One would think that with all the joy, love, dance parties, photo booths, abortions, vasectomies, and God-knows-what else went on at the DNC, Democrats would be too busy nursing hangovers and sharing warm memories on Snapchat today. They should still be twisted up the sheets, enjoying a cigarette, joint, vape pen, or whatever they do, basking in the afterglow of the past few days of weirdness.
But, still surfing the blue wave, the Dems were out bright and early. Rep. Maxine Waters (Calif.) went out on a limb and ventured into the friendly confines of CNN, probably thinking the hosts would toss the old softball around and ask her probing questions like what her favorite color is and how excited she is for Kamala's first 100 days.
To their partial credit, “CNN News Central” co-hosts Sara Sidner and John Berman decided to try to dig a half inch or so deeper than the network's standard interview procedure seems to allow and queried Waters on why Donald Trump is enjoying a surge of popularity with black men. Exercising her usual aplomb and insight, Waters chalked up the improved numbers, at least in part, to the fact that Trump has pardoned rappers.
No, really. See for yourself.
Dep Rep Claims Trump Pardoning Rappers Is The Reason For His Growing Support Among Black Men pic.twitter.com/jQ38qVPOxI
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 23, 2024
As you can probably tell by my profile picture, I am not black, so I can offer no first-hand insights. But I would hazard a guess that black me who saw this exchange may have thought to themselves, "With Dems like these, who needs enemies?"
As the Daily Caller News Foundation reported, Waters did note that perhaps, maybe, economic factors might just be at the heart of the discontent for black men:
I believe that we have not done a good enough job in working with and educating young people about public policy issues. Many of our young people are entrepreneurs, and they want to have businesses; they would like to have some assistance and some help with that. They need access to capital, and this is very important with them. They see that their lives have been a little bit difficult. Rent’s too high; they don’t have 20% for a down payment on a home, on and on and on. We’ve got to do a better job.
One thing Waters misses is that just about everyone in the nation who is not the recipient of a progressive lobotomy is dealing with the same problems to one extent or another. While she does give a nod to the concept that black men may want more for themselves than what they have been offered, she almost subconsciously falls back into a default position of the Democratic Party, namely that minorities, and for that matter, anyone else are commodities to be used and brokered.
Waters and her party lack the capacity to see black men as fully-orbed human beings and think that they are only interested in crime and rap music. If black men, or any men, see something in Donald Trump, it is someone who treats them like men. Even the most compromised, man-bun-sporting male feminist sitting glumly in the passenger seat wants that. They may not admit it, but they want it.
To many, Trump represents more than better economic policies, secure borders, and safer streets. What the Democrats fail to realize is that Trump, warts and all, represents the potential that men want to fulfill and the opportunity to finally do so.
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