Popularity of Crist is not transferable

Published 11/22/07

The Republican Party of Florida is trying diligently to capitalize on the popularity of the state's governor to woo more blacks into the GOP.

It's not going to work to any statistically significant degree because the Republicans simply are pressing the wrong buttons. They, for the most part, just don't understand blacks.

Republicans are so captivated by the few black Republicans that they fail to see that for the most part these black Republicans come over in the black community as anti-black.

Thus, when the Republican Party, long perceived as anti-black, hold similarly perceived blacks in such high esteem, the GOP becomes less, not more attractive to blacks.

Gov. Charlie Crist is tremendously popular among blacks. He got an astounding 18 percent of the black vote even though the Democratic ticket included Daryl Jones, a black candidate for lieutenant governor.

And based on what seems to be a statewide consensus, if Crist were on the Jan. 29 ballot, he would at a minimum double the black vote he got a year ago.

But that popularity is not transferable.

Crist is an exception. He is seen as a man whose heart is in the right place and values people over politics.

He has been labeled among blacks as "Florida's first black governor." That kind of reference, accorded to only one other politician - Bill Clinton - is to the man, not the party.

Last week in Orlando during the Florida Classic festivities, the Republican Party of Florida hosted its first Black Republican Conference.

Crist and RPOF Chairman Jim Greer joined Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, pro-football Hall of Famer Lynn Swann and best-selling author and news talk personality Angela McGlowan to discuss Republicanism in the African-American community.. Rep. Jennifer Carroll, the first African American Republican woman ever elected to the Florida Legislature, was honorary chairwoman of the event.

In keynoting the luncheon, Crist said of the GOP: " ... Our values and principles often mirror those of the African American community. The African American community in Florida, like the Republican Party of Florida, believes in lower taxes, support for small businesses, empowerment through education, and conservative family values."

Nice try, but no sale.

While Crist's actions give him credibility individually, there has been no hint of such sensitivity by the Republican Party.

For example, even higher among the values of blacks are legal and social justice, equal opportunity, fairness, sensitivity and compassion for the less fortunate - values the basic Republican philosophy condemns as "reverse discrimination," "affirmative action," "entitlements" and "socialized medicine," and the like.

The Florida Chapter of NAACP Branches recently presented Crist an award for his efforts to ensure civil rights and accessible, affordable higher education to all Floridians.

As attorney general, Crist helped to create the Marvin Davies Civil Rights Act, giving the attorney general authority to initiate civil rights action when there is a pattern of discrimination.

Crist has met with presidents of the state's HBCUs and currently serves as the Florida chairman for the United Negro College Fund.

He also restored the voting rights of ex-felons who have paid their debt to society and prodded the Legislature to pay $5.5 million in compensation to the parents of Martin Lee Anderson, the 14-year-old black youth who died after being struck and kneed by Bay County boot camp guards.

Credit for all that goes to Crist and not the Republican Party.

And until the GOP shelves the rhetoric and, like Crist, demonstrate that their hearts are in the right place, the Republican Party will not become any more appealing to blacks.

But blacks won't hold that against Crist.

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