John McCain Chats With The NAACP

Presidential nominee John McCain won points by appearing in-front of the NAACP, but it is unlikely those points will convert to votes:

Baltimore Sun: McCain and NAACP

There are many, both Republican and Democrats, which believe that all African-Americans are born Democrat, and any attempts to change that is lunacy. What a ridiculous assumption by both parties. What is needed is honest dialogue, not color-coded rhetoric. That dialogue can only happen if Republicans, in particular Conservatives, are willing to sit-down at the same table with our fellow Americans, regardless of color or ethnicity. But that conversation must be a two-way street. Sure, it may be tough at first, but each exchange will help to build a stronger relationship for all involved.

Kudos to John McCain, and the NAACP audience members, for showing their willingness to enter into a conversation. McCain didn’t shy away from answering question at the NAACP conference, devoting 12-minutes at the end of his speech to taking questions from the floor. He also spent some additional time at the end of the Q&A talking with audience members on the floor. It is unfortunates that many in the media chose to only talk about the school voucher elements of McCain’s speech.

There are many Conservative values that would be appealing to any neighborhood, including the African-American community. Our message is truly one of equality, but Conservatives have allowed the Democratic Party to hijack the discussion and define us as no inclusive. The integrity of this debate demands that it not be about votes, but about the two different ideologies that represent Conservatives and Liberals. Point for point, Conservatives values will win over Progressive values, but only if we entered into a dialogue with those in need of the message.

John McCain’s visit to the 2008 NAACP Conference proves that he believes in his principals, and is an indication of his readiness to represent ALL Americans.