November 3, 2012 - November 3, 2012, www.afro.com
Volume 121 No. 13
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The Afro-American
NOVEMBER 3, 2012 - NOVEMBER 9, 2012
My Take by Morris Chestnut A6
NAACP Freedom B1 Fund Banquet
Get out and vote Nov. 6!
Obama Re-Election Bid Struggles Uphill Against Racism By Zenitha Prince Special to the AFRO Researchers are now finding that for an increasing number of Americans, the idea of a Black man as commander in chief of the United States is unacceptable, and that could cost President Obama the presidency if minority, women and young voters don’t turn out on Election Day, experts said. “I guess it shows you the underlying tenacity and strength of racism in America,” said Robert Smith, a political analyst who teaches at San Francisco State University. A
President Obama
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President Obama/Facebook.com
Mfume Refutes Sobhani Ad Endorsement Inference
“…That is a Lie.”
“It’s Almost as if They are Trying to Pull a Hoax on the Black Community” By Avis Thomas-Lester AFRO Executive Editor Businessman Rob Sobhani, an Independent who is challenging Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) for the seat he has held since 2006, pulled a campaign ad that he was running featuring former Rep. Kweisi Mfume criticizing Cardin. He made the move after protests from Mfume and the Maryland Democratic Party, but later replaced it with a similar advertisement. The radio ad, which was played on Black stations in Prince George’s County and Baltimore, featured INSERTS a statement from Mfume taken from a debate • Walmart between him and Cardin in 2006. At the time, Mfume and Cardin were
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Courtesy Photo
Kweisi Mfume
Voter Intimidation Efforts Still in Play
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By Maya Rhodan NNPA Washington Correspondent
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Although President Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have duked it out in three televised debates and are running opposing ads in the waning days before the election, a nastier fight to intimidate Black voters is taking place away from the limelight. “It has taken many disguises,” says Chanelle Hardy, senior vice president of policy at the National Urban League’s Policy Institute. “Robo calls, telling people the date has changed, telling people that there are criminal penalties for showing up without an ID or that if you haven’t paid your child support, you’ll be arrested are some of them.” Last week, anonymous billboards popped up across Black and Latino neighborhoods in Ohio and Wisconsin, two battleground states. “Voter Fraud is a Felony! Up to 3 ½ years in jail and a $10,000 fine,” read the signs. Although the nearly 200 signs have been taken down, Debbie Hines, an attorney and the blogger behind LegalSpeaks. com, says the efforts to intimidate are just pieces of a larger scheme to keep Democratic voters from the polls. “It’s as if they said, ‘If the voter ID laws don’t work that well, let’s make telephone calls, let’s follow them around, let’s put up billboards to intimidate them,’” says Hines. Since 2010, some state legislatures have been passing laws that make it more difficult to vote, such as requiring government-issued photo IDs and cutting back on the number of days citizens can vote.
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Early Voters Converge on Polls Photo by Alexis Taylor
Baltimore voters line up outside of the League of Persons with Disabilities on East Cold Spring Lane.
AFRO Endorsements
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President
Barack Obama
By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO
Senate
Voters started queuing up at 6 a.m. Ben Cardin outside the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Complex in Landover on the U.S. House of Representatives first day of early voting in Maryland on District 3 Rep. John Sarbanes Oct. 27, even though polls didn’t open until 10 a.m. Two hours later, lines were District 4 Rep. Donna Edwards hundreds of people long, as they were in downtown Silver Spring, Baltimore and other polling locations around the District 7 Rep. Elijah Cummings state. Long lines continued through the weekend as voters hoping to cast their Propositions ballot before Election Day on Nov. 6 For Question 4 – the Dream Act committed hours to waiting. Early voting was scheduled to continue in Maryland until Nov. 1 and voters in Washington For Question 7 – Gambling D.C. were expected to vote until Nov. 5, Expansion the day before national Election Day, but bad weather that resulted from Hurricane Sandy closed polls on Oct. 29 and 30. have their minds made up. If these were issues “I feel good,” said Deborah Simms, the people didn’t think needed to be immediately 55, of Lanham, who stood in line for addressed, they wouldn’t be here.” three hours at the Sports and Learning As they waited in long lines, voters discussed their Complex with her husband, Leander stands on the propositions, which included questions on Oct. 28. They always vote together. about gambling, same-sex marriage and the right of They discussed which candidates and Continued on A3 propositions they supported a week before heading to the polls. “I accomplished what I set out to do,” Deborah Simms said. “It was different, and this was my first time early voting because I thought the lines would be way shorter.” Deborah Simms said one of the important issues for her was Prop 7, the expansion of gambling in Maryland. “I did it for the jobs and the money that they say will go to schools,” she said. Leander Simms wanted to make an early statement on behalf of President Barack Obama. “I just feel like everybody was jumping on the bandwagon for the first election and we need the same people to come back this time to support his policies,” Leander Simms said. “We also need the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus to support him and stand up and say some of the things he is unable to say. At one time, members of the CBC were kind of criticizing him for not doing enough to help Blacks. But many of his policies helped Blacks, like healthcare reform and Pell grants. He Photo by Alexis Taylor needs support.” Taivon Taylor, 32, shows his support for the The crowds from D.C., where early Dream Act and other referendums on this year’s voting kicked off Oct. 22, to Prince ballot during early voting in Baltimore. George’s County to Baltimore included very young voters as well as senior citizens. “It’s a feeling like no other,” said Taivon Taylor, 32, who said it took six hours to vote at the League of Persons with Disabilities Center on East Cold Spring Lane in By AFRO Executive Editor Baltimore on Oct. 28. “This Avis Thomas-Lester really shows that the people
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Editorial
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