Democrat Dean attracts few faces of color

[Nambe]

WASHINGTON (AP)

Democrat Howard Dean has drawn new faces to politics, many of them young, middle-class Web surfers. Few of those faces are of color.

The presidential candidate has seized the momentum in the nine-way primary race with an Internet-driven campaign that has attracted thousands of supporters and millions of dollars. But Dean's success with minorities, a crucial constituency for any Democratic candidate, has been limited and political analysts wonder whether he can broaden his appeal.

"I think it's going to be difficult for him to connect," said David Bositis, a political analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tank focused on black issues. "He doesn't have any history with blacks."

Dean, a Park Avenue-raised, Yale-educated internist, practiced in Burlington, Vt., and later served as the state's governor for 11 years. Vermont has a population that is nearly 98 percent white, according to the latest Census data. ---

[pruner]

1. this hardly qualifies as latest breaking news

n/t

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. Nambe is a long time DU'er

and one of the LBN gurus here, so please go cry in your teacup.

If this is true then Dean has one long haul ahead. It makes sense since minorities do NOT have the ease of access to the internet afforded to whites.

[trogdor]

33. You might read this...

http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/09/09/dean_outreach/index.html

But is Howard Dean's campaign too wired? Is Dean attracting too many people who hang out on the Web all day -- wealthy, Internet-savvy, mostly white people, including a healthy dose of what the New York Times recently called "the tongue-studded next generation" -- while failing to win over more traditional Democratic constituencies?

Some Dean supporters are starting to think that's the case. But what's remarkable about Dean's grass-roots organizers is that many already seem to realize that it's time to do something about minority outreach; the connected hive of Dean supporters, held together by blogs and hundreds of Yahoo groups, is, in a sense, self-aware, and capable of reacting to the shifting winds of a political campaign.

Online, there's a healthy debate over whether Dean's base really is less diverse than that of the other candidates, or if that's simply a view being advanced by the news media. "In case you haven't noticed, we've entered the 'they're all white' phase of the campaign," Rick Klau, a software executive who runs a blog devoted to the Dean campaign, wrote in response to the Times story. Reporters are eager to find a new angle on Dean, Klau suggested, and "many of them are observing that many of the throngs showing up to hear Dean speak are Caucasian. Uh, ok. Point taken. But as everyone else points out, we've got some time before the primaries. If the articles were pointing out that the missing minorities were attending rallies by one of the other top-tier candidates, I'd be worried."

[study_war_no_more]

47. In all fairness to Dean the same could be said of all the canidates

People of color feel left out of the political economic and social mainstream. We've come along way from the sixties- right street wrong direction.

[Zhade]

63. Um. I'm not wealthy or mostly white. But thanks for playing, Salon.

NT

[study_war_no_more]

46. what an odd reaction to a vital issue?

Seriously could you comment on the issue raised?

[Kolesar]

2. uh, it's about the internet

My take is that well informed people with internet access have found their way over to his camp. Dean will have to work to bring other people in. (Note that I have not picked a candidate in this race).

[RandomKoolzip]

3. Oh, another Dean-bashing thread? How delightful. [yawn]

Dean's my guy, and unless somebody's got video of him burning down a church or crushing puppies or something, he will remain my choice.

[Cocoa]

48. no, it's just a news story

No one said anyone shouldn't vote for him because of this, or said anything like it.

[CMT]

5. This is not only a Dean problem

but there hasn't been a great turnout of people of color with any candidate. Dean recognizes this and is working to correct this. He recently bought radio time in South Carolina on predominately African-American stations. He has launched websites
www.africanamericansfordean.com
www.latinosfordean.com

He has put a top African-American in a top position with his campaign (sorry I can't remember her name but she was a campaign manager for Carol Mosley Braun).

I know at our recent meetup we discussed this and the campaign wants us to reach out into ethnic neighborhoods. I also noticed more people of color at this Meetup than any other, but yes, we have a ways to go and Dean can do it.

[Robin Hood]

6. And George Bush got the black vote.

What's the point here?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. uhhh....try: the primaries are between now and then?

