Why Should Blacks Vote for Kerry?

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Attention Kerry supporters! Booker Rising issues you a challenge:

[E]mail a list of what Sen. Kerry has done to promote black progress, and we’ll put up the list next Monday. Don’t send us an anti-Bush list, as that doesn’t tell us why we should vote for Sen. Kerry and why he’s the better guy. Don’t tell us what Sen. Kerry is gonna do, but what he has done to promote black progress.

BR has listed reasons why blacks should cast their vote for Bush:

1. Black child poverty hit all-time low (30%), and remains near the low

2. Small Business Administration loans to black entrepreneurs up 75%

3. Black homeownership rate at all-time high (49.3%)

4. increased funds to historically black colleges 30%

5. increased AIDS in Africa funds

6. increased funds for diabetes research (diabetes disproportionately affects blacks)

7. faith-based initiative provides grants to community-based churches to run social services

8. expanded Africa Growth and Opportunity Act to increase African goods access to U.S. consumer market

9. More blacks appointed to Cabinet positions – many in non-traditional roles – than any president in U.S. history

10. school vouchers options in No Child Left Behind legislation (last Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies survey shows 57% of blacks support school vouchers)

11. eliminated marriage penalty tax (which disproportionately affected married blacks because each spouse was likelier to earn similar income)

So, what has Kerry done? Please respond with specifics — not anti-Bush rhetoric — over at Booker Rising.

13 thoughts on “Why Should Blacks Vote for Kerry?”

  1. Ten? Is that all? And blacks only, huh? I thought Bush was a uniter not a divider. Anyways, here are about 1400 reasons not to vote for Bush, regardless of your background. Unfortunately, I will agree, the only alternative is Kerry, because the Democrats don’t have the come-up-ins to but someone with more guts in there, which is why the crook (Bush) will probably be elected. Hell, he might even win fair and square this time.

  3. This has to be one of the most phenomenal things I’ve read on anyones blog. I would love to see how a Kerry supporter would respond, but I can guarantee you that others will get an opportunity to see this and be given the same chance in person. Wow!

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  5. Jim, thanks for the anti-Bush link. But that doesn’t answer the request over at BR — which is to name positive actions that John Kerry has taken while in public office that black voters should take notice.

    I agree with you that race shouldn’t matter, but with 90% of black voters supporting Kerry, there should be some serious justification as to why other than that he’s not Bush.

    If the above is the sole justification, it only means that once again the Dems are taking black voters for granted, hoping they’ll drink up the Kool-Aid once again.

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  7. Actually, there were 11 eleven items on the list. Yet Jim doesn’t answer my question, as a black voter. Submitting an anti-Bush list doesn’t tell me or others why we should vote for Kerry? Why is he better for black folks? What has Kerry done to promote black progress? What justifies his 9-1 lopsided black support?

    I can rattle off things that Bush, former President Clinton, and even Ralph Nader have done. The fact that no Kerry supporter has yet submitted even one item to me – and I began this challenge on Monday – speaks volumes. Especially when I should be getting a far longer list from Kerry supporters than I put up for Bush, if Kerry is that much superior for black folks.

    Our email is bookerrising@yahoo.com if you wish to submit a list, Jim.

  8. I’m sure Bush is directly responsible for all the things on that list, and that it’s worth looking around all the lies and atrocity and accept the scraps from the table. It almost sounds like battered wife syndrome. I am aware that Kerry is no prize. Well aware. But, to me, Bush is a helluva lot worse. Besides, some of the items on that list started their trends long before that pig occupied the White House. He shouldn’t get all the credit. No President should. Can I come up with a laundry list of how Kerry benefits anyone, let alone blacks? No. Can I come up with a laundry list that outweighs the bad side of any politician? Again, no. Also, saying that any one issue is good enough to vote for a candidate is the same as me saying “Kerry isn’t Bush, so that’s enough for me.” In fact, sadly, I am saying that. It depresses the shit out of me. I think both candidates are worthless, but Bush is moreso worthless to me.

    One insignificant, ignorable opinion is all I have.

  9. “If the above is the sole justification, it only means that once again the Dems are taking black voters for granted, hoping they�ll drink up the Kool-Aid once again.”

    The real problem is that the whole system takes us all for granted. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be forced to choose between two frat boys to run the country. In other words, we’d have more quality on the ballot, and less competition for superficial popularity. Oh, and I’m responding here because we know each other, and I can trust you to fairly debate this issue, and maybe even understand my point of view.

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