Stefan

I peruse several news websites a day. It is habit I picked after I became a Journalist. Over the next two and half decades as I became a Senior News Editor, the numbers of websites grew to six or seven a day. This is why I write with authority. I don't guess. I don't have to insult anybody or cast doubt on their mental acuity. I let my writing do my talking. Well, since you relied only on your personal experiences during this election, let me offer you a few professional observers' viewpoints. The following news snippet is from the BBC News website and is dated Nov. 22, 2020. “Despite his election defeat, President Donald Trump can boast a success that has intrigued pollsters - he was more popular with ethnic minority voters than in 2016. "Some might find this surprising given that his critics so accused him of racism and Islamophobia. Trump denies the charges and has accused Democrats of taking African Americans voters for granted. "The Republican president gained six percentage points among black men, and five percentage points among Hispanic women. It means some voters changed their minds, after either not voting or voting for another candidate in 2016.” (End BBC News snippet) The following is a special report to the Atlanta Voice: #Election2020: ‘How Did 12 Percent of Black Men vote for Trump?’ November 16, 2020 By Stacy M. Brown | NNPA Newswire Juan Williams posited that he’s a Black man born in a Latin country and grew up in a Spanish-speaking family. The author and Fox News political analyst then stated a head-scratching fact that many still find difficult to rationalize. “It stuns me to see that President Trump set a record last week by attracting the highest percentage of the non-white vote of any Republican presidential candidate in the last 60 years,” Williams wrote in an editorial for The Hill. Perhaps must stunning, lamented Williams, “How did 12 percent of Black men vote for Trump?” Although an overwhelming majority of Black men, 80%, voted for President-elect Joe Biden, support for the Democratic presidential ticket reached a new low among Black men in 2020, according to the NBC News poll of early and Election Day voters. In the same poll, 8% of Black male voters were reported to have cast their ballots for alternative candidates. In Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign, of all Blacks casting ballots, 95 percent of Black men and 96 percent of Black women chose him, NBC News reported. Four years later, Black women’s support remained at 96 percent for Obama’s 2012 re-election. However, the black male vote decreased to 87 percent. In 2016, when the nominee was Hillary Clinton, Black men dropped even further to 82 percent, while Black women’s support for Clinton remained high at 94 percent. Biden came close to matching that this year, garnering the support of 91 percent of Black women. ( End Atlanta Voice news snippet ) So, my viewpoint is correct. Black people did in fact, support Trump in larger numbers than they did in 2016. Just as I predicted the voting totals would bear out. The attached photo is not mine. I copied it from that Atlanta Voice story I quoted. But like my short essay, this image is also proof of what I had predicted. That young Black men were supporting Trump this election. I was right.

Daniellegfny, I refuse to do research for anyone who has the freedom to watch the news or read current affairs on at least two websites daily. If you want to converse with me, combine your sentences into a post. Only those who cannot write want to discuss a sentence at a time. This is a news forum. People write in news forums.

Troy, I was looking for a way to do this. Never found it. Now, about this thread: I am certain Pew Research Center will prove my contention correct. That more Black people voted for Trump this time around. I think you already got your anecdotal proof in the form of Daniellefgny. I don't put any faith in personal observations because this is just one or two individuals at a certain time, in a certain place and in a certain country. Imagine if I simply used Pioneer's salty posts to stand in for combined writing, intellectual and maturity of Black men in the U.S. I prefer evidence that I can read from those who are learned. Are you telling me that most of the books you offer on your website are based on only one or two sources?

Reparations for descendants of Black Slaves would NOT be a gift. The outlay would be for unpaid labor and there are legal precedents for this. If descendants of Black Slaves in the United States were to ever put in a claim for past and continued pain and suffering, the amount due would include the future tax revenue of the country for the next 20 years.

