Friday, October 20, 2006

Amos Brown Cracks Up Over Carson-Dickerson Poll

On my way to the blogger's forum this afternoon with several Democratic legislative candidates, I did something I've never done before and will never make the mistake of doing again: I listened to Amos Brown's radio talk show on WTLC-AM. During the short time I listened to Brown's rantings, he was having a complete crack up over WTHR-TV's poll showing Republican Eric Dickerson edging Rep. Julia Carson (D) by a 45%-42% margin. It seems, according to Brown, WTHR conspired with Republicans to fix the poll's outcome by deliberately under-representing African-Americans and over-representing Republicans.

Now, it is always fair to question the methodology of a poll. They are not always reliable, and they offer a mere snapshot of what voters are thinking during an election. I would observe that Brown or none of the other Democrats complained when WISH-TV released an incredible poll last month showing Melina Kennedy with a lead over Brizzi, and another poll showing Carson with a 20-point lead over Dickerson. That latter poll showed Carson capturing 55% of the vote, a feat she hasn't accomplished in any recent elections. There was reason to believe that poll's methodology was suspect, but you didn't hear Dickerson, Brizzi or other Republicans jumping up and down screaming foul.

As he and some of his callers ranted about the poll, I was taken aback by the degree of the hatred he and some of his listeners seem to direct at Dickerson for daring as a black man to challenge apparently the only person qualified to represent black people in the district, Rep. Carson. While claiming that the poll was rigged, Brown expressed concern that the 7th District would send the only African-American Republican to Congress this year as a member of the minority party, assured that Democrats will recapture control of the House this election. He thinks that would be a big waste because Carson is sure to have lots of influence if Democrats regain control of the House. Carson is currently ranked dead last in influence among Indiana's current congressional delegation, even among those with lesser seniority. It is hard to see that change any in the new Congress, particularly with the challenges she faces from her declining health.

The hypocritical Brown recently raised questions about Dickerson's outreach efforts to black ministers for support. He accused Dickerson of buying access to black churches. Interestingly, he makes no mention of the fact that Carson is shown by local television stations entering black churches to campaign every election year--a clear violation of federal nonprofit laws which prohibit churches from engaging in partisan politics. Brown also recently tried to tamp down concerns that Sen. Barack Obama came into town to raise money for three white Democratic candidates but not Carson. Quoting Obama, Brown said: “Julia, she is so far ahead, that she really doesn’t have an opponent. I just love Congresswoman Carson.” “(But) our focus really has to be on those marginal races that are really going to put Congress over the top,” Obama continued.

If Brown's tirade this afternoon is any indication, Dickerson better be prepared for the worst two weeks of his life. It is clear that Carson and friends like Brown will do everything conceivable over the next two weeks to personally destroy him, not that they haven't already been doing their darned best to do just this. Carson and Brown are very threatened by any emerging African-American leaders who don't kowtow to their thought of what makes an acceptable black leader. It is unfortunate that a successful member of the Indianapolis black community has to be disrespected so much by the likes of Brown and Carson just because of the political party they identify themselves with--the party I might add that freed the slaves, gave us the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, integrated the U.S. military, initiated the first school desegregation efforts and made possible the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Advance:

There are members of the African American community ready to deal with anything they may throw at Dickerson.

Amos Brown is not the only one with a voice. If he and other supporters don't come with the truth, they might as well stay at home. We are at war for new black leadership in this city!

Dickerson will win by a close margin and there is nothing they can do to stop it.

Wilson46201 said...

... but for reasons unfathomable to some folk, African-Americans voted over 90% against George Bush and his Republican Party. All Black Congresspeople are Democrats. All.

This year, for the very first time ever, the Indianapolis GOP is running an African-American for a county office. They dominated and controlled county offices but never ever selected a Black Republican to run in a "guaranteed safe seat". Now that the GOP are losers, all of a sudden they discover dark faces to put on their futile ticket.

African-Americans are quite aware of such hypocrisies. It's all well and good to holler about Abraham Lincoln but over 90% Black voters feel the GOP is currently inimical to their interests...

Anonymous said...

And I still say for a white man you sure claim to know a hell of a lot about black people.

Amos Brown is the David Duke of black people.

Wilson46201 said...

I have worked with and around African-Americans for many years now. In particular I have worked for and with a number of successful and winning Black elected officials. Some insignificant folk declare themselves leaders - other people prove it by running and winning elections. I have been blessed to have been taught by such people as Dr. A. J. Brown, Julia Carson, Billie Breaux and others ...

It is precisely Democratic Black elected officials in Indiana that have proven themselves the staunchest champions of LGBT rights and equality ... I am proud to stand with them!

Anonymous said...

Let's do an apples to apple comparison:

Andy Jacobs Jr represented the district prior to Julia Carson allegedly representing the 7th.

