Georgia’s Republicans can’t connect those dots, frankly they don’t deserve to stay in power much longer.
Not least since this annual picture of their potential future constituents comes on the heels of a resounding victory in November’s elections for the GOP-led charter schools amendment. That’s particularly true in areas of the state where Republican victories are rare.
In case you missed it back then, let me repeat some statistics about how the charter schools amendment fared:
Of all Georgia’s counties, the amendment did best in Clayton (71 percent), where Mitt Romney won just 15 percent of the presidential vote.
The amendment won 66 percent of the vote in Fulton and 64 percent in DeKalb. And here’s guessing parents who vote in DeKalb have even more interest in school choice today, given the shenanigans going on with the leadership — if that’s the right word for it — of that county’s school system.
Together, those three counties accounted for about one-third of all black registered voters in Georgia. Their approval of the amendment outpaced even the healthy support for it in counties where majorities sided with Romney (56 percent).
Yet, during the present legislative session, there appears to be little chance of seeing more significant school-choice legislation passed.
Why? Because some legislators are afraid it’s bad politics.
Bad politics? A policy that wins by double-digits in GOP-majority counties, and by even more than that in the largest majority-Democrat counties, is considered bad politics?
Yes, it goes over poorly with the entrenched educational bureaucracy. But so did the charter-schools amendment. And anyway, since when does the Republican Party side with the bureaucracy over taxpayers and parents?
If Republicans are to make inroads with minorities and other groups that typically don’t vote for them, they’re going to have to demonstrate, among other things, that they will put a priority on those voters’ interests. In some cases, that means siding with those voters’ interests over the financial interests of those who are trying to maintain the status quo.
That means putting the interests of students and parents — of any race — above those of the education bureaucracy. That means understanding that public education means ensuring all of our children are well-educated, and not necessarily that all of them must be educated by a publicly run monopoly. That means arguing as passionately for giving individuals choices in education as in health care.
If they can’t do those things, they might as well give up on the listening tours.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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193 comments Add your comment
SBinF
February 7th, 2013
11:23 am
Touche clem!
I assumed they would have to bus in more black Republicans from out of state to get the number up to a couple dozen.
But seriously Kyle, charter schools? How is that a win for the GOP? You are assuming that blacks are single issue voters. If the GOP wants to know why minorities don’t vote GOP, you need only look at the drivel coming out of the faceless conservatives posting on your blog.
“Minorities don’t vote GOP because we don’t promise them free stuff.”
What a persuasive argument, where do I sign up?!
I work a full time job, keep a healthy part time career, and am paying my way through graduate school. All this talk about makers versus takers is hardly appealing to me as a black male. So long as the GOP keep up the coded racial language, they will continue to fall into irrelevancy.
Gerald
February 7th, 2013
11:24 am
GOP, if you want ideas on increasing the number of black voters:
A) talking to blacks who already vote Republican is not the way to do it
B) you will need a broader range of issues than school choice, especially since black voters do not blame Democrats for bad public schools
bluecoat
February 7th, 2013
11:30 am
So we need to kiss up to the minorities just to get their vote,not that we really give a dam about them or their education,or livelihood.Just more deception from the republican party,kiss up to get a vote,then to hell with you.These people know better,they know the differene between the peoples party than the corporation party.
Ivan Cohen
February 7th, 2013
11:31 am
It seems to me that the Republican party has no problem when it comes to freebies dished out to those who funded the campaigns of their candidates. But blacks, latinos and others don’t have the deep pockets to make a down payment a.k.a. campaign contribution to GOP candidates. So the Republican party poops on them and has continuously done so. The elections of 2008 and 2012 was a wake-up to the Republicans. Now they realize that they cannot conduct business as usual and expect to get favorable results. Blacks and Latinos aren’t dumb, they know that the Republican party is only baiting them to get their votes and when the Republicans win, they will be thrown under the bus. Reince Preibus does not have what it takes to bridge the gap and if the black Republicans start parroting him, they won’t get anywhere with black voters.
Georgia, The " New Mississippi "
February 7th, 2013
11:35 am
Republicans continue to sign pledges with people that do not live in their state, can not vote in the districts they are suppose to represent , and pay no taxes in their state. It is called GOP Team Politics and is trying to supplant the Southern Strategy. Republicans with basic human morals in the Northeast and West do not want to be forced into becoming Johnny Rebs because of their higher educational levels. Yet they sign the pledges to get elected and then have to aide by the rules of GOP Team Politics as set forth by Grover Norquist and Fox news.
