December 26, 2018

Racial politics — 2 quick links.

1. "10 reasons to celebrate the First Step Act" by Van Jones and Jessica Jackson, CNN: "For some, it's hard to imagine anything good happening in the middle of the Trump era -- especially for black, brown and low-income people. But believe it or not, something truly beautiful is happening in Washington, DC, on the least likely of issues -- criminal justice reform...."

2. "Black Voters, a Force in Democratic Politics, Are Ready to Make Themselves Heard" by Astead W. Herndon, NYT: "In 2016, Mr. Sanders’s 'political revolution' flamed out with black voters, and Hillary Clinton fell short of the robust black turnout she needed to defeat Donald J. Trump. This time around, Democrats are weighing how to reach out to the black community in the primary without losing the ability to appeal to the suburban and working class whites who propelled Mr. Trump to victory...."

82 comments:

Kevin said...

This time around, Democrats are weighing how to reach out to the black community in the primary without losing the ability to appeal to the suburban and working class whites who propelled Mr. Trump to victory...

Jobs, prison reform, and a wall on the Mexican border to stop dangerous drugs from flowing into their communities?

Oh wait...

mccullough said...

Black unemployment is much lower. The Trump two years has been very hard on the media. Not bad for blacks.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Using scare tactics is how democratics work their magic. "Everyone is racist", is their best route. Remember when Joe Biden said the R party would put blacks in chains? yeah - along those lines.

Bogus scare tactics and false charges of of racism. That's as far as the leftwing can think.

RK said...

"Black Voters, a Force in Democratic Politics, Are Ready to Make Themselves Heard"

Yeah, as soon as they get to the polling places.

chickelit said...

The first article damns Trump with feigned praise, and the second gives false hope to Elizabeth Warren.

RK said...

"Black Voters, a Force in Democratic Politics, Are Ready to Make Themselves Heard"

This headline, like a lot pap about black America, has been recycled for decades. I wouldn't be surprised to see another headline again someday: "Is America Ready for a Black President?"

Curious George said...

"For some, it's hard to imagine anything good happening in the middle of the Trump era -- especially for black, brown and low-income people."

The some is the media, and I suppose shiftless black, brown, and low income people. For the rest it's the best of times in 50 years.

rhhardin said...

Blacks faded away under Trump outrage. They're a boring story to soap opera women.

Nonapod said...

To the shock of many, Trump gave this law not only his signature but his full, vocal and enthusiastic support. How is this possible?

Trump is somewhat of a populist. Easing up on prison sentencing rules for non violent drug offenders has been a popular idea for a long time now. In fact it turns out that it's an idea that's even got a lot of support among his supposedly "racist" white supporters. This is obvious to anyone who cares to actually look objectively and fairly at the people who support Trump.

But in order to see all this you need just a little bit of imagination, a little skepticism, a willingness to question what you're being told over and over again about Trump's supporters, and a very simple application of logical deduction (for one example: if they're so racist, why did so many people who voted for Trump also almost certainly vote for Obama?).

It's a very human thing to otherize and demonize people you disagree with. It's easy. It requires no effort or thought. But when you do that you often end up misunderstanding those you consider opponents, you end up being endlessly puzzled by their actions, and you can end up with cognitive dissonances.

rhhardin said...

The only interesting racism is against Mexicans, as far as narrative goes. You have your poor cute kids, the poor women, family separation.

rhhardin said...

There's no good story about blacks coming to America for a better life, for selling.

Dude1394 said...

Trump has been the most pro black POTUS in my adult lifetime. Only LBJ could claim more. It is a testament to how powerful the democrat propaganda machines are that he has been part noted as anti black. Amazing propaganda machine.

MayBee said...

": "For some, it's hard to imagine anything good happening in the middle of the Trump era -- especially for black, brown and low-income people"

Why? I do not understand this.

JPS said...