In the past 10 years

109th: 6 bills sponsored (all in 2005 none in 2006 to date)
108th: 12 bills sponsored
107th: 15 bills sponsored - GOP Control - Pres. Bush43
106th: 8 bills sponsored
105th: 2 bills (her first term) - GOP Control - Pres. Clinton's 2nd Term

total in 10 years: 43 bills

Andy Jacobs:
104th - his last and the first under GOP control he sponsored 50 bills, and Pres. Clinton in office
103rd - The last one under Democrat control and Dem President: 79 Bills
102nd - Dem Congress - Pres. Bush41: 62 Bills

Andy Jacobs did MORE in ONE term under GOP control than Julia has done in TEN years!! So Amos nor Julia can go there about blaming the leadership why she didn't get anything done. She just doesn't WANT to get anything done.

I'm Sir Hailstone - and I APPROVE this message!

Wilson46201 said...

Initiating a bill and getting it passed are two very different things. Co-sponsoring a bill is also important.

Julia Carson's 18 years in the Indiana General Assembly as Representative and Senator taught her well how laws are made. Before that, 8 years working for Jacobs served as good training.

I am a proud American and abjure and reject all monarchist titles and tom-foolery. Let the foreigners feign importance with pseudo nobility ... let republican democracy flourish in the U.S.A. !

Anonymous said...

You know damn well co-sponsoring requires little effort. That's just saying "yeah I support that" and you're a co-sponsor.

Sponsoring a bill involves doing some work. Which obviously she has not done.

The Republicans are flourishing the these United States and cut the monarchist crap it's getting old.

Wilson46201 said...

Apropos Carson going to churches : she has been doing that for many, many years - she's quite "the church lady". She doesnt give partisan political speeches - incumbency is useful for recognition. She usually attends at least 2 different church services every Sunday. Not just during Election Season either.

Dickerson has hurt himself immensely in the Black community by not being a member of any church at all.

Wilson46201 said...

so why do you have to puff yourself up with monarchist crap like "sir" ? Real Americans dont use such junk.

And "hailstones" are about as welcome in Indiana as syphilitic terrorists with AK-47s ...

Anonymous said...

Amos Brown thinks he has the only voice of black Indianapolis. He thinks all black businesses and politicians must go through him, or it isn't legitimate. He's arrogant, and now he's irrelevant.

Calling him a black David Duke is a little extreme. In his career, he's done a lot of good in this communityl But he's become a self-annointed Emporer, and this Emporer is wearing no clothes.

These polls are a snapshot in time, and a rather intellegent discussion of their data, has been held here and on other blogs. Nobody thinks this race is over. By a long shot.

Notice how Wilson wraps himself in some very honorable names Careful with Billie Breaux's name, Wilson...she does not endorse this kind of nonsense. She's a true lady. How about sticking to your own hollerin?

Wilson46201 said...

The previous commenter should examine Billie Breaux's campaign material to see how closely I work with her ... just saying!

Anonymous said...

You had me, Gary, until the last few lines.

The party that freed the slaves was a party nominally led by Lincoln. Read his writings (I have, extensively) and tell me he's ANYthing like Bush (either one), Hastert, Frist, et al.
Today's GOP leaders have practiced wedge politics with a fine knife. That knife is now coming home to slash them, and they deserve every swipe. Lincoln would politely bitch slap every one of them for failing to honorably deal with opponents. On Lincoln's worst day (and he had many--the man was, in today's terms, probably bipolar) was better than Bush's best. Hatefulness was not in Lincoln's playbook. And although we didn't have a lot of photographic evidence, I doubt Lincoln had that shit-eatin grin Bush displays. The one that makes people want to slap it off him, especially when he flashes it after he's wrong.

Lincoln hated war. Bush rushed headlong into a "War on Tara" against the wrong entity at the wrong time. A testosterone-driven mistake. And he keeps up the charade by telling us we're in Iraq because of 9/11. Nobody believes that any more. Because it's untrue.

And as for school desegregation, don't make me laugh. Brown v Board of Ed pushed deseg, under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and a general disgust with separate, unequal schools. Justice-to-be Douglas has written extensively on the legal briefs in that case, and they're fascinating. In Congress at the time, 44 Senators supported a resolution opposing the court's action. All 12 co-sponsors were Republican.

Our own good Sen. Lugar was part of the local school board that allowed the disgraceful decline in the physical and educational condition of inner-city schools. A lot of people bare responsibility for that.

And the Republican Party that allowed deseg, freed the slaves and all those amendments, no more resembles today's GOP than a man in the moon. Please.

I used to listen to the Ev and Charlie Show on radio. Sen. Everett Dirksen and Rep. Charlie Halleck of Northern Indiana...minority leaders of their houses, who hosted a national radio show. It was a model of decorum and civility. It was The Loyal Opposition. It made me think. Nay a wedge issue was mentioned.

