Trump is a racist.
Hey, Republican Party. African-American voter here. I hear you've been looking for me, but you're sending out such wildly mixed messages that I'm not sure if I should be flattered or furious.
Hat No. 2 fits me pretty snugly right now. Here's why.
Your national standard-bearer, Donald Trump, is making an explicit appeal for my vote. He came to Charlotte last week and said the Democratic Party plays black voters for suckers while black neighborhoods rot.
"Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party have taken African-American votes totally for granted," he said. "What do you have to lose by trying something new?"
That's a good, fair question. Too bad the guy asking it ranks as the most racially inflammatory presidential candidate since arch-segregationist George Wallace. Instead of making his black-voter sales pitch by talking to us, he's doing it by talking about us to white audiences.
That tells me a hell of a lot more than the words on his Teleprompter do.
It might also help if he acknowledged the fact that most black people aren't poor. Some 26 percent are, according to the University of Michigan's National Poverty Center. And while that's unacceptably high compared with white Americans' poverty rate of 10 percent, that leaves a whopping 74 percent of black Americans above the poverty line.
You wouldn't guess it listening to Trump bellowing away about black despair. Yes, the inner cities clearly need new ideas and more help. But Trump isn't offering either. That's because he's not courting the black vote with this new sales pitch; he's giving cover to embarrassed white supporters who are sick of answering for his racial provocations.
Speaking of which, you GOP elders might want to look in on Dallas Woodhouse, executive director of the N.C. Republican Party. Guy's in no danger of winning an NAACP Image Award right now. He shamelessly urged Republicans sitting on county elections boards to limit early voting hours and keep polling sites closed on Sundays — clear efforts to pinch voting options favored by blacks.
No, no, you say. That's about keeping Democrats from voting. We can't help it if most black voters just happen to be Democrats.
Actually, you can. Blacks vote Democrat today because Democrats fought for their votes. The party that once welcomed cross-burning Klansmen did an about-face on civil rights and earned the black vote.
Are you fighting to get those votes back? Nope.
The path to do so is clear, if you're interested. Embrace affirmative action — and let racist base voters walk. Pass criminal justice reform. Champion black entrepreneurship and the rebuilding of the inner cities. Reach out to churchgoing black families; their traditionalist social values mirror yours.
Even viewed through the lens of small-government conservatism, this agenda is do-able.
You'll lose old voters. And you'll gain new ones. Just as the Democrats did 50 years ago.
In a changing America, you'll be in position to compete for real minority votes, instead of just complaining about imaginary fraudulent ones.
That fraud charge stinks. It's built on the racist presumption that black voters can't discern whose policies align most closely with their interests and worldview. It suggests that, even if they're not literally fraudulent, black votes remain somehow illegitimate because they're votes for free stuff, not for well-considered policies.
OK. Then why did black voters derail Bernie Sanders, the king of free stuff, in the primaries? Why'd they save Hillary Clinton?
Simple. She showed up when he didn't. She out-worked him.
And he didn't realize it until it was too late.
Concerned about black votes this November, GOP?
Quit whining. Stop provoking. Start competing.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Eric Frazier is a columnist for the Charlotte Observer. Readers may email him at efrazier@charlotteobserver.com.
"There is no question former President Trump bears moral responsibility. His supporters stormed the Capitol because of the unhinged falsehoods he shouted into the world’s largest megaphone," McConnell wrote. "His behavior during and after the chaos was also unconscionable, from attacking Vice President Mike Pence during the riot to praising the criminals after it ended."
Trump is a racist.
We have the intellect to imagine the finality of our own demise but do not have the sophistication to overcome our survival instinct and accept it.
Solution? Magical thinking and childish promises of everlasting life.
Ergo, religion.
rac·ist
rāsəst/noun
a person who believes that a particular race is superior to another.
Ask yourself honestly if this describes what you believe to be true.
If the answer is yes, you are a racist.
Seahawk (08-24-2016)
This black columnist doesn't like Trump.
But some do. The black bloc isn't a monolith and Trump's goal should be to break into it---forget about winning it. That's off the table.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/black...ry?id=41592758
Donald Trump’s latest direct appeals to black voters have been seen as a welcome change by some black attendees at Trump’s rallies, but many of those leaning toward Hillary Clinton say they see the attempts as disingenuous.
“I think it’s just a ploy to gain my vote,” said Sylvester Ollie, a 47-year-old African-American from Pennsylvania.
____________
This is typical spin by the mainstream media. Note how they down played the fact there 'were some black Trump supporters' at the Trump rally. But then it finished on the proper note.
I wonder why ABC didn't interview any black Trump supporters lol?
Coup has started. First of many steps. Impeachment will follow ultimately~WB attorney Mark Zaid, January 2017
What do loyal little lapdoggies who infest a state that's 93.90% white know about black Americans?
black entrepreanurship and rebuilding the inner cities is kinda what trump is talking about
Im happy dems are so rattled by this. It is time they were challenged for the black vote.
Darth Omar (08-24-2016)
The vast majority of blacks aren't fooled by your master, little lapdoggy.
Trumptards must place their trust in Vlad's October surprise, from Russia with love.
Trump seems to be doing a two-pronged attack: first make poor blacks question why they consistently vote democrat when nothing ever changes---a fair question, to put it mildly; second, attack Hillary and damage her.
The objective: pair whatever support Trump gets from black voters with Clinton's black voter no-shows in November.
The assumption that blacks will reflexively turnout for Hillary is shaky, imo. If they don't show up and actually vote, the polls are meaningless.
Coup has started. First of many steps. Impeachment will follow ultimately~WB attorney Mark Zaid, January 2017
Crooked ILLary and her supporters like you should be worried that she is ONLY getting 87% when past democrat party nominees have gotten well over 90% of the black vote. That may not sound like big numbers, but it really is when it comes down to it. Couple that with the fact that they are unlikely to turn out for her the way they turned out of B. Hussein Yobabymama and she could have difficulties.
Don't worry, you know how to vote multiple times as you have admitted on this forum so you will be able to pull the trigger for your girl Crooked ILLary multiple times to make up for any loss right? That is why you liberals love early voting. It gives you an idea of what you need to cheat your way to victory on election day.
Yeah, yeah yeah, we know the story there is NO PROOF of election fraud on a wide scale, because we know there is ZERO incentive for anyone to cheat in our elections to control trillions of dollars of power. Nope, it would make no sense for anyone to cheat. Not that anyone has ever thoroughly investigated before, but hey if it helps you sleep at night.
Has Crooked ILLary promised you a ticket to her inauguration ball? Do you have your dress picked out?
"There is no question former President Trump bears moral responsibility. His supporters stormed the Capitol because of the unhinged falsehoods he shouted into the world’s largest megaphone," McConnell wrote. "His behavior during and after the chaos was also unconscionable, from attacking Vice President Mike Pence during the riot to praising the criminals after it ended."
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