November 2, 2006
It has been a truism for some time that blacks vote for democrats in overwhelming numbers and that block is what has helped democrats win, when they do win.
But a significant shift may be occurring within the black community. This week, the former top political leader in Prince George’s county, Maryland – Wayne Curry – and five of his fellow black democrats on the county council endorsed Michael Steele’s candidacy for the senate.
More than the endorsement, their statement as to why they are endorsing Steele, who is also black, was significant: “The democratic party acts as though when they want our opinion, they’ll give it to us. It’s not going to be like that anymore.” In 1994, Wayne Curry became the county’s first black executive and he remains influential in the mostly black and heavily democratic Washington, DC suburb.
The Washington Post buried the story in its metro section. The Washington Times made it a front page headline and deservedly so. A new generation of black voters does not seem as wedded to democrats as the older generation. This is a good thing for them and for the country.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