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
February 7th, 2013
11:36 am
You have a short memory, while dems were pushing segragation, repubs pushed for equal rights. A higher percentage of repubs voted for the eqaul rights amendment than dems. Dems had Klansmen like Byrd and segregationists like William Fulbright, a guy given a medal of freedom by Bill Clinton.
All of those SOUTHERN democrats are now Republicans.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 7th, 2013
11:40 am
Welfare and food stamps, if that’s your goal in life then you should definitely vote for the dummycrat.
I can’t argue with that.
Jefferson
February 7th, 2013
11:40 am
If the GOP wants to get a working man’s vote, do something for the working man.
JF McNamara
February 7th, 2013
11:42 am
Kyle,
I see it in a similar vein, but I’m much more pessimistic. The Republicans will no doubt screw over the minorities who voted for this law, and it will be just another instance, in a long, long line of instances where minorities are screwed by Republicans reinforcing what they stand for.
Screw outreach and listening parties. Let your actions speak. Voters of all kinds vote in their best interests. Make voting Republican in my best interest and I will vote for you.
Junior Samples
February 7th, 2013
11:42 am
Here’s the problem the GOP will always have with those that are not like them.
Nobody will “come around” to your ideology, you’ll need to embrace theirs and adjust.
It’s called compromise.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 7th, 2013
11:43 am
Maybe the Repugs should set up an academy to teach their young candidates how to construct straw men to scare their dimwit voters with?
It sure works pretty good for the dummycrats, answer honestly, how many of you libs cried for sandra fluke?
Oh wait, Republicans don’t have near as many dimwit voters, I forgot.
Never mind.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 7th, 2013
11:49 am
Apathy is the Republicans big problem, how much more obvious can it be that we aren’t going to bother voting for two faced flip flopping northeastern big government “moderates” from liberal states that created their own health care plan?
Can I get a duh?
sailfish
February 7th, 2013
11:53 am
“I wonder why you would expect to ever win blacks to your cause?”
I don’t really think they want to.
the red herring
February 7th, 2013
11:55 am
When it comes down to the issues— responsible black voters will do as responsible white voters, latinos, etc all do. They will vote their beliefs and aspirations. Persons that want a better education will vote for it. Persons of all colors that want jobs, a better economy, a chance to succeed, will vote for the party that espouses those things. Persons of all color should learn to vote their own interests rather than voting for any color.
JohnnyReb
February 7th, 2013
11:57 am
Aesop – Romeny could have won the election if he had been willing to get dirty like Obama. Obama ran a very dirty campaign. I won’t go into details, but anyone who follows politics knows them. Romney tried to stay above it all, and he lost. He had Obama on the ropes after the first debate, but then let up, not willing to knock the guy out.
Quite frankly, I’m sick and tired of hearing all this talk about what the Republicans need to do to win. What do people think, that we should be more like Democrats? Forget it. What we need to do to win is what ever it takes. Get dirty, call the opposition scum. Have a better ground game. What ever. Changing our beliefs? That’s not gonna happen.
bluecoat
February 7th, 2013
11:59 am
Apathy would be the responsibility of the party.
bluecoat
February 7th, 2013
12:06 pm
Then JohnnyReb you should elect Aesop as the spokesman(along with all his other monikers he is the champ at getting dirty,and turning others away, rather than for what he desires.
Politico
February 7th, 2013
12:09 pm
Reb
That was a nice list of excuses. Romney didn’t know who Romney was with all his changes on issues. All of them do it, but Romney beat out Kerry for flip flop king and that is bad.
And as for playing dirty, you have selective outrage to say the least.
So don’t change a thing. Let me know how it works out.
sailfish
February 7th, 2013
12:12 pm
jreb
Sorry, but romney threw everything but the kitchen sink at obama to win and really getting voters in a critical swing state mad as hell by trying to say jeep was moving production to china. In the end, he and ryan lost because they never would divulge the specifics of their plan and too many people were not willing to take a leap of faith. They already did that with bush and look how the country ended up – bankrupt!
JDW
February 7th, 2013
12:25 pm
Preibus is going to conduct a “engagement and listening session” when the real answer lies in moving the Republican Party from the Right Edge back towards the Center. It is going to take action not listening. Of course getting Rush, The Tea Party and the DeMint’s, Bachmann’s and Norquist’s on board is about as likely as pigs flying.
As for school choice…more window dressing. The issue is quality not choice. My guess is all those voters either A) Had no clue what the potential ramifications of the vote could be and B) were just so fed up with the “progress” of the last 10 years in Georgia they just had to do something.