Next thing you know he'll be pushing K-12 education reform, and "some" heads will really explode.

rhhardin said...

Scott Adams sees the effect as gaslighting, but it's really an entertainment market effect. What will a certain group of people watch as an ongoing drama.

rhhardin said...

The lady in Gaslight wasn't choosing to be entertained.

rhhardin said...

The media and the Dems aren't all powerful enforcers, just playing the market. It's all voluntary transactions.

rhhardin said...

End of the world stock market collapse is another drama.

Big Mike said...

Trump's 2020 message will be simple: Democrats gave your sons midnight basketball and turned your inner cities over to the gangs; we gave your sons and daughters good jobs and criminal justice reform.

Whether the message will be effective is another question.

Shouting Thomas said...

In the not too distant future, a generation of black kids will rebel against the constant bitching and resentment culture of blacks.

My generation rebeled against the Archie Bunker generation, because their complaints became irrelevant to rich, spoiled Boomer generation kids. Continuing to carry forward the complaint and worldview of the WWII generation became, literally, laughable to the Boomers. Monty Python epitomized this rebellion.

Black kids in the U.S. are mostly rich and spoiled. Carrying forward the bitch/complaint of their civil rights era parents and grandparents will become untenable.

What can't go on won't go on.

Greg P said...

"End of the world stock market collapse is another drama."

"Stock market collapse" is what you get after suburban women decided to throw a tantrum and vote Democrat.

I hope that 1: they're watching their retirement plans get screwed by their "Orange Man bad" votes. 2: THey're intelligent enough to master cause and effect.

It's the 2nd one I find least likely, sadly

William said...

I just don't understand why so many poor people of color endure such risks and hardships to come to a country owned by rich white men and led by an insane bigot. You would think that Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua would be the preffered destinations. There's just no accounting for tastes.

Tommy Duncan said...

Blogger RK said...

"Black Voters, a Force in Democratic Politics, Are Ready to Make Themselves Heard"

Yeah, as soon as they get to the polling places.
.

Which explains the introduction of "ballot harvesting".

Tommy Duncan said...

"This time around, Democrats are weighing how to reach out to the black community in the primary without losing the ability to appeal to the suburban and working class whites who propelled Mr. Trump to victory..."

So Trump voters are racist? Or, Black voters are racist? Or possibly, Democrats are racist?

William said...

The stock market had its worst Xmas Eve decline in the history of capitalism. Rich white men were hardest hit, so the news hasn't been all bad over the holidays.

PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...

Blogger Unknown said...

Trump has been the most pro black POTUS in my adult lifetime. Only LBJ could claim more.

Agree strongly with the first.

Disagree with the second to some extent. LBJ did do the Civil Rights Act and, skilful politician that he was got it through in the face of extrememely strong opposition from his fellow Democrats. Got it though in spit of a 67 day filibuster. The old fashioned kind with Senators actually had to stand on their hind legs and speak for 67 days.

His Justice department did heroic work in enforcing it and other civil rights laws.

So all kudos to him for that.

OTOH, his "Great Society" programs implanted a culture of dependency, fatherless homes, public housing and other problems in the black culture. Didn't start it, of course. But the Great Society shoved it into overdrive.

Overall, LBJ was probably positive for American blacks. Not completely so.

Tina Trent said...

What about black voters who don't want criminals of any race released early? The entire impetus for bringing federal law to bear on drug crimes that could have been handled by the states was made by black residents and elected officials in cities devastated by crack. The entire thing. In Atlanta, the churches were up in arms about the government not doing enough to remove dealers from the streets.

And those were the reputable churches. The real community leaders -- not the political players and grifters. I ran into the grifters a few years ago at Koch headquarters in Atlanta when I went to monitor the Soros-Koch national initiative that resulted in this legislation. It was hilarious to watch Charles Koch's army of libertarian Ken Dolls get spun by the Concerned Black Clergy bunch. One crooked pastor recognized me, couldn't place me but said hello. I said "what are you doing hanging around with these people?" He laughed and said he was getting paid.

