May 20, 2008
Posted: 10:15 PM ET

From
McCain will make an appearance at the NAACP convention this summer.
McCain will make an appearance at the NAACP convention this summer.

(CNN) — Last year, Rep. Tom Tancredo was the only Republican presidential contender to accept an invitation from the NAACP to appear at its convention. This summer, the party’s presumptive nominee, John McCain, will address members of the civil rights group at its annual meeting.

In an interview with Essence magazine released Tuesday, the Arizona senator said he would "go to places and venues that would allow me to continue a dialogue with the African-American community. I will go to the NAACP convention."

Last month, McCain spent a week touring the country in an effort to reach out to voters who have not traditionally backed the GOP in large numbers, including a stop in Selma, Alabama – a pivotal location in the civil rights movement.

Filed under: John McCain


Don   May 21st, 2008 3:20 am ET

Wow ! ! ! Talk about reverse discrimination with some of these comments.

Nothing like sticking to the issues . . . the economy (and how that affects the races), foreign policy (and how that affects the races), health care (and how that affects the races), the global war on terrorism (and how that affects the races), global warming (and how that affects the races) . . . Sorry Rodney — apparently we all can't just get along.

NoHillaryOnVpTicket   May 21st, 2008 3:18 am ET

WOW….. Your really great…. going to the NAACP and all! We show is Happy? Get with it man….Black folks have been voting for Whites for as long as we have been ALLOWED to. It is really an insult and shows a desperate attempt to get some votes from the ones who have been overlooked for soooooooooooooooooooooooooo long. Be sincere… are you? Well you actually could be. And afterall, if Hillary steals the election, folks at the NAACP will probably be voting for you….so please do go and tell your message.

Jose   May 21st, 2008 3:15 am ET

Obama-Webb, please vote. Beyond imposters. Drop the negativity, squash and smash that, no matter the color of the face.

Von Bismark VIENNA   May 21st, 2008 2:57 am ET

THIS GUY IS SO DARING. LET HIM GO . The ghost of Martin Luther King jr is waiting for him.

LLC   May 21st, 2008 2:11 am ET

Good for you. This is a free Country and anyone says otherwise must be an Obama suppoter.

Eric in MN   May 21st, 2008 2:11 am ET

And what exactly does McCain have to offer to black voters? A summer gas tax holiday?

Keta   May 21st, 2008 1:57 am ET

I thinks there's enough Caucasians that he needs to address. Will McCain be seeking the African Americans to support him if Obama was fully Caucasian? This is the same thing that Hillary does.

Venus   May 21st, 2008 1:56 am ET

No blacks should vote for Mc Cain!!!

Go Obama!

Rave   May 21st, 2008 1:49 am ET

Go ahead and tell them that you are supporting Barack Obama.
Obama / Al Gore 2008

Nia   May 21st, 2008 1:44 am ET

This should be intresting

goawaymongers   May 21st, 2008 1:32 am ET

Now THAT outta be good!
His vow to fight a respectful and positive ampaign was died and buried before the conventions!
He is no match for the good people of the NAACP!

58 white old ladies for OBAMA   May 21st, 2008 1:22 am ET

THEY PROBABLY WANT TO SEE A BIGOT UP CLOSE & PERSONAL.

Tracey   May 21st, 2008 1:17 am ET

The same man who voted against the MLK holiday?

Smart Thinker   May 21st, 2008 12:59 am ET

This ought to be good. He is going to play the ol' - "I made a mistake for not voting for a MLK day" routine. But I hear you now. McCain would of called MLK an appeaser and a cut and run person if he were alive today. I wouldn't believe him.

Roofin Reality, Houston, Tx.   May 21st, 2008 12:58 am ET

Good for him (and the Reps).
And even the NAACP.

Proud American   May 21st, 2008 12:57 am ET

This should be good. He'll have an opportunity to explain why he didnt want to acknowledge Martin Luther Kings birthday as an official holiday in the state of Arizona.

Fabrizio   May 21st, 2008 12:56 am ET

The things you will do when you are running for president!!!
Here's a guy who voted against Martin Luther King holiday during Bush I's term… and what does he do when running for president??? Speak to the NAACP….

Obama 2008

The Clear Thinking Indepedent   May 21st, 2008 12:54 am ET

John -

This is a good move on your part. Just make sure you stay with it.

Bush has been ducking this crowd for awhile noe.

God Bless America   May 21st, 2008 12:49 am ET

Good, this way the people of the NAACP will have even more reasons NOT to vote for you!!!!!!
HOPE YOU'RE SEATED NEXT TO AL SHARPTON !!!!!

Inevitable   May 21st, 2008 12:48 am ET

Mc Cain ………. you're going to a place .. you're not wanted …….

Janel, St. Paul, MN   May 21st, 2008 12:48 am ET

This should be very interesting!

How I'd like to be a mouse in the corner!

colene   May 21st, 2008 12:45 am ET

omg he must be desparate! talking about pandering!

Jeanne   May 21st, 2008 12:42 am ET

That will be an interesting speech. I wish I could believe McCain was genuine about some of these issues. I'm not so sure he simply isn't pandering with no real intention of carrying through.