But I do think you are right on with one statement…
“If Georgia’s Republicans can’t connect those dots, frankly they don’t deserve to stay in power much longer.”
They can’t and the over/under is 6 years.
Jefferson
February 7th, 2013
12:26 pm
Change or die, the way of the world.
JDW
February 7th, 2013
12:27 pm
O and Kyle…relative to the over/under see JohnnyReb at 11:57…maybe it’s 4 years.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 7th, 2013
12:30 pm
JohnnyReb – Same thing goes for mcCain. We need a candidate that is not afraid to say what he believes in. If you don’t have enough courage in your convictions that you have to hide them so the heathens and sodomites don’t mock you, even though they will anyway, what kind of leader would you be? People can see that and don’t feel represented. Almost ten million of them this last time around.
Just think for a minute the things that are “safe” to talk about nowadays versus the things that aren’t. homosexuality? birth control? any other manner of sickness they are so proud of these days? Your a hero. Are we a better nation because of this? In our children’s faces with it, too?
Now try saying something about Creation, the most obvious concept there is in the universe, you get sneered at by the deviants. Why should you even care about them? Paul Harvey and Chrysler sure didn’t and a lot of people noticed that breath of fresh, beautiful air amidst the avalanche of debauchery.
The next auto I buy is going to be a Chrysler.
Politico
February 7th, 2013
12:36 pm
“The next auto I buy is going to be a Chrysler.”
Fiat and the Italians say “thank you”
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
February 7th, 2013
12:39 pm
What teacher’s unions do we have in Georgia, Aesop?
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
February 7th, 2013
12:40 pm
From Business Insider:
Only five states do not allow collective bargaining for educators, effectively banning teachers unions. Those states and their SAT/ACT rankings are as follows:
South Carolina – 50th
North Carolina – 49th
Georgia – 48th
Texas – 47th
Virginia – 44th
Meanwhile ground zero of the union battle, Wisconsin, is ranked 2nd in the country.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/states-where-teachers-unions-are-illegal-2011-2#ixzz2KEhmnDdi
Thulsa Doom
February 7th, 2013
12:43 pm
School choice looks like a winning issue for the Repubs. Dems hate it when they can’t keep people under their thumb and hence their heated opposition to anything that gives their constituents freedom and most of all choice- cept in regards to abortion of course. Then they just love choice.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
February 7th, 2013
12:44 pm
Creation, the most obvious concept there is in the universe
…and unicorns…obvious
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
February 7th, 2013
12:46 pm
School choice looks like a winning issue
When it’s your choice that wins out. Not everyone gets their choice. Life isn’t as fair and rosy as the Cons would lie their tails off to make the gullible believe.
Thulsa Doom
February 7th, 2013
12:46 pm
Finn McCool,
Statistical analysis fail. Demographics has more to do with those numbers you cite than anything else. Those southern states you mentioned tend to have much larger minority populations and minorities lag in ACT scores. Wisconsin meanwhile is lilly white including a good sized German American population which places a high emphasis on education.
sailfish
February 7th, 2013
12:47 pm
doom
Funny how the repubs hate welfare but loves their corporate welfare, loves that they do.
DebbieDoRight - A Do Right Woman
February 7th, 2013
12:49 pm
Do you think Obama’s most recent give away program where smartphones will be given to poor people is OK
The lie that just won’t die. The republican zombie machine strikes again –
Your lie received a “Pants On Fire” rating – but it still lingers…..
Thulsa Doom
February 7th, 2013
12:49 pm
Finn McCool,
Sure buddy. Why don’t you try telling those poor black kid’s parents that life isn’t fair and that they don’t deserve choice and opportunity. See if you don’t get whacked upside the head for your racist efforts to keep them down.
Jefferson
February 7th, 2013
12:50 pm
Dodge = soap, roflmao
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
February 7th, 2013
12:51 pm
Give it 5 years for the whole charter school thing to play out and everyone who voted for it will see it was a wolf in sheep’s clothing….
DebbieDoRight - A Do Right Woman
February 7th, 2013
12:55 pm
This is why minorities, the younger generation, and women are running from the republican party as fast as they can.
Internet chatter claiming that Obama gave cell phones to welfare recipients contained a tiny grain of truth: The federal government does have a program to subsidize phone service for low-income people. That program, though, existed long before Obama became president.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 7th, 2013
12:57 pm
finn – From your article
Update: A commenter points out this fact uses test scores from 1999.
Wanna try again?
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
February 7th, 2013
12:59 pm
Thulsa, then why isn’t Mississippi, Louisiana, and Maryland in the list of the top 5? Even Alabama, Delaware, and Tennessee aren’t in that top 5.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_African-American_population
You can’t blame it all on the minorities. Though I know that you would like to.
