Barack Obama scolds Black men not voting for Kamala Harris
Barack Obama to Black Men not voting for Kamala Harris "unacceptable"
Barack Obama to Black Men not voting for Kamala Harris "unacceptable"
Former President Barack Obama has taken it upon himself to admonish Black men for their supposed wayward voting preferences in the upcoming 2024 election. His words are particularly aimed at those who might be hesitant to support Vice President Kamala Harris.
My understanding, based on reports I'm getting from campaigns and communities, is that we have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all quarters of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running. Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers. So, if you don't mind, just for a second, I'm going to speak to you all directly.- Barack Obama
Watch Video of Barack Obama remarks
Obama's message implies Black men are somehow misinformed or misguided in their political choices. What Obama fails to acknowledge is the evolving landscape of Black political thought. Polls indicate a shift among younger Black voters, particularly men, towards a more nuanced political identity.
And you're thinking about sitting out? And you're coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses. I've got a problem with that. Because part of it... makes me think, and I'm speaking to men directly now, 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 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.- Barack Obama
Black men are prioritizing issues like the economy, anti-Black racism, reparations, and immigration over racial or gender representation. This isn't about rejecting progress of electing a woman, an alleged Black woman.
It's about seeking authenticity and policies that directly address the Black community's concerns and break away from the tokenism that often characterizes engagement with Black voters during election cycles.
Obama's call for Black men to fall in line and vote Democrat is a tacit admission of the party's failure to hold onto its base.
If the Democratic platform truly represented Black interests, would there be a need for such admonishments?
I believe Obama is far too smart to simply believe black men are rejecting Kamala because she is a woman. I believe he knows black men are rejecting her for far more substantial reasons than "she is a woman"... however, the issues black male voters might be most concerned with are precisely the issues they cannot talk about as they are the primary antagonists against them (economic issues, attacks on masculinity, providing an economic framework to make one's own way).
If Obama does actually believe the root cause is mysogynism he provides no evidence for that claim. Perhaps black men don't view her as a competent leader, believe she is a change candidate, haven't been persuaded by her policy advancements, etc. Instead of trying to address the core concerns of this voting demographic, the default is to shame these voters while not addressing their concerns in the first place.
"Well I tell you what, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for [Biden] or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
- Joe Biden (2020)
“And you are thinking about sitting out? Part of it makes me think — and 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.”
- Barack Obama (2024)