Black leaders respond to gubernatorial debate
Black concerns not really part of conversation
CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA—As election day approaches, the race for California governor is getting closer. Last week, Rasmussen Reports released a poll indicating that Jerry Brown (D) was slightly ahead of Meg Whitman (R) by one percent (47% vs. 46%), with three percent of California voters still undecided.
In response to the first gubernatorial debate between Whitman and Brown, African American leaders across the state of California commented on how the African American vote will affect the race between the two candidates.
Alice Huffman, President, NAACP
“The Brown-Whitman debate was a classic representation of both parties—a Republican (who) stands for business and not conscious about welfare for the little people, and a Democrat who cares about providing protection and services for everyone. My advice to African Americans is to listen to the stance on immigration, conservative judge appointments and welfare; this should be a red flag for African Americans.”
Norma Baker, Ed.D. President Voices for African American Students
“Based on this debate, it appears that neither candidate is focused on addressing the crisis of African American students in K-12 public education. My suggestion for both an candidates in the next debate is to discuss their plan on how they will address this crisis and close the achievement gap for African American students.”
Celes King IV, Vice Chairman, Congress of Racial Equality of California
“Whitman clearly shows she is going to balance the budget on the backs of middle class and the poor. We have lost over 600,000 manufacturing jobs because of corporate heads downward harmonization of labor. Neither candidate addressed the huge disparities in employment and education for African Americans. This race will boil down to the candidates doing a better job in articulating their plans and how African Americans fit into their equation.”
Statement by: Ms. Alice Huffman, president National Association for the Advancement of Color People California State Conference
We are here today to share with the public a report prepared and released by the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights, which details various associations between Tea Party organizations and acknowledged hate groups in the United States.
On November 2, California voters will go to the polls to determine, if the nation has shifted from the “yes, we can” rhetoric of the Obama campaign to the “no you cannot” bombast of the Tea Party, according to political analysts.
This election is particularly poignant for African Americans, because it will determine the nation’s direction on job creation and significant health care reform, these analysts say. Blacks have higher unemployment rates and less access to health care than many other groups.
With two weeks left in the national campaign season and the political balance of Congress on the line, voters are going to have to make some gut-wretching, nose-holding choices this November. Including myself. Now that President Obama is out on the campaign trail, and the issues become more clear as the spotlight is put more on him than on partisan commercial ads, we can be literally assured that gridlock will be returning to Washington, if the Republicans takeover the House.
James Clyburn, house majority whip, assured a crowded room of supporters that Democrats are in great shape and will retain a majority and possibly gain a few seats in congress after the midterm elections. The top-ranking house Democrat was in California campaigning and trying to energize supporters to get out to vote.
“God hates fags,” says the face of terror.
It is the now repugnantly familiar slogan of the Westboro Church, a clan of White Christian fundamentalists recently in the public spotlight for a Supreme Court free speech case on anti-gay protests at military funerals. This particular brand of free speech is pure stars and stripes terror, easily repudiated by the enlightened, easily placed in that special category of sweaty troglodyte extremism.
