Twelve days before Election Day, black Republicans are praising President George W. Bush and, according to some in the GOP, black folks are listening. 
 
“There has been a more concerted effort on the part of the Republican Party to reach out to African Americans and to ask for their votes,” said Bishop Keith Butler, pastor of the Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, Michigan, and a member of the African Americans For Bush National Steering Committee.
 
“Because of these efforts, more African Americans are willing to listen because the party is coming to them,” said Butler, a former Detroit city councilman. “I’ve been a Republican for 20 years and I’ve never seen this kind of outreach before.”
 
In July, Republicans announced for formation of African Americans for Bush National Steering Committee to lead Bush’s outreach efforts to the black community nationwide and serve as messengers of the president’s agenda.
 
The 61-member committee is headed by former Congressman J.C. Watts, Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele and NFL Hall of Fame inductee Lynn Swann.
 
Black Republicans tout Bush’s achievements saying, for example, that millions of Americans now have lower tax bills and nearly 15 percent of the nation’s small businesses are owned by minorities.  
 
Swann, a sports broadcaster for ABC Sports and a former NFL receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, said he is supporting the Republican Party because he feels the GOP can best serve the interest of African Americans.   
 
Vivian Berryhill, an activist from Olive Branch, Mississippi and a member of the Bush steering committee, said blacks are willing to listen to Republicans this year, in part, because Bush has offered “an aggressive agenda for African Americans” which also includes Medicare reforms and key White House appointments.
 
“Bush has appointed more African Americans to key, decision-making positions -- they’re not just window dressing,” Berryhill said.
 
She acknowledged, however, that outreach to blacks by Republicans is still a work in progress because “some whites are not willing to embrace” black people.
 
In an interview with BlackAmericaWeb.com, Bishop Butler said he is confident Bush will see better results among black voters on Election Day.
 
“I believe the president will get 11 or 12 percent of the vote, instead of eight percent in 2000,” he said.
 
“We’ve found there isn’t a connection to John Kerry,” Butler added. “Kerry has not put forth an urban agenda. Many African Americans are social conservatives and they agree with much of what the president stands for.”