Van Jones Hits Panic Button, Tells Democrats Trump Is Serious About Winning Over Black Voters
Jones said Trump’s SOTU address was a “warning shot across the bow to Democrats that he’s going after enough black votes to cause us problems.”
Out of all the post-State of the Union hot takes given in the aftermath of President Trump’s barn burner address to the nation Tuesday night, perhaps the most unintentionally revealing one came from Democrat CNN political commentator Van Jones.
Jones zeroed in on the part of Trump’s speech he believed should concern the Democratic party the most going forward in the 2020 election season: Trump’s aggressive play for black voters.
During the speech, Trump highlighted essential issues to the black community:
- Criminal justice reforms enacted under his administration
- Securing “record” and permanent funding for HBCUs
- Promoted school choice
- Employment record
- Emphasized pro-life values and religious freedom in his address
Between Trump’s speech, the ongoing Iowa caucus debacle, the infighting over Sen. Bernie Sanders’ rise in the polls, and the general state of disarray the Democratic party finds itself in, Jones said Democrats had just experienced a “big wake-up call” about the 2020 election:
I think the last 24 hours have been a big wake up call for Democrats. That’s what I think. The Iowa caucus was a debacle. And this was a very strong speech.
[…]
At the same time, a warning the Democrats. What he was saying to African-Americans can be effective. You may not like it but he mentioned HBCUs, our black colleges have been struggling for a long time, a bunch of them have gone under, he threw a lifeline to them in real life in his budget. He talked about that. He talked about the criminal justice reform. He talked about opportunity zones…
[cross-talk about school choice]
The thing about it is, and I think that we’ve got to wake up, folks, there’s a whole bubble thing that goes on, well he said s-hole nations therefore all black people are going to hate him forever. That ain’t necessarily so. And I think what you’re going to see him do is say you may not like my rhetoric, but look at my results, look at my record to black people. If he narrow casts that, it’s going to be effective.
Which means, as we move through this primary process, we’ve got to pay a lot more attention both to what’s going on with the Latino vote. Are we going to get a benefit in terms of having them respond and with the black vote. Is there going to be a split off, especially for black male voters? We’ve got to be clinical about this stuff. We get so emotional about it. That was a warning to us. A warning shot across the bow to Democrats that he’s going after enough black votes to cause us problems. It’s not just the white suburban voters, he’s going after black votes.
Watch Jones speak on this issue to a mostly-hushed CNN panel below:
WAKE UP, folks. The #IowaCaucus was a debacle, followed by a strong #SOTU speech laying out Trump's strategy to win – which includes going for Black voters. This was a warning shot from the Trump campaign to liberals, and we need to take this VERY seriously in order to win. @CNN pic.twitter.com/bgBFms9jtN
— Van Jones (@VanJones68) February 5, 2020
He reiterated the points in an op/ed piece for CNN in which he closed by warning Democrats: “If we do not [respond with anything beyond outrage and fact-checks], the strategy Trump unveiled today will lead to his victory in November.”
Jones made some smart observations. But if history is a reliable indicator, his fellow Democrats won’t listen because Trump Derangement Syndrome so afflicts them that it has almost destroyed their ability to see beyond the red haze of rage that consumes them daily.
On the flip side of Jones’ astute commentary, we have Georgetown University adjunct professor Theodore Johnson, who wrote after the SOTU that Trump wasn’t really trying to chip away at the Democrats’ lock on the black vote. Instead, Johnson asserted that Trump was trying to “reassure white voters and depress black voters’ enthusiasm (and turnout) for the eventual Democratic nominee.”
While depressing enthusiasm for the eventual Democratic nominee is a no-brainer for any Republican campaign, the idea that Trump wants those same voters to stay home doesn’t make sense when you consider Trump’s highly competitive nature.
If we’ve learned nothing else about him over the years, one thing we do know is that Trump loves a challenge – and he likes to win. He wants to prove people wrong who say he can’t do something. And when it comes to winning back some of the black voters Republicans lost over the years as well as those who may sour on the eventual Democratic nominee, the Trump campaign and the Republican party both have made concerted efforts since his election to do just that.
The 2016 exit polls showed Trump won 8% of the black vote. 13% of the votes for Trump were from black men.
Considering how close presidential elections can be in individual states, if he could win just a small percentage more of the black vote, the Democratic party would be in deep, deep trouble. It’d be like a dam going from a slow leak to a bursting break, and all Democrats could do is watch in shock from the sidelines as it happened.
