Little Bombs on Election Day

Angelides undoubtedly will get the majority of the ethnic vote in California. But that hasn't stopped Schwarzenegger from an aggressive, behind-the-scenes effort to court minority groups. And it's not just Latinos.

If he can improve his margin among African American voters from around 15% to perhaps 20%, his campaign will be happy. Some of the same campaign strategists who helped orchestrate a similar effort for President Bush now are advising Schwarzenegger.

Significantly, the governor's education adviser Margaret Fortune, who is African American, has been quietly working for months with black churches. Fourteen Bay Area black churches will form an alliance to receive some of the $500 million in Proposition 49 money for after-school programs, she said, and the First AME Church in L.A. is working to start a similar group effort.

Much of Schwarzenegger's work with minority groups has bypassed the Capitol press corps. After Maria Shriver returned from visiting the Dalai Lama, Schwarzenegger announced he would lead a trade delegation to India if re-elected -- telling Indian reporters based in California first during a private session. The governor has courted the Asian American press and held little-noticed events in the Capitol with Filipino Americans. He has received glowing stories in their press for just showing up.

Schwarzenegger visited the Lula Washington Dance Studio in L.A. The MSM virtually ignored it, but the event received heavy coverage in the African American newspapers. He met with California Black Media, a group of African American newspaper publishers, and again got good reviews.

"It was history because it's the first time that the Republican leadership on that level had met with us," said Hardy L. Brown, chairman of the Black Voice News in Riverside.

The Republican governor beat Angelides to the First AME Church in Los Angeles, after more than a month of planning. And he has reached out to influential pastors in ways that go beyond attending Sunday services. He called J. Alfred Smith Sr., pastor at the Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, after his wife died. Angelides, who has visited the church as well, sent a condolence letter but did not call.

"I don't forget about people who are nice to me," Smith told his congregation on Sunday, during a second visit by the Republican governor.

(Photo: Damian Dovarganes / AP)

Comments

[Donna Warren]

I hope the ministers don't sell out the black community for a few pieces of gold. Don't they know that Arnold Schwarzenegger is building prisons and hiring prison guards for our community? Blacks make up 7% of California's population but 43% of the 3rd Strike population in prison (most doing life for petty crimes.)

Wake up ministers and others swayed by Schwarzenegger promising taxpayer's money. Don't you remember Schwarzenegger executed Tookie and did so (he said) because Tookie admired Nelson Mandela.

If black people want to sell out to Schwarzenegger, they should get something for it - like education, homes, jobs, and health care instead of prisons, poverty and despair.

Donna Warren, Candidate for Lt. Governor (the only black woman running for a statewide office)