Independent Black Voters

* Re “Clinton Hasn’t Earned Blacks’ Vote,” by Earl Ofari Hutchinson, Commentary, Aug. 28:

Hutchinson’s commentary was a strong repudiation of blacks doing business as usual by almost “automatically” voting for Democratic candidates.

I take some exception to one of his statements, however. He says that history has shown that ethnic bloc voting can “make or break a candidate, campaign, or agenda.” That may be true when the ethnic bloc is a mixture of various white groups but with few exceptions this has not proven true with a black voting bloc. A very strong argument can be made that blacks have almost always voted as a bloc (whether for Republican or Democratic candidates), but the institutionalized racism in this society, manifesting itself continually in the anti-black policies of our leaders, has always watered down the potency of that voting bloc.

I believe that now is the time for blacks to think in terms of forming amalgamations within and outside our communities (especially with the poor and working classes of all ethnicities) to back viable independent alternatives to the two major parties.

Both the Democrats and the Republicans have been given ample opportunity to show that their “hearts were in the right place” and both have failed miserably. The “New Democrats” seem to be mirror images of the “Old Republicans” when actions, and not rhetoric, are analyzed. The policies of President Clinton are but a continuation of the “Southern strategy” of the Republicans, namely to pander to dissatisfied white males by backing away from affirmative action, gutting welfare and blaming minorities for drugs and crime.

ROBERT BOONE

Los Angeles