It’d make the Democratic shock from Hillary Clinton’s 2016 loss look like child’s play. Wouldn’t that be something?
— Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter. —
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Comments
It is so obvious, but should be pointed out: Jones repeatedly uses “Us” to describe the democrats. Why is such an obvious partisan given such a prominent role and what is supposed to be a news program? As with Stephanopolous at ABC, these media companies completely lose all credibility when they so clearly message their alignment with the democrat party. It’s not simply that they alienate Republicans and independents, it is that they advertise they cannot be trusted because they are biased. While the left points out the bias of Fox news, this is one kind-of conservative outlet competing against the partisans at ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, WaPo, and the NYT.
I’d prefer to have the bias out in the open. It’s better to cope with what is than to go through pretense.
Besides, truth is the enemy of the left.
In the UK there’s a character named Anjem Choudary, an out-n-out Muslim activist who encourages others to jihad. He and his family live “on benefits” which is the UK way of saying “on welfare” = living off of the kafir. He, following normative Muslim thinking, believes, since such is stated in their Qur’an, that it is the due of Muslims to live at the expense of the non-Islam believer.
But there’s one thing I really appreciate about the guy. He’s up front about what Islam’s all about. Namely, that Muslims are to rule the world. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything about Islam, which is the wont of the snakes-in-the-grass like CAIR.
Talk about BIAS!!!!!!
Rahm Emmanuel gave away the DNC game plan we now see in full evil (implementation) right now in Iowa – back in December on ABC news.
Go to 7 1/2 minutes in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mayor Peter Paul is the Openly Gay Obama!!!!!!!!!!
See Rahm talk about how Peter Paul’s campaign is all about “UNITY!”
https://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video/authentic-pete-buttigieg-chris-christie-67579855
DECEMBER 8, 2019
My boss and I have a bet on the black turn out for Trump…I took the over on 15%. Anything in this range will be a landslide…..
It’s lucky for dems that Pete Buttigieg has such a huge appeal for black voters.
They seem to prefer a man who gropes other peoples’ wives and female children.
I agree. Who black voters will vote for is one thing. Maybe Trump will get 14%. Then one has to consider vote “suppression.” How many are so uninspired they don’t bother to vote? In fairness to Buttigieg, all of the other remaining candidates are also of dubious inspirational value to to black voters. So it’s to Trump’s advantage both ways.
I have for the past year or so been handicapping it at 12 to 14 percent of the Black vote for Trump. Notwithstanding Red Van’s expressions of fear, I see no solid evidence, at least so far, that would cause me to change that forecast. The MSM will go even more all-in, were that possible, on the fundamental trump (as it were) card that Trump is a White Honky Racist Pig Motherfucker, a card that will as always swamp whatever favorable economic data for Blacks does indeed exist (and criminal justice reform data and issues and all the rest).
That is, of course, a meaningful improvement on Trump’s 8 percent or so in 2016. But well short of “landslide” territory.
The more important factor for Trump will not be the percentage of the Black vote he ends up getting, but the quantity of Black voters who stay home, as many did in regard to the Hildabeest in 2016 in contrast to the fake (but clever and persuasive) Black Obama, particularly if the Dems nominate a White Honky candidate who is unattractive to many of them, which Buttigieg surely is, and Sanders is to some lesser extent.
The greater the Dim panic on this issue, the greater the odds we’ll see a black VP nominee on their ticket.
That move was probably already baked in the cake once all the Dem candidates left standing were and are White Honkies, even without regard to the fears expressed by Red Van and any others.
And another thing, although it will out of prudence have to be rather subliminal or not directly stated: If the Dem Party’s White Honky Male nominee is Sanders, the implicit message to Black voters will be that the man will be unlikely to survive his four years in office. That he either will die, probably of another heart attack, or resign due to “ill health”.
Thus Black (and other) voters will be implicitly told that by voting for Sanders and his Black running mate, they will in effect be installing, with just a bit of delay, the first American Black President. As well as quite possibly the first Female American President and the first Black Female President. And effectively forestalling the ascendancy of the rival Hispanic group by the playing out of the AOC long game, which of course is to run in 2024 just after she becomes 35 years old and thus eligible.
I say “first American Black President” quite deliberately. The Oh-Man was not an American Black at all, correctly defined in one of the two valid senses, which are a person with sufficient melanin skin content, which the Oh-Man of course had, PLUS: (A) Descended from persons who were slaves on this continent, rather than from people who were slave-owners on this continent as the Oh-Man’s ancestors included; or (B) Grew up in the Black community, with Black culture, and regarded as a Black person, which of course the Oh-Man never did.
