It's been pretty much decided that a black Senator will come out of Illinois. I'm not conceding the election to Obama, though it is clear to all by now that he is a force to be reckoned with. But the Republican Party in its search for a candidate has settled on two African Americans--Andrea Grubb Barthwell and Alan Keyes. Both have significant problems--Barthwell was accused of lewd and sexually inappropriate behavior while in her post as Deputy Drug Czar, and Keyes doesn't live in the state of Illinois.
I remember talking to a friend of mine about Notre Dame's decision to go after Tyrone Willingham. He noted that very conservative institutions often go after African Americans only after all other options have been exhausted. I'm not quite sure how much of that is at play here, but after both Ryan and Ditka failed, there seems to be something to it. And of course a better question is why the pool of qualified African American Senatorial candidates is so weak. But I think we know the answer to that one.
LKS,this represent and analysis by the Republicans, of the lack of electible white males who can go against Obama.When urban area were decimated so bad Black mayor's were electible,i.e Young ,Stokes,Bradlee,and Washington.I also can throw in Gov. Wilder.The problem's lie when the ship is righted and people move back we have tendency to go back to status quote.
Posted by: tootsie at August 5, 2004 05:57 AM