CNN Reporter: Blacks Don’t Vote Republican Because of ‘Perception of Racism’

On Wednesday’s "Situation Room," reporter Bill Schneider, in a piece on minorities in America, very casually alleged that African Americans don’t vote for Republicans because of "the perception of racism."

He also claimed that blacks have no reason to distrust the federal government because, after all, that institution rescued them from slavery. (Apparently conservatives just don’t appreciate this point.) After noting the losses by several African American GOP candidates in 2006, Schneider made his point about racism:

Bill Schneider: "President Bush appointed two African-American secretaries of state. Republicans nominated three African-Americans for important statewide offices last year. None of them came close to carrying black voters, which suggests it's not just the perception of racism that drives most black voters away from the Republican Party. There's something else. Distrust of the federal government is a core issue for Republicans."

Ronald Reagan: "Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem."

Schneider: "Most blacks do not share that resentment. Why should they? The federal government rescued blacks from slavery in the 1860s and from segregation in the 1960s. Of course, some blacks do resent over-reliance on the federal government. They're the minority who become Republicans."

Watts: "I think we have to look at new ways of dealing with poverty, new models in education, new models in health care. You know, I think we have to look at new models in, in retirement security.

Schneider: "African-Americans vote their interests, and most blacks see government spending, government regulation, and judicial activism, things most Republicans oppose, as very much in their interests. Wolf?"

Notice how the CNN correspondent casually promoted the idea that most people just assume the GOP is racist? And further, not supporting big government means that you somehow don’t appreciate the end of slavery? (And if one looks at history, emancipation was primarily accomplished through the blood and pain of a civil war, not a government bureaucrat.)

Finally, as if to make the point totally clear, Mr. Schneider ended the report with a decree, "African Americans vote their interests." Would the veteran reporter say the same things about evangelical Christians or Cuban Americans?

Mr. Schneider has a long history of schilling for liberals. In one report he called for the GOP to mimic the liberal Arnold Schwarzenegger. In another segment, he stated that the GOP lesson of the 2006 midterms should be to move left.

A transcript of the segment, which aired at 5:46pm on February 21, follows:

Wolf Blitzer: "‘Uncovering America,’ CNN goes in-depth to report on conflicts and controversies affecting minority groups, including African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans, gays, among others. Today, the power of the black vote. Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, joining us once again from Los Angeles with the story. Bill."

Bill Schneider: "Wolf, it's like an immutable law of American politics -- African-Americans vote Democratic in overwhelming numbers for more than 40 years. African-Americans are the Democratic Party's base. They vote for the Democrat when nobody else does, like 1972, when blacks voted more than 80 percent for George McGovern, and 1984, when blacks voted more than 90 percent for Walter Mondale.

J.C. Watts. (Former GOP Conference Chairman): "Most black people vote alike, but most black people don't think alike."

Schneider: "That's certainly true. Many African-American are evangelical Christians and embrace conservative social values, but they don't vote Republican. Recently, Republicans have been making a determined outreach to black voters. President Bush appointed two African-American secretaries of state. Republicans nominated three African-Americans for important statewide offices last year. None of them came close to carrying black voters, which suggests it's not just the perception of racism that drives most black voters away from the Republican Party. There's something else. Distrust of the federal government is a core issue for Republicans."

Ronald Reagan: "Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem."

Schneider: "Most blacks do not share that resentment. Why should they? The federal government rescued blacks from slavery in the 1860s and from segregation in the 1960s. Of course, some blacks do resent over-reliance on the federal government. They're the minority who become Republicans."

Watts: "I think we have to look at new ways of dealing with poverty, new models in education, new models in health care. You know, I think we have to look at new models in, in retirement security.

Schneider: "African-Americans vote their interests, and most blacks see government spending, government regulation, and judicial activism, things most Republicans oppose, as very much in their interests. Wolf?"