Please let it be a dark horse …. er, a dark hippo candidate like Stacey.
Communist Jones isn’t the only Old Head DEM panicking
‘Looking Down At People’: Longtime Democratic Strategist Issues Warning To His Party.
Long-time Democratic strategist James Carville issued a warning to 2020 Democratic presidential candidates in a Vox article published Thursday, warning them not to look down at people from the South and Middle America.
Carville used the example of a New York Times reporter ripping LSU for cancelling classes ahead of its National Championship victory over Clemson last month.
“You know how fu***** patronizing that is to people in the South or in the middle of the country?” Carville asked. “First, LSU has an unusually high graduation rate, but that’s not the point. It’s the godd*** smugness. ”
https://dailycaller.com/2020/02/07/james-carville-media-lsu-democrats/
Interesting comment on what Carville REALLY MEANS!!!
I think the commentator is spot on about the real meaning.
Aaron W.:
It’s a screed about not clueing the rubes into the con.
He isn’t talking about needing to ****can the NYTimes editorial board or change a damned thing.
Just keep your mouth shut and lie.
https://twitter.com/WWeingrad/status/1225840066905268225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1225840066905268225&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Face.mu.nu%2F
Stacey Abrams is available.
However this tack is likely to push away those suburbs they have been aiming at.
Blexit and Jexit is talk. The proof will be the election.
Jive talk — at least so far! As you well say, the proof will come in November Proxima!
Good bet, Trump is actually doing something tangible for the black voters unlike the dems who only offer slavery via cheap trinkets.
And about time, ever since johnson screwed up the entire black community there may one day be some hope of fair times rather than free times.
In my opinion, it will be tough to effect major change so long as Dem-controlled inner city schools are the equivalent of the modern plantation – keeping kids from escaping through education.
Van Jones is saying , “Stay on the plantation. Know your place, nee -gahz”.
Did you know there were many black slave owners in the South before the Civil War?
Methinks the Van Jones family must have been one of them…..
Or that enterprising tribes in 1700s Africa would raid inland and trade their prisoners to white slavers on the coast for rum and guns?
I think van jones is more worried about his tv pay. Without a solid bloc of black voters the Latino’s may take over his tv spot and he’ll have to find actual work.
Dems may well take his remark as a big nothing burger.
More importantly, gulp, Jones is right. Democrats may actually have to start delivering on promises to the Black community in order to win.
But but but….that will cut deeply into their “kickback” money….
I think Trump’s campaign is just now shifting into high gear. He is unleashed.
If the democrats keep wasting their time trying to impeach him. No one will know who their candidate is.
Maybe that’s the plan.
I think so.
Look at this ad, and share it around.
Powerful American Stories Ripped to Shreds by Nancy Pelosi
https://twitter.com/i/status/1225553117929988097
“Which means, as we move through this primary process, we’ve got to pay a lot more attention both to what’s going on with the Latino vote.”
I have heard from my sister’s latin American in-law family (so this is anecdotal) is that legal hispanics (both citizens and immigrants) HATE the illegals – makes their life more difficult. And since those are the only ones allowed to vote, the Dems need to careful in their pandering. Just saying.
You wanna who hispanic voters do NOT go for? Loud, screechy women (Warren), mincing and prancing rich white boys (Buttigieg) and New England communists. So why are they going to support?
Van Jones is a smart guy. So much so that I just can’t figure out why he’s a liberal.
he’s one of those rare liberals who hasn’t completely closed himself off to reality, they’re quite rare. Matt Taibi is another.
He looks rich judging by his suits. He may be liberal on the show but he seems to be pure capitalist when it comes to material goods.
Anthony Kapel “Van” Jones (born September 20, 1968) is an American news commentator, author, and non-practicing attorney.[1] He is a co-founder of several nonprofit organizations, including the Dream Corps, a “social justice accelerator”[2] that operates three advocacy initiatives: #cut50, #Yeswecode and Green for All.
OH!
A capitalist the way Hilary Clinton is a capitalist.
The smarter you are, the better you are at lying to yourself, and the better you can rationalize your cognitive dissonance or outright doublethink.
Van – It isn’t all about you. Trump wants to win as many black votes as possible. Trump is openly appealing to black voters to win their votes. That is his focus. He is not firing a warning shot across the Democrats’ bow.
Trump is openly appealing to black voters to win their votes.