[Frances]

7. Minorities are still the minority in this country

so I don't think it is a bad thing that Dean is getting a lot of attention from white voters. However, I think Dean has as good a chance of getting minority votes as any of the leading candidates. For example, several D.C. council members just came out in support of Dean.

Somehow I see these race stories as being an attempt to minimize Dean. But once again the Republican strategy may backfire.

[Romberry]

24. Let me add to that

The Democratic Party hasn't had a lot of trouble drawing minority voters. We have had trouble drawing a majority of white voters. For us, the white folks ARE a sort of minority....in a way. I'm happy as a clam that we have a candidate running who can possibly draw back some disaffected white folks with guns and pickup trucks. And again, no campaign has as yet been drawing crowds of minorities. Hell, outside of Dean they haven't really been drawing crowds at all.

[AP]

66. A note on this.

Blacks vote 90% with the Democratic Party and the percentage of the vote is higher than the black percentage of the population (and is only beated by union members, which are probably disproportianately black and other racial minorities).

Fortunately (or unfortunately, if you're black) the Democratic party does NOT have a problem with black voters. If they did, people here would be taking this issue a lot more seriously. In any event. it's never wise to take any group of voters lightly. Clinton especially, and Gore (largely with the help of Jesse Jackson in MI and FL) got out the black vote.

If black leaders don't warm to Dean and he gets the nomination, the Dean-democrats are going to be turning their backs on some of their best friends.

Look what hell the Republicans put Jesse Jackson through after he worked so hard for Democrats in 2000. He's not going to that again just for the hell of it.

[Romberry]

8. Looks like a Republican works for the AP...

Hey, no one is attracting crowds of minorities as yet. It's EARLY!

[denverbill]

9. What the hell kind of a hit-piece is this?

I don't see Lieberman, Kerry or anyone else hitting homeruns with minorities either, so why single out Dean?

Jebus H Christ, Kennedy was Martha's Vineyard raised, Harvard educated. Bush is Kennebunkport raised, Yale educated. I don't think Kerry is exactly from the ghettos of New York or the tobacco fields of North Carolina.

[sham]

18. exactly!

Dean has as much minority support as any of the other eight. This is just more right-wing bullshit to try and demoralize our base, because they are terrified of the rising Latino population. It won't work.

I'd stake everything I own that any of our nine candidates, plus Clark, will get more minority support than Bush* in the general election, and this argument will be moot. And the Dean campaign is already reacting to this so-called lack of minority support. See salon.com article here.

[sangh0]

40. Don't kid yourselves

Lieberman, Kerry, and Gephardt get support from minorities. And I suspect you might be forgetting about Sharpton. I think he might be getting some support from minority voters.

[E_Zapata]

57. don't forget:

Dean is Yale educated.
Grew up in the Hamptons country club set.
Grand-father founded Smith Barney
4 generations of investment bankers.

[Larkspur]

10. Dean attracted Andrea Pringle, Braun's campaign manager

to work on his campaign.

Dean also attended the NAACP convention, while Lieberman went to FOX news to be interviewed by Bill O'Reilly. Kerry and Edwards eventually showed up under the duress of being publicly humiliated by the NAACP chief. Lieberman did eventually show up at the convention to publicly apologize. He would have been more convincing if he had shown up wearing sackcloth and ashes. Gephardt and Graham totally avoided it altoghether. Kucinich probably had a good excuse to miss the convention, studying a bill to vote on.

While it's true that the Meetup population has predominately been white, there are efforts to reach out to minorities. At my Sep 3 Meetup, we had a few African Americans and Latinos show up to hear Jim Dean. They signed up to join Dean's campaign. I found out that most who attended that Meetup found out about it via the local newspaper, not the Internet. So from now on, I will be posting listings in the local papers Calendar of Events.

We also are going out to Democratic Town Committess, some of which have minorities.

[Noordam]

12. And did not Dean just meet with the Hispanic Lt .Gov of what's that small

state's name starts with a C as I remember on the west coast. Something about a recall vote ....... No Dean will not connect with the Hispanics NOT

[Tinoire]

25. Minor Correction - Not studying but voting against

Not studying but voting against Medicare privatization, which passed by a single vote.

