Suppression

Republicans do not want Black and brown people voting.

We all can agree on this point. After all, it's pretty much a foundational tenet of the GOP at this point in time. Anywhere and everywhere that Republicans have power and authority, they pursue laws that make voting as difficult as possible for people of color. They close polling locations in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods. They fight against the expansion of vote-by-mail. They try to implement laws that reject ballots simply because a signature is slightly off from the one the local clerk might have on file. Time and time again, they reject the expansion of early voting. They've even gone so far as to try and ban water distribution in Georgia knowing that those courageous voters of color who stood in line for 6+ hours in 2020 were the ones who ultimately swung the state to Joe Biden. The bottom line is that rather than rethinking how and why their policies are so unattractive to voters of color, the GOP would much rather lie, cheat, and steal to keep them from voting in the first place. 

But while we've now come to see and expect these types of voter suppression tactics from the right, we cannot ignore the fact that voter suppression also happens on the left. While there are no Democratic governors or municipal leaders actively working to subvert votes in such a painstakingly obvious way as Republicans, there still exists a large pool of those who would like nothing better than for Black and brown voters to be unable to vote for Democrats up and down the ballot. These bad actors know they cannot physically impede voters from going to the polls so instead they wage a way on their minds, sowing seeds of doubt about the effectiveness of Democratic policies and initiatives. Many of these bad actors mislead and manipulate their audiences by claiming that campaign promises have been broken and they bothsides the issues, ignoring both Republican intransigence as well as the basic political process itself. By doing this, these bad actors aim to create a narrative that even if voters do vote for Democrats, they will ultimately end up disappointed. Lying to voters by telling them that their vote will not matter is absolutely a form of voter suppression. 

Why do this? Why do these bad actors, many of whom are people of color themselves, actively work against their own best interests? 

While each person will likely deny their intentions, the truth is that there is money to be made in being a Turncoat Democrat. We see these folks in both the public and private sectors, each hoping that they can parlay the criticism of their own party into something better: a TV appearance, a book deal, or perhaps even a run for higher office. In the political sphere, we've seen it with Dean Phillips, Marianne Williamson, Cornel West, Nina Turner, and Briahna Gray Joy among others. In the media, we've seen it with the Cabo Caucus, a group of Black women including Joy Reid, Tiffany Cross, and Jemele Hill, who have made it a point on their programs to be overly critical of the Biden-Harris Administration. We've even seen it with Charlamagne Tha God, host of The Breakfast Club, a popular radio program that becomes a key voice for the Black community in election years. While each of these Turncoat Democrats has their own agenda, working in tandem is not uncommon. Take, for example, Thursday night's exchange between Charlamagne and Joy on The Reid Out: 

Show host Joy Reid had asked Charlamagne what audience members — “specifically Black people” — are calling into his show and saying “they have not gotten out of having voted consistently for Democratics and for Joe Biden.” 

“Upward mobility,” Charlamagne said. “Simple as that. Like, people want security and a lot of that security if financial. Like, it’s simple and plain. It’s been whether it was President Obama, whether it was all the way back to Clinton to now Joe Biden. They feel like the Democratic Party has never promised that.” 

But Charlamagne said he didn’t have a good option for them, especially as Trump continues to have a chokehold on the Republican presidential nomination for 2024. 

“Right now the problem I’m having with my listeners — what am I supposed to tell them?” Charlamagne said. “Like, what am I supposed to tell them other than, ‘Look, man. Donald Trump is a fascist? You may think things can’t get worse, but they absolutely, positively can.’ 

“They feel like, ‘I’ve already lived through a Trump presidency,’ or ‘I’ve lived through Reagan, how much worst can that get?'” Charlamagne continued. “What do I tell them?”

What to tell them? How about some *facts*, Charlamagne? 

How about that Black unemployment reached historic lows in April of this year? How about the biggest surge in Black entrepreneurship in 30 years? How about Black people having a 49% increase in healthcare enrollment from 2020 to 2022, due largely to targeted outreach from the Biden-Harris Administration? How about the Biden-Harris Administration openly prioritizing Black borrowers when it comes to student loan debt relief and offering nearly $100 million in grant opportunities for HBCUs? What about the Biden-Harris Justice40 Initiative that aims to invest in communities of color that have previously been disproportionately impacted by climate change? And what about the record number of Black and brown judges appointed, including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who will have the opportunity to bring their lived experience to the law and will be making critical legal decisions for generations to come? 

Charlamagne and Joy could have easily brought these receipts. But they didn't. They didn't not because these receipts weren't available as any Google search could have provided. They didn't because doing so would have ruined their narrative that the Biden-Harris Administration isn't doing enough for Black and brown people. Because that narrative is their bread and butter. They intentionally bring on guests to their shows to stir the pot. These are the same guests who peddle the false narrative that the Biden-Harris Administration isn't doing enough for Black and brown people. When was the last time Joy Reid had Lauren Underwood on her show? How about Shontel Brown? Rising star Jasmine Crockett? Why is it that Reid refuses to give space to Black Democratic congresswomen who can speak to the administration's accomplishments when it comes to positive policies that have impacted Black and brown communities? 

We know the answer to that, especially in an election year. Bad actors like Joy Reid and Charlamagne know several powerful Black men and women who can eloquently speak on the administration's accomplishments. But they aren't the ones invited on the show. Instead, it's a big circle jerk among the Turncoat Democrats to continuously promote each other to try and create a sense that there is universal disappointment among Black and brown Democratic voters. Fortunately for us, the Biden-Harris Administration will continue to do the work. They will continue implementing policies that positively impact Black and brown communities. As the election approaches, the only people not fully understanding just how impactful the Biden-Harris Administration has been for people of color should be the ones who insist that no politician ever does anything to help the communities. These are the ones who cannot be swayed, no matter what. 

And they are the ones, like Charlamagne and Joy Reid, that will refuse to recognize the truth even when it's staring them straight in the face. 

***

Like what you're reading? Never miss another post! Get notified via email here.

Donate at the link below to keep us going.