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It’s a particular pleasure to welcome Keli Goff to our Book Salon and have a chance to talk about her new book Party Crashing.
Many of us have seen Keli on TV where she speaks with wit and smarts as she did this morning on Reliable Sources – and is not afraid to take on folks like Pat Buchanan and not back down. Party Crashing shows that Keli is also willing to take on some of the most timely issues of race, class and politics and educate us all on significant changes in our political landscape.
Since the Civil Rights era, we’ve simply assumed that black voters would consistently line up and vote Democratic each election. And that support has been essential to party wins over the years. But times have changed Keli warns us – and if we want to work for change in the future, we better listen carefully.
Keli’s book draws on research she worked on with Suffolk University Political Research Center surveying young black voters as well as a great selection of interviews with everyone from Colin Powell to Russell Simmons but even more importantly with people across the range of the Hip Hop Generation.
Her findings point to an important political trends in the Hip Hop Generation – let’s look at a few:
Younger black Americans are less partisan than their parents. 35% of survy participants 18-24 identified themselves as independents and 41% said they were registered Democrats but identified themselves as “politically Independent.”
32% of black Americans ages 18-45 do not believe “that the Democratic Party works as hard to earn the support of Black voters as it does to earn the suport of other groups of voters.”
Keli identifies two broad groups within black voters in this age group – Hip Hop voters and Huxtable voters. She does a remarkable job of describing the impact of both Hip Hop and of the Cosby show on this generation and the political attitudes found in each – summed up very well as:
The problem for Democrats is that hip-hop voters don’t trust them (or any other politicians), and Huxtable voters don’t feel beholden to them.
And she goes on to point out that:
Unless the party begins to alter its message to reach these groups, it will lose both, from the party and possibly from the political process altogether.
One thing I really enjoyed about Party Crashing is that Keli understands that respecting individual stories are as important as the valuable statistics she’s uncovered in her research. And the voices she brings us are important ones for us to hear – and pay attention to.
For example, in her discussion of the concept of “Black Leaders” she points out the fact that no one asks who the “White Leaders” are and then describes the move in the Hip Hop generation away from reliance on Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to support for Oprah and Obama, but the comment that really hit me came from
Erica, a twenty-six-year-old Alabama native, calls the idea of a singular black leader outdated and says that while she is grateful to leaders from the past, from Marcus Garvey to Martin Luther King, Jr., she believes that “to really do what we need to do as a community, everybody’s going to have to take that individual responsibility.”
In the chapter The Great Cosby Debate, Keli takes on the issue that most political analysts shy away from, class. As she points out:
Today there is no longer such a thing as a universal black American experience. For this reason, there is no longer a single black political agenda. Can anyone really argue that Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods inhabit the same America that African immigrant Amadou Diallo lived in when New York police officers fired forty-one shots at him, simply because they all happen to e black. Fifty years ago the answer would have been an unequivocal yes.
This shift from universal experience to class experience is a central factor in the shift in political allegiance Keli describes. And this shift has been missed by most in the political class who rely on old school assumptions of support rather than engaging with the individuals and issues which matter most to black voters.
As another voice from Party Crashing, “Charizma, a black woman in her twenties” says:
I’m a registered independent. I’m an independent thinker. I don’t want anyone counting on my vote. I think you should work for it.
As a white woman who grew up during the Civil Rights era but has had the privilege of raising an Hip Hop generation Asian daughter, I found myself nodding throughout the book. From the reminders of the power of Grandmaster Flash’s The Message to the analysis of the new political generation embodied in Barack Obama’s run for the White House, I was fascinated by Party Crashing. And I keep thinking that there is an important correlation between the political work we do as “netroots” and the movement towards a more responsive politics which Goff describes as the needed next step if the Democratic party is going to regain the support of the Hip Hop Generation. Reading her book is just a first step in the work we all need to do to build the future.
You can hear Keli speak about these issues in an interview at the Center for American Progress and you can order a copy through our FDL Amazon link. Her book is a must-read for everyone who wants to build a politics of change.
