|
 October 31, 2016 | TruthPR | -- For decades, the Democratic Party has taken the African-American vote for granted – for good statistical reasons. Barack Obama captured at least 95% of the black vote in 2008 and 2012 as did Al Gore in 2000. Even John Kerry hit 93% in 2004.[i]
Will jobs and illegal immigration be the issues that finally drive large numbers of African-Americans to vote Republican? Ironically, President Barack Obama could well be the catalyst for such change.
Obama, the supposed ideal candidate of hope and change, was supposed to lead Black America towards the Promised Land (or at least in the right direction). Yet the gap between whites and blacks remains wide.
At 8.1%, the black unemployment rate is almost double that for whites (4.4%).[ii] 24.1% of the black population is in poverty compared to less than 9.1% for whites.[iii] In 2009, when Obama took office, the median weekly earnings of blacks was 79% that of whites and remains unchanged today.[iv] Today, the rate of homeownership for blacks is 41.7% versus 71.5% for whites.[v]
Against this grim economic backdrop, many of America’s black urban neighborhoods continue to suffer from violent crime and drug addiction. To the White House’s embarrassment, Obama’s own hometown of Chicago had the highest number of homicides in 2015 of any American city, far outpacing both Los Angeles and New York.
So yes, blacks have seen the Obama-Clinton version of the Promised Land. After 8 years, it still looks much like the previous 20.
Donald Trump’s version of the Promised Land is as markedly different as it is uplifting. He offers a comprehensive program of tax cuts, regulatory reform, the unleashing of our energy sector, and an end to the bad trade deals that have been draining jobs and wealth out of our communities. His mission is to rekindle America’s strong economic growth and thereby create millions of jobs and the conditions we need for renewed wage growth.
This is a vision for the human race, all Americans, united to create more opportunities and rekindle our entrepreneurial spirit. Practicing what he preaches, Trump employs more blacks and Hispanics in his own enterprises than any presidential candidate in the last 20 years.
In addition, Trump has boldly promised to stop the flood of illegal immigrants now bringing so much economic and social misery to the black community. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, roughly 2.5 million illegal immigrants have entered the United States under President Obama’s watch.
This stream of illegal immigration has been a punch right to the gut of Black America. As U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner Peter Kirsanow has warned: “In addition to depressing black employment levels… illegal immigration—frankly any low-skilled immigration—tends to drive down the wages of jobs that are available for black Americans.” A.J. Delgado goes a step further by explaining: “African Americans are disproportionately employed in lower-skilled jobs—the very same jobs immigrants take.”
If blacks want more of this same old sad Democratic Party song, their choice is Hillary Clinton. The alternative is Donald Trump – good for the economy, tough on crime, smart on trade and remarkably candid about the damage being done by illegal immigration to our economy and communities.
Jennifer Carroll is the Former Lieutenant Governor of Florida
[i]Gore received 95%, Kerry 93%. http://www.gallup.com/poll/139880/election-polls-presidential-vote-groups.aspx
[ii] Summary Table A, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf , p. 4.
[iii]http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/p60-256.pdf Table 3, p. 13.
[iv] According to Table 3, the median weekly earnings for blacks , 2nd quarter averages in 2016, was $677 compared to $854 for whites (16 and over). http://www.bls.gov/news.release/wkyeng.t03.htm Table 3, p 1.
In the fourth quarter of 2008 before Obama took office, the median weekly earnings for blacks was $593 compared to $748 for whites. http://www.bls.gov/opub/ee/empearn200901.pdf p. 190, Table D-19
(All not seasonally adjusted)
[v] http://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/currenthvspress.pdf Table 7, p. 9
|