Mad in Michigan   May 21st, 2008 12:29 am ET

Please…… What could he possibly say.

I was for a MLK holiday but instead voted against it NOT.

I will help you get Health Insurance NOT.

The Republican Party values your opinion NOT.

The Republican Party is committed to the NAACP and its iseas NOT NOT NOT

Craig   May 21st, 2008 12:25 am ET

It seems republicans are willing to participate in events such as the NAACP convention when elections come around. They never go back. Blacks need to be respected more because Obama is bring more blacks to the polls and it will make a difference.

But this Republican game will not work and he may not be received that well at the convention any way.

David D Kollie   May 21st, 2008 12:25 am ET

Every candidate tries to win the voters approval. Let him try. One I must say, McCain please do not talk about GW Bush policies there.
Also, Hillary say congratulation for thinking to go at the NAACP convention.

Boston for OBAMA   May 21st, 2008 12:25 am ET

They won't be fooled by McCain.

The Bu   May 21st, 2008 12:17 am ET

Obama can't go because he'd be viewed as pandering to African-Americans, then Hillary would get more support from her "hard-working, white Americans." The ones who, by no means are they racist in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.

john mccain   May 21st, 2008 12:07 am ET

John McCain surrounds himself with the "old white-man's country club". Are you kidding me?

Paul from S.F.   May 21st, 2008 12:07 am ET

It's about time! McCain is going a long way to save the Republican party and bring it back to the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt….

LOL   May 21st, 2008 12:06 am ET

didnt he try to block MLK day???

patrick   May 20th, 2008 11:53 pm ET

I strongly urge Senator McCain to leave this one alone!!……If he really wants to flip the light switch off, just show his face for 1 hr and that will be all she wrote.

Kevin - Jonesboro, GA   May 20th, 2008 11:49 pm ET

McCain can address anyone and everyone for as long as he wants but until he changes his message, he will still lose!

Greg Turner   May 20th, 2008 11:44 pm ET

I am offended as an African American. For years John McCain has ignored our community and championed against our issues. Now all of a sudden he wants to get our vote and engage us. Mr. McCain, in the years you were ignoring us and sending our family and friends to fight in Iraq( and you want another 100 years) believe it or not alot of us went to college, got good jobs, and made contributions to this country as opposed to becoming criminals or living in ignorance. We see through your cornball antics. We'll listen out of respect, but we know you don't have our interests at heart. You'll say anything for a vote, you flip flop more than a shoe. Obama 09

Unknown   May 20th, 2008 11:44 pm ET

Why would John McShame want to speak to a civil rights organization when you didn't want Arizona to celebrate Dr. King's birthday? John McShame is a old man that needs to climb under a rock.

Carol   May 20th, 2008 11:41 pm ET

P.S. The same judgement was made about the IRAQ War, so I've had my fill of John McCain and his bad judgements.

Carol   May 20th, 2008 11:40 pm ET

All I have to say about this is John McCain voted AGAINST DR. KING'S BIRTHDAY AS A FEDERAL HOLIDAY…PERIOD…THERE IS NOTHING MORE TO SAY. He can now, NOW, say its a mistake in judgement based on the fact that he's now running for President. but the idea that this man, even in his Senate seat, was so narrow-minded and abstract, and as far as I'm concerned, suggestively racist by not even voting for an acknowledgement for probably the Premier black emblem of our generation.

McCain and his cronies like Bush have said a lifetime of things and I have decided that just like not recognizing the King holiday, I won't recognize anyone so narrow-minded and small minded that they wouldn't learn from their past for their own future.

Linned   May 20th, 2008 11:37 pm ET

MLK day - and didn't vote intially for Arizona to have the MLK holiday., Selma, Alabama - dancing to church music, what next NAACP convention.

NORA, FLORIDA   May 20th, 2008 11:36 pm ET

It is amazing that in previous elections that Republican party could have cared less about people of color vote and all of a sudden when they see that people of color are turning out in this election, hmmmmmm they come out to feast like bats.

Latinos, African Americans, Asians, Haitians, Hispanic, Jamaican, etc… don't be fulled by this ploy.

Chris in Va.   May 20th, 2008 11:33 pm ET

I'm sure McCain will be a big hit pandering to the NAACP especially after voting AGAINST the MLK holiday. African-Americans have been lied to for 400 years by persons manipulating them to get something from them only to disappoint them. Didn't he get booed enough in Selma?

Sue in MI   May 20th, 2008 11:30 pm ET

This should be good….will he talk about the young black men going to war, and why he failed to support the bill for benefits when they return?
Just how does he plan to help black folks, or any of us, by his commitment to war unending?

R. Brown   May 20th, 2008 11:23 pm ET

This will be interesting…… :)

I'll have a front row seat to see this side show.

Jeff Spangler, Arlington, VA   May 20th, 2008 11:21 pm ET

So long as he practices hard and doesn't start out with "my colored friends," he might get polite applause.

LT for Obama   May 20th, 2008 11:21 pm ET

If I were going to that convention, I would hate to have to eat my rubber chicken while listening to his speech. Ughhhhh………..

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