Kucinich had declined in advance and on that day, when people chose to make a stink about it, issued the following statement:

"It would be wrong of me to be campaigning around the country promoting expansion of health coverage, and not be in D.C. today to stand and fight against bills that lead to Medicare privatization."

This woman thanks Kucinich and I thank you for remaining fair (even if I did have that minor correction)...

Medicare Privatization passed the House by one vote. What a crying shame!

How many Dems skipped out on that vote?

And weeks after that event, none of us are holding our Democratic Reps responsible...

Good luck for your candidate Larkspur

[Larkspur]

36. I do respect Kucinich doing his job while campaigning

I don't agree with some of his ideas and don't think he's electable, but I do have respect for him about doing his current job while running of Prez.

Gephardt missed that vote and he should be pilliored for it.

[readmylips]

62. Phoenix Dean Meetup....All Colors and Races Attended

The room was small and the people were standing all the way out to the curve. Next time the room will be huge to accomodate even more Dean supporters. I saw people of all races, all colors, including Asians and Easterners.

Dr. Dean is attacting all Americans.

[jos]

13. And I'm really impressed

by all those "dark" faces at the Kerry, Gephardt and Lieberman rallies.

Yes, I hate to break it to all of you, Dean is really the reincarnation of George Wallace.:eyes:

[w13rd0]

14. This is simply reposting a news site....

...the Dean campaign is aware of the challenge. I am confident that they will address the issue aggressively and appropriately. Dean critics are welcome to try and make this an issue, as most are susceptible to the same critique regarding their present supporters. We'll be seeing some surprises I'm sure...

[Nambe]

15. IMO, Dean's stand on issues is very minority friendly.

His health care plan looks very workable and will be a big leg up for minorities. The Dean campaign seems to know what it's doing.

[AWD]

16. I blame myself...

....and people like me.

Oraginzers of the Meetups. We were holding meetups in coffee shops, places where people who look just like me go to with their laptops. We weren't paying attention to it like we should have.

then, 2 weeks ago, we did a Dean booth atthe fair and our eyes were opened. Our first October meetup will be at Dem HQ, but after that we rotate around. The Urban League has given us ideas for places.

[Zhade]

65. WOW! You got Strong Bad to endorse you? You're in, man!

NT

[AWD]

67. I'm still working on The Cheat

If The Cheat endorses me, it's smooth sailing.

[July]

17. Didn't Dean attend the "I Have a Dream" anniversary event?

Can someone confirm this? -- I thought he was the only Dem candidate who attended -- wasn't there a picture of him with the King family? I think he deserves props for this kind of thing, especially when Bush is completely kissing off the African-American leadership.

[w13rd0]

19. No, he wasn't the only Dem candidate...

...Carol Mosley-Braun and Sharpton were there as well.

[July]

30. Thanks for the information

Did the other (non-attending) candidates get any criticism for not being involved?

[Voltaire99]

20. Pasty white centrist technocrats ain't got color?

Why, I call that charge scurrilous, sir, scurrilous! ;-)

But it's pretty easy to see why Dean's doing zero with urban voters. Unlike Clinton, the acknowledged master of urban political message-crafting, he's awkward with social justice themes. (Bill, of course, was all theme and little action.) Blacks correctly realize that white Vermont and a pro-corporate record offer little to them. No doubt they are also feeling increasingly remote from a Democratic Party leadership that, shamefully, views them as largely irrelevant.

Apart from issues there is the emotional component. Dean's stiff except for when he's angry, which is about the only time he's emotionally convincing. Besides chilling minority voters, this flightiness translates into some bad vibes with US corporate journalists, whose job involves studying power in such minute detail (the better to kiss its ass!) that they've quickly realized he's quite edgy and easily provoked. Dean's campaign could well have a Muskie Moment in it ahead: probably not tears, but some kind of regrettable blow up with the press.

