• All three front-running Democrats —Sen. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama—have published AIDS plans that stress the importance of addressing the epidemic’s racial disparities; no Republican candidate has done so.
• Seven of eight Democrats have vowed to increase funding for the Ryan White CARE Act; no Republican has done so.
Among the top-tier Democrats, conversely, there is great similarity. All agree on basic principles of targeting resources to address the Black epidemic, putting science ahead of ideology and politics, and building a national strategy with goals to which we can all be held accountable.
There are, however, notable differences in details among the leading Democrats:
• While Edwards and Obama have vowed to end funding for abstinence-only sex education, Clinton has stated only her support for comprehensive sex education.
• Obama’s record on encouraging HIV testing among Blacks far outstrips all other candidates: He and his wife, Michelle, have been publicly tested and have spoken forcefully about testing’s import.
• Clinton, both in response to the survey and in her subsequently published AIDS platform, has made the most forceful commitment to working with Black faith leaders to address the epidemic.
Stay Tuned for More
The Black AIDS Institute will continue to follow the presidential elections throughout 2008, both on its Web site—www.BlackAIDS.org—and through reports in other Black Media outlets.
• Look for updates in Phill Wilson’s blog on AOL Black Voices, www.blackvoices.com/blogs/category/aids-25-years-and-counting
• For the latest news on the road to the White House from a Black perspective visit Georgecurry.com
• Check your local Black newspaper for stories about the election.
• Tune in to the Bev Smith Show on your local American Urban Radio Network affiliate for updates and analysis.
“Getting informed is the first step in getting engaged,” said Wilson. “And We Demand Accountability gives Black voters the information we need to get engaged politically on AIDS.”