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But Hillary has an ace up her pantsuit sleeve. It is
the equivalent, for her, of the much sought after Monopoly
Get Out of Jail Free card.
Right now Hillary is probably in a secluded backroom in a
hotel in New York practicing her 'southern' accent and
getting updated on the latest urban hip and cool jargon and
dance moves.
She is learning to drop her "R's" and "G's" and Hillary
is going native...real quick. She will be drinking sweet
iced tea and talkin' bout getting real with the South
Carolina voters.
In other words, Hillary is going over to the dark side.
Hillary needs the black vote big time in order to turn back
the oncoming armies of Bernie Sanders.
Hillary will be on speed dial calling up every black
politico and black preacher she knows and pulling out all of
her emotional appeals about helping the Clinton's..."one mo'
time!"
Why, I have even heard through the urban grapevine that
Hillary is leaking to the black press that the top names of
her future grandchild will be: Alacaquisha or Demo'nasha or
Parrvesetta. If a boy, it will be: Lay'trone or Vydacran or
even Demarcus. Hey, don't laugh...every vote counts!
Bill Clinton is taking saxophone lessons to warm up for
a video on U-Tube along with his best bud, Arsenio Hall
(remember back in the 90's, Bill had on the shades and
played the sax on Arsenio's program and black folks went
nuts!) to show black folks that he is still their first
unofficial black president (so coined by the famed novelist,
Toni Morrison).
Not to be outdone, Bernie Sanders has already met in
Harlem at the famed black soul food restaurant Sylvia's (I
have been there....good grub) with none other than Al
Sharpton. Yes, that Al Sharpton.
Much to his credit, Bernie graciously declined to give
any Black Power fist salutes and did not wear the offered
red, green and black pork pie hat when he left the
restaurant.
Again, the Democrats are going to, with no shame, chase
down the "black bloc vote" knowing that in urban America,
the brown and black vote will be the razor edge that can
mean victory or defeat for the Democratic nominee.
The Republicans? They will do a kiss-kiss make up with
Dr. Ben Carson and Herman Cain and find other blacks to
carry their political water into the black community.
The Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump will of
course say that he has wonderful relations with “the black”
people and will take the normal and usual photo ops with
swooning black pastors who seemingly can not get enough of
themselves in camera shoots with The Donald.
Will anyone sharply question Hillary regarding her
record with black voters and the record of her husband
(which she championed) as to his practice of wrecking
political mayhem on black people but under the guise of
being bold and firm?
It seems that everyone loves black people when it comes
to election times and they Put on their best face and gives
the usual pregnant speeches of hope and change but when they
are elected, they can hardly be found and much less found
aggressively pushing an agenda that confronts structural
racism in America including the prison system, disparate
sentencing, police brutality and draconian welfare
principles some of which are purely punitive.
It seems that the politicos will say the right words
when around a black audience or at a black church. They will
sing with gusto the song, Lift Every Voice And Sing and they
will invoke the image and words of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., and they may even wring their hands over gun violence
that strikes down so many black males in this country.
But! Do they have the courage to offend their white
voters, North and South, with policies and reforms that
directly attack an economic system that is stacked against
people of color and poor people?
Can they tell a stubborn Congress that any policy that
they put on their desk to sign that has the effect (not just
the intent) to discriminate or which values whites more than
blacks, that such a bill will be vetoed?
Is the black and brown vote easy to get? Is all that is
required is a little tap on the head and a few crumbs of
appointments to highly visible governmental positions and
all is well?
Is there a coalition of black and brown voters who can
stand in the gap and demand (not ask) for certain and
needful changes in how America behaves itself with its
minority populations?
Will Donald Trump or Hillary or Bernie, be willing to
be seen as seemingly "soft" on black and brown folks and
thus lose the white votes in the critical areas around Upper
Virginia, outside of Hamtramck, Michigan, the panhandle of
Florida, the rich enclaves of Houston, Texas and Columbus,
Ohio?
Understand that if the polling numbers show that any of
the candidates can soft sell the minority vote, they will do
so in a New York minute and let the accusations and tears
fly later.
If the political nerds can read the tea leaves in the
political maps of the states and
carve out those areas that are minority majority voters but
are not needed to win and no need to campaign in those
areas, they will do so.
Whatever black and brown leaders that Donald Trump or
Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders seek out for their
anointing and blessing, those "leaders" unless they are
fortified with a mental toughness to say No! to any mush
being offered for their votes and their influence, the
election at the end of this year for the black and brown
voters will be another, "Heads I Win, Tails, You lose!
Contact Lafe Tolliver at
Tolliver@Juno.com
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