It’s not necessarily news when a prominent African-American minister endorses a Democratic candidate and criticizes the Republican incumbent by saying, “To date, the Brown campaign has failed to commit any significant resources of time, talent or treasure to pursuing the black vote“.
But it is news when the Republican candidate is Sen. Scott Brown, and the minister is the Rev. Eugene Rivers—known for his support of George W. Bush’s faith-based initiatives and his unsparing critiques of of black religious and political leaders who act as reliable pillars of the Democratic Party establishment. For months, Rivers had made clear that his endorsement was up for grabs in this race.
It’s even more noteworthy when the endorsement of Elizabeth Warren by a coalition of Boston-area black ministers is held at Twelfth Baptist. Twelfth Baptist is the oldest direct descendant of Boston’s first black church. Holding a press conference at Twelfth Baptist is a signal (let those who have eyes to see, see) that what’s being announced is serious, important and significant as far as the African-American community in and around Boston is concerned.
Also at the press conference was Boston Mayor Tom Menino. Menino’s presence is further proof that his long-delayed endorsement of Warren could have a significant impact on this race. (For those who thinks that’s reading too much into the tea leaves, there’s this excerpt from paragraph 19 of the Boston Globe’s story on the press conference: “Rivers added that Menino’s endorsement was also “a significant factor,” in pulling him and other Boston ministers into the Warren camp, “because he’s the mayor.”“
To win this election, Warren needs a big turnout and a wide margin of victory from Boston, Springfield, Worcester and Massachusetts’ other cities. From a distance, it looks like she’s doing what needs to be done.
Crossposted at: http://masscommons.wordpress.com/