At this time in the Presidential primary, everyone who follows politics in America is assuming that Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump will become the presumed nominee for their party. Everyone knows anything can happen before the conferences, but in all probability, the two candidates have worked extremely hard to deserve the nomination.
Without the Black and Hispanic vote, Hilary will lose the election.
President Obama established a winning formula in 2008 and 2012 with social media, the support of the minority community, youth, seniors, women, and first time voters. Hilary is well aware of the president’s winning formula, and her campaign team is trying to replicate the same system. Many consider Hilary a part of the establishment, and this thinking does not add a positive element to her campaign.
Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have built a social movement with their campaigns as outsiders and they are connected to the grassroots element in their party. Voting is about excitement and enthusiasm, and this is what’s seen at their rallies.
At Hillary’s campaign rallies, the element of excitement, enthusiasm, and size appears to be missing. Even though she talks about racial violence and discrimination, the Black community is still not completely behind her campaign.
In 2016, the Black community appears lethargic, and unconcerned about issues impacting their communities. There is a plethora of Black issues that should be addressed by Hilary, and the Democratic Party, because the Republican Party has written off the Black vote.
Since there is only one choice for the Black community in the 2016 election, there should be a mass mobilization of power around our issues. Both parties know that 90% of the Black vote will go to the Democratic nominee, so the Democratic Party leadership is not forced to give up any demands because Blacks are not organized.
Not only does the Democratic leadership not have to commit to Black demands, Black leadership is not asking the Democratic leadership to support Black candidates. In 2016, it is not politically correct for Blacks to support a candidate only because he/she is Black. Instead of getting more Blacks in positions of power, and representing the Black community, no one is talking.
Blacks have not begun to understand their power when they vote as a block.
With all the problems that Black communities have had with police brutality, and police killings, this should be one of the first demands on the list to the Democratic Party. At every Democratic rally, the candidates should be talking about the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, Oscar Grant, and the hundreds more in the towns where they have rallies. They will find more Blacks excited about supporting their campaigns when candidates are addressing Black concerns.
Not only should the Democratic candidates start talking more about the state of Black America, Black political representatives should also be more engaged with Black issues and Black power. On a local, state and national level, Black leaders should be educating Black residents on who they should be supporting.
They should also be exposing members of the Democratic Party who have voted against the issues in the Black community. There is power in the vote when Blacks operate as a united front, and stop letting the politics of fear consume them when they are in office.
There are over 2.2 million Black men and women who are not able to vote because of a felony conviction; yet they have paid their debt to society. There are more than 50 reasons why Blacks must fight in the 2016 election.
Jobs, quality education, justice, economic equality, voter rights, healthcare, mass incarceration, police brutality, environmental justice, and clean water are just a few of the issues Blacks should be fighting for in 2016. The Black press, Black leaders, and Black media should lead the way.
