The Myth of the "Black Vote" Determining the Presidency

Election Day is near. Now springs to life, more so than normally, an exaggerated sense of importance expressed by the liberal media--as well as many prominent blacks themselves--of African-American voting in a presidential election. This baseless and erroneous agreement among these pontificators of race and politics in this country--perhaps the leader of all of them being Barack Obama's unofficially appointed "Potentate of All Things Black in America From Sea to Shining Sea," Reverend Al Sharpton--that winning the "black vote" by overwhelming numbers is paramount to any person seeking to be elected President of the United States, and especially so in 2016. Concerning all this cacophonous dialogue regarding the so-called "black vote," who, except for the left wing, uber-liberal press corps (long-time Hillary lovers down to nearly the very last one), or certain black leaders such as Sharpton, gives a damned really about how many black votes Trump will or will not get? It simply is so far down the list of priorities of Donald Trump--or any presidential candidate including Hillary Clinton--that it barely weighs in on any discussion of election statistics if objectively considered. 

 That election statistic is a long-time out-of-date (if it were ever really "in date,"), over-inflated assessment of the importance placed on who convinces blacks to vote for them. Primarily, the reason for this is that blacks are only a small minority of our population--a tad over 12 % (As Jerry Seinfeld would say, "Not that there's anything wrong with that!")--and, even then, largely concentrated in the urban areas of Cleveland, Detroit, New York City, etc. Perhaps not as definitive as the ever-increasing impact of the Hispanic vote, it makes as much difference as a fat rat's patooty who blacks ultimately vote for. But rest assured it will be any Democrat who happens to get their name on a ballot, especially "Lyin' Hillary." 

No matter what Trump promises blacks, no matter how hard he tries, no matter how sincere he may be, blacks will vote Democratic (Hillary Clinton) for some strange reason--Democrats haven't been especially kind to their brethren, the African-American voter. (God, I hate that hyphenated-American stuff.) However, they will not vote for a Republican candidate for president, especially a white Republican, no matter what is at stake--as in this year's election. Nor will they normally vote for any other Republican seeking political office for that matter. However--and this is hot off the press reported by Joy Reid this evening, September 6, 2016, as she filled in for another MSNBC talking head--startling news has been revealed when focus groups recently reported that young blacks (referred to as "Millennials," whatever that is) do not support Hillary Clinton! This frightens older Democrats. Will we lose those young black voters to the Republicans? they wonder. In fact, it is best if Republicans, including Donald Trump, do not get many black votes at all. The resulting political and social pressure, should he win the White House, for 

"The Donald" to bow down to Jackson, Sharpton, et al, would be problematical. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus such as Congresswomen "Muddy" Waters and Sheila Jackson Lee, and Congressmen James E. Clyburn, John Conyers, and Elijah E. Cummings will waste no time in announcing their expectations for their collectively ensuring the victor appropriately recognizes the "black voter." This "gaggle of seekers of a plethora of benefits-certain" will be knocking on the front door of the White House even before the horse dung along the route of the Inaugural Parade is policed. 

Then and there, they will unequivocally state their compelling--at least as seen through their jaundiced eyes--and overwhelming argument that blacks now be justly rewarded, issuing their laundry list of obligations the new president, no matter who it is, must fulfill immediately, if not sooner--a list longer than that the FBI compiled of Hillary Clinton's 33,000 deleted emails. Their demands, most likely large enough in monetary ransom alone ("reparations") to fiscally bankrupt our Treasury, will be ceremoniously presented to the new president in the Oval Office within hours of the swearing in ceremony. (A similar ceremony will later be later conducted on the steps of the Capital and any Democrat elected to Congress best heed its intention-"You owe us, big time!") Such celebrities as Sean "Diddy" Combs, rap mogul and now newly-hatched political activist I presume, have expressed this overstated "black vote" implication quite succinctly. Speaking to Al Sharpton on Sunday, September 4, 2016, Diddy opined, "This is politics... we're such a big part of the voting bloc... the black vote is going to decide who is the next president of the United States." (Really, Shaun? 