Today's GOP leadership just makes me puke. Can you imagine Hastert and Frist together on a radio show? They'd harrumph about flag burning, gay marriage and school choice.

They have richly earned their day of reckoning. I don't know if it's coming, but it sure looks like it might.

Sorry for the long post, but you hit on several nerves.

Anonymous said...

"so why do you have to puff yourself up with monarchist crap like "sir" ? Real Americans dont use such junk."

Hmmm sounds like you're alienating quite a large swath of LGBT folks with comments like that. Ever heard of SCA? Society of Creative Anacronisms. Google it. There's lots of folks from all walks of life including many LGBT that participate in SCA.

Anonymous said...

Advance Indiana:

Response to Wilson 46201: 6.26 p.m. Regardless of the number of black leaders that you say mentored you, it does not make you an authority on how African Americans think or will vote.

As a community activist, I have supported many of the same African American officeholders currently serving in public office for both political parties more than 30 years. I know their history better than you.

Did your mentors teach you that most African Americans are primarily conservative thinkers and embrace conservative family values? Don't believe every thing you read in the newspapers about black people.

As for no African American candidates on the GOP ticket, an individual has to want to run and agree to run. Evidently most African Americans who have chosen to support the Republican Party are satisfied with the leadership provided in the political arena.

Indianapolis is a plantation for African Americans who support the Democrat Party. No accountability to their constituents. They run a dictatorship. Reason so many of them are abandoning the Party and want new leadership.

Hand-picked candidates who are "hungry dogs" are the norm for the Democrat slating process. Dr. Benjamin Osborn, former Center Township Trustee for more than 30 years, used the phrase all the time. "You don't choose a hungry dog to guard your meat house."

Democrats have controlled Center Township for more than 50 years, yet they have blamed the Republicans for the blight and poverty in the township. Andy Jacobs served for 30 years in Congress, and I don't know of any major program he supported to improve their quality of life.

They have used the plight of the impoverished citizens, senior citizens, pimped the black churches to win their vote,and have blamed Republicans when they don't deliver.

Maybe, if Democrats spent more time studying the real interests of their constituents and finding solutions to problems, they could spend less time mudslinging and blaming the Republican Party for all of their failures.

You don't have to be a candidate for public office and win an election to solve problems in your community.

Democrats want the power of the elected offices, but after the election they do not respond to voters’ interests until the next election.

Examples: The black clergy have taken a stand against Mayor Peterson demanding more of our tax dollars. A proposal of $25 million to increase youth oriented activities in the City. Why did they have to make this request, given the out of control crime rates?

Bricks and mortar have been the priority for Mayor Peterson and Carl Drummer, Center Township Trustee. No regard for the youth in the city. A bar in a residential neighborhood opposed to a family restaurant or a playground for children at a government building.

Money for everything but what the people really want in their neighborhoods. Revolving welfare programs that don't improve their situations. Taking them for granted just to stay in control. A select group in power, and yet you blame the GOP.

Take a real good look around you Wilson, people are sick-n-tired of being sick-n-tired!

Anonymous said...

Isn't that precious--Jocelyn shilling for the entire Republican Party! I doubt even an idiot chairman like Murphy wants that.

Uh, Jocelyn--I dind't see the black clergy havne't takekn "a stand against Mayor Peterson." THeyt want more money for youth programs. Admirable, but there isn't any money. And their chief proponent lives outside the county. Comical, at best.

Jocelyn, your revisionist view of Republican/Democratic values is laughable. Our party basically threw you out, and your "new" party wants nothing to do with you, officially.

You're on your own, hon. Enjoy yourself.

Smackdown III: Jocelyn vs. Wilson...one bitchy broad against another. Be there!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 8:37 a.m.:

Disgruntled Democrats love to call my name for leaving them behind.

Who do you represent? I am exercising my consitutional rights just like everyone else.

It seems that I made quite a few Democrats upset when I switched. I know where their bones are buried.

For your information I left the Democrat Party on my own terms, while I was an elected precinct committee person with two years left in my term in 1999. No one threw me anywhere, in fact, I was asked to return. You would be surprised who did the asking! Did you know I was offered a postion if I returned? I said no!

Another lie and rumor by The Ghetto Mafia in an attempt to discredit me for leaving.

I am an independent thinker, not a puppet like your are. Enough said on this subject.

Wilson46201 said...
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Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

I'd be more willing to consider your opinions if you learned to spell.. Seriously, it's hard to anyone seriously when they spell feat "fete" (having a celebration, are we?) and kowtow "cowtow"... Damn, I hate this state sometimes... Before you worry about how Carson represents us (I am a leftie and want her out, by the way), worry about how you represent us.