Tag Archives: Joe Biden

POLITICS, RACE

Why Trump’s Radio Ads Should be Considered Offensive by Black Men: Joe Biden’s Ads Are Not Any Less Offensive Either

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Earlier this week, I discussed that Joe Biden’s campaign was making a concerted effort to reach out to the often-ignored Black male voter with two political ads. Undoubtedly, these efforts by the strategist behind Joe Biden’s campaign are being conducted to ensure that the votes of Black men do not slip through the Democratic Party candidate’s hands.

I am sure that the Biden campaign is not overly concerned that Black men will vote for an embattled Donald J. Trump. However, there should be some concern that Black men may very well stay at home and not cast a ballot for either candidate. Hence, Joe Biden’s decision to court Black men with barbershop talk ads is a strategic move designed to encourage them to get out and vote in key battleground states. There is no one who believes that the Trump campaign will convince many Black male voters to vote for the embattled incumbent. Yet, the politically astute realize that he may not need many more than the 8% who cast a ballot for him in 2016 to steal a battleground state from Joe Biden.

As a firm believer in the saying “monkey see monkey do,” I knew it would not be long before the Trump campaign sent some form of communication to Black male voters residing in urban America. I did not have to wait long. The Trump campaign unveiled new radio ads that will run in urban areas such as Detroit, Flint, Raleigh, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

The new ads featuring Herschel Walker and Georgia State Representative Vernon Jones are attempting to convince Black voters that they have nothing to lose by voting for Trump over Joe Biden. It would be wise for Trump to remind Black America that it was Joe Biden who created the 1994 Crime Bill that proved disastrous for many Blacks.

In the Trump ad, Herschel Walker shares the following fond recollections of the polarizing Donald J. Trump.

I’ve known Donald Trump for 37 years. He keeps right on fighting to improve the lives of Black Americans.

Vernon Jones is quick to second the spirit of the famed NFL running backs feelings by adding,

I’m a lifelong Democrat and I’m part of a large and growing segment of the Black community who are independent thinkers and we believe that Donald Trump is the president that America needs to lead us forward.

The above blasé statements by Herschel Walker and Vernon Jones remind me of automobile commercials that advertisers aim at urban Blacks. Ads that tell their target audience nothing about why they should purchase the advertised product. Positioned in the place of pertinent information such as miles per gallon or safety features is blaring music, neon lights, and stylishly dressed actors. Unfortunately for Black America, the alluded to fluff advertising has historically worked on Blacks. And as you well know, in the political world, if a piece of propaganda works, candidates will use the strategy over and over again.

It is time that Black America forced all politicians, not just those seeking the Oval Office, to provide substantive information regarding their platform and timetables for implementation in exchange for their political support. A bland blasé statement by Herschel Walker and Vernon Jones fails to meet that standard; in fairness, I must state that the Biden campaign usually fails to meet that mark as well.

I am certain that the politically astute within our community, regardless of their political leanings, care little that Herschel Walker and Donald J. Trump have been friends for nearly four decades. Friendships and connections to notable Blacks is a ridiculous reason for anyone to cast support for a political leader. Black America must develop its own political agenda to address its particular issues and demand its acceptance and implementation in exchange for our political support. Failure to do so proves that Black voters are still naïve enough to follow political leaders who remain committed to the grand tradition of “talking loud and saying nothing.”

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2020.

 

 

POLITICS, PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN 2020, RACE

“Let’s Get This Right”: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Reach Out To Black Men Regarding the Criminal Justice System

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At times it appears that African-American male voters are a forgotten commodity. This invisibility extends to a Democratic Party who have historically been incapable of securing any political victories without the overwhelming support of Black America. In recent times, Black male voters have been rendered invisible by even the Democratic Party. This invisibility is heightened by the rhetoric of political pundits who remind all that Black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party.

Although I do agree that the political support of Black women will be crucial in the fast-approaching presidential election, the Democratic Party is courting danger if they fail to address Black male voters. We must not forget that Black male voters cast 13% of their ballots for Donald J. Trump. Let’s keep in mind that Black males were over three times as likely to vote for Donald J. Trump than their female counterparts. I am sure that you agree that in an election that is as tight and important as this one that it is crucial that Black males get out to vote.

It appears that someone within the Democratic Party has recognized the crucial nature of the Black male vote as it plans to debut two barbershop talk political ads titled “Trust” and “Get This Right” specifically aimed at this population. The overture is much-needed as Black male voters have often been a forgotten element in the political arena. However, as noble as the outreach effort is, it is the message that will be communicated that is more important.

