It’s not yet established with certainty whether Mr. Bush likes black people or not, but we know for sure that in the past he has declined several invitations to speak at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 2004, he defined his relationship with the NAACP as “basically nonexistent.”
But in this world everything changes, and today the President appeared at the NAACP for the first time since his election. The atmosphere was reserved and suspicious; several seats in the front rows were empty. The President had a much harder time than usual generating an applause. But then his audience unexpectedly delivered an enthusiastic endorsement of Mr. Bush’s message. When the President said: “And I understand that many African-Americans distrust my political party,” the crowd cheered and clapped in loud assent.