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Welcome Keli - it’s a real treat to have you join us at Firedoglake today. Party Crashing is a very enjoyable read and addresses such important issues.
I’m not sure our readers know about your background in politics, so it would be great to hear a bit about how your interest and experience developed.
Keli, welcome to the Lake.
It is such a pleasure to join you and the other readers of FDL! My interest in politics actually began at an early age. My parents were always volunteering on various campaigns. I can remember going to polling sites with them and our house was always littered with campaign stuff–signs, buttons you name it. In 4th grade I was asked to make my first official endorsement. My parents asked me who I had decided to support for president that year. (It was Gephardt ‘88 for anyone who is wondering : ) In any case, I always have felt a particular duty and responsibility to be involved in the political process because my parents and grandparents grew up in the segregated South and sacrificed a lot so that I could be involved in the political process.
Weclome Keli. I went to a hip-hop fundraiser. It was enlightening and exciting! Many of the young people involved were very well informed and articulate. I had lightbubs go off in my head about the movement.
Keli, from the Hip-Hop generation, what are the important issues, what is it that is getting young people into politics?
Now that’s quite a history Keli! Gephardt, eh?
In Party Crashing, you talk about your own surprise at some of the shifts you report on … the move from one party loyalty to independent status.
I think many of us have missed that shift - and while we’ve seen the grassroots youth support for Obama, we’ve not recognized the larger context which you write about so well.
Good Afternoon Keli and welcome to FDL.
I have not read your book but do have to ask about the expectations of “Charizma, a black woman in her twenties” in relation to the two parties (or any of the political subsets)? Does she and the rest of the “hip-hop” generation have any believe that the Republicans would do more for them than they do for any other groups of the non wealthy/rich/elites?
That is, is she really going to vote against her self interest just to prove that she can’t be taken for granted?
Aloha, Keli!
At the core of Keli’s book is an understanding of the evolving diversity of concerns in the younger black community.
Keli - would you like to describe a bit about the Hip Hop and Huxtable constituencies?
Welcome Keli! Thanks for your eloquent appearances on my teevee, especially opposite Buchanan. You are among the very best at making him squirm.
I’ve not read your book yet, so I’ll enjoy this conversation quietly, but I had to give you a serious shout-out for the smiles and cheers you bring to my house when you are onscreen. Thank you!
So right Teddy! Keli is a great voice on the screen … and she takes no prisoners!
Thanks for being here today, Keli. You’ve been tearing it up on teevee.
Second Teddy’s comments about Pat Buchanan. Do you enjoy being paired with him? (The term “shooting fish in a barrel” comes to mind.)
OK..I admit that I have not read the book; one thing I am very interested in though is what you believe is the roll of efforts like Rock the Vote in terms of the upcoming election?
That’s a great question, and one that is not as simple to answer as it may sound. For starters, the label “Hip-Hop Generation” is a pretty broad one. It was initially a term coined by various scholars and academics who felt that the label “Generation X” and what it symbolized in American culture was not as encompassing and representative of the experience of black Americans in that age group. So Bakari Kitwana (a former editor of the SOURCE, a hip-hop magazine) and other began using the term “The Hip-Hop Generation” to describe black Americans born between the years 1965 and 1984 (approximately).
What’s tricky–as I discuss in the opening chapter of the book–is that not all black Americans who fit this age category necessarily identify with hip-hop music or culture. But the label was popularized in the media and kind of stuck. So now saying “I don’t consider myself a member of the hip-hop generation” would be almost akin to someone saying “I don’t consider myself a Baby Boomer.” The labeling exists and you kind of have to accept it and roll with it.
So after that long-winded background, back to your question : ) Asking which issues matter to the hip-hop generation is becoming increasingly like asking “what issues matter to Generation X?” In that as I discuss in the book, black voters are increasingly moving away from a monolithic political perspective. As such, the issues that most matter to one black voter may not matter to another. Gone are the days when you can simply say: “This is a black issue.” And I would argue that increasingly the same is true of being able to say “This is a hip-hop generation issue.”