[study_war_no_more]

50. Bingo yu hit the nail on the head

Rather than retorts and accusations look at the truth of the situation, what hope does the twelve dollar an hour worker have and who is speaking to them?

[stickdog]

72. Or it could be that the Dean campaign, as an organic grassroots

organization simply hasn't yet made the effort necessary to connect with minorities because it's been so reliant on email and e-meetings.

But, of course, your fantasy world of a fully informed and already predisposed minority electorate is so much more comforting to Dean's rivals.

I mean, it's not like minority voters are ANGRY with Bush or anything, right?

And we all know minority voters supported the Iraq War in huge numbers, right?

[gratuitous]

21. Not sure I understand the point

I mean, Lil George makes sure there's a dark face or two in all his crowds, but it's pretty apparent that those are tokens and plants. When we consider the single-digit numbers of African American votes Dumbya he drew in 2000, and all the inroads he's made to Blacks and other minorities (not!), what is the article trying to say?

Is it that Dean, too, should enlist a couple of token dark faces so his crowds look more like America? Or is Dean's honesty in showing who his supporters are right at this time under attack, and the writer wants him to be more deceptive, like the Bushistas? And, who is tuned in to the 2004 election right now and therefore more likely to attend a political rally at this early stage of things?

The thrust of this article seems kind of weak.

[gratuitous]

37. And now after seeing sfecap's photos

The article's point seems weaker still.

Can we please get back to talking about substantive issues? Like, who do you think is going to get the boot on Big Brother 4?

[E_Zapata]

59. Santa Fe and New Mexico: demographics

white people are a minority in that state

people of color are largely democrat

whites are largely republican

Take ANY dem candidate in NM, and you will see a sea of brown faces.


Show me some pictures of Dean events in the Pacific NW -- or Texas.

[Chico Man]

43. Dominican Festival another RI for Dean success...

(as was the Puerto Rican Festival..)

Rhode Island for Dean (RIFD) had an information booth at Festival Dominicano de Rhode Island last Sunday at Roger Williams Park. Howard Dean was the only presidential candidate who was represented there.

The festival, which brought over 15,000 people together, was very important for the Dean candidacy since Providence is the home of one of the largest Dominican communities in the United States and is the only city with a Dominican City Councilman, State Representative and State Senator. We hope to continue building political alliances with the growing Dominican and Latino communities in the United States.

A few Rhode Island for Dean “regulars” were joined by Maryelyn and Eulogio Acevedo, who introduced us to dozens of people from the Latino community in Rhode Island. They campaigned enthusiastically and vigorously for Dean throughout the day. Matthew Jerzyk, Director of Jobs With Justice, also contributed his time and effort to the cause, as did Juan Ruben Gallardo and Saul Urbina. They distributed hundreds of flyers and spoke about the candidate to many, many people in the crowd of thousands who were at the festival. George Lally, a new member of RIFD, was there and he too did a great job.

Thank you! Thank you to all of these wonderful people who came out to support Dean.

Thank you too, to Quisqueya En Accion, which organized this festival and graciously allowed us to participate in it.

We should also mention the new Dean group which formed, ad hoc, as the day went on - “Niños para Dean”. Our Dean lapel stickers were a pretty hot item with the kids, and by the end of the day I think we had several dozen new “recruits” out there sporting the Dean name.

It was a splendid day. Surrounded by wonderful music, food, dance and people - what could be a better way to campaign for Dean? If you have some time, please consider volunteering to help in an upcoming Dean event. There are a number coming up, and you can find them at http://action.deanforamerica.com/meet/. Hope to see you at one soon!

http://www.rifordean.org

[Cocoa]

52. fortunately for Dean, Joe Trippi sees the point

Said Dean's campaign manager, Joe Trippi, last week: "We understand we need to do considerable outreach. That is the next step."

[CWebster]

22. Why is this criticism leveled specifically

and exclusively at Dean?

And there is the reference again to Dean's upbringing---as if he had a choice in the matter.It isn't as if Kerry makes an effort from his Nantucket digs - and how the Kerry klan howls when there is a mention of Kerry's many mansions and class preferences.

