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The March 15 Ohio primary
confirmed that the African-American vote is relevant and
also suggests that the ability to win over African-American
voters will be critical for hopefuls in the November 8, 2016
general and presidential elections.
Hillary Clinton, despite
shared policy views on substantive issues, was able to
distance herself from rival Bernie Sanders and establish a
clear path to the Democratic Party presidential nomination,
by riding waves of overwhelming African-American support.
In contrast, Sanders’
progressive message emphasizing income inequality has
appealed to liberals but fell flat among black voters.
The difference?
Sanders, whose home state
Vermont is 95 percent white, appears to talk about the black
community from second hand as opposed to experiential
knowledge. “He tries too hard to convince me that he knows
us but then will say something that shows that he is totally
unfamiliar,” a retired African-American educator noted.
“You’ve got this white privileged guy talking about
progressive issues and really good stuff, but he does it
without acknowledging the fact that he’s coming from
privilege. It’s like he’s repeating what he learned out of a
book or from a college class on the black experience. With
Hillary, you get a better sense of empathy,” adds a young
urban professional.
Hillary Clinton, on the other
hand, taking advantage of President Obama’s 89 percent
approval rate among African Americans, has branded her
candidacy as a “continuation of the Obama presidency.” This
is no accident.
In addition, by utilizing her
long-term associations and intimate familiarity with black
institutions, social networks and political systems, as
journalist Paul Waldman points out, Clinton has the
structure already in place for an effective ground campaign
and system to translate her ideas into action. Clinton’s
established friendship provides a distinct advantage over
Sanders, who is finding that building solid relationships in
the black community is a task that cannot be accomplished
“on the fly.”
It will also be interesting
to see how the intimate black friend theme plays out in the
2016 race for Lucas County Commissioner.
Both Commissioner Pete Gerken
and Republican challenger, former Mayor Michael Bell, have
deep established roots in Toledo’s black community. The
obstinate Bell benefits from a network of professional and
business ties and those gained from the goodwill and
activism of his parents Norman and Ora Bell. The self-willed
Gerken’s roots to the African-American community run through
his ties with the Democratic Party, labor unions and black
clergy.
Notably, Bell, the underdog,
actually received more votes during the March 2016 primary
than Gerken. No doubt this occurred due to the Trump
excitement factor and an abnormally high Republican turnout
because of the contested Republican presidential primary.
Additionally, Bell was unopposed whereas Gerken was
challenged by Spencer Township Trustee Michael Hood, who
took votes away from his total.
Gerken’s ties, roots,
experience and savvy all make him the favorite in November.
However, as an African-American candidate liked by suburban
voters, Bell will likely pull a chunk of votes that would
normally go to the Democrat candidate. Also, Bell’s distant
second place finish to Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson in last
year’s mayoral election, demonstrates that the former mayor
is not reviled as he once was or that the memory of his
stand on the anti-worker Senate Bill 5 has begun to fade.
In any event, the race for
Lucas County Commissioner is likely to be a fierce one.
The outcome of this local race will also come down to black
voters’ ability to distinguish intimate friends from casual
acquaintances.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org
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