When I interviewed Russell SImmons, considered by many the godfather of hip-hop, he identified poverty as a central issue of the hip-hop generation. But in our survey research, the war in Iraq actually outranked economic inequality as the issue our respondents (ages 18-45) considered most important.
Keli - Hugs from your friends in Fort Bend. Do you think that growing up in hardcore Republican district with Tom DeLay living within 2 or 3 miles of your home toughened you up for Pat Buchanan?
Love ya and am so proud of you!
Susan
Keli talks a great deal about the impact of the Cosby Show on young black voters and I found that interesting on several levels. One because it does seem to involve a shift from “black issues” to a broader range … but also because it exemplifies the growing importance of cultural icons in our politics.
Thanks so much for the kind words everyone! They are very much appreciated. It’s nice to know that my tv cheering section has more members in it than just my mom : )
forgive me for saying so, but this sounds like a book length version the the GOP talking points that “Democrats don’t care about black people, they just want their votes”.
I also found disturbing the use of the GOP frame which lumps Jesse Jackson in with Al Sharpton — Jesse Jackson is a legitimate civil rights leader, Al Sharpton is a self-promoting creation of the New York Post and other less than AA friendly media present as the “face” of the African American community in general, and the civil rights movement in particular, in order to discredit them. (I mean, in one of O’Reilly’s books, he calls Sharpton and David Dukes [paraphrase] “the two worst racial demagogues in America”…. but if that is the case, why is Sharpton so often a guest on O’Reilly’s program? (Why does O’Reilly give him that megaphone, and why would Sharpton accept the invitation given O’Reilly’s published opinion of him?)
And nothing that Siun wrote suggests that there is a real shift in ideology of the “Hip Hop generation” — rather, it seems to me that they are more apolitical. But young people regardless of race are always less politically involved than their parents, why should we expect young African Americans to be any different?
Paul … have you read Keli’s book or looked at her research? I sure did not see “GOP talking points” there … I did see some very valuable insights.
Susan-So nice to hear from you! Hugs and hello to you and your family. The short answer to your question is YES. I do believe that growing up in a community in which politically speaking (at least at the time) I was in the minority, did help shape my political outlook a great deal. I have grown increasingly appreciative of my Texas upbringing over the years if for no other reason that I think that growing up there and then living as a grownup here in new York has essentially made me a political mutt–and I mean that as a good thing. I can recall being called the so-called dirty “L-word” in Texas–LIBERAL, but I have a number of funny moments here in New York where some of my friends have branded me with the allegedly dirty “C-word” conservative. As I am fond of saying–”they grow Democrats a bit differently in Texas.” My point is I think my interest in exploring the complexities of people’s political perspectives in this book, and in exploring the gray area of American politics that exists, but is often not covered, was shaped in part by living in two such vastly different and extreme political settings (Fort Bend County, TX and New York’s East Village). For a lot of people in those communities political issues are black and white. ( I am actually referring to issues here not race : ) As in people’s political ideology are on two opposite ends of the spectrum.
Keli - it was refreshing to see a real discussion of class issues in your book. No one ever seems to want to go there yet we miss so much by not understanding those issues.
I’ve always seen - and supported - the HSAN etc movements which stress poverty issues - and it was really helpful to be reminded of the immense class diversity in the black community now and the resulting diversity of interests.
1,811 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citzen Kelli Goff:
Welcome citizen Goff…are you tellin’ us that class interests are beginnin’ to be quite identifyable in the politics of the Black gentry? I guess I would say that ain’t anythin’ new…but what I am interested in is the Hip Hop youth…where are they goin’ if they don’t get a place at our newly expanded political table?
KEEP THE FAITH AND GIVE IT TO ME…I KEN TAKE IT!!
LOL - from one who moved from years in Boston to rural Oklahoma and then South Central Texas.
Your book sounds interesting - another one I’ll look for.
Keli, thank you for that insight. For my generation it was the Viet Nam War, the draft and lowering the voting age. It always comes back to war and the loss of a generation of young people.