[study_war_no_more]

55. because he is in the lead

look at this as a welcome wake up call, its gonna be a long race.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

23. Wasn't there a black guy in the crew of Dean's swift boat in Vietnam?

oh yeah that's right, that wasn't Dean.... :)

[CWebster]

32. Some of my best friends are black...

way back when?

[stickdog]

73. No, but Dean a couple of Dean's college roomates were black.

Which means about as much, right?

[salin]

26. Can anyone repost the pics from Dean's Chicago stop

on the Sleepless Summer tour (?). I believe that someone posted pics taken - in direct counter to these accusations.

That said - this is a problem for many candidates. And the party has been lax in late years of serious outreach both in terms of pushing supporting issues of interest to different communities (think: lack of support for the CBC on the issue of intentional dissenfranchisement of black voters in Florida a scant 40 years after full voter enfranchisement was pushed by the weight of federal law (and the arm twisting of LBJ).), and in terms of direct voter outreach. But the latter is hard to sell when issues of concern are perceived to have been ignored.

[prolesunited]

34. Here's the link for the Chicago pics

Although minorities were still the minority, there was diversity within the crowd.

http://homepage.mac.com/prolesunited/PhotoAlbum36.html

The primary problem is with the Internet. Even though studies have shown more minorities are getting connected (whites still have greater access), they use the Internet in different ways. In Chicago, Dean specifically addressed minority issues, basically saying that if you are not rich, we are all in the same boat, regardless of ethnic divisions.

BTW, I'm still not committed to a candidate lest somebody dismiss my comments just because he's "my guy."

[sfecap]

27. LOL!

Yep, no people of color around the Dean campaign!









Walking into the Santa Fe Meetup...yep, no faces of color there...no African Americans, (the woman just behind him was formerly with the CMB campaign), no Hispanic or Native Americans...nope he sure isn't attracting people of all colors, shapes, sizes....not Howard Dean, nosir!



Nice try, though....

[toopers]

28. I think this is a study of his campaign techniques.

Dean is the first candidate to really use the internet as part of a campaign tool and I think it shows who is mainly attracted by this type of campaign. Pretty interesting stuff.

[Ripley]

29. So does anyone really believe the Black vote will go for Smirk

if Dean gets the nomination? And what the hell does "history with blacks mean?"

Can I say that maybe Al Sharpton doesn't have a history with whites then?

[Bake]

61. No, they won't vote for Smirk. They'll just stay home.

And Smirk wins by default.

It is going to take every voter of every color we can muster to beat Smirk, especially with the BBV situation. If the posted article is correct, the Deanyboppers would do well to do a little self-examination and figure out whether they're reaching the urban minority voters. Because WE'RE going to need them.

If Dean's positions are minority friendly, he'd better start doing a better job of communicating that to energize those voters and let them know about his policies.

Bake

[Ripley]

71. Right.

They won't vote. Have you even heard Dean speak?

And c'mon...he was the only white Dem to attend the Martin Luther King anniversary in DC recently. THOUSANDS of blacks know he was there along with Al and Carol.

What does Dean have to do for you guys to be satisfied...pose with little black kids in a school like AWOL?

sheesh.

[stickdog]

74. Yeah. Because blacks will only come out for candidates who

SUPPORTED Bush's war, right?

[w4rma]

31. Dean's army goes offline

Aware that the computer-geek vote will not be enough to elect Howard Dean, the front-runner's supporters are fanning out to organize minorities, blue-collar workers and retirees.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Sept. 9, 2003 | Steve Chaffin, an attorney who is the unofficial coordinator of presidential candidate Howard Dean's campaign in Ohio, has been working in Democratic politics for about 20 years. He doesn't remember ever seeing a candidate attract the kind of people who come to Dean. "They're all intellectuals," Chaffin says. "They're lawyers, doctors, engineers, very creative people."

Chaffin considers this a generally positive thing, but he worries that because Dean has relied greatly on the Web as a campaign tool, the candidate's message has not been widely received by "blue-collar people" and minorities. This concern, which has popped up repeatedly in the media, is shared by many other Dean supporters, including Richard Hoefer, a San Francisco filmmaker who believes that the campaign has been too "blog-centric." Asked if he thinks there's a homogeneity to Dean's base, Hoefer responds, "You mean whitey?"

