The real news is taking place in black churches. Black pastors are waking up to what politics such as Kerry's have done to their communities. They are beginning to understand that freedom and ownership, family and values are the formula for African American revival and survival - not factors driven by politics but factors that should drive politics.

The Kerry/Edwards vision is one of government continuing to play a central and growing role in the everyday decisions of Americans. The Bush/Cheney vision is one of shifting these decisions to individuals, families and local communities.

Slowly, African Americans are beginning to appreciate that ownership and personal control will bring them closer to their dreams than still more government.

Health care costs continue to escalate at double-digit rates and Kerry's answer is to commit to more government spending. He ignores the fact that runaway costs point to an absence of market discipline. The projected cost of his own recently released health care proposal has been estimated at $1.6 trillion.

Kerry opposes Bush's proposal to reform Social Security with private accounts. The senator does not see fit to mention that many African Americans pay more in Social Security payroll taxes than they pay in income taxes. Non-account attempts to prop up the system will have to rely on increasing these taxes.

Even as Democrats continue to meet and make fun of Republicans, the connection between ownership and prosperity becomes increasingly evident to the communities they claim to represent.