Let’s face facts, the combination of Joe Biden, the creator of the 1994 Crime Bill and Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor has many Black men “feeling some kind of way.” For Black men, the foremost victims of centuries of mass incarceration schemes that began the moment stolen Africans arrived in British mainland colonies to present-day, such a political ticket is less than desirable. Make no mistake about it, Black men are not only aware but also concerned by the Biden/Harris ticket. Many are so unenthused by the Democratic Party ticket that they are planning to forego participation in this year’s election; many have expressed their intentions to support Trump.

It can not be emphasized enough how important it is for Democratic Party leaders to divest from a baseless belief that Black men are (a) unaware of the issues impacting their lives and (b) incapable of withholding support from the Biden/Harris ticket if both candidates do not address prior actions and statements on matters that are of supreme importance to Black men. If provided the opportunity, I would advise the Democratic Party to bring forth substantive offerings as Black men are far too savvy to be mesmerized by mundane political jargon.

The second ad titled “Get This Right” focuses on Joe Biden’s new plan to correct his historic missteps regarding criminal justice. Huge-swaths of Black America has neither forgotten nor forgiven then-Senator, Joe Biden, for his draconian crime bill that in all probability negatively impacted every African-American either directly or indirectly. Now, a repackaged Joe Biden is seeking to court African-American male voters with a platform that revolves around criminal justice reform. Unlike Senator Biden, Presidential hopeful Biden wishes to do away with mandatory minimum sentences as well as reforming the cash bail system and private prisons. Presidential hopeful Biden articulates the following in the “Get This Right” ad.

I believe my criminal reform justice package is as strong, or stronger than anyone else than anyone has proposed.  

Of course, only time will tell if Black men will be moved by the Democratic Party’s outreach effort. Let’s be honest, the repercussions of Joe Biden’s 1994 Crime Bill was an affront that impacted Black men first and foremost as it facilitated their sons, nephews, friends, and associates, if not them directly. For most, the new ads will be received as little more than political posturing aimed at securing their vote. I guess that the Democratic Party’s recognition of the Black male voter is some form of progress as they have historically been ignored during the majority of national-level political races.

This recent recognition is not much in the grand scheme of things, however, with all things considered, it is something.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2020.

 

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Why The Attack from Black Voices for Trump on Joe Biden Reveals So Much About Black Political Activism — None of it is Good

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Legend has it that a wise man once said that there are only two certainties in life, taxes, and death. Now, I am not here to question such a long-lasting expression of wisdom, rather, to petition for the adding of a third certainty that fits the 21st Century. The third certainty is that “no opportunity to increase one’s political power shall be missed.”

I hope that you understand that the following statement is not an attempt to insinuate that I am clairvoyant. However, I knew that once Joe Biden, also known as emcee Joey B. or the Notorious B.I.D. in these parts, ignited an explosive device buried in America’s cultural minefield called racial matters that vultures would immediately circle above the explosion in hopes o devouring his carcass. Trust me when I say that the alluded to vultures were circling above the quarantined Presidential hopeful long before the Notorious B.I.D. emerged to issue a misspeak. According to the Notorious B.I.D.,  

…if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black.

I blame Biden’s political team for not realizing the inherent dangers found in allowing a 77-year-old White man to navigate delicate racial matters that have shifted heavily during his lifetime in real-time. Biden’s words provided a welcomed opening for avowed opponents.

In a world where political group supporting issues appear for no apparent reason, I was unsurprised, yet amused, by the emergence of a group called Black Voice for Trump. Prior experiences with such groups inform my belief that they were created for moments such as these that allow them to assume a position of righteous indignation and feigned shock. This group of Trump supporters offered the following statement crafted by Katrina Pierson, an American Tea Party activist senior advisor for Trump 2020.

White liberal elitists have continuously dictated which Black Americans are allowed to come to the table and have a voice.  It is clear now more than ever, following these racist and dehumanizing remarks, that Joe Biden believes Black men and women are incapable of being independent or free thinking. He truly believes that he, a 77-year-old white man, should dictate how Black people should behave. Biden has a history of racial condescension and today he once again proved what a growing number of Black Americans and I have always known: Joe Biden does not deserve our votes.

If it were not for the inherent racial bigotry that shadows varying expressions of Republicanism, this message would hold some significance. However, it is difficult to get past the fact that the modern-day Republican Party ceased being “the party of Lincoln” or Reagan long ago. It has given way to being the party of Donald J. Trump; the most boorish and divisive figure to ever serve as U.S. President.

