EDITORIAL - The contempt Democratic presidential candidates have for black Americans seems to know no bounds. In fact, it is only equaled by the contempt so-called black leaders have for their fellow Americans of African descent.

Both groups--the nine Little Leaguers and many of the nation?s self-annointed black leaders--are convinced that the average black has no mind of his own and therefore votes in lockstep as ordered by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored (Americans of African descent, that is) People or maybe even Jesse Jackson.

Therefore when NAACP president Kweisi Mfumi (not his real name, by the way) says ?Jump,? the candidates all are quick to ask, ?How high?? This is why three of them yesterday rejiggered their schedules and hustled down to Miami Beach to address a half -filled hall of sullen, resentful delegates to the NAACP convention.

Here?s what happened. All nine of the Little Leaguers were invited to speak to the convention on Monday. Six showed. The other three--Denny Kucinich, Dick Gephardt and Joe Lieberman--couldn?t be bothered. All pleaded schedule conflicts.

Whereupon an Mfuming Mfumi denounced them, labeled them ?persona non grata, (I presume he knows what that means.) and, in his mind, at least, speaking for every African-American, in the country warned them that they wouldn?t be getting any of the black vote.

Well, that did it. The trio, confident that all blacks are dumb and under the thumbs of this country?s Mfumis, hurriedly changed their schedules and flew off to Miami Beach to address the convention, sort of. These three would-be national leaders were each given five minutes to speak but were told they could not make political speeches--about all they could do was apologize and say how much they agreed with the NAACP?s political positions.

They went anyway. And a generous and benevolent Mfumi forgave them. He said, ?...we are glad they had a change of heart and we?re glad they chose not to ignore this voting bloc.?

And that is what this was all about. Blacks, in the eyes of Mfumi, do not vote as individuals; they are a voting bloc. They are not smart enough to make up their own minds. Instead they will vote as Mfumi and other black leaders of his ilk tell them to. Mfumi?s contempt for his fellow blacks is shared by the nine Little Leaguers and that is why, sooner or later this week they all traipsed down to Miami Beach.