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>>>>If one assumes the facts you refer to are correct then the mistake you make John is that you attribute the poor performance of cities with black mayors to the fact that the mayors skin colour is black. It's not that there is a black only conference but that you attribute poor performance with being black. That is racism in the exact definition of the word.
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>>>My point in that is that they have a mindset that precludes them doing the right thing. It is statistically significant when you can only find 1 out of 500 who have lowered taxes, cut crime, etc. They are into group-thinking and will not do what needs to be done to lower taxes, cut crime etc.
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>>>I had a conversation with a psychologist friend at U of Memphis about our local police department implementing a Rudy style zero tolerance policy. He said it will never happen because the mayor is black and doesn't want to alienate his base. I think he is right. The blacks continue to elect him because of his race, and the higher property taxes and rising crime is chasing the whites out of the county. That is more the norm than not, or so I am told. So you see, the comments are because of the facts, not skin color.
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>>The performance of the mayors you are describing is really just the norm for politicians of any race, creed, or colour. They pander to their supporters in order to remain in power often to the detriment of the bigger picture. Voters more often than not vote based on emotion and/or other percieved bonds with their candidate. This is not a problem of race but a problem of human ignorance and greed. It is not a black issue. It is a political system issue.
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>Let's hear more about the long history of a free political system in South Africa before you climb down from your soapbox, OK?

Why is that (South Africa's history) relevant in ***any*** way to the discussion? And most especially to the observation offered, which was spot-on as far as I can tell????