The Florida Conference of Black State Legislators is going through an Extreme Home Makeover!
Tallahassee/Leon County took a hard hit when long time State Senator Al Lawson lost a bid for a Congressional seat and former Representative Curtis Richardson lost a race for a state Senate seat.
South Florida also had its share of disappearing Black legislators when State Senator Fredericka Wilson beat down several Black legislators in a bid to win the Congressional seat vacated by U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek.
Don’t blame the swell of recent loses by Black candidates on the ac, a-a-ac-alcohol! Blame most of the losses on devilish consultants that lied about their political consultation talent and experience.
When you make a choice between paying an experienced Black political professional $10,000 total and a 20 something with no experience and no campaign success history $10,000 a month plus expenses, you usually get less than you pay for.
A dumb candidate often assumes that you need a non-Black in charge of your campaign to generate non-Black votes.
History shows that assumption is ridiculous!
Some of the most conservative and most Republican candidates in the State of Florida have used Black political professionals with alarming success. Believe it or not, Black political professionals have extensive experience placing statewide media for conservative candidates. Many of the commercials you’ve heard about crime prevention, moral values and so forth were written and produced by Blacks.
Some of Florida’s most famous GOP heroes, such as Dale Padgett, Evelyn Lynn, Jeb Bush, Jim Rathbun and others all have hired Black political professionals at one time or another.
In the upcoming 2010 General Election it will be easy to tell who will win the most important races. Any GOP candidate that gets at least 15% of Black votes cast will beat any Democrat like a snare drum in the Marching 100 Drum Line!
Democratic candidates must not only get the 95% of Black votes they usually get, they must have a Black overall turnout of 50% or more.
A 20% turnout of registered voters will insure GOP victories regardless.
Yes, Florida’s and America’s Black voters shouldered most of the blame for low turnouts and close losses by Black candidates even though those same candidates paid non-Black consultants the lion’s share of the campaign dollars.
I’m not mad with the losing candidates that made bad political choices by taking Black votes for granted and by hiring help based on the color of the helper’s skin that couldn’t draw flies to an outhouse, let alone voters to a polling place.
And, they shouldn’t be mad with me and other Black community members that say the candidates got what they deserved!
The Extreme Political Makeover will continue in November as the candidates prepare to make the same bad coices regarding how to generate votes and support.