Doug Jones OWES Black Voters - Now What?

[qwlauren35]

What can he do to make a difference in the lives of the black voters who elected him?

* Open offices for advocacy in the Black Belt?
* Attract manufacturing and call centers to the Black Belt?
* Campaign for all black candidates for local and state offices.

Any other ideas? He's restricted in that Alabama's state government has a lot of power. But I want to see him take a lead for his constituents.

[DonaldsRump]

1. Those are excellent ideas. n/t

[Voltaire2]

2. He should work hard for all of his constituents

and get himself re-elected in five years. Keeping a Democratic Party senator in office from his state is the best thing he could possibly do.

And yes he should also do all of the things on your list. But first and foremost we need to get back control of national and state legislatures. Otherwise we can't do anything more than speak up.

[NCTraveler]

4. Isnt he up for re-election in just under three years? Nt

[Voltaire2]

5. I thought he took sessions seat, and sessions was re-elected in 2016. But

yup it looks like he is up again in 2020.

[NCTraveler]

3. Oppose the Trump agenda.

That has to be his goal and it falls in line with your general concept. He will be a senator for only a short period of time. He will have no serious committee assignments. It’s a beautiful thing he was elected but you are attributing influence onto him that he does not possess.

[qwlauren35]

6. Why not?

What would stop him from setting up a constituent office in the Black Belt? What would stop him from campaigning for black candidates in the primaries?

Constituent offices are amazing things. A good constituent office can make things happen in the state, just by a chain of knowing the right people and cutting through red tape. Black voters need something like this, deserve something like this. What on earth would stop him from doing this?

[NCTraveler]

14. He can do those two out of three things you mention.

I don’t think they are bad ideas, though they will be limited in duration. I was mainly talking about the idea you omitted in your response.

Little will be done in the short period he will hold this seat when it comes to Alabama politics. That does not mean the two you have highlighted here are bad ideas. I think if Jones plays his cards right we could see a five point swing or less in our favor in Alabama. That still leaves us twenty points behind. Fifty state strategy is a long fight.

[ProudLib72]

7. Work to end voter suppression? nt

[UTUSN]

8. Uh, he has a *RELATIONSHIP* with African-Americans and other minorities, prosecuted KKK, and

has direct intuitions on what he does along the lines of Democratic agenda items.

[qwlauren35]

10. Not sure.

I heard...

- black folks weren't convinced that they should come out for him
- black youth didn't feel that he was willing to champion their causes

So, yes, he prosecuted those who bombed the church. But what has he done for them lately?

[UTUSN]

11. Apparently, they who turned out know the answers to your questions

[BumRushDaShow]

12. If he can get on some relevent committees

that will be a first step.

Since he is a freshman and at the bottom of the pack in terms of seniority (and a Democrat) he will need Schumer to push to get him on at least one committee that will have oversight over those impactful policy issues that affect POC and poor Alabamans.

[LanternWaste]

13. I've found that questions such as yours are easily researched and answered if the sincerity is there

"But what has he done for them lately?"

I've found that questions such as yours are easily researched and answered if sincerity is present.

[MichMan]

9. Be the champion of reparations

Now that John Conyers has retired, there is no one to champion reparations. Conyers tried to introduce legislation every year and someone needs to take on the cause.