This space has repeatedly been used to lament the absence of political choices available to Black America. Unlike many others, I place a significant portion of the blame for this situation on the shoulders of Black America. There is no need to rehash Black America’s grand tradition of entering political seasons without a political agenda that they could leverage as a Excalibur to advance their politico-economic interests in a crowded field of competitors. It is ironic that a community that invests so much into their Christian beliefs fail to integrate the “good news” of Jesus Christ during opportune moments. It seems that every political season, Black political leaders violate the spirit of James 4: 2 – 3 (You have not because you ask not) by not developing a political agenda.

Despite the unwise words of a few rabble-rousers, it does matter who wins the 2020 Presidential election. The path to increasing Black America’s position in a increasingly diverse nation begins with a well-developed political agenda.

Unfortunately, it appears that Black political leaders have absconded from their duty to develop the alluded to political agenda in favor of in-fighting that cuts along traditional political lines. It is imperative that Black political leaders possessing allegiance to a wide-swath of political philosophies divest from mental masturbation sessions that will produce little more than wasted water divest from the well-worn pattern of one-upmanship and busy themselves developing a political agenda to represent the millions of Black voters who hold the potential to serve as a swing vote in contentious political battles.  

As we approach the 2020 Presidential election, I hope to hear less about Joe Biden aka The Notorious B.I.D. and much more about Black leaders finally awakening from their extended slumber to develop a political agenda that Blacks who agree that the ultimate goal of improving our community must not be derailed by personality conflicts born of one’s affiliation with a political party that continually places Black issues on the backburner.  

A guy can hope, I guess.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

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Introducing Emcee Joey B.: Why it Would be Wise for Joe Biden and the Democratic Party to Cease Public Pursuits of Coolness

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If you want to understand how White folk really feel about Blacks, one needs to do little more than to listen intently to the words that come out of their mouth. I guess it is misleading to limit the way that others communicate to merely the words, communication is found in dress and posture; not to mention the implementation of the “cool” via the implementation of Black slang.

Although there are literally millions of examples of White people seeking to capture an elusive “coolness” that Blacks naturally emanate, my personal favorite comes from middling R&B singer Jon B. In an interview conducted for a Black media outlet, Jon B., wearing black shades and a do-rag, slouched back as if he were a member of a local black gang and answered a Black reporters question of what it felt like to record a song with Tupac Amaru  Shakur. In a drawl that reminds one of a person basted in the essential elements of Black cool, Jon B. slurred the following.

“Maine, Pac told me to not waste my time or my talent.”

I am quite certain that Jon B.’s handlers told him that his “performance” before Black media was perfect in anticipation that Negroes would eat it up, consider him an honorary Black, and purchase a treasure-trove of recordings. Little did he realize that his desperate attempt to assume the cool pose guaranteed that I and a host of others would never even listen to another of his songs, let alone make a purchase. His antics relegated him to the status of a modern day T.D. Rice, the most infamous of all Black-faced minstrel performers.

In the 90’s we had Jon B., today we have emcee Joey B. aka Presidential hopeful Joe Biden, the hippest septuagenarian in the nation.

There is little doubt that Democratic Party leaders will never forget the reminder that Hillary Clinton’s failed Presidential bid placed in their lap. The alluded to message is that Black America remains the lynchpin to Democrats re-capturing the White House. The fact that it is impossible for the Democratic Party to recapture the White House without Black voters explains emcee Joey B.’s obsession with selecting a Black female to serve as his running mate in the 2020 Presidential election. Despite the gross ineptitude of Black leaders, Black America remains in an advantageous power position within the Democratic Party; without Black America’s support, there is no hope for political success.

Apparently, the desperate desire to accomplish something that Hillary Clinton failed to do, that being, securing the Black Vote, led Joey B. to unveil a hipster-persona during a recent interview with Black Popular Culture icon Charlamagne da God on the wildly popular Breakfast Club Morning Show. As expected, emcee Joey B. went on the attack and all attempted to place yet another dubious qualifier on the lengthy Black Card list that is used to both qualify and disqualify a person’s Blackness. According to Joey B.

…if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black…Take a look at my record, maine!!!!

Even Charlamagne da God found Biden’s tirade off-putting.

Were I provided the opportunity to advise emcee Joey B. I would inform him that the Black voter is far more sophisticated than he could ever imagine. Although we are a rhythmic people whose souls soar as a result of inspirational words, we also have reached a point where lyrical “razzle dazzle” no longer is sufficient to secure our loyalties; much of Black America desires substance from those seeking their votes, not the use of cultural tropes and snazzy sayings. If Biden’s campaign leaders really understood Black America, they would have realized that his Joey B. alter-ego was not endearing him to Blacks rather giving them a clear view that he is actually not any different from the series of Presidents who precede him; meaning that they are not really interested in aiding Blacks in the achieving racial equality.

