Gov. Crist lauded by African-Americans, called 'first black gov...

It is the first time that we have a govenor that deals with issues for all of the people of Florida, not just African Americans. It's sad that the President of the United States doesn't follow his example. Bipartisanship is alive and well in Florida for the first time.

The myth that Republicans are anti black is the biggest farce ever. The Democrats have been representing the black community for decades and many of the same problem exist.All of the so called social programs instituted by the Dems have done nothing more than keep some in their community dependent on the system. Wasn't it the Republicans that ended slavery anyway?

They wish!

no no first gay govenor

African American? The majority of black American been here over three hundred years or more, so I am not sure I would want to be connected to Africa if I am much as American or even more than the white guy next door.

God Bless The USA wrote:

The myth that Republicans are anti black is the biggest farce ever. The Democrats have been representing the black community for decades and many of the same problem exist.All of the so called social programs instituted by the Dems have done nothing more than keep some in their community dependent on the system. Wasn't it the Republicans that ended slavery anyway?

Mr. Lincoln was a republican.

now lets do the more important work, like getting rid of all property taxes

What would happen if you did a story on "the first white governor"?

This is reverse racism...

While I like Gov. Crist I wish Black folks would stop patronizing a governor who happens to be White for doing exactly what he's suppose to do - represent all the people just like we would expect a governor who happens to be Black to represent all the people. That doesn't make one a White or Black governor...just a good governor.

He's the black governor and I'm the pope of Rome.

Patronizing? Hardly. They are just recognizing a man for doing something more than mediocre, which is something few, if any other politicians are doing.

Local Observer wrote:

While I like Gov. Crist I wish Black folks would stop patronizing a governor who happens to be White for doing exactly what he's suppose to do - represent all the people just like we would expect a governor who happens to be Black to represent all the people. That doesn't make one a White or Black governor...just a good governor.

Charlie is really winning me over...a good mix of left and right! I just wonder if its all for show? I am sure that there are some politicians that really care about their constituents...Maybe Charlie is the real deal??!!!

woody hayes wrote:

Is he being lazy? Does he sell crack from the Governor's Mansion?
Has he done a few drive-bys? Does he carry a tech-9 in his trunk? Did he shoot up a Cleveland school?
Will he vote for whomever the Reverend Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson tells him to? Does he have 3 kids from three different women?
Does he have a 2 page rap sheet?
And finally, can he spell big words like discombobulate?
If the answer is no to any of these questions, he cannot be a black governor.

WOW Mr. Woody Hayes, from Texas, the more you type your ignorance and stupidity on these blogs the more I recognize that you are a complete IDIOT.
Go pick up a book and educate yourself on how not to be an IDIOT.
Jack***

Sounds like he is doing a whole lot of pandering to me! We need to get rid of all this grouping mentality and start focusing on the only group that matters! The AMERICAN CITIZENS!! If you are black, white, man, woman, child, Hispanic, Haitian, Mexican, Gay, Lesbian, straight, etc, etc, etc! I do not care!!! If you are a naturalized citizen or have come here legally and became a citizen, abide by our laws, are responsible for yourself and your family and do not live off the backs of others, then you are an AMERICAN CITIZEN! When we start doing what is in the best interest of AMERICANS maybe we will actually get something done! As far as I am concerned CRIST seems to be playing politics as usual! Just like the Democrats, he talks out of both side of his mouth and the only thing that gets done is more taxing, more spending, and more Government parasites living off people who actually work for a living!!

Man, he is going to alianate his Republican base; all the lilly white, redneck, wing nuts in the northern part of the state.

The difference is that with the average white American, he/she identifies as solely an American. It's primarily the blacks that must declare themselves African-Americans/Black Americans and other things. If there is a program, it should cater to Americans overall. It's generally the blacks that feel they must be handed everything on a platter. After all we must still owe them reparations 140 years later. If a policy is made that affects AMERICANS, guess what, the black citizen is still an AMERICAN. At least this article admits that things on the "black agenda" relate to statistical facts, such as felon voting rights being more of a black issue. Guess what? Stop shooting up your neighborhood and seeling crack.

I hate to start a race roit, but according to TR their is no such thing as african american.
There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all.
This is just as true of the man who puts “native” before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance. But if he is heartily and singly loyal to this Republic, then no matter where he was born, he is just as good an American as any one else.
The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English- Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian- Americans, or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality than with the other citizens of the American Republic.
The men who do not become Americans and nothing else are hyphenated Americans; and there ought to be no room for them in this country. The man who calls himself an American citizen and who yet shows by his actions that he is primarily the citizen of a foreign land, plays a thoroughly mischievous part in the life of our body politic. He has no place here; and the sooner he returns to the land to which he feels his real heart-allegiance, the better it will be for every good American.
T. Roosevelt 1915
How about the papers start using the term.Americans of African descendent.

Local Observer wrote:

While I like Gov. Crist I wish Black folks would stop patronizing a governor who happens to be White for doing exactly what he's suppose to do - represent all the people just like we would expect a governor who happens to be Black to represent all the people. That doesn't make one a White or Black governor...just a good governor.

A voice of common sense. I just don't see why he needs to visit Haiti. Don't we have enough problems here? No need to import more. Let's not start this type of 'greater than thou' mentality that the bush administration perpetuates by taking on the rest of the world's problems. Someone has to pay, guesses as to who that will be.

I saw Crist speak at a meeting the other day and he is an amazing speaker and seems to be committed to not polarizing the state. It'd be awesome if everyone can refrain from lumping all "blacks" into the same category. I am black and work extremely hard, would never dream on going on welfare and have a bachelor's and master's degree. If you REALLY look around in some of your suburban communities, you just might notice more blacks that fit that profile. Secondly, while slavery was 100 plus years ago, you cannot deny that Jim Crow laws, that basically segregated and brutally discriminated against blacks in the South, just ended a little over 40 years ago. I do not believe in receiving reparations for slavery, but affirmative action (in SOME cases) help right the wrongs that took place in America, affecting a generation or so of people alive now. With that said, Crist rocks!