THE GANTT REPORT, by Lucius Gantt
I felt sorry for President Joe Biden’s Press secretary when conservative journalists badgered her about government documents found at Biden’s home and his old office.
They asked the same or similar questions over and over and it seemed to frustrate the African American press secretary.
She’ll never ask me how to handle reporters that try to sensationalize press briefings. She tried to change lanes in the discussion but the reporters would not let up.
Hmmm? I would have said two things, “If you keep asking me questions I’ve already answered, the press briefing is over” and “I won’t tell you what questions to ask and you won’t tell me how to answer your questions”.
Anyway, I’m writing this week about the twist.
The twist was the first dance I learned how to do and the first record I ever bought was “Twist and Shout” by the Isley Brothers.
Back in the day, I guess you could call Chubby Checker the King of the Twist as he probably wrote more twist songs than any artist.
Today’s twists come from members of both political parties when they minimize how politicians bamboozle us.
What prompted this column was the constant talk by Republican House members about how the GOP “won” enough seats to take control of the House of Representatives.
What caused Republican victories was twisted.
Let me explain. The wins that gave the GOP their slim House margins were not “wins” those seats were merely gerrymandered gifts.
Can I prove it? Yes!
Ron DeSantis gave the House Republicans at least three Congressional seats when he exploited Black voters in the Sunshine State and made it impossible for a Black or a Democrat to win in some gerrymandered districts.
Say you have four Congressional districts that have boundaries that touch. Say all of the districts have at least 15 to 30 % of Black voters. If the DeSantis reapportionment plan reduces Black vote percentages in three of the districts and increases the Black vote in the other district by drawing a “snake-like” stream of Black voters that creates a Black district or Black access district. Then, it would be harder than Chinese calculus for a white or Black Democrat to win a Congressional seat in any district that has less than 30% of Black voters!
So, you should understand the difference, or the twist, about a win and a fabricated win.,
The DeSantis gerrymandered reapportionment plan in Florida is currently being scrutinized by the legal system.
But don’t go to sleep and dream that similar tactics were not done in other states controlled by Republican state legislators.
The Gantt Report will always try to explain politics and economics to people of color.
Knowledge and wisdom are our friends.
Malcolm X called misinformation and false promises by politicians “trickeration”. I call it twist talk!
Too many of us get gay by twisting the night away. If you enjoy the political twist, at least twist for pay!
Lucius is a contributing columnist to NNPA newspapers around the nation, and the author of “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing,” available on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere.