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 Let's Talk
Denise Rolark Barnes
Columnist Page
Friday, November 5, 2004; Page 20
What Will We Do Now?
We were all convinced that Tuesday, November 2, 2004 would be the most important day in U.S. history since 1954. We believed that if Senators John Kerry and John Edwards were successful in their bid to remove President George Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney from the White House that America would be a much better place to live and work for minorities, the poor, young people and the disenfranchised. We now know that the hope of most Democrats throughout the land leading up to Tuesday is something they will never experience in spite of the close defeat of Kerry and Edwards.
Close call or not, the Democratic Party must immediately resolve to dedicate its time and resources to determine what has happened to its base. The loss of the White House is one issue, but the political set back in both the House and the Senate send a strong message that something is amiss among the body.
On the one hand, there is some need to worry about what impact a Republican-controlled legislature will have on this country. The future related to issues that mobilized many voters to support Kerry, i.e. the war in Iraq, unemployment, health care, social security and education, remains firmly in the hands of the Republicans now. Democratic voters agreed that they did not have the confidence that President Bush could lead us out of the valley he quickly led us into. And the fact that he believes that America is better off since he became President means we can only expect more, much more of the same.
The good news for African Americans is the fact that the Congressional Black Caucus gained four new members and lost none, raising its numbers to 42 in the upcoming 109th Congress. The four include State Senator Gwendolynne Moore from Milwaukee, Wisconsin Al Green of Texas, Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri and Barack Obama who overwhelmingly defeated Republican Alan Keyes for the U.S. Senate seat making him the third African American U.S. Senator since Reconstruction. And lastly, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney was reelected on Tuesday, to represent her home state of Georgia, returning her to the seat she lost just two years ago. Labeled a “loose cannon” and a “disgrace to her party,” for statements she allegedly made following the September 11 terrorists attacks, McKinney remained vigilant in setting the record straight and convinced voters in her congressional district that she should be returned to Washington, D.C.
McKinney told listeners of Radio One on Tuesday night that she was deeply disappointed that the Georgia legislature will be in Republican hands. She expressed her observation that the Democratic Party has lost focus of its base, not only in her home state but across the nation. She suggested that African Americans will have to address its relationship with the Democratic Party. In days to come, African Americans will probably be joined by Latinos, young people and the elderly in determining why the Democratic Party has losing its power.
Exit polls suggested that while the number of increased number of voters set a record in this election, the reported percentage of African Americans (11%) and youth (10%) remained unchanged from the 2000 election. Could it have been because a vote against Bush did not translate into a vote for Kerry? Possibly, but members of the CBC have articulated a litany of reasons that may have impacted the voter turnout on Tuesday.
When House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi was asked on Wednesday whether the Democratic Party needs to do some soul searching to evaluate its impact on this year’s election, she told reporters no urging that Democrats know who they are and what they stand for. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton and CBC Chairman Elijah Cummings disagree. They strongly urge the party to assess not only what happened to the one million new registered voters but what happened in the voting process that might have impacted their right to vote.
While the evaluation progress is underway, the focus cannot be taken off of the issues that impact all Americans. The Democrats have a job ahead of them to maintain a sense of balance in the legislature, and every American citizen must be vigilant to keep democracy in America alive.
For Denise Rolark Barnes send email to drbarnes@washingtoninformer.com
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