DebbieDoRight - A Do Right Woman
February 7th, 2013
1:00 pm
Those southern states you mentioned tend to have much larger minority populations and minorities lag in ACT scores
Debunking Lie #1 — Southern states do NOT have a bigger population than Northern and/or Western states. California, New York, New Jersey and Illinois debunk that theory right there.
Debunking Lie #2 — ACT is predominantly taken in the south, but is NOT the predominant test that AA students take (especially if they wish to go to a college OUTSIDE of the south).
Lies, Damn Lies, and Political Lies. ……………..
getalife
February 7th, 2013
1:03 pm
I guess Kyle was not invited.
The gop house say no to immigration so this tour is a waste of time.
Middle Man
February 7th, 2013
1:05 pm
Black voters. People who believe they have some say so in the workings of the world around them, who are interested enough to vote and to be concerned about the education their children receive. Obviously they support school choice. Otherwise, their children, who go to school with children whose parents don’t care about education, or much of anything else, are stuck in schools with children who have no interest in acting like white folks, i.e., studying and making good grades. This “common interest” with white suburbanitess is not enough to make a black folks change their political stripes. While it is a nice notion, it is quite naive. If you don’t believe this, go speak to the counselors at these schools. Have a conversation with someone affected by a failing school in Clayton or in the city of Atlanta. Until you do so, your opinions are ignorant and useless.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
February 7th, 2013
1:05 pm
Aesop, the 2007 data isn’t much better.
Thulsa Doom
February 7th, 2013
1:09 pm
Finn McCool,
Who knows why the statistical disparities exist between all 50 of the various states. You would have to look at numerous stats of all 50 to account for various differences in all sorts of things but one thing is certain and that is that demographics would factor more heavily than whether or not the state’s teachers have collective bargaining or not.
For you to draw the conclusion that a state like Wisconsin has better ACT scores simply because they have collective bargaining is beyond silly. You need some help in statistical analysis and in understanding the differences between cause and effect and mere correlation.
And no. I’m not blaming minorities for everything. Just stating that its a known fact that for various reasons minorities score lower on standardized testing and so that is going to skew the stats in states with heavy minority populations.
Lynnie Gal
February 7th, 2013
1:09 pm
“That means arguing as passionately for giving individuals choices in education as in health care.”
Oh, Kyle, you mean “excluding” individuals from receiving education? Just the way Republicans want to exclude individuals from receiving healthcare and labeling it as “choice”? The Republican stand on healthcare is that healthcare is only for those who can afford it. It means saying no to a public option so that money will flow directly to the Insurance Industry. It means saying no to Medicaid expansion that the rest of the U.S. citizens will have. Governor Deal has turned down Federal money for the working class to receive assistance to obtain healthcare in Georgia. So, I suppose in Republican-Speak, the “choice” in public schools means, as it does in healthcare–to deny an individual an education unless a family can afford it.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 7th, 2013
1:12 pm
finn – Then why did you skip over it a cut and paste the 1999 scores?
Trust me, I already know the answer.
Thulsa Doom
February 7th, 2013
1:14 pm
“Debunking Lie #1 — Southern states do NOT have a bigger population than Northern and/or Western states. California, New York, New Jersey and Illinois debunk that theory right there.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_African-American_population
Oh noes! Someone’s bogus claim just got eviscerated by the FACTS. Libs never do let the facts get in the way of their arguments.
independent thinker
February 7th, 2013
1:15 pm
Debbie Do Right —-They are Ronnieraygunphones- The Republican’s patron Saint started the subsidized phone program. You will not get the intellectually challenged cons to admit that. That’s why it is called the stupid party by one of their own.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 7th, 2013
1:15 pm
Funny how the repubs hate welfare but loves their corporate welfare, loves that they do.
Another mindless slogan that has absolutely no grounding in reality. Wall Street owns obozo.
This^^ is what we want to compete for? Blooming idiots? I’ll take a pass.
Aquagirl
February 7th, 2013
1:21 pm
Oh noes! Someone’s bogus claim just got eviscerated by the FACTS.
Debunking lie #3—if you’re not African-American, you’re not a minority. Of course Thulsa knows this but slinging out stats on AA is another one of those toss-everything-including-the-kitchen-sink moves.
Nice try Doom, but that was some mighty obvious slithering.
Thulsa Doom
February 7th, 2013
1:23 pm
Aesop,
The libs are lying, misrepresenting, and cherry picking stats again to fit their narrative? No surprise there.