The State of Black Politics 2020 II

(Baltimore, MD) Part II Deals with the Republican Party and how they factor into Black Politicians. While small in number, you can't discount them. I also continue my conversation with Bret Schafer on what to look for in this election series.

Repubs

 There are so many mix messages when it comes to Black Politics. There are a lot of sycophants who have brought into the Trump message. In the past it was all about, “Find me a Black Republican?” They weren’t as many, but they held on to several ideas. It included economic empowerment, Black business, anti-abortion, and inter-generational wealth.

Turning Point USA, an organization run by Charlie Kirk, and Candance Owens, the author of Blackout: How Black America Can Make Its Second Escape From the Democrat Plantation, have become the darlings of “Trump World.” They tapped into young African-Americans, a group they have had the most difficulty in recruiting. It’s clear, they are not the old GOP. They are a part of the cult of personality. Kayne West has been tapped as their go to personality. West, infamously told a live television audience, “George Bush does care about Black people.” He’s all in on the Trump slogan, “Make America Great Again.” His arrival at the White House and his attempt to get on the presidential ballot in states as an independent is perceived as a “red herring.” He lost most of his credibility when he suggested, “Slavery was a choice.”

I have described the four days in a phrase and single words on my Facebook page. First night, "I want to change the narrative." For the next three nights single words, “Trumpian,” “Contrast,” and “Grievance.” When you have the stage, you don’t need distractions. The idea of, “Who you do want to believe, me or your lying eyes?” The President’s base sees the world through his words and ideas. That’s effective until they run up against the reality of events on the ground (Hurricane Laura, 180,000 deaths from Covid-19, and the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin). You can ignore it, but what happens when major sports teams recognize Blake’s shooting and decide sports isn’t important. It was part of a dueling narrative.

Creating New Black Candidates

“You are either with me, or against me.” This has created a number of candidates across the nation. Aligning with the President means you get the largeness in endorsements and the monetary rewards. I point you to Kim Klacik, a Republican candidate in the 7th Congressional District in Maryland.

Mrs. Klacik wanted to replace the remaining term of the late Congressman Elijah Cummings. She lost to former Congressman Kwiesi Mfume by a 3-1 margin (the District is 65-75% Democrats). With literally no chance of winning (FYI, she doesn’t live in the District, but says she will if elected.) she launched a viral campaign. It got noticed by President Trump and her YouTube views are over 11 million and counting. Also, money has flowed into her campaign coffers from outside the district.

This is typical of a number of Republican candidates in this current era. They'll run without a base of Black support and point out the short comings of the Democrat or the District. When they are challenged you’ll hear a standard list of complaints (the most recent are “Democrats have been in charge.” – “What do you have to lose?” – “Law and Order”). There are some prerequisites: you must be social media savvy, be prepared to go into the “lions’ den,(the District they want to represent)” and endorse the remedies proposed by POTUS.

So where can you find these candidates? They are sometimes affiliated with non-domination churches/ groups (not all). Black graduates of Liberty/Oral Roberts/Brigham Young Universities are prime targets. Their faith in God is unquestioned. You’ll sometimes see them as the only Black person in a predominately white religious service. There are a pair of litmus test, against birth control (in all forms)  and being anti-abortion. They will tell you how they pulled themselves up “by their bootstraps,” and don’t understand why their relatives couldn’t do the same. The evils of society are evident to them but they often appear to gloss over what is happening on the ground. They often have a conversion story about, “I use to be a Democrat.” Their connection to the Black community is through faith, the military/police, and being Black. They have bucked the system and thrown off the idea of “group think.”

The Packaging

There are several items at work this political season. It includes efforts to diminish turnout, sow confusion, and “Can I talk to you for a moment.” The turnout question is baked into the equation. Republicans know a high turnout will never keep them in power. The President said as much when questioned about mail in voting. “If we allow mail in voting, Republicans will never win,” according to President Trump.

There is a stay tune to moment almost every day. A pair of crises,’ the Coronavirus and protest in the streets over Black Lives Matter (especially the white supporters) are wildcards in this idea to sow confusion. Initially, POTUS thought he was in control when reporting out data on Covid-19. There is nothing he can do about deaths, but blame others. He hopes this will shield him.

The social unrest has given the GOP and the POTUS a more reasonable messaging ensemble. "Chaos in the streets, support for the police, and they are coming for you" are old tropes that have been dusted off. There is a sense from some GOP operatives the more social unrest, the better for the President. It may work in the short term but there are long term consequences.

The last request was on display during RNC Convention, “He isn’t as bad as he tweets.” Most of us are never as bad as people say we are (I know). This is different. I listen to number of different people whose political backgrounds are varied. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” It's harmless, but I personally watch who is doing the asking. Do not be shocked if it comes from a religious leader. The motivation to talk may be cloaked in this idea, “You believe in Jesus/God?” The recent phenomena are likely to come via social media (since we’re trying to social distance).

 What to Watch

 I put a second question to Bret Schafer during a Council of Foreign Affairs Webinar on Disinformation and Election 2020. What happens when there is a lack of information?

