Bidding Once, Bidding Twice... 18 July 2006 From: The Revealer

Bidding Once, Bidding Twice... 18 July 2006 From: The Revealer

The New York Times reports on the G.O.P's "faltering" efforts to woo black voters (and wow easily impressed white "moderates") but so thoroughly disregards the role of religion in that strategy that former congressman J.C. Watts, a deeply conservative black Republican buried deep in the story, can sound like the voice of reason: "Republican strategists have appealed to socially conservative blacks by emphasizing social issues like same-sex marriage.

Mr. Watts, the former Republican congressman, called that a 'lame strategy' and said the top concerns of African-American voters were racial and economic issues.'It’s a little bit insulting to all those pastors out there and people who stand with the party on the social issues,’ Mr. Watts said, when the party then does 'nothing' to help blacks on opportunity issues." Of course, Watts has long catered to and drawn support from the very Christian conservative organizations -- Family Research Council, Wilberforce Forum, Focus on the Family -- that drive that strategy.

A more interesting story would examine those forces and the role of faith-based initiatives as a patronage machine with which the G.O.P. has attempted to buy the support of black pastors such as Rev. Herb Lusk of Philadelphia, a savvy former Philadelphia Eagle who has appeared with Bush, Senator Rick Santorum, and on the Justice Sunday programs convened to call for the overthrow of an independent judiciary. Lusk now makes Watts look positively radical. Lusk is just one of the most notable conquests in the G.O.P. campaign. What do such pastors get in return? That's the real question, and in the answer, we suspect, lies the key to understanding the success or failure of the G.O.P.'s "bid" for black voters, as the NYT headline so aptly describes an initiative that -- Watts' critique notwithstanding -- is all about the money.

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