Barack Obama isn’t just a candidate embraced by the African-American community. He’s a candidate embraced by whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, gays, straights, city dwellers, suburbanites, folks in small towns, farmers, Northerners, Southerners, liberals, moderates, conservatives, Democrats, independents and Republicans.
It wasn’t just the eye-popping endorsements of Caroline Kennedy, Sen. Ted Kennedy, Al Gore and other key Democrats that showed Obama’s transformational power. It was that he got people involved who’ve never gotten involved in a presidential campaign. Folks like Oprah, Jane Pauley and even Indy’s own Barbara Boyd.
But what really is significant are the Republicans supporting Barack Obama. Billionaire Warren Buffet, Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of the former president, Fairbanks Alaska Mayor Jim Whitaker, former Sens. Lowell Weiker and Lincoln Chafee, David Friedman, son of the legendary conservative economist, William F. Buckley’s son Christopher.
Even conservative attorney and scholar Douglas Kmiec (we battled in student government at Northwestern) went for Obama.
Then there’s businessman and former Daniels administration official Michael (Mickey) Maurer. A regular column reader, Maurer three weeks ago expressed his concerns about the GOP ticket, especially Gov. Sarah Palin, in his Indianapolis Business Journal.
Last week, at the annual Dr. George Rawls Scholarship Dinner, which Maurer has famously supported as a founding donor of the effort to increase minority physicians at the IU Medical School, Maurer said publicly he was voting for Obama.
He’s far from the only local Republican who feels that way. A prominent local Black Republican told me privately they were voting for Obama. And I know scores of others doing the same.
Sen. John McCain is an American hero deserving of our respect. But the McCain I’ve admired for years and met at his rally on the Circle last February isn’t the McCain I see today. Instead I see a bitter man who’s allowed the haters of the GOP to hijack his campaign. Creating a campaign containing the worst abominable and racist code words and symbolism not seen since McCarthyism and N-word, N-word campaigns of the ‘50s or the Republicans’ Southern Strategy of the ’70s and 80s.
The choice facing America and our community Nov. 4th is crystal clear.
Now, just in case any reader is still undecided, I’ll express my vote for president, not in my words, but in the words of an unquestioned great American — Gen. Colin Powell from Sunday’s NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“Which is the president that we need now?” Powell told the nation. “Which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time? I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities — and we have to take that into account — as well as his substance — he has both style and substance — he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president. I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming into the world — onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I’ll be voting for Sen. Barack Obama.”
General, so will I and many, many others in this community.
Like many, I wondered whether Andre Carson would be up to the task as Indianapolis’ member of Congress. Well in the 10 months he’s served in Congress, Carson has grown greatly into an effective representative for our community.
Since being sworn in on March 6, Carson has introduced or co-sponsored 483 pieces of legislation. That’s more legislation than the other Democrats from Indiana and all but two of Indiana House Republicans. In a short time Andre Carson has developed a reputation in Congress as a workhorse, not a show horse; someone who, like Barack Obama, can work with Democrats and Republicans.
Carson’s GOP opponent is Gabrielle Campo, a nice young woman who unfortunately has no clear vision for what she’d do in Congress.
Andre Carson is developing into a congressman that could outshine his grandmother and even the venerable Andy Jacobs. Our community must return him to Washington.
For years Republicans have talked a good game about reaching out into the African-American community. Unfortunately, this election, the Marion County Republican Party not only failed to reach out, but in many instances gave our Black community the back of the hand.
County Republicans slated just one Black candidate for any Marion County office — Chad Miller in House District 94, who has been invisible to our community.
In two Black-majority legislative districts, Republicans ran no candidate and in other Black-majority districts, GOP candidates were invisible.
If Gov. Daniels wins as many expect, we don’t need a GOP governor and a Republican controlled Legislature. When that happened in 2005, we got the heinous voter ID law and our Toll Road was sold off. To balance Republican excesses, we need to make sure that Democrats retain control of the House of Representatives.
Your votes for qualified newcomers Ed DeLaney, John Barnes, Pam Hickman, Stephanie DeKemper, Cherrish Pryor and Mary Ann Sullivan along with incumbents Jeb Bardon, John Bartlett, Greg Porter, Bill Crawford, Vanessa Summers and John Day will make sure that there’s a check on Daniels’ and Republican excesses which’ll harm our Black community.
The countywide races, Republican candidates treated the Black community as the plague. The most notable example: David Moscript, GOP candidate for county treasurer, who pointedly ignored an invitation for Black media interviews.
Regarding the countywide races; incumbent County Treasurer Mike Rodman has served well and honorable under difficult circumstances. He deserves re-election.
In the county coroner’s race, I have personal knowledge of and confidence in the Democratic candidate Dr. Frank Lloyd Jr. to be the coroner this county deserves.
Lloyd’s opponent, Dr. John Pless, was the only Republican countywide candidate that tried to reach out to the Black community. Dr. Pless has already been an elected county coroner in Lawrence and Monroe counties. We don’t need a coroner trying for a Guinness record. We need someone of competence and that’s Dr. Frank Lloyd Jr.
Make sure you vote. This week early, or on Election Day, Nov. 4th.
See ‘ya next week.
Amos Brown’s opinions are not necessarily those of the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. You can contact him at (317) 221-0915 or by e-mail at ACBROWN@AOL.COM.