In June, when he surprised commentators by beating his opponents in the second-quarter fundraising race, it became clear that Howard Dean was using the Internet like no other presidential candidate in history. By building connections with the Web's leading bloggers, the campaign created an online movement around Dean's bid -- and it used the movement to get cash, mainstream media attention, and dominance in the polls. Since then, the Web has been nothing but kind to Dean: The cash has come in faster (the campaign reportedly expects to collect more than $10 million in the third quarter, which ends on Sept. 30), the media has become much more interested, and Dean's poll numbers have skyrocketed.

But is Howard Dean's campaign too wired? Is Dean attracting too many people who hang out on the Web all day -- wealthy, Internet-savvy, mostly white people, including a healthy dose of what the NYT called "the tongue-studded next generation," as the New York Times put it recently -- while failing to win over more traditional Democratic constituencies?

Some Dean supporters are starting to think that's the case. But what's remarkable about Dean's grass-roots organizers is that many already seem to realize that it's time to do something about minority outreach; the connected hive of Dean supporters, held together by blogs and hundreds of Yahoo groups, is, in a sense, self-aware, and capable of reacting to the shifting winds of a political campaign.
…
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/09/09/dean_outreach/index_np.html

[jazzwinders]

35. Not true

I'm a 35yo African American female and I LOVVVVE Howard Dean.

[0rganism]

38. Hey! You're a focus group of one! ;)

Seriously, what would you say for Dean's chances of getting minority turnout in the general election? How does he compare to Bill Clinton in terms of overall appeal?

[Jacobin]

39. Make it two

I'm an Anglo but saw a very diverse group at his San Antonio thingy acouple of weeks ago.

I think this is more repuke projection.....Smirk got 10% of the african american vote. Anybody think he'll take the AA vote like a storm in 2004? I don't think so.

[study_war_no_more]

56. wheeeeeeeee yu go girl

I'm with Dennis K myself at this point but i am aware that we are having our process right now and Dean would have to be my second choice since Alice Walker will not run (frowns) anyhow welcome to DU.:yourock: :bounce: :hippie:

[Frances]

41. I saw African American faces

in the photos of the Dean rally in northern Virginia. I think this article is just an attempt to put Dean on the defensive.

No way will the African American vote go to Bush. The polls show that non-whites are much more against the war in Iraq than whites. Also African Americans made more progress economically under Clinton than under any other president.

That said, turnout will be important. But the Democrats will work hard on that aspect of the campaign no matter who the candidate is. And, no, that candidate will not be another Bill Clinton. I supported Clinton 200%, but we must move on, and I will support the Democrats in 2004. I assume that candidate will have some pluses that Clinton did not have just as the candidate will lack some of Clinton's good points.

[UnapologeticLiberal]

53. Yeah, I saw some too in Northern VA

and I have pictures to prove it. But it was still a pretty white crowd...last night's was definitely more diverse.

[jburton]

42. My quandary...

I would love to retort that the other candidates don't have much diversity in their crowds.

But the other candidates don't have any crowds.

This article was total BS. Why not talk write about the lack of people who earn under 100,000 per year in the crowds of Bush's scripted events?

[UnapologeticLiberal]

54. Ouch!

You really know how to punch!

[Chico Man]

44. Dominican Festival another RI for Dean success...

(as was the Puerto Rican Festival..)

Rhode Island for Dean (RIFD) had an information booth at Festival Dominicano de Rhode Island last Sunday at Roger Williams Park. Howard Dean was the only presidential candidate who was represented there.

The festival, which brought over 15,000 people together, was very important for the Dean candidacy since Providence is the home of one of the largest Dominican communities in the United States and is the only city with a Dominican City Councilman, State Representative and State Senator. We hope to continue building political alliances with the growing Dominican and Latino communities in the United States.

