It is quite disturbing that eight black Republicans ran for office duringt he mid-term elections, yet, every one of them lost their races. On the other side, thirty-eight black Democrats won seats out of the forty-one up for grabs. What does this say to the black Republicans, like myself?
 
  Could it be that these black Republican candidates were running for office in states that have strong democratic backing? It is pretty hard to tell with this election, consdiering the fact so many conservatives decided to vote democratic, to send a message to President Bush. The Republicans lost races in traditional conservative strongholds.

  It is clear to me that it is very hard for the black Republican to make inroads with the majority of the black electorate because of traditional voting patterns and mistrust of the GOP that has festered for decades. Why is this the case? Is it that the old relic of racial intolerance in the GOP or is it the throughout the electorate? It has pleased me how the leading Republicans and President Bush, himself, has reached out to blacks to consider joining the GOP. They acknowledged the racial divide. I have to give them credit in stating that they would like to earn the black vote, juxtapose, the democratic party which takes the back vote for granted. The truth of the matter is that the Democrats get caught up in their complacency because time and time again, blacks send them a message that their isn't any gravitation toward another choice.

  Evidence concludes that the largest barrier to black Republicans being elected to office, is their own party, the GOP. The endless racially insulting gaffes and racially loaded campaign ads by Republican politicians. The powers that be in the GOP fail miserably to condemn these practices. This gets nothing but rage from within the black community. President Bush snubbed the Congressional Black Caucus and the NAACP for five years. Then there is the fight amongst Republicans over the renewal of the Voting Rights Act. These actions don't ease the suspicions that many blacks have about the party.
 
  Let's face it, racism is alive and well in America. Their have been studies done at both Harvard and Yale by political analysts. They found that many white Republicans would rather vote for a white Democrat than a black Republican. On the flip side, whites are almost as less likely to vote for a black Democrat.
Blacks tend to vote for Democrats because they blieve that the party is more likely to take on fights on civil rights and such. Historically this has been the case.

  These findings are not comforting to someone like me. I will say that I learned a lot about racist issues as I matured. I don't run down the street scraming racism because someone refused to speak to me. I have encounterd blacks whom have mentioned someone disliked them becuase they were black. My response was to ask them if it ever occurred to them that, if it were true and they were disliked, could it be their personality, or the way they related to the person? There are bad apples in every group including within the black community. I have witnessed several incidences of reversed racism. Unfortunately, I get flack from blacks for being a Republican. I am referred to as a trader and an "uncle tom." I educate those who will allow it and the rest I chalk up to sheer ignorance and inflexibility.

 For me, it has come down to my own personal beliefs steming from my Chritian faith. A belief that blacks have been served to their detriment by larger government that promotes the culture of victimization with little empowerment. So the truth of this, is that choosing to be a black Republican, puts me between a "rock and a hard place."  Blacks are not welcomed with open arms in the GOP and they have no support withing the black community.

  Everyone wants to belong. I have to say, that I have been pleased with the responses I have received from local Republicans in Ohio. I worked on the campaign of Ken Blackwell and Mike Dewine. The people treated me like a guest of honor. So there is hope that the GOP will get the message down the line. The black vote can be a treasure trove for the Republicans, if they continue to reach out and put the focus on the damage Democrats have caused to the commmunity. Of note here are, the public school systems, of which they have had a strangle hold on for a very long time.