The Gantt Report, by Lucius Gantt
Today is one of those days. I know TGR readers don’t like for me to write too many columns like this edition but the world knows that I try to write the truth whether people like the truth or not.
Follow me.
Too many so-called Black political heroes and more than a few Black organizations measure their greatness by the number of people they encourage to register to vote.
Take Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum, for instance.
After close losses in Georgia and Florida gubernatorial elections, both candidates set out to register more voters because their white advisors informed them that registration organizations would be a way to pay themselves, pay their friends and pay their white consultants, continuously until the next attempt for offices that were lost because of bad consulting and other political mistakes.
What some losing Black candidates do is say, “My opponent cheated” or “Black people didn’t vote’’ when rejected by vote casters.
I say both of the mentioned candidates were told to win, they would need to register more voters. SCLC Women, the NAACP, the coalitions of Black churches, Greek organizations, masons and other groups were told to register voters.
I call what happens in Black politics, The Registration Racket.
Don’t get it wrong and don’t get it twisted. Voter registration is a good thing. Every qualified citizen has a right to vote and, if you don’t know, some of your family members and ancestors died fighting for the right to register and vote.
Well, guess what? Black politicos did register millions of votes but around 50% of new registered voters in some states didn’t even go to the polls. They didn’t go to the polls because “vote for the Black” was not enough motivation or inspiration for conscious Blacks to blindly vote for any candidate, of any political party, and for candidates of any race or ethnic identity.
If candidates want to win, it’s not about who can register. The question candidates and candidate supporters should ask is, “Who can deliver?” (Votes).
There are two “firsts” in politics, whites are the first persons hired and Blacks are the first persons fired.
Now, it’s not as simple as I’m writing. The strongest Black candidates usually have the most-wealthy white contributors.
When the AFL-CIO, People for the American Way, the state and national Democratic party and others contribute large sums of money to black candidates the groups earmark the contributions.
When Emily’s List gives to Black candidates, they may want their money to go toward hiring women on the Black candidate’s campaign team, Cuban Builders want Cubans hired, gays want gays hired and the Democratic Party wants Black candidates to hire who they tell the candidates to hire.
So, when Black political losers come to you and say they will hire the same losing staff and use the same losing strategy, they also say they will win the next election because they registered voters. I think they should audition for “Def Comedy Jam” because those kind of comments make me and some other Blacks laugh harder at them than they laugh at Chris Rock, Kevin Hart or Dave Chapelle comedy shows.
Don’t take my word for it but it may be 44 more years before another candidate with “Black blood” is blessed with a Presidential or Gubenatorial election victory.
Becky and Bruce cannot generate Black votes the way that Black professionals who live in Black communities, patronize Black businesses or go to Black churches and mosques can.
Black candidates are told to concentrate on wooing Black voters, pay the white consultants 95% of your campaign money to get white votes and spread a few crumbs in the hood after most of the campaign tv money has been spent that could be spent.
Question your favorite Black federal or statewide candidate and ask them how many whites they’ve hired that make $100,000 or more and how many Blacks make similar money.
No matter how they respond, look them in the eyes because the eyes don’t lie!
Also, tell the registration racketeers, Black candidates need to fight for votes everywhere voters are instead of listening to advisors that tell them to stay away from “enemy territories”, like predominately white districts and counties or Republican areas of the state and nation.
If you deny or forget everything I’ve written don’t forget, the most important question a candidate should ask is, “WHO CAN DELIVER?
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.