A few Rhode Island for Dean “regulars” were joined by Maryelyn and Eulogio Acevedo, who introduced us to dozens of people from the Latino community in Rhode Island. They campaigned enthusiastically and vigorously for Dean throughout the day. Matthew Jerzyk, Director of Jobs With Justice, also contributed his time and effort to the cause, as did Juan Ruben Gallardo and Saul Urbina. They distributed hundreds of flyers and spoke about the candidate to many, many people in the crowd of thousands who were at the festival. George Lally, a new member of RIFD, was there and he too did a great job.

Thank you! Thank you to all of these wonderful people who came out to support Dean.

Thank you too, to Quisqueya En Accion, which organized this festival and graciously allowed us to participate in it.

We should also mention the new Dean group which formed, ad hoc, as the day went on - “Niños para Dean”. Our Dean lapel stickers were a pretty hot item with the kids, and by the end of the day I think we had several dozen new “recruits” out there sporting the Dean name.

It was a splendid day. Surrounded by wonderful music, food, dance and people - what could be a better way to campaign for Dean? If you have some time, please consider volunteering to help in an upcoming Dean event. There are a number coming up, and you can find them at http://action.deanforamerica.com/meet/. Hope to see you at one soon!

http://www.rifordean.org

[Rose Siding]

45. Wow, thanks for posting this

I was so happy to see him get the DC endorsements today, too, but I hadn't heard of this.

I know that Gov Richardson said Dean has strong support with Hispanic activists yet he's the only candidate that is criticized for not having enough ethnicity in his crowds!

[musiclawyer]

49. I'm not a white guy

and I'm not a black guy, and I spoke with Joe Trippi in San Jose on Sunday ( I think he has total recall by the way) and told him that Dean needed to be in places like East Oakland (not downtown or the Oakland Hills) and the vast latino middle class suburbs on the east side on LA County( not in Santa Monica or the West Side). He said he knew exactly what I meant and that they were "working on it, this very moment......" So, I think Dean's people understand that lots of minority demos who vote are not wired. It's just a matter of getting he message out. I expect something clever from them.

[UnapologeticLiberal]

51. We had a pretty diverse group of students at U-Maryland last night

A few dozen black students and a lot of Latinos and Asians...even a few Arab Americans. We are making progress...and I am not sure how much better the other campaigns are doing (maybe someone can give me a report). I could not really tell for sure but when I looked at photos from Kerry's announcement speech it seemed like a pretty white crowd. (Ironically, at Dean's announcement speech was one of the few times I saw a lot of blacks in the audience, which was odd because it was in Vermont, which is such a white state).

[jumptheshadow]

58. Reaching the minority community is a valid topic for any campaign

This is not just Dean's issue. I was at a packed Clark meet-up last night. There were only three, perhaps four, black people present. I am happy to see that Dean's supporters are making an effort to reach out to the black community and that they are seeking the counsel of its members. It makes me feel good about their campaign.

Wake up, people. This is a very valid discussion topic. We *must* dissect and discuss strategies for reaching out to minorities. Why? 1) Because it's the right thing to do. The Republicans aren't going to take care of anybody except the wealthy, white minority. 2) Because it's the fair thing to do. The black community has supported the Democrats for a long, long, time. The Democrats owe them. 3) It's the smart thing to do. The black turnout is crucial in places like Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Let's not take it for granted. And let's not treat any stories that highlight the dispassion of minorities toward our candidates lightly.

[Rose Siding]

60. If the bias of the reporter was in question...

(or their willingness to exert any energy in research) this implied mischaracterization of Dean's position is revealing:

"A recent Pew poll showed blacks were more likely than whites to oppose gay marriage — 64 percent to 51 percent".

Dean has voiced clear support for civil unions, yet the poll cited, as though this particular poll should be relevant, regards support for "marriage" specifically.

[rocktivity]

64. More Borg Journalism (Resistance to the GOP is Futile)

"I think it's going to be difficult for him to connect," said David Bositis, a political analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tank focused on black issues. "He doesn't have any history with blacks."
Would this be a RIGHT-WING think tank, by any chance? And is he suggesting that blacks will go running to Bush as a result?