An additional piece of advice that I would share with emcee Joey B. is that he may want to stop imploring Black America to investigate his political life because it is not as sterling and progressive as he and Democratic Party leaders would like us to believe. Consider for a moment that emcee Joey B. was the creator of the 1994 crime bill during the Clinton Administration. It was emcee Joey B’s pen that put the following draconian measures into effect.  

  • Expansion of the federal death penalty.
  • An escalation of harsh sentencing laws.
  • The “three strikes” and you are out laws that made it mandatory that those with at least three federal-level violent crimes or drug convictions received a life sentence.

I am sure that Democratic Party officials are fearing that Black voters will not be energized by emcee Joey B.’s soft-shoe minstrel performances. They should be afraid as his message is off-key, off-putting, and in many ways focused on defeating Trump and not what a vote for him would secure for Black America.

In fact, the most significant portion of Joe Biden’s attractiveness is not due to anything that he has said, done, or stands for. Sadly, it appears that his status as an alternative to the current Oval Office occupant is his most attractive feature. If the Democratic Party is not careful, Black America may stay home in the upcoming election as they feel that Biden is not much different than Trump. Unless Biden’s alter-ego emcee Joey B. is put to rest quick, fast, and in a hurry, in favor of a respectful political leader who develops and shares what his administration has to offer to Black America, it will be argued that Blacks should abstain from supporting the Democratic Party because from where Black America sits, their present choices seem so similar that it is like choosing between Satan, Lucifer, and the Devil; you’re going to Hell with all three.

May God bless Black America with truth, wisdom, and understanding as they seek to navigate this political minefield.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III  

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2020.

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When None of the “Brothers” are Really “Brothers”: Why Jim Clyburn Needs to be Taken to Task for Calling Joe Biden “An Honorary Black Man”

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Paul Mooney’s keen observation regarding Bill Clinton’s propensity to saddle himself with stereotypical “problems of a Black Man” was so striking that he was in actuality “America’s first Black President” that the joke has outlived its utility. As you well know, such poignant social commentary was common for the famed comedian. Mooney’s ability to address Race in an inventive way while providing piercing commentary regarding the gulf between Black life and Whites’ who possessed “the complexion for the protection” are indispensable within a nation that remains torn by racial dynamics that few dare to look at.

The matters of Race and political representation have arisen yet again as a result of failed Presidential hopeful Cory Booker shared that Congressman Jim Clyburn referred to Presidential hopeful Joe Biden as an “honorary Black man” during a Congressional Black Caucus meeting. Clyburn’s flawed perspective makes it painfully clear, yet again, that even those Black America has elected to represent them have an extremely limited understanding of Race. To the chagrin of politically astute Blacks, Black politicians such as Jim Clyburn are the primary reason that issues such as racial justice are never included in national debates. I realize that I am not the only person who after witnessing the alluded to figures ineptitude and cowardice accepts that nothing is to be expected from Black political leaders.

At a moment when equally astute and brave political leadership capable of speaking “truth to power” is needed, Jim Clyburn has “blackened-up” and performed as a modern-day Jim Crow; in fact, it is ironic that his first name is Jim. Make no mistake about it, Jim Clyburn’s present posture is one that has disregarded Black America in favor of being a tool for powerful White Democratic Party leaders such as Joe Biden.

Unfortunately for Black America, Jim Clyburn’s Black-faced vaudeville show avoids any acknowledgment of Joe Biden’s construction of the 1994 crime bill that paved the path for the incarceration of legions of African-Americans for minor drug offenses, not to mention his inexcusable behavior toward Anita Hill; of course, Biden has recently attempted to apologize for his antics — Hill refused to participate in the political charade by refusing to accept Biden’s words as being sincere. Yet, such a past has not prevented a growing band of Negroes ranging from public intellectuals to elected officials from “endorsing” lock them up, Joe Biden.

On second thought, maybe a decent argument could be made that Joe Biden is an “honorary Black man.” Consider for a moment that his Crime Bill and treatment of Anita Hill mirrors the hurt and harm that misguided Black men who have routinely worked against the liberation and salvation of the Black nation in favor of personal gain. It is sad that the damage that those endorsing Biden have done to working-class and poor Blacks in their daily dealings from legislative halls through social media appearances rests comfortably on the same shelf as the Biden constructed Crime Bill.

So, let me reverse course and take a moment to acknowledge the arrival of Joe “Crime Bill” Biden as a new “brother” who holds as little promise for uplifting Black America as other Black men such as Jim Clyburn. At least he fits with that crowd.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

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