danielkegfny, I have not been on here in a while. Blessings to you and your family and everyone else on here. You directed a comment to me, so, I will respond: The only Republican I ever voted for is the late Jacob Javits, who many would consider a Liberal for his time. Republicans tend to not like or always dismiss Black people and our achievements. Trump has a long standing history of antipathy towards our people. He and his father refused to rent apartments in their buildings to Blacks. He’s likened most Black nations as chithole countries. After George Floyd was murdered, Trump blamed the looting and real estate damage on Blacks and our allies. He ignored mounting evidence that the violence was started many times by his Proud and Boogaloo Boys and other racist groups. Eventually, even some police chiefs admitted the same. Trump never had a problem insulting a race of people that he and most his ardent supporters believe should have never been viewed as equals in the first place. This is the essence of his deranged revulsion that Barack Obama won the White House. Not once, but twice. And many folks whom I worked with over the years often likened Trump to a Nazi. I came to share their opinion. For those who question such a view, the parallels lie in Trump’s love of Authoritarianism, Racism, Ethnic Myths and his ready use of dehumanizing language. The main reason Trump fired his Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, is because his SecDef stridently opposed using the country’s military against his fellow citizens. Imagine if Esper had agreed with Trump. Resisting Trump’s regime might have resulted in thousands being shot, imprisoned or even kicked out of the country. And maybe a similar fate awaited their friends and relatives. According to the Washington Post and the New York Times, Trump is said to call his most strident supporters most of the day and mutter to them that we won the election, over and over. You are entitled to your opinion Danillefgny. I will not stoop to disrespecting you by quoting your posts line by line and then offer disparaging comments on each. I made my living by writing so I prefer to be mature and just respond with whole and appropriate comments.

Daniellegfny, I agree. The Israelis have been trying to widen the Jordan River and they want to find a solution for all the sinkholes opening up in Ein Gedi near the Dead Sea. Saw a documentary on it. Just imagine if our Black Communities received Israel's outlay of $20 billion a year in materiel, cash, grants and deferred payments. Military and aid for Israeli and its security forces likely pushes that figure much higher. Yes, Israel is good at water reclamation and desert irrigation. So is Dubai and the UAE.

Troy, I am used to being disagreed with. But with mature individuals. I gave up on the ridiculous, the set-in-their-ways and the self-promoting liars a long time ago. What I find hilarious in this second decade of online discussion is some grown butt man resorting to immature personal attacks when little is at stake except the truth. Looks like I proved my contention with news story snippets: More Black men are expressing their support for Trump. I just met another not far from where I live earlier today. He told me it was the first time he had ever voted. He was either in his late 20's or early 30's. And he wanted me to help him fill out his mail-in ballot because he wanted to vote for Trump. I get many of the people here are your friends. Makes no difference. Any person who feels the need to call another ignorant or employ schoolyard taunts is a news forum fraud. And I am saying this as Black man who went on Conservative Political Forums and kept his cool. Like I said, I am far from ignorant. I still would like my forum account closed. As I said, I admire what you're doing with the website. More people should read and many more should learn to fact check using Google or any good encyclopedia website. This way, we can cut down on the frustrated ones who cannot get around logic and facts.

Pioneer, you lost your temper. People who immediate resort to personal attacks are __________ fill in the blanks. I'm from a different generation. I see no need to grandstand or make up chit. I proved my point with the news snippets. Troy, I wish you well. I like the website and hope you generate real interest in book reading and buying, not just in Africa, but elsewhere as well. I actually had been coming here the past week to find a button that said "close account." Could never find it.

Black investors, individuals and groups cannot offer many African leaders what they really want: Water and sewage systems, modern roads, power plants, mining equipment and modern railroads. This is why China is in Africa. This does not mean we should not try. I love Troy's ideas. We won't get anywhere if we do not read and do not promote our own history, stories and lives. But China's investment and interest in Africa is certainly not benign, depending upon what news source you prefer. Beijing's leaders definitely want control of Africa's vast mineral wealth and Nigeria's oil resources.