More than six in 10 whites describe themselves as Internet users, while about half of blacks say they use it...Among frequent Internet users, the digital divide widens between whites and minorities, with 60 percent of whites and 40 percent of blacks who go online saying they do so often.
1.95 blacks versus three whites use the Internet; 2 blacks versus three whites use the Internet frequently. That's a not a divide, that's a chasm. They're right, Dean--you might as well fold up his tent and go home.
:eyes:


"At some point, he's got to come to terms with it," William Mayer, a political scientist at Northeastern University, said about minority outreach. "The good news is that none of the top-tier candidates are doing any better with minority voters than he is."
Well, at least the reporter had the guts to admit that THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO POINT TO THIS STORY!!!


rocknation

[dfong63]

68. doesn't this story lay that objection to rest?

howard dean gets d.c. council support

[Cocoa]

76. that is mentioned in the article

do people read these articles?

Luckily for Dean, the Dean campaign isn't reacting defensively to this apparent phenomenon, they're addressing it.

The Dean campaign is trying to improve its appeal among blacks, Asians and Hispanics, with ads in South Carolina directed at the state's black population and the hiring of several aides with experience in minority outreach.

"The Dean campaign is now reaching out beyond what I call the flower children. They're reaching out to the rainbow now," said Donna Brazile, campaign manager to Al Gore in the 2000 election.

On Tuesday, Dean picked up the endorsement of six Democrats on the District of Columbia Council. The support should boost his chances when the majority-black district holds its nonbinding presidential primary Jan. 13.

Said Dean's campaign manager, Joe Trippi, last week: "We understand we need to do considerable outreach. That is the next step."

[stickdog]

69. And which white candidates are doing better with blacks?

Just asking.

[stickdog]

70. Dean/Bustamante 2004 (NT)

[stickdog]

75. On last note.

About 10% of the Dean supporters at my recent San Francisco meet up were black. But there were no Asians and we were meeting in a very Asian neighborhood.

I brought this up at the meeting and we are working to address the situation. Part of the problem is that we were meeting at an Irish bar and the Asian and Anglo communities in this neighbor are very self-segregating. But I'm not sure that's the entire explanation ...

[candy331]

77. People of color

People of color are listening and are not ready to commit to anyone.The 2000 race where Afro-Amer came out in record numbers to support the Dems and yet were just taken for granted with no whites speaking out seriouly against what happened. Right now I don't think the Dems will get much from them without promises to speak out for them much, much better than what was done in 2000. That is my take on the matter for now.

[w13rd0]

80. Thanks for registering to post this...

...that's been my point. I live in a fairly diverse community, that's pretty solidly online, even in the less affluent areas, and many of the people I talk to day to day are aware of the candidates, and many like Dean, but are unwilling or unable to commit and/or spend time on a campaign...at this point in time. I still think there are many surprises awaiting us...

[study_war_no_more]

81. welcome to DU candy

Minorities don't just feel alienated from the mainstream, they are alienated from the mainstream.
This ain't living - G-Love

[are_we_united_yet]

78. I think Mr. Dean

has about as much clout with black voters as any other candidate. Black voters are almost certainly not going to vote for * especially after this admin's performance. As for a Primary, I think Lieberman will be a tough sell to win black votes. Sharpton definitely will be a draw though many in African American community have/had a bone or two to pick with him.

I don't think Dean is in a particularly bad spot.

[RetroLounge]

79. I think this is a non-issue.

Because we all know there is a HUGE group of people of color backing Lieberman, right?

anyhow, at the Dean stop in Milwaukee, there were some minorities in the crowd, but mostly it was white. Which is par for the course for Milwaukee, I guess. But the Dean team knows this, and will make steps to outreach, and I think his message will resonate just as well with minorities as with whites. And the meetups will adjust. And the message will get out there.

Remember:

Dean is too Liberal...
Dean is too conservative.
Dean is too angry...
Dean can't raise money...
Dean isn't electable...
Dean blah blah blah.

Just add this to the list of things the Dean Basher's trot out, only to be crushed by the amazing campaign of Howard Dean...