Have you studied the population numbers lately? Hispanics are now far-and-away a more influential and powerful voting block than blacks will ever be again. In fact, their numbers in some key states are becoming a much-feared realization by Republicans, as well as a celebratory number by Democrats, that perhaps the Hispanic vote will, indeed, determine, in all future elections, who wins the house at 1600 Pennsylvania, Ave, Washington, D. C.) Diddy said it's time for black voters to get something in return for their political support. (When was this not the case?) "The heat has to be turned up... we got to hold our vote... make them come for our vote... you have to come get it... you have to bring something with it."

 "That's a big announcement!" Sharpton marveled. Actually, that was a superfluous observation by Al "Shakedown" Sharpton, master of demanding reparations for the black vote for years. This "Diddyism" is a common misconception you hear propagandized on a regular basis on cable news channels, MSNBC especially, but exceedingly repeated now we are near the day of reckoning--November 8, 2016. Check out such openly stated misinformation by the likes of Joy Reid any Saturday or Sunday morning on her new MSNBC show AM Joy. As for all that misinformation force-fed to you by the liberal media about the "black vote" being very important, even the key factor in determining who is the next president, while somewhat significant in the case of Barack Obama, understandably, is far from the truth in this election. 

It is a given that blacks will vote for Hillary Clinton, though not in the numbers they did for Barack Obama, and they will not vote for Donald Trump in any substantial numbers that will affect his chances for the White House one way or the other. In other words, black voters will neither win the election for Trump nor will they cause him to lose it. The same analysis applies to Hillary Clinton, though she can scarcely ignore that faction lest she disaffect other voting blocs than just blacks--Hispanics and Jewish voters, for instance, who tend to empathize and support the black community. Now do not get me wrong here. 

Do not misinterpret what I am saying to you. And, do not run off half-cocked shouting "Racist!" to all who are within range of your proclamation. I am writing of what I see as an offensive overstatement of the facts, of using the election every four years to foster black dependence on a particular political party as to their role in our political system, and of denigrating the basic principles of our democratic form of government--everyone eligible should be given the opportunity to vote, every one's vote should weigh the same; no ethnic group should claim to hold the power of determining who becomes president. Such nonsense as that defeats the premise that "every vote counts, so count every vote." Americans, including African-Americans (Again, I hate the hyphen!) have increasingly not voted, especially in the national elections. 

If half of Americans get out to vote on Election Day, it's a miracle. That's disgraceful! How many have died since 1775 attaining, and subsequently preserving, that privilege? In fact, I am of the strong opinion that voting is less a privilege than an obligation. Imagine the effect on the elected politicians in Washington if more than ninety percent of all eligible voters turned out to determine their fate? Do you not agree that things would be markedly different in our nation's capital? Do you not agree that the essential business of governing our nation would be so much more effective and, more importantly, efficient? Do you not agree we would be rid of the partisan bickering and infighting I am certain we are more than tired of hearing in our halls of Congress each and every day, month after month, year after year? 

 The answer to all the above is short and to the point: Yes. Agree? Before I conclude, let us get one thing perfectly straight between us. I, in no way, shape, or form, am criticizing black voters. Quite the contrary. I am proud to have them go to the polls and exercise their right to do so, express their opinions, and cast their ballot for whomever they believe best suits their individual needs--after they have carefully determined that individual will be the best leader of the number one democracy in all the world, the best President we all could possibly hope for, and not for the wrong reasons. Our vote should never be solely based on what the president can and will do for us as individuals nor members of a certain ethnic group. 

Anything less is selfish, not in the best interest of our country, and divisive. I spent more than twenty years as a United States Marine, helped fight a war in Vietnam against a menace to our form of government--communism--and was proud, while traveling the world, to compare the United States of America to any other government I witnessed. 

I found not a single one to be even on a par with our democratic system, as cumbersome and flawed as it may seem at times. Voting is the cornerstone of that system, and should be valued by each and every one of us living here in our country. As to the misguided notion that their vote will be the critical factor in this election, contrary to the malapropism of Shaun Diddy (... the black vote is going to decide who is the next president... ), it can be summed up in a single word--Poppycock! Major Dennis Copson is a retired United States Marine and is a resident of Oceanside, California. He is a freelance writer and editor.