Politics

Florida GOP wooing blacks' allegiance

A new party initiative aims to make gains in the wake of Gov. Charlie Crist's popularity.

By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political Editor
Published October 24, 2007

The Florida GOP, led by a man who has been called Florida's "first black governor," is launching an unprecedented outreach effort to court African-American voters.

On the heels of Gov. Charlie Crist winning 18 percent of what is overwhelmingly a Democratic voting bloc, the state party is pumping money and staff toward solidifying and building on those gains. Blacks make up about 12 percent of the electorate but represent about one in four Democrats. If Republicans start routinely winning sizable percentages of that vote, Florida Democrats would be in deep trouble.

The Florida GOP initiative contrasts with the focus of the Republican presidential candidates, who are courting the party's traditional base and bypassing debates and forums targeting black voters and Hispanics.

The state Republican Party has created a new minority outreach department to court black, Jewish and Hispanic voters, headed by a new staffer, John Davis, who is African-American.

The party also is creating minority "leadership councils" to advise party leaders and is pushing local parties to pursue similar initiatives. On Nov. 16, the state GOP will hold a statewide black Republican conference in Orlando headlined by former Pittsburgh Steeler and Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann.

"The Republican party has always been committed to this cause, but under Gov. Crist's leadership and this party's leadership we are truly walking the walk," state GOP chairman Jim Greer told the state Republican executive committee Sunday.

"This state party will do everything it can during this chairman's term to ensure that the minority voter understands that they are important, that we are an inclusive party, and we value them in the Republican Party," Greer said. "To win next year we're going to need all the votes in the state of Florida."

So far, however, there's no evidence Crist's support among African-Americans is translating to other candidates or to the party as a whole.

"The African-American community is very supportive of this governor because he has demonstrated his support of the issues they care about," said James Harris, a Democratic consultant specializing in African-American outreach.

"It's great that the effort is being made by the Republican Party, but I see no African-Americans having a problem saying yes to Charlie Crist and no to the Republican Party," Harris said. "Can the Fred Thompsons, the Rudy Giulianis, the Mitt Romneys pull those votes themselves? If they can't, Gov. Crist saying to them, 'I support you,' really is not going to help."

Reaching out to black voters is nothing new to the Florida GOP.

"Jeb Bush planted the seeds that Charlie Crist is now watering," said Cassandra Jackson, leader of the Pinellas Black Republican Club.

Former Gov. Bush courted black voters, recruited black candidates and had a strong record on diverse appointments. But Bush's revamping Florida's affirmative action program in 1999 and the contested 2000 election hurt the party's standing with African-American voters.

"Things got complicated in the state," former state Republican chairman Al Cardenas said of those setbacks. "But Charlie Crist did so well in the election and he started out so well that this is probably the best chance we will have had to make a significant difference."

Crist has won glowing reviews from black Democratic leaders - state Rep. Terry Fields of Jacksonville called him the first black governor - for his accessibility and early record on key issues.

Taking heat from fellow Republicans, including Attorney General Bill McCollum, Crist pushed for the restoration of felons' voting rights after their sentences are completed.

The first Republican governor to accept an invitation to address the state NAACP convention also joined Democrats in demanding a paper record of voting machines votes, and he strongly backed the state paying $5-million to the family of Martin Lee Anderson, the teen who died in a Florida boot camp after getting roughed up by guards.

Eager to reinvigorate the Federation of Black Republicans, Greer had the party invest some money to take the group out of debt, and the party also spent $25,000 to help another group publish Black Republican magazine. He frequently has visited black Republican groups.

"Under Jim Greer and Charlie Crist, I've seen us come 20 years. Before, the party leadership never put their money where their mouth is," said Sam Newby, president of Joseph E. Lee black Republican club in Jacksonville, where Greer recently spoke.

While the presidential candidates might be doing little to reach out beyond the base so far, Greer said he hopes the national GOP keeps an eye on the Florida GOP's initiatives and comes to see how it can pay off.

"The future of our party, the success of our party, is to be an inclusive party. We cannot succeed in the future if we do not embrace all voters," Greer said.

Adam C. Smith can be reached at asmith@sptimes.com or 727893-8241.

Fast Facts:

How they voted

Republican performance with African-American Florida voters:

1994: Jeb Bush, 6 percent.

1998: Jeb Bush, 14 percent.

2000: George W. Bush, 7 percent.

2002: Jeb Bush, 8 percent.

2004: George W. Bush, 13 percent.

2006: Charlie Crist, 18 percent.

[Last modified October 24, 2007, 00:17:34]