The GOP's play for black voters
Several of Alabama's most prominent Republican leaders made an effort to reach out to black voters Saturday during an economic affairs summit in Montgomery.
Gov. Bob Riley and U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., both focused on the GOP's economic policies, with Riley telling members of the black Republican caucus that "[t]here is not a place in Alabama you'll feel more at home, if you believe in entrepreneurship, than in the Republican Party." (The Libertarians might squabble with you on that point, but that's neither here nor there.)
Sessions also said he thinks the party's stated opposition to abortion and gay marriage could help to lure socially conservative blacks away from the Democratic Party. It's possible, but the raging public sentiment to ban gay marriage 20 or 30 times seems to have died down a bit after everyone took a deep breath and the national Republicans got what they wanted during the 2004 elections. As for abortion, it's been a contentious issue in America for decades, so most voters who would change their party affiliation one way or another based on that issue are already locked into their respective camps.
State GOP chairwoman Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, whose given name entertains me, decided Saturday's event was as good a time as any to castigate the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
Gov. Bob Riley and U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., both focused on the GOP's economic policies, with Riley telling members of the black Republican caucus that "[t]here is not a place in Alabama you'll feel more at home, if you believe in entrepreneurship, than in the Republican Party." (The Libertarians might squabble with you on that point, but that's neither here nor there.)
Sessions also said he thinks the party's stated opposition to abortion and gay marriage could help to lure socially conservative blacks away from the Democratic Party. It's possible, but the raging public sentiment to ban gay marriage 20 or 30 times seems to have died down a bit after everyone took a deep breath and the national Republicans got what they wanted during the 2004 elections. As for abortion, it's been a contentious issue in America for decades, so most voters who would change their party affiliation one way or another based on that issue are already locked into their respective camps.
State GOP chairwoman Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, whose given name entertains me, decided Saturday's event was as good a time as any to castigate the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
posted by Alabamian at 10:15 AM
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