Good question Norske! How both parties respond to a changing landscape - and the energizing of younger voters is really critical.
It’s funny. I have actually heard through the grapevine that some people have wackily dubbed this book some sort of conservative manifesto : ) which my editor and I have had several a good laughs about. Overall, though it’s hard to fathom that anyone who actually reads the book (instead of a blog or article about it) could see it that way at all.For one thing, while I consider my own politics unabashedly moderate, my entire career in politics was spent working on Democratic campaigns which is actually where a lot of my insight (and part of my initial idea) for the book came from. I will say this though I think one of the Democratic Party establishment’s greatest problems is that they tend to have a knee-jerk reaction to criticism (i.e. a book points out valid criticism of the party’s inner-workings therefore must be GOP talking points). This prevents them from adequately doing anything to actually address the problem and therefore they continue to lose. A prime example is John Kerry. a number of sources–including someone who was at the DNC in 2004 said that his campaign was warned repeatedly that he had a disconnect with black voters. He was encouraged to diversify his staff, actually try new strategies for reaching out. This is something Donna Brazile and others have spoken about. The advice largely fell on deaf ears. And we know how that race turned out.
As far as the question about younger black voters. You are actually misinterpreting the data a tad or perhaps the word choice is just slightly inaccurate. Our research does not show younger blacks as a whole becoming “apolitical” but less partisan. This does not mean they are jumping ship and swimming over to the Republican boat. But it does mean they are jumping the Democratic ship and treading water and waiting to see which boat they want to get back on. This trend–of moving away from voting based on party labels and moving towards voting based on the person–is indeed one that cuts across racial lines and is becoming more common among younger voters of all stripes. The key difference among black voters, however, is that traditionally you could count on about 90% of them eventually growing up to be Democrats. That is not the case anymore.
Lastly, contrary to traditional wisdom, young voters have actually played extremely significant roles this election cycle. In fact, Barack Obama said last summer that if he was the nominee young voter participation would go up 20% putting states in play that had not been before. It sounded laughable at the time–until Obama won Iowa by 20,000 votes. The number of college age voters his campaign registered? 17,000. (Obviously in Iowa most of these were not black but you get my meaning…) Thanks for the question!
Just curious, Keli — is there any polling that indicates how the concerns of African American voters who identify themselves as “independents” differs from those who identify themselves as “Democrats?”
no Siun, I was working from your description.
But I do have to say that this kind of “begging the question” question:
“[does] the Democratic Party works as hard to earn the support of Black voters as it does to earn the suport of other groups of voters”
really bugs me. I mean, as a gay man, I don’t think that the Democratic Party does as much to earn my support as it does to earn the support of “other” groups. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to ever be voting Republican unless that party changes.
Very interesting. One of the things that Democrats have benefited from this election cycle is all the money poured into organizing in individual states. Do you see any of that being used for sustainable, long-term organization to energize and mobilize African American communities — and voters — after this election is over? Or are the gains primarily short-term?
Also an era in which–contrary to lukasiak’s view, a great many young people (among them, me) were intensely engaged in the political process (while their parents often were not).
yeah, with Kerry getting 88% of the black vote to Bush’s 11% according to CNN’s exit polling data.
and Donna Brazile? You gotta be able to cite a better source than that I’m afraid. She’s far more about promoting herself than anything else from what I’ve seen (”You need more diversity! Give me a job, and you get a Two-Fer!”)
I love Keli on the tube and I’ll believe all this about the “youth vote when I see it” sorry.
I’m so glad you asked that! You are correct that class divisions within the black community are nothing new. In fact, when I interviewed NAACP Chairman (and one of my own personal heros) Julian Bond for the book, I asked him about Bill Cosby’s infamous remarks. (Mr. Bond was actually in the audience when Dr. Cosby delivered them). Mr. Bond said to me that he was surprised by the ensuing media storm because what Dr. Cosby said was no different than what a lot of people in the black community have been saying for decades.