Pioneer, now you get it, don’t you? Why are so many young Black men choosing to support Trump when all this guy has done is vilify, denigrate and insult Black people? You just cannot believe it, can you? Join the club. That was the reason for my thread starter and why I wanted to know how some folks on this forum felt. But the huge difference between you and I is that my more than two decades in print journalism as a reporter, Web Editor and Senior New Editor allows me to view even controversial issues with getting personal. In my thread starter, I said there is no hard evidence for poll numbers. We may not know that until the voting numbers and analyzed and sifted. However, I have since posted a few graphs from a few news stories. I do not have subscriptions to the newspapers that I really want to read and post news stories from. Since I never posted the full stories, I'll just call it anecdotal evidence. If you know only one Black person who is going to vote for Trump, I don't know what to make of that. I know several personally and I’ve discussed this matter with many more online. It was not a Black man who brought this change in political choice to my attention. It was a former boss who remained friends with me. He’s White, as was the overwhelming number of folks I worked with. If we Black reporters had had Mentors back in the 80's, a lot of us would have stayed in the business. But most of us get drummed out by racism, overbearing and biased editors or White folks who should have never been allowed in a news room in the first place. But they knew somebody. One of the first Black Trump supporters I met online was a nice guy who lived in Los Angeles and who told me Trump would win, help Black small businesses and help him personally save on taxes. His prediction came true. Trump won in 2016, but fell short of this gentlemen’s belief that the New York racist would garner 10% in Black support. It was six percent, according to Pew Research. What disappointed me about you, Pioneer is how quickly you lost your temper and resorted to personal attacks. That’s silly. I simply presented a thread starter and like a lot of people who disagree, but never investigate, you got hot. Three days ago, the Washington Post published a story on this phenomenon of Blacks men turning to Trump by the thousands. Journalists are news messengers. I'm retired, but motivated by the specter of Black people being forced to relive the 60's if Trump is re-elected. Stop tossing rocks. That has never suppressed the truth.

Pioneer, I assure you that I am not ignorant. One of things that makes me laugh are the number of people who live in the United States who think they know everything. There is no one who fits that description. The idea for my thread starter did not just pop into my head. I've been reading snippets of the same thoughts around the Internet for a while. One big reason my editors loved having me on their staff is because I always did research. I did a little of it here. Just to show that my aim is not division, but truth. I guess that bothers some. Too freaking bad. There are no hard numbers, but there is certainly anecdotal evidence of what I wrote. The following is from FiveThirtyEight website: Trump Is Losing Ground With White Voters But Gaining Among Black And Hispanic Americans By Geoffrey Skelley and Anna Wiederkehr Filed under 2020 Election Published Oct. 19, 2020 There’s a well-known truth in politics: No one group swings an election. But that doesn’t mean that the demographic trends bubbling beneath the surface can’t have an outsized effect. Take 2016. President Trump won in large part because he carried white voters without a college degree by a bigger margin than any recent GOP presidential nominee, though there had been signs that this group was shifting rightward for a while. From the Wall Street Journal: Democrats Scramble to Win Over More Black Men Some black voters are attracted to what they describe as President Trump’s tell-it-like-it-is demeanor, surveys found WASHINGTON—Some Democrats are sounding alarms within the party about its outreach to younger black men, saying it was not doing enough to appeal to these voters even before a nationwide wave of protests amplified the discontent many black Americans feel toward their political leaders. The following is an Op-Ed published in the Fayetteville Observer ... Why would Black men support Trump? Start with Ice Cube Erika D. Smith Los Angeles Times For weeks, I’ve been trying to figure out why polls keep showing that a small, yet still politically significant, number of Black men are likely to vote for President Donald Trump. Then along came Ice Cube and his Contract With Black America, and suddenly it’s all a little clearer. For those who haven’t been keeping up, the Los Angeles rapper — who by his own admission only started paying attention to politics this year — has admitted to working with the Trump administration, basically agreeing to act as an independent adviser on behalf of all Black people. (For the record, as a Black person, I did not agree to this.)

I am not sure what is going on with most of today's White cops. So many seem intent on pulling their guns to enforce their authority and their orders. Investigators ignore eyewitness accounts, which according to law enforcement dogma are notoriously unreliable. I do not subscribe to that theory. But nothing will ever convince me that that Derek Chauvin wanted to show his authority and supposed superiority to everyone. He calmly kneeled on George Floyd's neck knowing full well he was ending the man's life.

