“Why are Black men being lectured to? Why are Black men being belittled in ways that no other voting group?"
By Newt Gingrich
I was recently amazed by President Barack Obama’s blatantly racist appeal to young black men in Pittsburgh.
At a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris, Obama essentially charged that failing to vote for Harris would be a dereliction of their duty as black men. To make things worse, the opinion wasn’t delivered as a petition. It was a belligerently instruction – as though the men he was addressing were delinquent children who needed to be given orders.
Don’t trust my interpretation. Read President Obama’s words in Pittsburgh for yourself:
“I’m speaking to men directly. Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president. And you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.
"And I think anybody you are talking to in a barber shop, anybody you are talking to in your house, in your family, at church, who is coming with that kind of attitude – I think you have to ask them, well, how can that be?
"Because the women in our lives have been getting our backs this entire time. They’ve been raising us, and working, and having our backs. And when we get in trouble, and the system’s not working for us, they’re the ones who were out there marching and protesting.
"And, so, now you’re thinking about sitting out or even supporting somebody who has a history of denigrating you because you think that’s a sign of strength – because that’s what being a man is – putting women down that’s not acceptable.
"That’s not – this shouldn’t even be a question.”
Obama didn’t argue policy, performance, or better ideas. He asserted that black men owe their vote to Harris. Otherwise, they are misogynistic women haters who are failing in their duty.
The reaction to President Obama’s diatribe has been negative in a way that would have been unthinkable ten years ago.
Former Ohio State Sen. Nina Turner on CNN said:
“Why are Black men being lectured to? Why are Black men being belittled in ways that no other voting group?
"Now a lot of love for former president Obama.
"But for him to single out black men is wrong – and some of the black men that I have talked to have their reasons why they want to vote a different way and even if some of us may not like that we have to respect it.”
Actor Wendell Pierce posted on X: “This accusatorial tone will make some Black men stay home-which is worse. Black men are questioning our party to find out what their loyalty for decades earns them. That’s good. That’s healthy. Democrats have the record to stand on and should embrace the challenge. But after touring this country specifically engaging Black men, I will not let my party leaders speak condescending towards them.”
The Black Men for Trump advisory board also had plenty to say about Obama’s direction to black men. According to Fox News on Oct. 13:
“‘President Obama’s recent call for Black men to support Kamala Harris based solely on her skin color – rather than her policies – is deeply insulting,’ the group said in a joint statement.
‘Black Americans are not a monolith, and we don’t owe our votes to any candidate just because they ‘look like us.’ It’s demeaning to suggest that we can’t evaluate a candidate’s track record – especially when Kamala Harris has done more harm than good to Black communities…’”
President Obama’s lecture is made doubly bizarre by the reality that America has been amazingly good to the Obamas:
- They live in an eight-bedroom mansion on a 29-acre estate on Martha’s Vineyards.
- They are among the estimated 50 millionaires who live on the island.
- In fact, the Obama net worth is estimated between the International Business Times’ $70 million estimate and the New York Post’s $135 million estimate.
- The Obamas live on an island which is 3% black.
There is just something wrong about President Obama trying to brow beat black men with the idea that to vote for the candidate of their choice is a misogynistic betrayal of their race.
It was a reminder of how often Obama was racially divisive – even though Americans elected him president twice.
He seems to have lost some of that old Obama charm.
I doubt his recent directive will earn Harris a single vote – and it may cost her some.
Newt Gingrich served as the 50th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. Known for creating the “Contract with America” thaled the Republican Party to victory in 1994, he helped create the first conservative majority in the House in 40 years. For more of his commentary and insights, visit Gingrich360.com or subscribe to the Newt’s World podcast.