But of course that’s part of why it became a huge media story. Dr. Cosby said it publicly outside of the confines of the so-called “black community,” and as a result a firestorm ensued.
To the other part of your question regarding some of the challenges facing hip-hop voters; one really interesting fact that did emerge from our research and interviews is that young, at-risk black men are in fact becoming increasingly alienated from the political process. Cornell Belcher, a pollster for the DNC at the time of our interview (he is currently head pollster for the Obama campaign) noted that young, black men are becoming a particular issue of concern because they are one of the demographics that are in danger of becoming apolitical. While more research needs to be done in tis area (I would encourage both major American parties to do so) it appears that as low-income black men becoming disenfranchised from society at large–through high-school dropout rates, joblessness and incarceration, they ultimately lose their pipeline to traditional political activism and involvement. Let’s also not forget that felony convictions prohibit millions from voting each year. As black male incarceration rates continue to skyrocket, we lose more and more potential voters from the process.
at-risk black men are in fact becoming increasingly alienated from the political process.
It’s pretty hard not to be alienated from something that has zero impact on your life. For example, schooling.
One of the many reasons we should be supporting folks like Van Jones and the Ella Baker Center amongst others working on the issue of incarcerated black youth. The failure of our justice system to be fair in such a fundamental way certainly makes it hard to energize voting - and also actually disenfranchizes.
Hi–you’re right but only if you look at the popular vote which as we all know does not decide elections. Kerry lost in Ohio–in part because Bush got his support among black voters all the way up to 16%. Perhaps not staggering but clearly more than enough to help him win what was yet again a close election.
A segment of young people has always been political. Who do you think was in the streets protesting the Vietnam war? Do you know what “clean for Gene” means? Ever hear of McGovern? Jesse Jackson had lots of “young voter” support in 88. So did Howard Dean.
Nevertheless, young people don’t vote at the same levels as other age cohorts do.
In some ways, the issue becomes - do we want to expand the voting population as wide as possible or do we only care about and mobilize those who support the old models? I think the move to registering as Independent - which is not limited to young black voters but you’ve shown to be a dramatic shift there - should be waking up party leaders that they have been missing the boat. Of course, those independents might actually be a force for change in priorities or make demands on the parties … which they might not like so much.
If you read what you quoted of me, I think you’d know I had some familiarity with the situation of the time. Dial it down, friend, we’re all in this boat together. I do see the point you’re making about voting and age. Thank you (meant sincerely) ; ).
It’s worked out well in Palestine.
If you look at what actually happened in Ohio, Bush’s percentage among black voters was driven by voter suppression efforts aimed at the urban black community which votes even more heavily democratic than the overall black electorate. And there were 5.6 million votes counted in Ohio, 10% of which were African Americans. Kerry lost by 118,000 votes in Ohio..even if he’d gotten 94% of the black vtote, he still would have lost.
You got a chart on that?
LOL!
I really wish I knew the answer to this question! I would love to say that the enthusiasm and engagement and mobilization we have seen this election cycle is here to stay, but I honestly just don’t know. I think part of it depends on who ultimately is elected president. Whether you support him or not, one think the Obama campaign has to be given credit for is harnessing technology and really taking grassroots organization to the next level. One of the reasons he stayed is competitive for so long is because his campaign proved so adept at (surprisingly so) of organizing in a way that both engaged young people, brought them into the process and kept them there. In a sense he built upon the foundation of the Dean Campaign from 2004. The difference is while Dean’s campaign seemed almost too youthful for its own good, Obama’s campaign has so far managed to build a coalition that doesn’t appear to consist entirely of techies and kids. The point I am making is that if Obama does not win the primary or the general election, I’m not sure how much of this enthusiasm, engagement and mobilization is transferrable. I just don’t know the answer to that.
When was the last time we witnessed an African American protest march against capital punishment and I might add any white marchers (if there was a march) supporting the black marchers?…peace out!