The phrase I used is "according to various estimates." There is no hard data and most opinion writers cite what they have gleaned from talking to others involved in the issue they are presently focusing on. The idea for the thread starter came from my former Managing Editor who is doing research on the defection of Black men to Republicans in this election. I was a Mod of Black forums on FB and a lot of Black men expressed an intense dislike of Serena on her choice of a mate. And I never said Caucasian. I used the term the complainers employed: White man. Your personal feelings do not matter in this issue and will never alter or diminish what I read. I wanted your thoughts on Blacks turning to Trump.

According to various estimates, 21% of young Black men will vote for Trump this time around. I am curious to why some believe this is occurring: Because it's no secret that Black women vote in higher numbers than Black men and tend to be much more loyal to the Democratic Party. Black women have always been the most reliable and the most loyal supporters of Dem Party candidates, especially when it comes to House. Believe it or not, a lot of young Black men get emotional over skin hue, a mixed person being called Black (think Kristen Welker) and tend to listen to their favorite celebrities rather than considering true facts. And maybe that is the reason so many younger Black men are now leaning towards Trump. Many Black men still attack tennis great Serena Williams for marrying a White man. Even though I've countered many times that Serena did not marry a White man. She married a man she fell in love with. It is hard to defeat ignorance. And we are seeing it in action. I think the Black Race will suffer badly in a second Trump term. Already, Trump has signaled that he would support Sudan and Egypt if they waged war against Ethiopia over its nearly completed Grand Renaissance Dam on the Nile River. The dam in Bameza, Ethiopia, just 15 miles east of the country's border with Sudan. I hope the turnout is huge.

Joe Biden has been on the campaign trail. You had no idea that Naomi Osaka has a Haitian heritage? You sound like one of those really angry White dudes I encountered moons ago on Conservative news forums. Short on facts, long on rage. Of course, I have time to spare. I used to tutor at Literacy Volunteers, work nights at at homeless shelter and acted as volunteer photography for community organizations and schools. I can't do any of that in the midst of this pandemic. I'm retired.

Too Little, Too Late: Trump’s Prescription Drug Executive Order Does Not Help Patients (From the AmericanProgess website) By Thomas Waldrop and Nicole Rapfogel October 15, 2020, 9:01 am On September 13, President Donald Trump issued his “Lowering Drug Prices by Putting America First” executive order, his most recent attempt at tricking the public into believing that his administration will make meaningful changes to prescription drug prices. As usual, the president tried to circumvent Congress and give the appearance of making significant changes through a rushed and lackluster executive order. This column provides an overview of the Trump administration’s attempts to use executive authority to appear to take action on lowering drug prices and explains how this most recent order is nothing but another example of bluster on prescription drug prices without delivering for the American people. Thomas Waldrop is a policy analyst for Health Policy at the Center for American Progress. Nicole Rapfogel is a research assistant for Health Policy at the Center. The bottom line, Daniel, is that Trump has done nothing. Issuing an executive order that promises to lower drug prices and not following through is not an accomplishment. Trump has done nothing to help seniors. Like promising to protect those with pre-existing conditions, It's just more of his B.S. bluster.

People can post whatever they want. That means squat. You have to prove it. About your claim that Trump has lowered drug prices ... are you serious? Prescription drug prices have NOT come down. Trump has only promised to do this. But he hasn't. This report is from 24 days ago at NBC News dot com. Fact-check: Did Trump lower drug prices? "I'm cutting drug prices. I'm going with favored nations, which no president has the courage to do, because you're going against Big Pharma. Drug prices will be coming down 80 or 90 percent," Trump said. "He has no plan for health care," Biden argued. "He hasn't lowered drug costs for anybody." Numerous fact checks have found that there's no evidence that Trump's policies have meaningfully slashed drug prices, as he's repeatedly claimed, let alone by "80 to 90 percent." Brand name drug prices are on the rise, too. Really, Troy? Ever wonder why Blacks were taken as Slaves from Africa? Disunity. Ever wonder why the Native Americans kept getting their butts handed to them? Disunity. You think Whites are incredibly smart and their power is unassailable. They only develop weapons of destruction and have little problem waging war against one another. One of their most effective practices has been getting the folks they despise and oppress to turn on each other. If Trump is re-elected, it will because many Blacks refuse to vote. DISUNITY. We'd rather argue about a person's heritage, why they wear a certain type of clothing and why they believe the way they do instead of recognizing all of this is the continuation of racial defeat and destruction. Which is always on such visible display. Black people and those who stand with us do not always have to agree. Mostly because we never will. But the minute we sink to personal insults, dismissals of others' humanity and traditions that do no harm, the race to the bottom begins anew.