So. The ACLU, the Kochs and Soros and Newt and Grover and Van Jones and AFP and Freedomworks and every dumb bunny libertarian mouthpiece, and my dishonest congressman Doug Collins and dishonest ex-governor Nathan Deal (all on the national board) get to play Santa Claus with the felons and get down with the cop haters while everyone involved in the "movement" gets their palm greased with new federal bloc grant funding for "re-entry" services, an apt name for what they're doing to the law abiding public.

You have to do some math to figure ethnicity AND race, but federal prisoners are 26% white, 32% hispanic, and 38% black. The BOP statistics used to be easier to read: I can't tell how the law will affect subgroups. A lot of those Hispanic prisoners are traffickers who became the next wave bringing drugs into black communities and violently taking gang territory from Crips and Bloods -- and in many cases driving all blacks from their new "territory" in cities like LA and Chicago. So, will "black voters" be happy when the hispanic gangbangers who preyed on them are cut loose?

pacwest said...

Next step will be for the Dems to claim that they forced Trump to institute prison reform against his will. Good Dems, bad Orange Man.

n.n said...

Diversity (i.e. color judgments including racism) avoids reconciliation with progressive (e.g. generational) returns. Perhaps people are looking for a better solution and do not favor normalization of bigotry. Well, at least a minority do.

AllenS said...

Tina Trent said...
A lot of those Hispanic prisoners are traffickers who became the next wave bringing drugs into black communities and violently taking gang territory from Crips and Bloods -- and in many cases driving all blacks from their new "territory" in cities like LA and Chicago

Surprisingly, a whole bunch of people don't realize this.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Greg P... Hey, scroll through the comments around here. See what gives. #2 is not at all realistic with these people.

rcocean said...

Implicit Racism.

Blacks are a bunch of thugs - happy that black crooks will be getting out of jail.

What if you're a "black/brown" victim of these crooks and are NOT happy they'll be back on the street?

rcocean said...

Plus, is there any evidence black people support radical change, unlike "White suburban voters"?

Who was more "suburban" than Obama? He didn't do squat, and blacks voted for him 95-5.

rcocean said...

Prediction: A qualified black candidate - Like Kamala harris - will get 80% of the black vote in the Primaries.

rcocean said...

The black vote is driven by loyalty to the Democrat party and identity politics. The Democrats are "Their party" - its been that way for 54 years. It ain't changing.

Even a black Republican POTUS candidate would only get 25% of the black vote.

tcrosse said...

It's a Kwanzaa miracle.

BUMBLE BEE said...

The rank and file dumbocrats just caught on that their racist anti-semite Women's March organizers are Farrakahn groupies and were shamed into cancelling the next march. Linda Sarsour was a mystery to them??? Hell, the press even cropped Farrakhan's picture out of their dias photos. He was there, strategically positioned for easy cropping, but the photos didn't make it to prime time. Not a curious bunch. Denial: River in Egypt

BUMBLE BEE said...

The photos of Aretha's funeral star studded dias!

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

Blacks like to see Blacks running for office, much the way dogs like to see dogs on TV.

MayBee said...

This is kind of a crazy idea: But what if politicians stopped seeing us a coalitions based on our sex or race, and instead came up with some ideas they thought would make the country better. Then we could each decide who to vote for based on their ideas and our thinking abilities.

YoungHegelian said...

Black Voters, a Force in Democratic Politics, Are Ready to Make Themselves Heard

As if they haven't made themselves heard in past elections?!

The Democratic Party will work assiduously & probably fruitlessly to create a wave of black turnout to match the number & percentage that went to the polls in 2008. The problem is that you can only have one "first black president".

I think the bloom is off that rose forever.

Tina Trent said...