Keli - I certainly see in my daughter’s circle (which mirrors the new young urban multiculturalism in so many ways) an enthusiasm for voting and participating that is new and encouraging. While I saw her and her friends initially getting excited about the idea of Obama (”he’s like us” seemed the message they got) they have been kept engaged by the smart organizing of the campaign … but they are not concerned with the Democratic party or any party, but in how they now feel represented in a new way and invited to the table.
From Jaws: I think we need a bigger boat.
You got that right, sister.
And, when the engine dies, we gotta all paddle in sync, or it won’t work right.
Splashing and stuff.
It was really incredible how much “The Cosby Show” and other pop cultural icons figured into my interviews! One young man told me that he was from a very small Southern town where few people ever left for college. Neither of his parents graduated from high school and so he had never really thought much about college himself, but he began watching “The Cosby Show” and seeing this strong, professional, accomplished and loving black family where the kids went to schools called Princeton and NYU inspired him to believe that he could too one day. He ended up attending a private college in the Northwest and has a completely different life than the one he imagined for himself–and all because of “The Cosby Show.” Additionally Oprah Winfrey came up a lot. In our survey we asked people to list whose opinions they most value and Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama were tied with 20% of respondents with Colin Powell not far behind.
O, Thanks. Breaks my heart. Talk about interest and a new kind of hero. I’m always on his side. He just had such a bad day.
Okay, here’s the thing.
John Edwards got a plurality (37%) of the African American vote in the 2004 South Carolina primary. He spent most of the next for years talking of issues of importance to the African American community like poverty and economic justice. On election day, he got 3% of the African American vote.
So when Keli appears to present the argument that young african americans don’t feel as engaged as their parents did with the Democratic party because they don’t think that the party does enough to earn their support, I have to ask how meaningful is that? Here was a chance for African American voters to support someone who was doing everything he could to earn their support — and would have followed up on his promises — and for 97% of South Carolina’s AA voters, he was practically “John Who?”
You can’t say to Democrats “do more for us”, then, when you get a chance to support a candidate who will do more, ignore him. It doesn’t work like that. Democratic politicians look at what happened to Edwards black support and realize that “doing more” wasn’t a priority for African American voters, so why should it be a priority for the Democratic Party….especially when we still live in a country where lots and lots of voters thing we’ve “done enough” for African Americans, and want more done for themselves.
LOL : )
Today there is no longer such a thing as a universal black American experience. For this reason, there is no longer a single black political agenda. Can anyone really argue that Michael Jordan and Tigger Woods inhabit the same America that African immigrant Amadou Diallo lived in when New York police officers fired forty-one shots at him, simply because they all happen to e black. Fifty years ago the answer would have been an unequivocal yes.
I didn’t write it.
I think that argument is less clear cut when the Obama element is so significant.
I got dumped, I thought it was relevant enough to the topic. What do I know?
That’s a great tale! and a reminder of how much presenting models and messages can really inspire young people.
:) back.
One thing is clear to me, when you have a party that is by its nature, more diverse and doesn’t spell out All The Rules, it’s harder to get every one paddling together. And, sometimes it’s harder to find the keys.
Doesn’t make me want to be a Republican, though.
Just something to acknowledge and understand why it’s so challenging.
oops … my typo! so sorry!
Keli
Have you read “A Hope in the Unseen”
No biggie.
You presume there’s a direct correlation between what Edwards has been doing for the past four years and how folks voted, which ignores the complexity of the situation, not the least of which is how little attention Edwards garnered from the MSM. What’s the use of doing good (in politics, at least) if people don’t hear about it from the sources they’re used to listening to?
The boat is big enough for all of us, but we have to learn to make room for each other. Part of that is folks feeling listened to–and everyone sitting down to table.
Ahhhh, sorry. Looks like I lost my way. I think we’re on the same side;)
Always
Keli … what would you suggest needs to happen as we move forward? are there ways we can encourage the party to address young black voters more effectively?
I agree with you.
Why do you think the MSM ignored Edwards?
Do you think they just wanted to cut to the chase and focus on who They thought would be the big dogs?
