While the Bush administration is denying that it used faith based initiatives to win over socially conservative African American voters, Republican strategists are using the faith program to win a quarter of the African American vote by 2006.
Administration record-keeping has made it difficult to track where the faith-based money has gone. I wonder why…Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas), a member of the Appropriations Committee contends that “If you look at where the battleground states are, it’s where the action is in the faith-based initiative,” he said. “Towey insisted he traveled where need was greatest, not where politics dictated.”
Combined with his stance on gay marriage, Bush’s faith based program helped him increase African American support by 2-percentage-point nationwide, bringing his African American vote total to 11%. The gains were greater in battle ground states. In Florida, Bush’s support among African Americans rose 6%. In Wisconsin, the president drew 14% of the black vote. In Ohio, Bush’s vote tally among African Americans more than doubled his 2000 total, and he gained 7 percentage points to draw 16% of the black vote. If Bush had received the same proportion of black votes in Ohio as he did in 2000, the president’s margin of victory would have narrowed from the actual 118,000 to about 25,000.
So, how do Democrats win over socially conservative African Americans? Click here to find out.
First things first.
Premise 1) Faith-based initiatives are effective in reducing/addressing poverty and help those in need.
“(b) “Social service program” means a program that is administered by the Federal Government, or by a State or local government using Federal financial assistance, and that provides services directed at reducing poverty, improving opportunities for low-income children, revitalizing low-income communities, empowering low-income families and low-income individuals to become self-sufficient, or otherwise helping people in need. Such programs include, but are not limited to, the following:
(i) child care services, protective services for children and adults, services for children and adults in foster care, adoption services, services related to the management and maintenance of the home, day care services for adults, and services to meet the special needs of children, older individuals, and individuals with disabilities (including physical, mental, or emotional disabilities);
(ii) transportation services;
(iii) job training and related services, and employment services;
(iv) information, referral, and counseling services;
(v) the preparation and delivery of meals and services related to soup kitchens or food banks;
(vi) health support services;
(vii) literacy and mentoring programs;
(viii) services for the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency and substance abuse, services for the prevention of crime and the provision of assistance to the victims and the families of criminal offenders, and services related to intervention in, and prevention of, domestic violence; and
(ix) services related to the provision of assistance for housing under Federal law.
(c) “Policies that have implications for faith-based and community organizations” refers to all policies, programs, and regulations, including official guidance and internal agency procedures, that have significant effects on faith-based organizations participating in or seeking to participate in social service programs supported with Federal financial assistance. ”
-Executive Order: Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-based and Community Organizations
Premise 2) Ohio and Wisconsin have had large job loss and thus people without a higher education have trouble competing, increasing the poverty rate. Florida has a good deal of homeless people.
Premise 3) Statistically, those who are closer to poverty tend to be African American.
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C) Faith-based initiatives help alleviate social issues and since African Americans tend to have more severe social issues then a white individual, Blacks might tend to vote more towards Bush then to give their vote to Kerry who opposed faith-based initiatives.
Now the question is.. do you support poverty/social problems or do you support removing issues on a grassroots level.
First things first.
Premise 1) Faith-based initiatives are an effective way to reduce poverty and help those in need. As you can see in the quote below, faith-based initiatives act as social programs.
“(b) “Social service program” means a program that is administered by the Federal Government, or by a State or local government using Federal financial assistance, and that provides services directed at reducing poverty, improving opportunities for low-income children, revitalizing low-income communities, empowering low-income families and low-income individuals to become self-sufficient, or otherwise helping people in need. Such programs include, but are not limited to, the following:
(i) child care services, protective services for children and adults, services for children and adults in foster care, adoption services, services related to the management and maintenance of the home, day care services for adults, and services to meet the special needs of children, older individuals, and individuals with disabilities (including physical, mental, or emotional disabilities);
(ii) transportation services;
(iii) job training and related services, and employment services;
(iv) information, referral, and counseling services;
(v) the preparation and delivery of meals and services related to soup kitchens or food banks;
(vi) health support services;
(vii) literacy and mentoring programs;
(viii) services for the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency and substance abuse, services for the prevention of crime and the provision of assistance to the victims and the families of criminal offenders, and services related to intervention in, and prevention of, domestic violence; and
(ix) services related to the provision of assistance for housing under Federal law.
(c) “Policies that have implications for faith-based and community organizations” refers to all policies, programs, and regulations, including official guidance and internal agency procedures, that have significant effects on faith-based organizations participating in or seeking to participate in social service programs supported with Federal financial assistance. ”
-Executive Order: Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-based and Community Organizations
Premise 2) Ohio and Wisconsin have had large job loss and thus people without a higher education have trouble competing, increasing the poverty rate. Florida has a good deal of homeless people.
Premise 3) Statistically, those who are closer to poverty tend to be African American.
—————
C) Faith-based initiatives help alleviate social issues and since African Americans tend to have more severe social issues then a white individual, blacks might tend to vote more towards Bush especially in the key battleground states which so happen to have serious economic/social issues then to give their vote to Kerry, who opposed faith-based initiatives.