This is a very good article on the apathy i confront everyday among people of color. these people don't hang out on blogs, they don't have the time, luxury, or even literacy skills needed to read the New Republic, or access to the Washington Post. they are too busy trying to survive. and most of them just don't see the point in voting, and when i try to make my arguments, i really don't have anything persuasive to say because i think for these folks, it's true, Republican, Democrat, don't make a lick of difference in the lives of these folks.
http://www.timesstar.com/Stories/0,1413,125~1486~1987842,00.html
Having lived in Oakland, it was tremendously frustrating to see the color/class divides, even in such a "progressive" Democratic city. The flatlands dealt with horrible schools and murders and drugs and never voted. the "Hills" folks (mostly white) who send their kids to private schools and live in the leafy hills voted in high numbers and could care less about the lives of folks in the flatlands. If the Dem party is going to win, it needs the urban colored folks to vote and it needs to give them reasons to vote for them. as of now, i really have no idea how to accomplish that, other than geting involved with the hip hop voter summits. But how do you get people who have given up on the process a reason to believe? I loved Dean because he did that for me, but I'm a colored person with education, internet access. for those on the other side of the digital divide, i never could figure out how to get them to be inspired by Dean and his message and to vote...