My saying it’s a damn shame does not even get to close to what I’m feeling.
Interesting. The College Voter wrote a similar opinion the other day on parents being influenced by their children’s political stance. Read it here: http://www.thecollegevoter.com.....-canidate/
In a Closed Primary State like Florida - an Independent voter cannot help to improve the Democratic Party (by helping to elect progressive candidates in Primary races). Independents are blocked from voting (for party affiliated candidates) in Primary races. Primaries are vitally important. They are the only way to rid the Party of Incumbent Blue Dogs. Young voters need to be aware of this and select a Party Registration that best represents their interests. Independent is ineffective in closed primary states.
Hi–I’m not sure if you read some of my earlier posts but as I mentioned it’s very dangerous and not wholly accurate to just label something an “African-American issue” (or as you dub them issues of importance to the African-American community). As I stated in response to a previous question, while Russell Simmons for instance, described poverty as a signature issue of the “hip hop voter movement,” when I surveyed members of the so-called hip-hop generation “economic inequality” was outranked by the war as the most important issue. My point is it is not your place to dictate what constitutes issues of importance to African-Americans. You don’t have the authority to do that and frankly neither do I, but this type of thinking is precisely what gets Democrats in trouble. Think of voters as voters not simply groups. We don’t sit in a room and decide that this is the “African-American issue” so I think your framing of the question is off. I would suggest that it might help you avoid any further misinterpretation on this subject and my overall thesis if you actually try reading my book.
With that said, I must go on the record and say that I think John Edwards was a terrific candidate–as does almost my entire family, many of whom had been planning to vote for him had he still been in the race when their respective states held their primaries. I think blaming the black community for his loss is perhaps a bit of misdirected anger. You have to keep in mind that as unfortunate as it is to admit–a lot of times voting ends up about strategy. For instance, I can’t tell you how many times I heard voters say “I think a great ticket would be Edwards/Obama,” not because of any animus towards Clinton but simply because of a belief that that would be a stronger ticket. So when faced with choosing between the well-financed frontsunners Clinton and Obama and Edwards who appeared to be struggling–some people (black and white) did a calculation and went with the well financed candidate that they thought was most viable–Obama. It’s unfortunate that as voters it’s not always as simple as voting for the person you like most but it is what it is.
Keli … as I mentioned in the post (and which I hope will be seen as just a taste to encourage folks to buy and read your book) I think one of the really important things you highlight is the importance of seeing the individual behind these ideas of “consituencies,” - and I’d say the very real arrogance of treating “black voters” as a monolithic block rather than a collection of people with varied interests and concerns.
I think one of the ways Obama has been successful is in encouraging voters to self organize which inevitably enables them to give voice to their own concerns. We have a lot to learn!
Yeah I have to say Paul, I think there were other factors that influenced that Edwards vote. By the time election day came around, his electability (or lack thereof) was something that influenced a lot of people as I recall, though I don’t have a polling link.
Keli @44 — my question went more to infrastructure than enthusiasm. Has the money going into the states gone into strengthening permanent community-based organizing infrastructure that can be mobilized in the future for other candidates/issues in the African American community?
I want to thank Keli for being with us today - and also for her great book. It was a pleasure to read and I’ll be thinking about the information she shares in it for a long time.
And I’m sure we’ll all be cheering for her as she brings her strong voice to the pundit game …it’s great to have someone speak so clearly for what matters!
Keli, Thank you for stopping by the Lake and spending the afternoon with us.
Thank you again.
Thank you, Keli. This has been a very interesting salon. I look forward to reading your book.
woo-hoo, pups. Sorry for the O/T posting, but just found this on Yahoooo! news (and an AP story no less):
Now, now seems to me that a certain blond-haired lady started this ball rolling before the DNC got around to their grandstanding!
And now for the irony-rich quote of the day:
Anyone ever tell Mr. Conant the barbarian about that obscure litigation filed by someone (can’t remember who) called Bush v. Gore?
Smarter republicans please. LOL!