Charles Robinson: I want to drill down on this idea that during this election, many states are looking at either giving out absentee ballots versus having people physically come in.

Bret Schafer: The lack of clarity and how people can vote this time around. This I think, is the number one concern and the closer we get to election day without clarity more problematic This is going to be because anytime there's an information void, and there's a gap in information, this is going to be filled by people who are going to want to get their own sort of opinions out there to manipulate the conversation… it's going to come down to them having a plan well in advance, communicating that plan. Because otherwise, every possible opportunity is out there for bad actors to try to suppress the vote by giving people false information.

Voting

It will test who we are as Americans and challenge African-Americans to see who they want to be. It will be different this time. A Pew Research poll showed 95 % of the electorate have made up their minds and are ready to vote. That is either a testament to how engage people are or a measurement of how polarize the country is. Note this as a statement of fact, “If you don’t vote, you have no reason to complain.”

 

The Curious and Missing

In the last two nights of observing the Republican Convention from St. Paul's Excel Center the visuals are a stark contrast to the DNC. Is it me or is their an absence of color and youth?

The cameramen must be falling all over themselves to find the handful of Black Republicans. In past years at the GOP party, the total number of Blacks has hovered at 10 percent. I'm guessing it hasn't gone up but may be going down. The Joint Center for Political and Economic studies bears this out. "Of the Republicans' 2,380 delegates, only 36 are black, a 78 percent drop from the GOP's 2004 convention and the lowest number in 40 years."

The reason for this drop can be attributed to several prominent Black Republicans vocally talking about voting for Barrack Obama. Some in this group have done so out of racial solidarity, and others have "heard the message of change."

For the uninitiated those famous Black Republicans you will see include Ken Blackwell of Ohio, Lynn Swann of Pennsylvania, Michael Steele of Maryland, Joe Rogers of Colorado, and Ward Connerly of California. These are the old stalwarts of the GOP who have put in time doing party building.

Get ready however for the new breed, Hip-Hop Republicans. According to their website, "They describe A “Hip Hop Republican” as not an individual that has lost her or his identity as a result of self-hatred, lack of exposure, or economic success. Because of the current political climate and common understanding, Hip Hop Republicans (and Black Republicans in total) often stand alone."

I witnessed their emergence first hand in Maryland with Lieutenant Governor Steele as their champion. He unexpectedly brought in Hip Hop mogul Russell Simmons in for a fundraiser. During his remarks the Lieutenant Governor told the gathering (numbering 300) "it's not enough to get a seat at the lunch counter but we should strive to own the lunch counter."

This movement is about creating legacy wealth. It's not necessarily a shared idea in the Democratic Party which pushes shared sacrifice and collective cooperation. It is a tantalizing proposition for this generation who believe in Black entrepreneurship. The downside is being ridiculed for the social and moral causes which they neither understand or are prepared to grasp.

It's this group the GOP needs to understand if they hope to sustain itself in the future. It can teach it about guerrilla marketing; nuancing without being rigid; and believing in a society where color is less of issue than ideas.

The NBRA

The National Black Republican Association founded in 2005 is the most visible of the GOP franchises. According to President Frances Rice, "the group is dedicated to promoting the traditional values of the black community which are in concert with the core Republican Party philosophy of strong families, personal responsibility, quality education and equal opportunities for all."

The NBRA is infamous for its ads (Radio, Print, and Online) suggesting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican. Several prominent Civil Rights Leaders have discounted this advertisement. The King family went as far as to issue a cease and decease order for the radio spots which used King's voice. It has not stopped the billboard and online activities. As I said in an earlier post some were strategically placed in Denver.

There appears to be a coarseness in this groups attempts to dissuade African-Americans from siding with the Democrat Party, which is their right. They are also effective in bring a number of Black conservative commentators to the attention of media.

I note, the current cause is to use religious undertones in dissuading Blacks from backing and staying loyal to the Democratic Party over the issue of abortion, gay marriage and traditional Black family values. This line of advocacy paid dividends in 2004 especially in Ohio and Florida where several exit poll workers discovered these issues persuade a large number of church going "Black Folk" to vote Republican.

My analysis this time shows there will be fewer of those who will succumb to this logic. It is fear which brings this group its numbers. I'm reminded starting a movement is not done by creating a website, but rather by mobilizing real people to stand by you on the ideas you put forward. It may not be large but you literally must begin proselytizing in order to make it work. Lastly, the age group which links itself with the group is greying (just like many other groups). Learn a thing a or two from the HIP HOP Caucus. There message is positive rather than a negative.

Palin Speech


You know I'm going to watch this tonight. Are you like me, "scratching your head wondering what were they thinking? FYI, they have brought the boyfriend in for show. This is tacky. Does anyone know if he has a voter registration card? Correct me, but didn't they say they wanted this to remain private? Bob Parks,writing for the Booker Rising Blog says, "If Sarah Palin has learned anything from her less-than-a-week in the international spotlight, she's learned what it's like to be black."

Welcome to my world.

C3