Baptist minister and republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is a very tragic figure in American politics.
One could say that Mr. Cain is either too ignorant or oblivious to see that he made his own case as to why black people are cynical about conservatives. Mr. Cain’s remarks about African Americans plus his anti-Muslim comments make him a poster child for conservatives when they ask why can’t blacks be like you.
One could say that Cain has simply forgotten the history of black voting patterns in our nation. Anyone with the slightest interest in history knows that blacks voted republican from the 19th to the early 20th century. When democrats were an anti-black party, blacks voted republican.
You could also say that he wasn’t aware that the African American community differs from him on issues. He is against the minimum wage, black are supportive of it. He is pro-life while black tend to be pro-choice. Blacks are for greater tax parity, he is against it.
One could even say he has dismissed recent examples of virulent anti-black sentiment amongst conservatives.
Ronald Reagan was against the 1965 civil rights bill
Republican Candidate Presidential Candidate Barry Goldwater was against the 1965 civil rights bill
Richard Nixon And in a separate conversation with Rose Mary Woods, his personal secretary, he said that a colleague has "sort of a blind spot on the black thing because he's been in New York ... He says well, 'They are coming along, and that after all they are going to strengthen our country in the end because they are strong physically and some of them are smart.' So forth and so on." The president continued: "My own view is I think he's right if you're talking in terms of 500 years," he said. "I think it's wrong if you're talking in terms of 50 years. What has to happen is they have be, frankly, inbred. And, you just, that's the only thing that's going to do it, Rose."
William F. Buckley said this about voting rights
"If the entire Negro population in the South were suddenly given the vote and were to use it as a block and pursuant to directives handed down by some more demagogic Negro leaders, chaos would ensue”
Unfortunately, the truth about Cain’s remarks is more pernicious. Like many so-called black conservatives, Cain understands that he must alienate African Americans, in order to excel in the conservative community. Mr. Cain is trying to prove that he can be trusted by white conservatives by reiterating their comments and sentiments even if he has to feign historical ignorance and stupidity in doing so. Many black families have at least one Cain in our family who simply serves as the entertainment for the evening at reunions.
Black conservatives are nothing new within the community. To their credit they clearly understand their personal self-interest and will sacrifice their community in pursuing it.
Cain could have provided an alternative philosophy, but instead chose to alienate the African American community in order to be accepted by the conservative xenophobic, death penalty cheering crowd.
However, in so doing he has proven to be a tragic figure. Since he is a minister, I am sure he knows the scriptural verse Mark 8:36 , Matthew 16:26 and Luke 9:26 “for what good does it do a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul”
One positive thing has come out of this. Mr. Cain has proven that the African American community doesn't vote for someone simply because they're black.
One could say that Mr. Cain is either too ignorant or oblivious to see that he made his own case as to why black people are cynical about conservatives. Mr. Cain’s remarks about African Americans plus his anti-Muslim comments make him a poster child for conservatives when they ask why can’t blacks be like you.
One could say that Cain has simply forgotten the history of black voting patterns in our nation. Anyone with the slightest interest in history knows that blacks voted republican from the 19th to the early 20th century. When democrats were an anti-black party, blacks voted republican.
You could also say that he wasn’t aware that the African American community differs from him on issues. He is against the minimum wage, black are supportive of it. He is pro-life while black tend to be pro-choice. Blacks are for greater tax parity, he is against it.
One could even say he has dismissed recent examples of virulent anti-black sentiment amongst conservatives.
Ronald Reagan was against the 1965 civil rights bill
Republican Candidate Presidential Candidate Barry Goldwater was against the 1965 civil rights bill
Richard Nixon And in a separate conversation with Rose Mary Woods, his personal secretary, he said that a colleague has "sort of a blind spot on the black thing because he's been in New York ... He says well, 'They are coming along, and that after all they are going to strengthen our country in the end because they are strong physically and some of them are smart.' So forth and so on." The president continued: "My own view is I think he's right if you're talking in terms of 500 years," he said. "I think it's wrong if you're talking in terms of 50 years. What has to happen is they have be, frankly, inbred. And, you just, that's the only thing that's going to do it, Rose."
William F. Buckley said this about voting rights
"If the entire Negro population in the South were suddenly given the vote and were to use it as a block and pursuant to directives handed down by some more demagogic Negro leaders, chaos would ensue”
Unfortunately, the truth about Cain’s remarks is more pernicious. Like many so-called black conservatives, Cain understands that he must alienate African Americans, in order to excel in the conservative community. Mr. Cain is trying to prove that he can be trusted by white conservatives by reiterating their comments and sentiments even if he has to feign historical ignorance and stupidity in doing so. Many black families have at least one Cain in our family who simply serves as the entertainment for the evening at reunions.
Black conservatives are nothing new within the community. To their credit they clearly understand their personal self-interest and will sacrifice their community in pursuing it.
Cain could have provided an alternative philosophy, but instead chose to alienate the African American community in order to be accepted by the conservative xenophobic, death penalty cheering crowd.
However, in so doing he has proven to be a tragic figure. Since he is a minister, I am sure he knows the scriptural verse Mark 8:36 , Matthew 16:26 and Luke 9:26 “for what good does it do a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul”
One positive thing has come out of this. Mr. Cain has proven that the African American community doesn't vote for someone simply because they're black.
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