Still angered by Florida 2000, blacks look to young voters for turnout

[Kadie]

Still angered by Florida 2000, blacks look to young voters for turnout

GENARO C. ARMAS, Associated Press Writer
Friday, September 10, 2004


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(09-10) 11:52 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

Motivated by unpleasant memories of the 2000 Florida recount, black leaders determined to boost voter turnout this fall are enlisting hip-hop artists and community organizations in campaigns to register millions of new voters.

"The mobilization of young voters is the revolutionary concept this year," said Maya Rockeymoore, vice president of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

Rockeymoore said the foundation is reaching out to younger voters through registration and educational initiatives at historically black colleges and inner city areas across the country.

"A lot of people think that politics is something in a box that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with them," she said. "We're trying to explain to them politics in terms of policies and why it relates to their lives."

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/09/10/politics1452EDT0620.DTL

[BadGimp]

1. It's a Beautiful Thing

I absoulutely love stories like this.

Grasss roots politics at it's finest.

It's a beautiful thing.

[roseBudd]

3. I street canvass African Americans everyday in Ohio

I am finding very few unregistereds. I give registration forms to people who need them for their barely old enough relatives and to people who have moved recently. African Americans are a very loyal democratic base and we should all be reaching out to motivate and help. By volunteering to poll watch in black precincts. By volunteering to drive those without transportation on Nov. 2. We are in this together and we do not need to be black ourselves to help out.

[deutsey]

2. But why aren't they running around fretting about forged memos?

:eyes:

Just goes to show what people outside the media bubble (i.e., the real world) are doing.

[roseBudd]

4. They are fearful about the election being stolen

And we do need to motivate. The polls are a downer. I'm telling everyone not to fret because pollsters are not calling cell phones.

[Catfight]

5. This is what I'm saying, I'd be outraged and determined to vote Bush

out because the votes were thrown away last time. I'm going to see if I can help this cause.

[moondust]

6. New voters

aren't covered very well in the polls. There may be a lot of new minority voters of all ages who are unhappy about what happened in 2000 and don't like (white) Republican policies in general that serve primarily rich (white) people. These new voters could make a big difference and we wouldn't hear much about them until election day.

I'd like nothing more than to see minority voters purge George Bush from the White House.

[bluestateguy]

7. How to scare Republicans on election day

Long lines of black voters at polling places.

[roseBudd]

8. Ohio needs poll watcher volunteers! Come to Ohio

Please join Election Protection:

http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M6501646457758908198355&iEvent=24367

[dmr]

9. I am very happy to hear this

I am hoping there will be long lines of all voters everywhere, but most especially very long lines of black voters.

This is a demographic that has been spit upon for way too long and for way too many years. Their voice is just as valid and equal to any other voice in this country.

I am also hoping there will be "protection" for these voters at the polls, because sure as anything, there will be GOP thugs, along with local police around to intimidate those who wish to exercise their constitutional right.

Go Florida voters! My vote in Broward in 2000 didn't count either, and I will never forget nor will I ever forgive!