“The black vote”
Wednesday, Oct 15, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ABC 7…
In a debate at the DuSable Museum of African American history, candidates for governor vied for the black vote that Republicans are not conceding this year.
“Governor Quinn, in my opinion, is taking the African American vote for granted,” said Rauner.
Rauner told the majority African American audience and panel that blacks had not fared well under incumbent Pat Quinn’s leadership.
“Brutally high unemployment, deteriorating schools, lack of a proper social services,” said Rauner.
I’m not sure how you can accuse Quinn of using an anti-violence program to buy black votes four years ago and still say he takes the black vote for granted. Should he do another NRI or something?
* Tribune…
[Rauner said] the Democratic governor “could have and should have” made Stephanie Neely, the black city treasurer of Chicago, his running mate but threw her “off his ticket” in favor of former Chicago Public Schools chief Paul Vallas.
“African-American families are suffering in Illinois — brutally high unemployment, deteriorating schools, lack of proper social services and rampant cronyism and corruption that’s taking away job opportunities from African Americans,” Rauner said.
The Neely snub definitely upset some members of Chicago’s African-American elite, so that was a good line for Rauner that’ll play well with a small group of folks. I wonder how Neely feels about Quinn and/or Rauner today?
* AP…
Quinn was asked how he’d help build trust among minorities with law enforcement.
He noted his record of trying to clear the clemency backlog of more than 2,500 cases that built up under his predecessor, saying he’s considered cases “based on justice and mercy.”
“That is part of helping ex-offenders who have made mistakes, who have served their time, get a fresh start,” he said.
But Rauner said Quinn has failed on crime, public safety and the prison system, saying the best way to reduce crime is to grow the economy to create jobs.
“We have crime because we have a lack of opportunity,” he said.
Neither candidate actually answered that question, and it’s a very important one in the community.
* But, speaking of “creating jobs,” Mary Ann Ahern reported that some participants in a loud and rowdy protest outside the governor’s debate admitted to being paid to attend. That was confirmed by Natasha Korecki…
Ward is pretty well known in some South Side circles as an agitator.
Ward didn’t say who was paying him, but said it wasn’t the Rauner campaign, even though he had a bus to take them away…
I’m told by one reporter who was there that it appeared Rauner’s people asked the protesters to stop and they complied.
* Meanwhile, Rauner’s campaign is blanketing the interwebtubes with some new YouTube videos of prominent African-American supporters. I’m seeing these ads almost everywhere I navigate today. The full list is here, but let’s just watch a couple of them. Pastor Corey Brooks…
* Rev. James Meeks…
* President Obama will appear with Gov. Quinn this weekend on the South Side. And he had this event scheduled for today…
As part of his Birth to Five Initiative, Governor Pat Quinn will announce an investment in early childhood education in one of Illinois’ most underserved communities.
WHEN: 11 a.m.
WHERE: Gads Hill Child Development Center
2nd Floor
2653 W. Ogden Ave.
Chicago, 60608