A ruthless fellow, this Mr Trump.
Yes. Isn’t it grand?
I don’t know what all of the hubbub is about. I have many black friends and believe it or not, they are also Americans. Trump is trying to win American votes, therefore Americans who are also black or Hispanic or Asian are all within his wheelhouse to target. I believe he will also accept old white guy votes too rather than denigrate them.
Maybe, just Maybe, DJT is working to help those who have been put under a blanket, including the black population. The voter support is an added bonus, but the goal is to remove the burden. Demonkrats, as per usual, will campaign to throw money at the problem (not really, at the potential voters close to the problem) rather than move toward any action to relieve it.
Hey Jones, want to see Trump split off a historically high percentage of the black vote? Then nominate Buttigieg.
Mayor Peter of South Bend, IN is just a Clinton/Obama Mob stooge.
He won’t be the “erected” one. They’ll probably pop in Big Foot Michelle.
LOL. And what are you going to do about it Dims? Call him RAYCISS?
probably an unpopular opinion but…..this is all still pandering and playing identity politics.
Time to go salted earth on these Dems, destroy them utterly.
Destroy the commies/socialists in the dem party, not the dem party.
Many people who haven’t worked on political campaigns miss an extremely important political reality: most voters do not vote in primaries.
Since they don’t, many RINOs get the nod.
The only way to correct this, that I have seen, is to have a competitive 2nd party to CHALLENGE the RINOs with pro-American policies in the November GENERAL election.
Rather than die, the dem party – for America’s sake — needs to be returned to Pro-American, Th. Jefferson and A. Jackson perspectives.
Competition is the great motivator in just about every business. And it’s why local governments suck so badly — no competition, their way or the highway.
AMEN!
And also to go SALTED EARTH on their AXIS OF EVIL Allies!
Van Jones, as much as I disagree with him, is really spot on with this analysis. Luckily, I doubt any Dem candidate will listen and strategize accordingly.
Theo Johnson claimed that Trump’s speech was designed at suppressing the black vote. He couldn’t be more wrong. A candidate gets much more success from getting people to come out for him than he does suppressing the opposition, as if any opposition can be suppressed. Jones said it right…..Trump is framing this on “look at my results, not what I have said”. Dems have a singular focus on what he says and even go as far as exaggerating or lying about what he says. It has only worked to a point….and they continue to double down.
I’ve read elsewhere, when you convince a voter to vote for you, instead of someone else, then the benefits are double.
You gain a vote and reduce the opponents vote count by one also.
So if a small committee of 10 were split on an issue 5 to 5,
but one person changes their vote, then the outcome is
6 for, and 4 against.
I think what Jones is saying is that Trump is offering a real alternative for black voters. While he is framing it in terms of the need for the Democrats to take this seriously, it is hard not to suspect that Jones himself is thinking the “unthinkable”.
President Trump. A modern day Lincoln?
Even better. Trump will not only free people, but help raise them by their own effort.
With all due respect, I have the Joe Sobran attitude towards Lincoln:
No thanks. He shredded the constitution and in the process, 700,000 Americans died.
The big picture on this: the swamp/left/islamic axis in this nation (if not the world) is desperate to keep American blacks ghettoized, ignorant, angry: in other words, keep them on the democrat plantation, with the likes of obama, sharpton, waters and the like their overseer “driver”, much like the overseers of slaves on plantations pre-civil war.
Community organizers do that sort of work.
Free yourselves, black people. Idiots like Jay-Z, colon kapernick and le bron james aren’t looking out for you: they’re just trying to sell you overpriced garbage.
Hear! Hear!!
I wonder if it’s possible that Trump isn’t “going after black votes”, but instead is genuinely interested in helping black people. A politician like Jones wouldn’t understand that.
So true. I was interviewed by a reporter for some nonprofit publication, and in her article, she made it clear my concern for black employment numbers was unbelievable.
What I couldn’t understand, is why a black reporter for a nonprofit, didn’t care that illegal aliens depress wages for entry=level Americans, INCLUDING blacks!
Crazy blind people!
More Big Trouble for the DIMS
Gallup: 59% of Americans Say They Are Better Off Than They Were Last Year (And Last Year Was Pretty Good Too).
This Is the Highest Level Ever Recorded for This Measure.
http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=385698
January Employment Report: 225,000 Jobs Gained, Blue Collar Wage Growth +3.2%
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/02/07/january-employment-report-225000-jobs-gained-blue-collar-wage-growth-3-2/