He needs a history lesson. For generations, most blacks identified with the Republican Party because of Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. The shift to the Democratic Party started with FDR, continued with JFK and reached its peak with the passage of the civil rights legislation.
Why have blacks left the GOP? Because, as the Republican Party moved further to the right, blacks realized the agenda threatened their interests — whether Republicans were slashing social programs critical to the poor or attacking affirmative action. It was plain: The GOP was working against blacks.
Cain has tried to shift the discussion by saying President Obama’s policies have failed “the black people.” Which black people does he mean?
The blacks working in the auto industry, which Obama saved? The long-term unemployed blacks who need the benefits that Republicans have eliminated? The blacks who wanted — and got — better protection from banks and credit card companies? The blacks who need grants and cheaper student loans to go to college? Or the blacks who believe that much of the right wing’s rhetoric is race-driven, but have watched GOP leaders, like Cain, remain silent? Blacks didn’t vote for Obama simply because of the color of his skin. They shared his vision. Policies, not race, sway voters.
Blacks and other minorities are trying to climb the socioeconomic ladder, and they’re supporting the party that has held that ladder, not the one that has pushed it away.
http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2011/10/herman_cain_wrong_on_why_black.html
