A new Congress has taken over this month. The Democrats have been routed and the Republicans have regained a total of 63 seats in the House of Representatives. Republicans, losing only one seat. Republican Rep. Joseph Cao was beaten by Democratic state Rep. Cedric Richmond in the 2nd District of Louisiana. Mr. Cao had originally beaten Democrat Rep. William Jefferson in 2008. Jefferson was convicted of bribery after he was caught with loads of cash in his freezer.
Yet not one black Democrat lost his seat in the general election. One member, Carolyn Kilpatrick of Detroit lost her primary amidst the scandal surrounding her son, Kwame Kilpatrick, who is in prison on numerous corruption charges. However, another liberal black Democrat, State Senator Hansen Clarke, took her place. Several resigned but each one was succeeded by another liberal black Democrat. As a matter of fact, black Democrats picked up one seat because they regained Jefferson’s old seat from Cao.
Black Democrats have held some seats for decades. For example in Harlem, Adam Clayton Powel, Jr. represented Harlem for 26 years. His successor, Democrat Charles B. Rangel has been elected for 40 years. Yet Harlem, just as many of those districts with black Democrats representatives is no better off economically for that constant representation. Instead, these congresspersons represent some of the most economically depressed areas of our country. Yet, they keep on being reelected with overwhelming percentages of the vote. Many are mired in scandals that would make a white candidate refrain from running for office. Rangel, Maxine Waters, Bobby Rush, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Eddie Johnson all won with very wide margins despite serious ethical violations and accusations.
Blacks are conservative on a whole range of issues from same-sex marriage, abortion to respect for the government. So what makes this conservative group of people consistently vote for liberal representatives? One would be tempted to say that it is because these representatives are the same skin color as they are. But that is only part of the picture because black Republicans could not presently win hedgehog catcher in most of these districts. So while ethnicity may have a role, it is not the entire story.
The first cause is gerrymandering. The Democratic Party takes great pains to craft black majority districts. They make sure that those districts remain heavily black even if they have to draw some very irregular patterns to ensure the black district. This gives some opinion leaders in the black community the idea that Democrats are on their side. So they communicate this sentiment to their communities.
The second cause is organization. Democrats leave much of the running of the local Democrat chapters to blacks in their community. They elect black precinct leaders and other persons that run the party at the local level. Thus, blacks gain a sense of belonging to the Democratic Party and are invested in the well-being of an organization that gives them titles, positions and a stake in the game. Democrats fund these local chapters well and leave them to do the organizing in their own communities. These local party leaders and functionaries in turn influence and infect their neighbors, friends, customers and others with enthusiasm for the Democratic Party.
The third factor is what I like to call story. The Democrats own the political story in the black community. This persists despite much black frustration with not sharing a significant part of the American economic pie. While a growing minority may embrace the Republican story because of that frustration, the vast majority of blacks buy the Democratic story. Democrat narrative tells blacks they are the little guy and will always be the little guy. This country will always look to oppress them and so they need a Democrat protector to look out for them. It is not uncommon, that when a black constituent has a thorny issue that does not involve federal legislation, they will seek the assistance of their congressperson. Eviction, rent and police brutality are issues that would make a black voter call his congressperson. Those congresspersons take pains to respond to such issues even if they cannot solve them. But they let the constituent know they are listening and maybe point them in some general direction. This furthers the story that the Democrats will come to their aid in times of need.
If Republicans want to make a dent into the black community, they must counter gerrymandering and financially support Republican organizations in the black community. Most of all they must change the story the community hears and supposedly wise old men repeat to the younger ones.
First, Republicans must run more black candidates in both white and black communities. In targeted black districts, they must find the places where blacks can successfully challenge, corrupt vulnerable black democrats. Emanuel Cleaver’s is such one district—Missouri’s 5th congressional district. He was the only Democrat to win with close to 50 percent of the vote. However, a white Republican ran against him with no financial support from the party. This assured that Cleaver would receive almost every black vote in that district and a Republican seat was left on the table.
The Republicans successfully ran two blacks in majority white districts this cycle. This has been the Republican playbook for the last three decades. But running blacks in white districts only has had limited success. Until Florida Rep. Allen West and South Carolina Rep. Tim Scott, Connecticut Rep. Gary Franks and Oklahoma Rep. J.C. Watts were the only black Republican representatives in the last seven decades. Republicans need a comprehensive strategy that takes two approaches and not just one.
In order to field successful candidates in the black community, the Republicans need to build local party organs in the community. Almost no majority black district or neighborhood has a well-functioning Republican club. Elections cannot be won without organization for a ground game. So far, the Republican Party has abandoned black citizens. They should immediately begin building those organizations that would get their message of economic advancement and independence to a needy black community.
From these building blocks, the Republicans can begin to tell their story of hope to the black community; the story that anyone can make it; the story of enterprise, industry and success. This way they can counter the Democrats message of doom and gloom and the need for a protector or babysitter. If the Republicans want to take a conservative group from the clutches of the most liberal block in Congress, they must build organizations that foster candidates who spring from the black community, with solid financial backing. Only then can they hope to engender a message of a successful black class that could become loyal supporters. Then maybe we would see a lot fewer than 42 black Democrats returning to Congress next election cycle.
-Ian Noel is a contributor to Reflections Magazine.
