Black Votes
in Play in California Governor Race
By Olu Alemoru
With
less than a month to go until the Nov. 7 election,
both gubernatorial candidates are already claiming
a victory of sorts — for the hearts and
minds of black voters.
In a faith-based blitz, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Democratic challenger, state treasurer Phil
Angelides, have visited black churches from Oakland
to South Los Angeles.
On Aug. 8 Schwarzenegger attended a service (“the
whole service,” an aide pointed out) at
the First AME Church in South Los Angeles. Then
on Sept. 9 and 15 he attended a private meetings
and chicken-and-waffles breakfast with black clergy
at Oakland’s Allen Temple Baptist Church.
Ten days later he was at the Zion Baptist Church
in South Los Angeles in the morning, and then
attended the LA Black Business Expo at the Convention
Center, where he met with publishers from the
state’s black media.
As a reporter witnessed, the scene at the expo
was pure movie-star magic, as Schwarzenegger was
mobbed by crowds as he chatted with vendors on
a brief walkabout.
If recent figures from the independent, statewide
Field Poll are accurate — putting Schwarzenegger’s
black support at 23 percent, while finding simultaneously
that only 6 percent of the state’s African-Americans
are Republicans — many are asking: is the
black vote actually in play?
A resounding yes, says Margaret Fortune, the governor’s
senior campaign advisor. She touted the governor’s
performance on black issues, saying his record
would overcome even his recent gaffe referring
the “hot black blood” in Latino legislator
Bonnie Garcia.
Fortune points to Schwarzenegger’s immediate
apology, Garcia’s non-reaction and accused
the Angelides camp of trying to spark a racial
divide where none existed.
The poll “reflects that the governor has
made a serious effort to reach out to the African-American
community,” Fortune said. “There’s
a significant demographic of black clergy who
have endorsed the governor. He passed a huge education
budget of $55.1 billion, which included an extra
$200 million for more counselors to reduce the
dropout rate.”
She added: “He’s signed eight foster
care bills championed by Assemblywoman Karen Bass
and recently signed a bill for state pension funds
to divest in companies that do business with the
Sudan government [which is accused of genocide
in the Darfur region].”
For Angelides, who this week met with black clergy
at the California African American Museum in Exposition
Park, his courting of the black constituency has
been even more aggressive.
Kicking off at the West Angeles Cathedral last
November, the state treasurer has visited 14 churches
including the Glide Memorial in San Francisco,
the Macedonia Baptist in Los Angeles and the Full
Harvest International in Gardena.
Angelides also has a list of African-American
supporters that runs several pages long: elected
officials like Reps. Maxine Waters and Juanita
Millender-McDonald, most of the state legislative
black caucus in Sacramento, education, community
and business leaders.
His recognition factor may not be up to celebrity
standards but campaign advisor Brian Brokaw said
he is confident that black families will stand
with Angelides come Election Day.
“Phil Angelides has been committed to strengthening
African-American communities throughout his career
in public service, not just in election years,”
Brokaw said.
“As treasurer, his double bottom line initiative
helped invest billions of dollars in California’s
urban communities. African-American voters throughout
California know they cannot trust Arnold Schwarzenegger,
a Bush Republican who stands with corporations
and the special interests.”
Confident words, but come Nov. 7 will apathy be
the main winner, especially among young black
voters?
Jason Brown, 20, baking pretzels early Wednesday
morning in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, won’t
be going to the polls and he is no fan of the
governor.
“I don’t have the time to vote and
as for Schwarzenegger, I think he stinks. They
need to get rid of him,” Brown said.
Benjamin Onwunyi, a health worker passing through
the mall, said he hadn’t yet made up his
mind. “I don’t know if I am going
to vote. I haven’t been following the debates.”
Frank Gilliam, a UCLA political science professor
who specializes in racial politics and directs
the Center for Communications and Community, said
that the governor has the upper hand over his
Democratic challenger.
“[Schwarzenegger is] the only show in town
and Angelides is up to his eyeballs just staying
in the race,” Gilliam said. “Despite
their recent exposure, I think Angelides still
has a low recognition factor in the black community.
The governor, of course is the sitting incumbent
and a non-traditional Republican. But from what
I’ve seen, he’s made standard campaign
stops that have been good for the cameras.”
Gilliam said Schwarzenegger has not really paid
much attention to black concerns. He says he has
said nothing about jobs and in particular minority
contracting, affordable housing, police brutality,
health care and gang violence.
“There’s a pressing issue of re-entry,”
Gilliam said. “Here you have adults coming
out of prison with $200 in their pocket and no
jobs or education resources to go to. That can
really destabilize a community.”
David Horne, executive director of the California
African American Political and Economic Institute
at Cal State Dominguez Hills, echoed those views.
He said Schwarzenegger got his “political
behind kicked” in last November’s
special election and has tried to make amends.
“Angelides’ main strategy has been
to show that Arnold is connected to Bush,”
said Horne, “but he hasn’t come up
with anything that makes the community say ‘we
want to vote for you.’” -Wave Newspapers,
News Report, Olu Alemoru, New California Media
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