It may sound a little far fetched, but there is something brewing in the Democratic Party. Increasingly on the net and on black talk radio it appears many blacks are preparing to leave the party. Blacks are increasingly getting angry with the prospect that the Democratic Party may choose Hillary Clinton as the nominee even though she is not the true front runner. As such, many are calling for an election “blackout” that will show the Democratic party that blacks are still an important constituency.
So where will these “blackout” votes go? Many blacks are threatening to stay home with a Clinton nomination or even vote Republican. This morning I heard a guy on the radio say he would rather vote for a yellow retriever than Clinton. Many blacks are increasingly weary of the Clinton’s because of this election. Their tactics against Obama have been viewed as covertly and overtly racist and it appears they are increasingly abandoning blacks in exchange for Latino/Hispanic support.
It doesn’t help that a large majority of Hispanics are supporting Clinton and in Ohio the majority of her white supporters said they could never vote for a black person for President.
Obama Fails to Win `Archie Bunker’ Democratic Voters
It’s almost as the lines are being drawn in the sand well ahead of the Democratic convention in Denver. Black Democratic super delegates are being increasingly pressured and threatened to be voted out over this and it’s becoming an overall mess. Some may call this sour grapes, however with ever analisis across the board showing no statical probability that Clinton can ever beat Obama in either delegates or the popular vote, in the minds of many blacks it appears that this nomination is going to be chosen by super delegates. As such the fear is that party bosses and those whom the Clinton’s may have power over will in effect steal the nomination from the will of the people.
So with the increasing calls of a “blackout” is this a grand opportunity for the Republican party? It’s no secret by now that the Republican party has been trying to make inroads in the black community. With all the potential angry black Democrats who will feel betrayed and disenfranchised, is this not the time to present a substantial alternative?
The Republican party for many years in the black community has been stigmatized as the party of whites who don’t care for blacks. It obviously doesn’t help that the current nominee John McCain and his wife reinforce the stereotype of the Republican ideal. However, many blacks will concede to the fact that Republican party has had two black Secretaries of State and one of the most powerful black women in politics is Condoleezza Rice.
The black vote in the Democratic primaries thus far has been record breaking. Whomever can get that block vote could win the general election. As it stands, if Hillary Clinton is chosen as the nominee by the super delegates the she will not get that black vote and the Republican party has always had a hard time getting the black vote, so what’s going to happen with all those potential votes?
What will happen to that black vote if the Republican party/John McCain put a black person on the ticket? You have former Congressman J.C. Watts, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and many others. Something like that could sway the black vote toward the Republican party. Many blacks are already threatening if there is no Obama that they would vote for McCain, and many others would be persuaded if the Republican Party made an effort to make inroads toward a black disenfranchised electorate. Adding a well respected black man or woman to the ticket could take a historically Democratic voting bloc away for the first time….
Just my 2 cents….
An American Muslim 
I think there is some possibility if the nominee is Rice or Powell, but I don’t think smart voters will go for Watts, not in this day and age. I think if it were ten or fifteen years ago, Watts’ appeal would have struck a cord with more black voters, especially Black Evangelicals.
Republicans will never be true friends of Blacks. Condolezza Rice does not represent the moderate opinions of black people.
I think the focus should be on “fixing” the democratic party than to switch side.
Frequently switching side tends to make a group a vote back, unless the pursue a party with lobbying. At the moment democrats will not like to ignore the black voice if they unite and call the smear campaign a case of pure racism.