The Lesser of Two Evils

I'VE been on a farm all of once in my life. And for some reason, I always remember how one sheep would head in one direction, and the others would follow. Eventually, following the leader led many of the animals to their deaths.

This is the way some have pictured Blacks this year. They are said to be following the Rev. Jesse Jackson blindly, waiting on his every word. And that eventually, they too will be led to the shed to die a Republican death.

Jackson garnered anywhere between 85 to 95 percent of the Black vote in the Democratic primaries. Political experts talk about his "dedicated" constituency and how they will be "upset" if Jackson is not offered the vice-presidency. The theory goes that if Jackson is not asked, his constituency will spend November at home, as they did the last two elections.

They underestimate the voter who also happens to be Black. And its also looping them into one corner, as if they are a monolith, with all of the same interests at stake.

There are some Blacks supporting George Bush. This is quite all right because Bush is standing for what they desire. And it is okay because Blacks need to exhibit more bi-partisanship anyway.

BUT with this bi-partisanship comes responsibility and weighing the differences between a Republican or Democrat victory. With an aging Supreme Court, whoever wins will probably be able to nominate several Supreme Court justices.

Several liberal justices have gamely hung on for the past few years to avoid a Reagan sweep. Some Blacks now talk fatalistically of "living through four years of Bush." If Jackson isn't on the ticket, they figure it would be better to teach the Democrats a lesson. But having Bush appoint the next few justices could be disastrous for the next 15 or 20 years, and the symbolic show of disgust hardly seems worth the consequences. It is dangerous when there are too many liberals or conservatives in the Court, and the ball is now in the conservatives' court.

Blacks made a mistake seven, and then three years ago by not voting during the 1980 and 1984 Presidential elections. There appeared, at the time, to be reasons. In 1980, Blacks did not vote for Jimmy Carter because he did not come through on his promises to Blacks. This was after voting for the peanut man in 1976.

When 1980 came around, Blacks, along with the rest of America, were fed up with Carter. While Blacks sat on their hands, the rest of America voted Carter out and Reagan into office.

That turned out to be a major mistake on the part of most of Black America, which did not vote despite a gloomy prophecy on the part of Carter about a conservative Reagan court.

And in 1984, there was another reason to sit at home. Apparently, the Democrats had treated Jesse Jackson poorly.

INDIGNANT, Blacks sat out the election, and Reagan coasted.

In both elections, there was the choice of the lesser of two evils, and Blacks allowed others to do the picking.

The important thing is not so much that Blacks vote Republican or Democratic, but that they make sure they do not simply sit out an election. What happens when a lot of people vote? There is more speculation as to who will win. It would be much better if Blacks made both sides hustle for their votes, much in the way that politicians must now seek out the Hispanic vote.

In Dallas on Wednesday, Bush pledged to put a Hispanic-American in his cabinet. In his highly publicized meetings with Black leaders last month, he failed to make a similar pledge.

This could easily become a regular occurrence if Blacks continue to be one-dimensional voters. Blacks cannot throw all of their support to one side blindly. They must become more bipartisan, if not in the voting booth, then at least in theory.

Blacks are in a similar situation to the last two elections. There is the pick between Massachusetts Governor Michael S. Dukakis, and Vice President George Bush.

Some ask exactly what Dukakis has done for Blacks during the Massachusetts Miracle. Most answer that he has done little. And that may be true. A recent phone call to the "Dukakis for President" headquarters revealed that the Duke has no campaign literature pertaining to Blacks, none on his civil rights record, and nothing on what he had to say during the busing debacle in Boston during the early 1970s.

But then there is the alternative. George Bush--and what he could do to Blacks. In order to satisfy his right-wing support, Bush would probably have to select a conservative Supreme Court justice. And with the possibility of several openings on an aging court, the prospect of twelve years of Reagan-Bush judicial appointments is scary.

BLACK voters have made a mistake by sitting out the last two elections. And once again, if instructed by Jesse Jackson, they may be tempted to sit at home again. But maybe the third time will be a charm. Sitting at home will leave the presidency in the hands of others. Whether or not if Jackson gives the go ahead, Blacks must vote all-out for the candidate with their interests at heart.

And in this case, since there may not be such a candidate, vote for the one who will cause the least amount of damage.