Well, low and behold African-American voters have again shown a significant margin of disapproval toward black candidates that hew to centrist positions when more liberal alternatives are available.

Salon sums it up best

Davis voted against healthcare reform in the House back in March, calculating that a “yes” vote would kill him with the Alabama general election audience of 2010. This may well have been accurate, but he forgot that he also faced a Democratic primary — and Democratic voters were none too happy to see him siding with the GOP and against Barack Obama (even if the White House was privately understanding of Davis’ vote). His years of tacking to the middle made it impossible for him to get the benefit of the doubt. Leading civil rights groups ended up backing Sparks, who is white, over Davis. When the returns came in on Tuesday night, it wasn’t even close.

In a way, it’s a fitting end. Davis built himself up at the expense of his party. Then his party got even.

Florida is an incredibly expensive state to run a state-wide race in, as detailed in the media markets that you have to spend money in and around. However, Kendrick Meek doesn’t seem to be working on creating a national infrastructure of donors to help him afford the advertising he will need to compete with the on-slaught of Rubio and Crist’s spending.

Crist has the advantage that he is a sitting governor, and therefore a house-hold name, and given his newly independent status, has plenty of time to complain about both Democrats and Republicans.  And, given his new “bipartisan-centrist” stances on issues such as vetoing the recent Florida education bill, Crist will be able to appeal to Sunday Washington shows that fetishize bipartisan stances.

Rubio on the other hand, was a national darling of conservative Republicans — even though his most recent job was a lobbyist…

(h/t politicalwire.com)

Public Policy Polling

It doesn’t matter who the Republicans or the Democrats nominate at this point for Governor in Alabama- the GOP candidate will be favored to win this fall.

The Republican leads by anywhere from 5 to 16 points in the eight match ups we looked at. Based on yesterday’s primary polling the most likely contest right now is between Artur Davis on the Democratic side and Bradley Byrne on the Republican side, and Byrne leads 48-32 in such a scenario. He wins independents 41-25 and gets 84% of the Republican vote to Davis’ 67% of the Democratic vote. It’s important to note that there are more than twice as many undecided Democrats as Republicans, so if those voters ended up ‘coming home,’ this would be a much closer race.

Guess what? Artur Davis is rewarded in no way what so ever by going against the will of his constituents.

Where’s Tavis Smiley … aka Captain Save a Blackman?

I’m kind of surprised (honest!) that Tea Party members would allow the more rowdy of their protesters anywhere near Democrats. When tempers flair near the end of a legislative “victory” for a partisan side, there is often little recourse other than engage in the worst of behaviors. Unfortunately for Tea Party Republicans, this allows Democrats to really shift the focus of the complaints about the bill to the behavior of the protesters. For example here’s some information from CNN.com

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Missouri, released a statement late Saturday saying he too was called the “N” word as he walked to the Capitol for a vote and that he was spat on by one protestor who was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police. Cleaver declined to press charges against the man, the statement said.

Protesters also hurled anti-gay comments at Rep. Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, who is openly gay, as he left the same health care meeting that Lewis attended in a House office building.

A CNN producer overheard the word “faggot” yelled at Frank several times in the lobby of the Longworth building. Frank said he heard someone yell “homo” at him.

TheRoot.com’ Prints an Advertisement for Tavis Smiley.
TheRoot.com is the latest to conduct an interview advertisement for Tavis Smiley Enterprises.

The “interview” was a commercial for Smiley, as the interviewer did not bother to press Smiley on any of the issues people want to really hear explanations. Beyond the issues the tussle with Al Sharpton, but rather get to “the root” of the what Smiley feels his role is in the African American community, and Tavis Smiley’s own responsibility for his participation in the Wells Fargo sub-prime home loans events targeted for African American consumers. While Smiley is busy critiquing and complaining about other black public figures, he ignores his own issues. In addition, Smiley has yet to specify in interview after interview what specific policies should be created to improve (unstated) issues in African American Communities.

Like him or not Al Sharpton has created an black organization, and managed by hook or crook to become a relevant figure in both Democratic politics, African-American political leadership and gained enough of a position within the Whitehouse to have spots on various boards that are enacting policies. So, while Smiley is bitching and moaning about this that and the other unarticulated issues, Sharpton is busy working on reforming NCLB, and looking at numerous other issues.

Smiley is still caught between a role as both a talk show host and an activist, and manages to do a very poor job at both. As a talk show host Smiley tries to push a line of policy that has no constituency (unlike Hannity or Beck of Fox, which play issues to grassroots organizations) , and as an activist Smiley simply has no grass roots organization to actually implement whatever he says is the latest and greatest thing to do.

So, rather consistently Smiley is simply talking for Tavis Smiley Enterprises, and as a result it is no wonder the people who tend to stick-up for Mr. Smiley tend to be included in his events.

However, on theroot.com’s infomercial for Smiley’s book and feel good talk show tour:
[...]

HelloNegro.com has an interesting piece about black leadership in the 21st Century. I’ve briefly discussed black leadership during the Tavis Smiley and Al Sharpton feud.

I’m working on a longer piece that will try to but those thoughts into perspective as black Americans have gradually developed more access to power structures within the government. So, while there is only an single appointed black senator, we have a black president … odd…

HelloNegro.com asks:

Who are the leaders of the Black Community today?

Go there and comment HelloNegro.com

Founding Congressional Black Caucus member John Conyers (D-Mich.) wife Monica Conyers has been found guilty of corruption and has been sentenced to three years in prison.

h/t TalkingPointsMemo.com

onyers suggested that she was the victim of “badgering” last summer when she acknowledged a conspiracy to take bribes for her support of a Houston company seeking a sludge contract. U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn says her plea deal was voluntary.

Conyers is the wife of Democratic U.S. Rep. John Conyers. She quit the council in June.

Prosecutors also want the judge to consider allegations that Conyers and an aide collected $69,500 from people seeking help from the city. Her lawyer denies the claims.

I don’t understand how these people believe they will not be caught.