Black Republican Chooses History over Conservative Values | Voice of America - English
Last week the Democratic Party held its national convention in Denver, Colorado, and nominated Senator Barack Obama, who hopes to become the United States? first black president. A record number of African-American delegates ? more than 1,000 ? were at the event. By contrast, only about 40 black delegates attended this week?s Republican convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nevertheless, the Republicans continue to say a significant number of African-Americans support their presidential nominee, John McCain.
?I have worked on Republican governors? campaigns, andthose of senators, congressmen, and four presidential campaigns. I haverelationships in the (President George W. Bush) administration, andrelationships with top Republicans dating back to the (President Richard Nixon)administration,? says Raynard Jackson, the CEO of a government relations andpolitical consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Jackson helps American politicians with strategiesto reach minority communities and works with presidents from various Africancountries to improve their relations with U.S. government branches and thebusiness community. His website describes him as ?one of the most sought after conservative speakers inAmerica.? He?s appeared regularly on U.S. radio and television shows, such asCNN?s Larry King Live, and has written opinion pieces for newspapers,including The Washington Times and The Washington Post. ?Our family in St. Louis, Missouri, supported theRepublicans,? he says. He explains that the Jacksons were attracted to theRepublican Party because of its emphasis on Christian principles, individualresponsibility, education and discipline. ?Wewent to church; if we misbehaved as children, we were punished. We were taughtto respect authority. This is just the way I grew up.? In comparison, says Jackson, the ?more secular? Democratsseemed ?soft; lax; too liberal.? In addition, the Jacksons, like mostRepublicans, were vociferously pro-life and didn?t agree with the Democraticposition that women in certain instances should be permitted to have abortions. Jackson says he was always ?put off? by the Democrat?sinsistence on a ?larger government role in all spheres of life, creating awelfare state by providing too many benefits and services to people. I believedthat people must work to get ahead, not get government hand-outs,? he says. According to Jackson, his support for the Republican Partywas based on citizens having the opportunity to make money, with ?littleinterference? from the state. ?Government shouldn?t be permitted to regulate mein a way that forces me to provide certain employee benefits; I must be able todecide these for myself,? he says. Jackson expresses support for the Republican mantra of ?lessgovernment spending" and emphasis on the "individual rather than the collective, andlower taxes." He comments, ?(As the owner of a large business) I don?tlike paying taxes. I pay what I?m obligated to, but I don?t want the governmentto constantly take more and more money out of my pocket.? ButJackson says he?s disappointed that the party he?s supported for two decadesseems to have abandoned what he terms ?one of the true tenets of Americanconservatism.? ?Under (Republican president) George (W.) Bush, federalspending has increased more than under (Democratic former president) BillClinton?. So the Republican Party, really, under Bush is not a (true)conservative party.? He?salso not happy with the Republican claim that increasing numbers ofAfrican-Americans are backing the party. Jackson says black support for theRepublicans is actually waning, despite the fact that Mr. Bush assembled the?most racially diverse administration in history? ? with such black officialsas (former) Secretary of State Colin Powell ? and that many African-Americans,such as himself, support traditional Republican values. ?Blacks have consistently proved to be the mostconservative group of people in the United States of America?. Poll after pollhas shown that the black community is the biggest group in the country that?s,for example, pro-life (anti-abortion) and anti-homosexuality,? Jackson says. The Bush administration says it?s dedicated to improvingthe lives of Americans of all ethnic groups. It points out that it?s giving federal aid to blackchurches to provide health care to the poor, for example, and to counselagainst gang violence, drug abuse, divorce and teen pregnancy. However, Jackson maintains his party has done little inrecent years to suggest that it?s committed to improving the lives of poorAfrican-Americans. He acknowledges that his party is haunted by eventsin New Orleans in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina killed about 1,800 people, mainly blacks. The Bushadministration was accused of doing little to help them, a charge it denies.The government also points to the precautions it took following the Katrinatragedy as the reasons why Hurricane Gustav, which struck the U.S. Gulf Coastthis week, didn?t wreak as much death and destruction as expected. Jackson?salso expressed disappointment in McCain?s choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palinas his vice-presidential running mate. He says there are far better candidateswithin the Republican Party. ?Theirargument is that (Palin) has more executive experience than (Democraticvice-presidential nominee) Joe Biden and Barack Obama because she?s been amayor and a governor. Well, if you?re going to make that argument, then she hasmore executive experience than John McCain as well.? Jacksonis aware that some black Republicans have suggested that Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice, an African-American, would have been a better pick thatPalin. But he?s not one of them. ?I can?t think of any one person who couldreally help this ticket. The Republican brand is (that) damaged.? Republicans, though, insist there?s nothing wrong withtheir party and say it offers the best policies for all Americans, includingblacks. But Jackson is adamant: ?Forthe record, despite being Republican, I voted for Obama during the primary and,unless he gives me a reason not to, will vote for him during the generalelection.? This is despite the fact that Jacksonsays he disagrees with ?up to 70 per cent? of Obama?s policies. How does he explain what many would see as his political betrayal, given hiscontinued support for many Republican policies? He says, ?Everyso often in life, there?s an opportunity for you to do something that?s goingto transform your community, your society and possibly the world?. Theopportunity for a black to become president of the United States far supersedesideology?. I will not be on the wrong side of history, nor will I stand in theway of the doors of history opening because of my party affiliation.? He?squick to add that he has ?a lot of black friends? in the Republican Party whoare not only supporting McCain, but are ?viciously attacking? Obama. Jacksonwants to make it clear, though, that he?ll cast his vote in November with theaim of ?helping to change history, not necessarily for Obama the politician.? Buthe acknowledges it would be ?great to have a black face? at significantinternational gatherings in the future, like the G8 group of powerfulcountries. ?IfObama is sitting at the table, at least you get a more diverse viewpoint on alot of foreign policy issues?. He will bring a different perspective justbecause he?s black and he comes from a different experience. He becomes ourNelson Mandela, [who] can possibly alter the political landscape of the worldjust by virtue of his presence.? Jacksonis, however, concerned that an Obama administration will ?erode? some of theconservative principles that he?s always believed in, but he?s convinced that?at this point in time the benefits of his election? will counteract thenegatives. ?I?mwilling to hold my tongue and to hold my nose on some of the policy positionshe might undertake?. If I have to trade off some policy differences for thattype of change, then I?m willing to do that.? Jacksondenies that his switch from Republican to the Obama camp is designed to curryfavor from the Democrats and thus with members of a possible Obamaadministration. His company does, after all, receive a significant portion ofits income from government work.... ?Whathappens if the election goes the other way he asks. ?Where will my viewsleave me if John McCain wins Forthis particular election, Jackson maintains, he?s a black person first and aconservative second. And he?s not bothered at all by critics who say mostAfrican-Americans will support Obama simply because of the Democratic nominee?srace. ?Thesesame people who make that argument don?t make the same argument that a lot ofwhite folks will vote for John McCain (just) because he?s white,? he notes. Jackson?sconvinced that the Republicans don?t have many reasons to be optimistic at themoment. But the latest polls show Obama and McCain running neck and neck interms of popularity. Some pollsters indicate that, in the end, McCain may notneed black support in order to become the next American president.