How Important is ‘Your’ Vote? Since 1999, by Gary Lawson I have interviewed numerous leaders running for political office on the national, state, and local levels. This article focuses on the interviews that I have conducted with United States presidential/vice presidential candidates during that time. Some of the candidates were sitting vice presidents, as well as, national/state senators, national/ state representatives, governors, and mayors. One thing they all had in common, their campaigns reached out to all of Iowa, to include our minority community. In addition, the candidates were ‘personally’ accessible, meaning they made themselves available for interviews by minority media, and in essence, communicated directly with the minority community. The interviews that my daughter (Celeste) and I have pursued with political leaders and candidates on the state and local levels were met with great success as it relates to those in power connecting with minority voters. However, the national campaigns, as a whole, was a different story when compared to the past. During the most recent Iowa Caucuses, we had interviewed three of those listed among the top five finalists. The only two presidential candidate campaigns, among the five we had reached out for an interview with their presidential candidate, but not granted one at that time, are the Biden and Sanders campaigns. This does not mean that former Vice President Biden, or United States Senator Bernie Sanders were not interested in doing an interview, because that would have been arranged by their campaign staff, however, it does raise a question about providing ‘access’ to the minority media in Iowa, particularly African Americans/ Blacks. One of the questions we would have presented during an interview with Vice President Biden would have examined a comment he made during a national interview this past May that basically seemed to project to the African American/Black community that you are not African American/Black if you don’t vote for him... which upset people. Vice President Biden has since apologized for making that comment...and we must remember that he was the sitting Vice President along with the first African American/Black President of the United States...Barack Obama. To all of the campaign staff for Democrats... Republicans...Independents...or otherwise... please note that the late/great Aretha Franklin released a song called Respect, where she belts out............. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. To that end, please respect the growing minority community in Iowa by providing better access to the ‘candidates’ who are asking for the minority community’s votes. To the readers of this magazine...please V - O - T - E !
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