@Allen -- Yes, I'm always surprised by how little people know. Even some of the lefty crime reporters I know have become very disillusioned by the speed and power of the anti-incarceration movement. They see the bodies and get to know the police. It changes you.

Many of the Hispanic and black federal prisoners who pled to drug crimes in gang and trafficking and racketeering cases the feds picked up are from the violent cities where black and Hispanic gangbangers wage war on each other and crime rates have not dropped as they have elsewhere. Mostly LA and Chicago but also Houston.

These include violent, recidivist criminals who will be released by this law.

If anyine had a sincere desire to address alleged over-incarceration, the first step should have been to release the research that was done on federal prisoners by Obama's army of volunteer lawyers, who couldn't find but 600 people to legitimately let out.

bagoh20 said...

The Dems have a real love for anyone who breaks the law if they can imagine them a Dem voter.

If you're not a criminal, they want to make you one. Just ask Trump.

Big Mike said...

Got it though in spit of a 67 day filibuster. The old fashioned kind with Senators actually had to stand on their hind legs and speak for 67 days.

What McConnell needs to do is force Schumer and his boot-lickers to stand up and filibuster against the Wall for however long it takes for their constituents to feel serious pain.

Fernandinande said...

For some, it's hard to imagine anything

bagoh20 said...

The legal system is really bad at separating the good from the bad, from the ugly. It just is, and mandatory sentencing or lack of it doesn't seem to help prevent the commonality of injustice. The legal system unfairly punishes good people more than bad, since good people generally have more to lose by going to jail. Bad people just lose the opportunity to do more evil. They end up hanging with the same people they did before, living by the same rules, and doing a lot of the same things. Take for example a legal gun owner who is forced to shoot an attacker to a career criminal who shoots anyone. Both can go to jail and lose their rights to vote, to own a gun, etc. That does not really upset the life of a criminal much compared to how it destroys the good guy and those who depend on him.

Yancey Ward said...

"This time around, Democrats are weighing how to reach out to the black community in the primary without losing the ability to appeal to the suburban and working class whites who propelled Mr. Trump to victory...."

There is only one way to get the black turnout that Obama got- run another African-American as the candidate.

Howard said...

The Republicans need minorities to hold/gain power more than Democrats because demographics. Problem is, you deplorables refuse to hide your racism. The Millenniums will fix this once you right-wing boomers shuffle off to Buffalo.

stlcdr said...

The prospects for black people or disenfranchised minorities rise drastically when the government stops telling them that they will take care of them.

Howard said...

The funny thing is that minorities are ripe for the plucking especially since libruls treat them like childrens. Apparently that is better than being treated like subhumans.

n.n said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
n.n said...

another African-American as the candidate

Africans come in diverse colors, ranging from white to brown to black to albino, progressively in yellow, even orange. Democrats would have to run another black spectrum candidate in order to earn the diversitists' vote.

Birkel said...

Howard recognizes that minorities are having a better go at life under Trump than they did under Obama, Bush, Clinton, or Bush.
And he just knows the way to keep minorities from noticing their own lying eyes is to charge racism, again.
It is a strategy that has worked before but the strategies that worked before seem to fail against Trump.

Howard is going to be upset for the next six years.
One might sympathize if Howard weren't such a jack ass.

Big Mike said...

Problem is, you deplorables refuse to hide your racism.

Can I take this to mean that liberals like Howard carefully hide their own racism?

Rusty said...

William said...
"The stock market had its worst Xmas Eve decline in the history of capitalism. Rich white men were hardest hit, so the news hasn't been all bad over the holidays."

Spoken like a public sector employee. I hate to tell you but guess where your pension is invested.
The market drop is the result of the Fed meddling, not Trump.

Big Mike said...

@Birkel, don’t feel bad for Howard the educated fool. He wanted us to know that heat rises, which is why the homes in Paradise, California, burned while the trees next to them didn’t.

Howard said...

It's just enough to know you care, Big Mike. Merry Christmas my old son.

