Bush snubs the black vote

George Bush intends to become the first President in seventy years not to address the NAACP's annual convention. Rather than address concerns leveled at him by the civil rights group, Bush has decided to ignore them and no doubt cause a larger rift between the black voter and Republicans everywhere.

"There are a lot of people I admire in the NAACP who support me," Bush said in an interview with reporters from the Allentown Morning Call and two other Pennsylvania newspapers during a trip through their state. But he added:

"The current leadership there has made their political decisions clear in very harsh ways. I describe my relationship with the current leadership as basically nonexistent because of their rhetoric."

NAACP President Kweisi Mfume said he is disappointed in Bush's decision, adding that the president has turned down every request for a dialogue with the group since he was elected.

"If the president has a new mandate that says he will only meet with people that agree with him, then God save our nation," Mfume said.

So Bush has decided to snub his friends in the NAACP since day one in the White House in order to teach the rest of the group a lesson.

Mfume went on to state that while both Bush's father and Reagan's views differed from the NAACP, they still gave them the courtesy of meetings and discussions. Maybe if Bush addressed the concerns the NAACP had with him, the relationship would not have grown to the contentious point it has clearly reached.

I think we should also hold Bush to the same standard Republicans raised when Kerry made his "world leader" claim back in March. I know it is a little snarky, but I'd like to know who in the NAACP supports Bush.

Clearly alienating a large group of voters in such a close election seems like folly. Some reports feel Bush will only manage a meager 7% of the black vote in this election anyway. Maybe he feels he should campaign in places where he has a more persuasive reach. But Republicans should remember moments like this when they wonder why blacks vote strongly Democratic now nad in the future.