The cardinal political tokenism that does not give

Evelyn Joe at msjoe21st@aol.com

Do you wonder how the major political parties think of ethnic minority communities? Somehow, they expect you to be just overly excited to vote your naivety, give them your money and volunteer in “a monkey work; bamboo chop” supposition.

At the time of their seasonal civic mischief, you have never seen them in your community; they show no interest in investing to get out the vote efforts, their campaigns have no meaningful representative that can articulate issues germane to your community. Call it one bundle of nerves but you are stupid to receive the condescending slap by supporting a candidate when there is no tangible affinity.

Both Republicans and Democrats play the ruse. The Republicans are experts in “fright of the donkey.” They bark with a commission of sins that decry the devalue of fundamental sense and patriotism, condemn Democrats as instantly guilty, including the faux pas of taking minority votes for granted. However, while they are running you scared with this acerbic wedge mentality, you do not see them doing anything different to earn their intended inroad for a good slice of minority vote. To boot, Republicans communicate as a balancing act to spoil the difference in close elections.

The Democrats are nothing if not notoriously patronizing. They cajole with Republican omissions of the heart, which also tout elephant sins that trample on humane values. The doctrine sounds like “vote us, the lesser evil” as they revisit Uncle Tom and spit Jim Crow. While they have chosen and paid your alleged minority leaders like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and newer wannabe heads to deliver the votes, they are otherwise manifestly feely but latently out of touch with the ethnic base. Alas, the Democratic brass does not know how to communicate with the common people they allegedly have much in common.

In 2004, Paul Rivera, a Democratic insider with the Kerry Campaign suggested more realistic ways to mobilize the Hispanic and African American voters. Ever conscious of the cheapest way to get the most with the least, Mary Beth Cahill of the Kerry Campaign shelved the plan. The outcome is history. Kerry lost with a lower percentage of Hispanic votes than any Democratic presidential candidate in recent memory and a couple of points down with black voters.

The Republicans are a little bit inventive but sometimes comical in effect since they do not have favorite “follow the leader" in the minority communities and Colin Powell will not do that. George Bush, as an individual, has shown tremendous personal touch but the compassion has not caught up with the Republican Party, which seems to be ill at ease or even allergic to nearness to colored. Therefore, they cheery pick successful color people to demonstrate proxy examples.

Chief Sam Uwandu is the Republican head of Continental Africans in Prince Georges County, Maryland. He donates in off and high seasons. So far, the Republicans have not shown him any respect to invite him on strategy sessions. As for the sprouting Democratic ethnic heads, plenty of natives are running around campaigns without a due clue..

Be wise: After everything thing is said and done, if more is said than done, it was cheap – you were a token.

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