Birkel said...

Big Mike,

Did you read the news that Trump actually re-wrote the rules for federal lands to prevent future forest fires?
He signed that new law after instructing his administration to draft new rules.
Nobody noticed unless they actively sought real news.

Still the positive effects will obtain, even if nobody credits Trump.
Imagine the guy everybody claims is a narcissistic sociopath doing things that are good and not caring who (if anybody) gets the credit.

Howard said...

Cal fire already started up a fuels Management group before Trump ever uttered rake the floor

Birkel said...

And we can tell how well that program performed based on the number of fires "saved or created" in California this year.
It is great fun being a Leftists.
Imagine how wonderful it is to have to ignore so much of reality in order to preserve the pre-set notions of the Hive Mind!
Do you get to pick and choose which bits to ignore and which bits to pretend are true/false?
Is there a formula or some code?

Management of federal lands is not the same as management of state lands.
Nobody tell Howard!

tcrosse said...

Presumably the Obama Boom has reasserted self on Wall Street.

Sebastian said...

"This time around, Democrats are weighing how to reach out to the black community in the primary without losing the ability to appeal to the suburban and working class whites who propelled Mr. Trump to victory."

Easy: appeal to shared interests and values by promising real border security and limits on immigration, thus reducing competition for jobs and services.

Oh -- wait.

tcrosse said...

The lower the market is on Dec 31, the less I am required to withdraw from my retirement accounts in 2019.

Bilwick said...

And the State rolls on . . .

donald said...

The law pertains to non-violent offenses ROcean.

I hope and pray Trump ends the drug war. It explode heads everywhere and would be the right thing to do.

donald said...

Um, It would explode...

BUMBLE BEE said...

Nobody mention the fires started by the illegals.

bagoh20 said...

Minorities need to decide whether they want actual improvement in their lives or if they just want the promises. Trump never specifically promised minorities the incredible improvements they have seen in employment, wages, and taxes, but they got them anyway. He never promised to get millions of them off food stamps, but it happened. Vote your pocketbook, vote your dignity, vote your freedom - not somebody's work of futuristic fiction full of government superheroes to save you from your evil neighbor.

bagoh20 said...

"Nobody mention the fires started by the illegals."

The proper term is "undocumented arsonists", who are also God's children to be protected by Pope Pelosi.

MadTownGuy said...

"This time around, Democrats are weighing how to reach out to the black community"..."

Like this?
"Charges for which the Default is to Decline Prosecuting (unless supervisor permission is obtained):

Trespassing
Shoplifting (including offenses that are essentially shoplifting but charged as larceny)
Larceny under $250
Disorderly conduct
Disturbing the peace
Receiving stolen property
Minor driving offenses, including operating with a suspend or revoked license
Breaking and entering — where it is into a vacant property or where it is for the purpose of sleeping or seeking refuge from the cold and there is no actual damage to property
Wanton or malicious destruction of property
Threats – excluding domestic violence
Minor in possession of alcohol
Drug possession
Drug possession with intent to distribute
A stand alone resisting arrest charge, i.e. cases where a person is charged with resisting arrest and that is the only charge
A resisting arrest charge combined with only charges that all fall under the list of charges to decline to prosecute, e.g. resisting arrest charge combined only with a trespassing charge
Instead of prosecuting, these cases should be (1) outright dismissed prior to arraignment or (2) where appropriate, diverted and treated as a civil infraction for which community service is satisfactory, restitution is satisfactory or engagement with appropriate community-based no-cost programming, job training or schooling is satisfactory. In the exceptional circumstances where prosecution of one of these charges is warranted, the line DA must first seek permission from his or her supervisor. If necessary, arraignment will be continued to allow for consultation with supervisor. Thus, there will be an avenue for prosecuting these misdemeanors when necessary but it will be appropriately overseen by experienced prosecutors.
"

Gahrie said...

