Austin Ford

POLS 238
Blacks and Politics
Bonus Paper

With the closure of the election of 2000 blacks in America saw first hand how the
Republican party would use them in an effort to win the office of the Presidency. The
Republican strategy was to use the felon purge list in the state of Florida to eliminate
thousands of black voters from the rolls of those who could vote in the Election. By
doing this they could eliminate many democratic votes. And with a Secretary of State
Katherine Harris who is also a Republican but also the person in charge with certifying
the election results the Republican fix was in put into full effect.(Perez) With this
stunning inception of a President who not only lost the popular election but also by most
accounts also lost the electoral election by losing Florida as well. Using the strategy that
took away votes from his opponent Bush was able to grab enough votes in Florida to win
by the slimmest of margins. That is why the Supreme Court decision in Bush v. Gore
(531 U.S. 98 (2000)) is so important. Given Bush the Presidency without the expressed
consent of those being governed and seemingly without being elected as well.
The status of Blacks in American politics following the election of George W.
Bush is not seen directly in the access they have to any institutions but rather it is seen in
the ways that blacks operate as a segment of the society. The Bush Presidency was never
meant to fully catering to the black community and blacks have never believed that the
Republican party will ever cater to their needs as far as economic development and
distribution of wealth as well as the social investment that must be made in order for the
black community to grow and to foster as well. The black community simple wants to
have good education, healthcare, and good jobs so they can do the things all Americans
want to do, which is live their lives as they see fit.
The quality of Education in American between those who are affluent and those
who are caught in the struggle with poverty is a stark and desperate situation. The
solution that the Bush Administration has backed is the No Child Left Behind Act. (Dept.
of Education) which it would seem is a way to finally fund under funded schools so that
they to might have the financial resources needed to prepare children for the work or
college environment they are going to encounter after they leave the public school
system. But as time goes forward we find that many of the solutions that haven been
proposed in the act are designed with racial undertones to the way in which they seek
remedies. That a child may receive a voucher to attend a new school if his old one has
received low marks for years, the problem as seen from a black point of view is that this
program is simply another avenue for whites to receive a better education than their black
counter parts in the school system. Rather than address the problems and needs faced by
all students in the public school system. The act simply seeks to allow a few select
students to leave the poorer failing school and use the voucher to attend a new school
even private and charter schools on state funding. While the overall public school system
haven attention and funding diverted away from its critical needs continues to fail the
young men and women that uses its services, thus for blacks is the issue.
The next issue that the Bush administration has sought to make an issue is that of
social security. The black aspect of Social security is that it is seemingly an unfair
institution. Where the average lifespan of a black male is 58 years old ( U.S. Census
Bureau) the benefits for social securitiy do not become active until someone has reached
the age of 65. And doing the math what is noticeable is that although the average black
male will pay into social security his whole working life. In the end he is unlikely to see
another of the benefits of such a system. Due to the fact that he would be dead before
collecting any of the social security benefits. During the Presidents 60 day/city tour of
America to win support for his program at one of his hand pick supporters town hall
meetings, there was an African-American man who said social security is unfair to
black men in America and the president agreed. As he continued the President spoke
that retirement accounts would be a better option, the reason this sticks out is that on that
day in February the Daily Show with John Stewart ran with a segment called Social
Insecurity, using those two exchanges Stewart pointed out and rather than address the
social inequalitites and lifestyle differences that account for the premature deaths of black
men President Bush decided to go with the option that would let them enjoy their golden
year!(Social Insecurity). And Stewart is right rather than address the underlying issue
that confronts us such as why do black men not live as long as their white counterparts,
he endorsed the plan that would offer only marginally better returns with a much high
percentage of risk involved.
The involvement or perceived involvement of the black community does not
drive Republican party practices. Rather the ones being driven by the Republicans
agenda seems to be the black community and where they are going is further into
poverty. Deeper into chances with no futures and lastly into having their voice in
American politics all but shut out of the policy discourses that help build American for
the future.







Works Cited
Bush v. Gore (531 U.S. 98 (2000)
Michael Dobbs (January 7th 2005).Washington Post . A05.
Richard Ray Prez and Joan Sekler. Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election:
Melodica Music and Marketing, 2001.

Social Insecurity, Daily Show with John Stewart; Comedy Cental, Febrary 12
th
2005
U.S. Department Of Education No Child Left Behind Act
U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census.