I didn’t know it was possible.
(nsidebayarea.com) An African-American, Republican home-ownership consultant says he’ll unseat Rep. Barbara Lee next year in part by mobilizing support from minority communities.
“Barbara Lee is going to be hard to beat, but I believe I have a platform, I have a plan and if I carry out that plan correctly I will beat Barbara Lee in 2008 — I’m 100 percent confident,” said Charles Hargrave, 47.
Hargrave — who moved to Oakland from San Pablo since losing his 2002 and 2004 bids to unseat Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez — announced his candidacy Tuesday night at a meeting of the Alameda County Republican Central Committee, of which he’s a member.
He said Monday he’ll challenge Lee, D-Oakland, “because this is the best place for us to win, this is the place for us to make a statement” on GOP views and values. “If the Republican Party here follows my lead by going into African-American and Hispanic and Asian communities, it will increase our chances of winning.”
Here are some of his stances according to the article:
-Opposes gun control. “I believe every American has a right to bear arms to protect themselves, to protect their family and to protect their property. These days if someone breaks into your house, they’re going to hurt you, and you’re going to wish you had a handgun.”
-Opposes abortion rights in principle as well as because African-American women account for a disproportionately high percentage of U.S. abortions. Add that to black-on-black violence, HIV/AIDS here and abroad and the genocide in Darfur, he said, and “my race is being systematically wiped off this planet.”
-Opposes same-sex marriage. “Whatever two men or two women want to do in the privacy of their home is their own business, but I believe marriage is a holy union between God, man and woman — that’s the way I was raised and that’s what I believe.”
-Supports school vouchers as a means of breaking the cycle of hopelessness he sees in Oakland’s minority youths. “The money already comes here from the state or the federal government. … We can use that money, give that money to the parents to spend on charter or private schools.”
-Opposes cutting funding or setting a withdrawal timetable for U.S. troops in Iraq. “The bottom line is, we’re there. Let’s win and then go home. If we pull out now, it will send a signal all around the world that if you kill enough Americans, we will pull out and go home.”
Hargrave said if elected, he’ll push for 20 percent tax breaks for those making $35,000 to $100,000 per year, as well as for small-business owners. (source)
This post does not serve as an endorsement for Hardgrave.
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April 12th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Great blog. I will watch this race and see what happens. I do not understand why African-Americans support the democratic party blindly – just because momma or daddy did does not mean that you do. The Republican party’s first President was Lincoln and the African-Americans were a great part of that. The Republican party fought to free slaves and the Democrats fought to keep slaves. It was not until the New Deal that African-Americans began to look to the Democrat party. A lot of black people I know who identify themselves as Democrats share MANY values and beliefs with Conservatives. I know the Republican party has lost it’s way at times but the core principles and beliefs are more in line with the African-American community than the Democrats. Do you believe in abortion? Do you believe in personal responsibility? Do you believe that we can all make it, can all be rich, it depends on how hard you as an individual works no matter what color you are? The Republicans do. This candidate sounds like a wonderful candidate and has his values in line with the founding principles of the Republican party. I hope he does well and succeeds in getting his message out to all people. If so he should win.
April 12th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I just noted the date on here – I hope he runs again in 2010 and has much success.