A lot of those Hispanic prisoners are traffickers who became the next wave bringing drugs into black communities and violently taking gang territory from Crips and Bloods -- and in many cases driving all blacks from their new "territory" in cities like LA and Chicago

It's happening in Compton of all places.

Compton was founded to be a White community, was taken over by Black gangs and came to represent Black thug life, and is now quickly becoming entirely Hispanic.

Howard said...

Bag-o. You people need them more than they need you. You people need to realize that unless you people get hep to the new mocha color of generation Z, conservatives will be youth in asia'ed

Big Mike said...

Cal fire already started up a fuels Management group before Trump ever uttered rake the floor.

Having lived in a deep blue county in a deep blue state, I already know how this kabuki theater will play out. Two plot lines. Plot line number 1 is that the state arranges for the leadership to be in the hands of people who were responsible for the original policy, and they will either effectively shut down the committee, or cause it to issue a report that claims the existing policy is just fine, notwithstanding the burned out woodlands, burned down houses, and people and animals burned to death. Or, an honest, hard-hitting report will come out, and Gavin Newsome will quietly bury it.

Baby Boomers have seen this kabuki play scores of times; only wet-behind-the-ears Millennials fall for the scam.

Amadeus 48 said...

Trump is angling for 25% of the male black vote. If he gets it, watch the roof fly off the DNC. Exploding heads will do it.

Howard said...

Big Mike: Cal Fire is like snow plows in Boston... it's the one thing that's done right.

Big Mike said...

@Howard, believe what you want. Ain’t my first rodeo. If Cal Fire was any good why did so many people die? Why was a school bus full of kids trapped in Paradise with all exits from town blocked?

Drago said...

Howard: "Bag-o. You people need them more than they need you. You people need to realize that unless you people get hep to the new mocha color of generation Z, conservatives will be youth in asia'ed"

The biggest genetic milkshake-MochaPeople nation on Earth is Brazil...and they just elected their own Donald Trump.

0_0 said...

If violent crime reverses its 20 year decline, we will know why.

Birkel said...

Why do people believe the federal government is responsible for law enforcement?
Here are numbers from 2005:
State prisons - 1.3 million
Federal prisons - 145 thousand

So 10% seem to be in federal custody.

Releasing a quarter of federal inmates might mean the prison population decreases by ~2 or ~3 percent, overall.
And a whole lot of those folks will get arrested by state authorities if they return to crime.

Why are there so many federal criminal laws?
Because of the commerce clause?
GTFOOH

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

Youngest granddaughter was here for a visit. She is a SJW in training, High School specializing in pre-law. Her remark that "Everyone should be paid enough to live on." set off a dinner table seminar on critical thinking.

During the discussion she produced a bar chart showing incarceration rate of "Blacks" at three times the rate of "Whites." I remarked that if this was a problem, one solution would be to re-designate one third of the "Blacks" as "Whites."

Her immediate, loud response was "You are a racist!"

Leaving aside that she was the one who broached the subject of designating people by race, I asked about the recent past President. Presumably she would mark Obama's mother as "White" and father as "Black." How was his racial assignment arrived at? By coin toss?

Doug said...

My New Year's wish: that the media would start to faithfully report a) the legal status of every criminal perpetrator whose first language is not English, and b) whether the gun(s) involved in a crime is(are) legally owned and registered.

RichardJohnson said...

Hammond X. Gritzkofe:
Youngest granddaughter was here for a visit. She is a SJW in training, High School specializing in pre-law. ...During the discussion she produced a bar chart showing incarceration rate of "Blacks" at three times the rate of "Whites."


Is she aware of the difference between black murder rates and white murder rates?

I wonder what her opinion is of black students not being subject to disciplinary measures in schools proportionate to their misbehavior because according to Obama and friends, that would be "disparate impact."

If there were a black student in one of her classes who kept misbehaving and kept being returned to class without any disciplinary action, what would her reaction be?