The race card

Published May 24 2006, 02:17 PM by Adam Reilly

If it weren't for the AP's Glen Johnson*, nobody** would have noticed the pivotal role of race in Barney Frank's recent endorsement of Deval Patrick. Let's take another look at Frank's race-related commentary, which was excised from Blue Mass. Group's write-up of the endorsement:

Race is important also for us as Democrats. African Americans are an indispensable part of the coalition that Democrats need if we are to be able to win elections and carry out the policies to which we are committed. Excluding any of these important groups from the opportunity to win high office is both unfair and unwise from the political standpoint. No Democrat should be happy at the fact that in America today, so far only the Republican Party has nominated African Americans for statewide office at the highest level – for the Governorship in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and for the Senate in Maryland. In each case, I believe that the Democratic opponents of these men better represent the interests of all people, including African Americans, and I would not support any of the three Republicans. But the contrast between the parties does us no good. Were Deval Patrick lacking in ability, or wrong on the issues, this would not count for anything. But given the impressive qualities and insight he brings to this contest, then as Democrats I believe we should take into account the consequence of continuing a policy in which no African American is ever nominated by us for any office higher than State Senate, as a matter of both fairness and enlightened self-interest.

So how about it, readers? Should Massachusetts Democrats take their party's local and national track records on African-American candidates into account when they're deciding who to nominate for governor?

*NOTE: And the ever-astute Jon Keller, whose blog I neglected to read before making making my too-sweeping generalization.

**ANOTHER NOTE: When I said "nobody," I meant "nobody except for Jon Keller, and the Herald's Kim Atkins, and maybe one or two other people I've missed." Please treat any subsequent sweeping statements with appropriate skepticism.

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9 Comments

David said:

Well, I'm flattered that you think that my (perhaps ill-advised) editing-down of Frank's press release means that "nobody would have noticed" its contents were it for today's AP story. I probably should have included that stuff in yesterday's post - honestly, I didn't really focus on it. But on further reflection, I should have, since Frank's commentary strikes me as probably not terribly helpful to Patrick.

There's more on the subject in this BMG thread:

www.bluemassgroup.com/showDiary.do

May 24, 2006 2:55 PM
David said:

whoops - that should read "were it NOT for today's AP story."

May 24, 2006 2:58 PM
Adam said:

I obviously erred by not reading Keller's blog before my post--Jon, mea culpa. And David, I'm afraid my gaffe highlights the degree to which I think of you guys as the industry standard/800-pound-gorilla of the political blog world. (Seriously.)

May 24, 2006 3:02 PM
Ernie Boch, III said:

We desperately need african american politicians in this state. Young men and women who graduated from the Boston public school, or prochial schools. Maybe have 2 parents at home. (Not necessary) Went to college on grants, loans, and scholarshis.

Avergae student, like most people. Doesn't have to be the smartest kid in the class. Goes to law school. Suffolk or New Endland at night, or Mass school of Law.

Organizes people he knows to register people and get vote out.

Not a dick head

Not the Black politician flavor of the week. Grows into job.

May 24, 2006 3:40 PM
massmarrier said:

Well, several of us chimps and organ-grinder monkeys -- in contrast to the BlueMassBorg you describe -- have raised this issue.

In March, for example, CarPundit

carpundit.typepad.com/.../governors_race_.html

and Marry in Massachusetts

massmarrier.blogspot.com/.../race-in-governors-race.html

each had a take. He figured that Black and lefty was a deadly combination. I figured race would be a factor, one we could not know its importance to voters and do not measure in polls.

You'd have to be new to Boston and Massachusetts to suppose that it would not weigh in the contest. (Race in race?)

As a Deval supporter though, I see his election as an advance in a state not known for electing minorities of any type or women to statewide or national office. If the candidate has the beefiest and best platform, that will transcend the race issue.

May 24, 2006 5:29 PM
David said:

Resistance is futile.

:-)

May 25, 2006 2:30 AM
jeffery mcnary said:

the issue has been simmering under the surface for some time. it's nieve for the so-called progressive blogers to pretend all is well. it's not. it's foolish to pretend it is. the pretense is silly and politically sophmoric.

the issue was brought forward at a mass-inc forum a few weeks ago and the only panelist there who acknowledged it was an issue was jim braude. blue whatever blog, stumbled though that in the "coverage".

of course there are qualities candidate patrick posses which transcends race. thats obvious. but should you run into him on the street, what's the first thing that noticed? certainly not his harvard degrees.

the point frank made, if our blogging friends ever manage to stay out of a story, is that the republicans are strongly fielding candidates of color in maryland, penn, and ohio.

with "progressives" lik those, who needs karl rove.

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