Joe Biden does not hide out in his basement. And Wikipedia is a suspect research tool. I guess you missed the week when Naomi Osaka defeated Serena Williams for the U.S. Open and Wikipedia changed her ethnic designation from Haitian/Japanese to just Japanese and used a direct flash photo to make her appear lighter. Naomi has lived and trained in the U.S. since she was. Her father is Haitian. But few in the news media want to mention that she is Haitian. She shut everyone up this year by coming out against police brutality against Blacks.

Troy is right. There is only one race. I entered the Print Journalism profession when they were so few Blacks. Mentors were non-existent. So my experience is quite different, being around a bunch of White people who refused to acknowledge we could do the work. But also around Whites who grudgingly accepted us. I am happy about Kristen Welker. If you're not, that's cool. I guess few read the story TheRoot published. I just wanted all to glimpse the headline. And to those who thought my thread starter post was a polemic against Trump: If you had watched the debate, you would have noticed Kristen Welker tried to elicit replies to many questions she asked about issues I raised. If some of you are Trump supporters, then admit it. Instead of hiding in the shadows and taking potshots at those unafraid to tell the truth. You would not be alone. There are surveys and polls that indicate as many as 21% of Black men are secret Trump supporters. Now, I get that many want honest conversations. I do as well. But I grimace at this colorism and race bullshit. And you should as well. To Guest FAS: T thank you for your comment. This old Writing Teacher and Senior News Editor appreciates a well-written essay and blog.

I support Native Americans, not because I have any of their DNA. But because I am a human being.

I also believed it was personal.

Here we go again. Black MEN believing they can determine what ethnicity individuals are, what they should be labeled and the limits of their achievements. If I were to label dudes who do this insecure misogynists totally afraid of strong and intelligent women, would that be a lie? Because Theroot dot com, one of the esteemed Black awareness websites of Black American life, labeled Kristen “Black.” Does it upset you that a woman with mixed parentage is called Black? Does it somehow diminish you? Then why is it mentioned so much? Why get upset over it? My son, a former U.S. Marine, has a White mother. Guess what he is called? Mike. Why are so many of you hung up on skin hue and ethnicity? I have a full sister who has lighter skin than Kristen. Yet, she is Black. We have several women in our family who are light skinned. My mother was light skinned. Our family has mixed ancestry. But we are Black. By the way, for the ethnic purists on here, my father was Black and so was my mother. They’re gone now. https://www.theroot.com/meet-kristen-welker-the-1st-black-woman-to-moderate-a-1845455173

Kristen Welker, you did a fantastic job ! You tried to reign in President Trump who rambled, repeated himself and kept returning to debunked lies and smears against the former Vice President. All Trump did during the last debate is continue besmirching the life and accomplishments of Joe Biden, terribly misrepresenting his positions. It is quite comical that Trump believes it's unfair for citizens call him on his failures. But he has no problem claiming the successes of Barack Obama and Biden are somehow, his. He never had a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. He still has no plan to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, which is about to get worse. Oh, and all the wonder medicines and the vaccines Pence and Trump keep going on about? No vaccine until the second and third quarters of 2021, according to the head of the CDC.

Okay, then, I apologize. I really thought some chit was starting.

I do not understand why some Blacks ascribe near mythical powers and cunning to White people. They are not that smart. They suffer from limitations, too. There have been some instances of armies and others deliberating infecting other peoples with diseases. But I do not believe it is such a widespread practice now. We have millions of individuals in this country who don’t care if they infect others with Covid-19. We’ve had notable cases of men and women who know they are HIV positive engaging in unprotected sex with others. Some people are just jerks. But I will never believe that White people are blessed with special abilities or intelligence. Many are just cruel and brutal which is why they always remained on top at a time when it was near impossible for their victims to effectively mount a widespread defense.