Ms. Goff,
Have you approached the folks at MSNBC about a show of your own? I mean the the network did a decent job this weekend with the documentary Meeting David Wilson.
It was an interesting presentation and the conversation afterwords has some good elements.
So hit them up and you can call your new show The Conversation and it can broach lots of issues on race and ethnicity.
-G
P.S. Tell Brian Williams to talk to you and not Joe Klein if he wants to get the pulse on the state of America’s youth of color.
great idea!
(but I always thought Joe Klein was just sooo … hip hop?)
Your question actually reminds me of an anecdote that Congressman Artur Davis shared with me during our interview for the book. He told me that shortly after Hurricane Katrina a fellow Democratic elected official (whom he declined to name) was asked to serve as the keynote speaker before a group of black financial service professionals (bankers etc.) on Wall Street. The elected official, who was white, gave a stirring speech about the failures in the response to Hurricane Katrina, and the importance of continuing a commitment to civil rights issues, and the importance of renewing The Voting Rights Act. At the end of his speech, he opened up the floor to questions from the audience. The first question he received was this: “Do you have anything to say that is on the subject that is the most relevant to those of us in this room which is financial policy?”
The moral of the story as Congressman Davis–who is a Democrat–relayed it to me is that the Democratic Party has to evolve beyond the traditional thinking of “these are black voters” and this is our “black message” and “black strategy” for reaching “black voters.” They have to start treating black voters as just as much of a priority as other voting blocs–with their own individual interests within those groups. So for instance, instead of waiting to campaign in a black church a few weeks before a general election, how about following Mike Huckabee’s lead (yes Mike Huckabee) and spending the entire time between your election and re-election visiting the same churches–not to say “vote for me” but “give me a chance to earn your vote.” (For the record Huckabee was re-elected with 40% of the black vote in his state.)
Instead of treating outreach targeting African-American audiences as an afterthought–how about spending as much money on media targeting African-American audiences, as the Party does on targeting traditional soccer moms or Nascar dads (both of which can be black people!)
Lastly, I would end with something that Cornell Belcher, the DNC pollster said to me, which is that he and Donna Brazile have been working with the Democratic Party to help them evolve their perspective on outreach to black voters from simply a GOTV operation (which stands for Get Out the Vote–essentially just reminding voters to vote for you, where, what time etc.) and instead becoming more of a “Persuasive” Operation, as in asking black voters to vote for the party and giving them specific, tangible reasons WHY they should do so. I actually think that this highlights one of the most profound areas for potential improvement within the party. It took an African-American pollster and adviser to raise this issue with the DNC leadership. Lack of diversity in high-ranking leadership is a problem throughout politics–including Democratic circles. The Donna Braziles are few and far between. Ultimately, politics is sadly almost like any other business. If you don’t have diverse voices guiding your strategy you will lose touch with those audiences, whether you are Coca-Cola or the Democratic Party. If they continue to bring in diverse voices to guide them on some of these issues and demonstrate a willingness to change beyond the politics of usual, then the party has a chance to re-engage some of these younger voters.
This has been SO MUCH FUN. THANK YOU to Bev and Siun and to all of you for your questions–even the tough ones ; ) Honestly, this has been a real pleasure. Feel free to visit my website: www.keligoff.com and drop me a line sometime.
Have a great night!
Keli
Smart Lady.
Yes.
Speak the truth on the important issues. Speak genuinely from your heart and let the marketing folks target voters with that message.
Thank you Keli!
Thank you so much for being here and taking time to chat, Keli. We really appreciate it.
with all due respect jane, Edwards wound up with 40% of the white vote in SC, so “electability” wasn’t an issue — and, in fact, all the statewide polling that was done (including that done before the Iowa caucuses) show Edwards consistently in the low single digits in black support, It wasn’t the media blackout — he got 40% of the white vote. It wasn’t electability — he wasn’t getting the black vote from at least November. And given the fact that he got 37% of the black vote in SC in 2004, it wasn’t that he lacked appeal to black voters.
Sorry, but as someone who lives in an Africa