Joe Biden shouldn’t take black vote for granted
Say it ain’t so, Joe. Not again. You’ve had your share of foot-in-mouth moments, but this time, your slick, offthe-cuff remark to Charlamagne Tha God that “You ain’t black” if you vote for Trump could have some serious repercussions.
You definitely don’t want black folks to feel taken for granted and so disillusioned that they sit out the election. Take a page from Hilary’s misstep on that score. Even with the Obamas stumping for her, blacks didn’t come out in the kind of numbers she needed.
What black people want to know, Joe, is what are your plans to change conditions that have kept people of color on the sidelines of opportunity and equity in this country?
National polls clearly show most blacks do not support Trump. From his “what do you have to lose” quip to his outrageous public disrespect of our elected black leaders, Congressman John Lewis and the late Elijah Cummings, the squad of
Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley, and his choice of words like rat-infested to describe the city of Baltimore — we know denigration and indignities when we encounter them.
But that in no way makes you the automatic recipient of the black vote, Joe. Like every vote, you still need to earn it.
You will definitely get the majority of the black vote in November’s election. Your loyalty to Obama gives you something to build on to ensure black voters come out in the numbers you need to win. The black community remembers the many disses that the nation’s first black president endured — like a disgruntled Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer wagging her finger in Obama’s face, or being heckled by a Republican congressman who shouted, “You lie!” in the middle of a speech to that body. Or Trump’s dogged birther claims. Or Mitch McConnell’s pledge that Obama would only serve one term. He served two.
Obama’s rescue of the U.S. economy, his affordable health care act (Joe gets props for being a part of that effort) and the takeout of Osama Bin Laden didn’t matter to those on the opposite side of the aisle. Republicans blocked most of Obama’s initiatives at every turn. Today a mean-spirited, Obama-obsessed Trump is not only actively erasing his predecessor’s legacy but is even unwilling to hang his portrait, a longtime tradition among presidents.
Joe, being Obama’s No. 2 should have given you a deeper understanding of the plight of African Americans and other minorities — more than you had before — like when you and Bill Clinton constructed the catastrophic 1991 crime bill. Surely you’ve learned enough about that disastrous turn, still plaguing black communities, to share how you would reform criminal justice in America.
And for the record, Joe, your remark didn’t come across as too “cavalier,” as you described. For many, you came across as “entitled” — as in the heir apparent to the black vote. Don’t assume, Joe. While Congressman Jim Clyburn bailed you out throughout the South and rescued your campaign with his endorsement, trust me, I wouldn’t count on his coattails being enough to carry you all the way through to the winner’s circle. In the end, you have to make your case directly to African Americans and I don’t think we’ve heard it yet.
Choosing a black woman as your VP would definitely be a great start — much better than the promise of appointing a black woman to the Supreme Court — that comes only if you make it to the presidency. But Sen. Kamala Harris, Congresswoman Val Demings and Stacey Abrams are outstanding candidates for VP. Black women have long been the workhorses of the Democratic party. You definitely don’t want to risk black women staying home. They get out the vote and they vote.
Enough with the slip of the lip service, Joe. Charlamagne is right, you definitely owe a comprehensive plan of action for the African American community.