Tailor the Right Argument to the Right Audience

Thomas Sowell argues that John McCain is only the latest Republican candidate to reach out to black voters in exactly the wrong way to precisely the wrong people. All too often, Republicans try to appeal to blacks by offering some version of Democrat-lite -- everything you always wanted from a Democrat, but less of it. Instead, Mr. Sowell says that Republicans should offer -- conservatism. He argues that conservative ideas can gain an audience with many blacks, though not to the entrenched civil rights leadership, if Republicans will make the effort to argue for them effectively. For example:

A sober presentation of the facts— "straight talk," if you will— gives Senator McCain and Republicans their best shot at a larger share of the votes of blacks. There is plenty to talk straight about, including all the things that the Democrats are committed to that work to the disadvantage of blacks, beginning with Democrats' adamant support of teachers' unions in their opposition to parental choice through vouchers.

The teachers' unions are just one of the sacred cow constituencies of the Democratic Party whose agendas are very harmful to blacks.