In
the immortal words of former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, “to
every man there comes a time when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and
offered the chance to do a great and mighty work; unique to him and fitted to
his talents; what a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified
for the moment that could be his finest hour.”
The Republican Party is currently being tapped on the
shoulder and being asked to do “a great and mighty work, unique to them and
fitted to their talents.”
They are being tapped on the shoulder by the Black community
who are begging the Republican Party to give them a reason to vote Republican in
next year’s presidential election.
The Black community gave Obama 94% of its vote in 2008, not
just because he was Black; but because he said he was “change we could believe
in.”
Obama said he would get the U.S. out of all these
“unnecessary” wars; indirectly giving Blacks the impression that he would then
redirect the money spent on war to dealing with the high Black unemployment
rate, the lack of access to capital for Black entrepreneurs, shoring up the
failing schools within the Black community, both secondary and college.
Six and a half years after Obama was “tapped on the
shoulder;” he has indeed been found “unqualified and unprepared for the moment
that could have been his (and America’s) finest hour.”
By any and all objective measurements, the Obama presidency
has been an abject failure for Blacks:
double digit unemployment, declining home ownership, shrinking net worth,
decreasing college enrollment, especially at Black colleges, and non-existent
government contracting opportunities for Black businesses just to name a
few.
Republicans still have time to show the Black community that
the party is prepared for this moment that could be its finest hour, but time is
running out.
They need to start with something very simple: tell the Black community in no uncertain
terms, that they are wanted and welcomed in the Republican Party.
Then the Congressional leadership must convene a series of
private meetings with “the right” Blacks in education, business, the
clergy. This is not to be confused with
them meeting with Blacks that they are “comfortable” with.
Republicans have a history of favoring Blacks who will tell
them what they want to hear, versus Blacks who will tell them what they need to
hear.
Obama has done more to destroy Historically Black Colleges
and Universities (HBCUs) than any other person in this country’s history with
the policies coming out of his Department of Education. What are Congressional Republicans prepared
to do by way of hearings and legislation to repair this damage?
Government contracting opportunities for Black entrepreneurs
has all but dried up under Obama. Banks
refuse to loan money to many small business owners. What are Republicans prepared to do by way of
hearings and legislation to change this?
By
Raynard Jackson
Columnist
The Black church is furious with Obama over his aggressive
push for homosexual entitlements and his refusal to protect their commitment to
faith if they receive government funds for after school activities for their
church member’s kids. What are
Republicans prepared to do by way of hearings and legislation to protect a
church’s right to freely practice their faith without government
interference?
Obama has intentionally done everything in his power to drive
a wedge between Blacks and his administration.
There is no poll that can accurately measure the disappointment and
frustration Blacks have with Obama.
They are literally begging the Republican Party to give them
substantive reasons to vote for them.
But they first must be made to feel welcomed in the party.
The party must build relationships with the more than 200
Black newspapers in the country and spend advertising dollars with them. The party must stop being afraid to challenge
the NAACP and the National Urban League when they are advocating liberal
policies that will continue to adversely affect the Black
community.
They must establish a surrogate program of “credible Black
Republicans” that can represent the party on various radio and TV shows. The party has shown an extreme amount of
incompetence and a total lack of understanding when it comes to branding the
party within the Black community.
During presidential elections, Republicans average about nine
percent of the Black vote. That’s with
doing nothing. Just imagine what can
happen with a little effort.
Realistically it is very doable to get between 15-20% of the Black vote
next year; but only if the party starts now with constructive engagement with
the Black community, Black media, and Black organizations.
What a tragedy if this moment also finds the Republican Party
“unprepared or unqualified for the moment that could be its finest hour.”
Raynard
Jackson & Associates, LLC is an internationally recognized political
consulting, government affairs, and PR firm based in Washington, DC. Jackson is an internationally recognized
radio talk show host and TV commentator.
He has coined the phrase “straticist.”
As a straticist, he has merged strategic planning with public
relations. Call RJA to discuss how they
can get you to the next level of your career.
