By Lucius Gantt
Divide and conquer is one of the oldest tricks in the political book! Do you think it is by design or coincidence when a Black political incumbent has a white opponent that another African American inevitably jumps into the race?
Oftentimes, I think it is by design!
As I look at the list of challengers for statewide and local offices in the 2012 elections, I see some candidates that can’t go to sleep and dream about winning a political battle.
They don’t have money, don’t have staff, don’t have political issues and don’t have community and/or voter support!
But they do have “sugar daddies”, they have someone that will give them enough money to get into a race as long as the contributor feels that Blacks running against each other will dilute Black vote power.
You may ask, why should anyone conspire to mislead or trick Black voters when President Barack Obama is on the ballot.
Let me answer the question with a question. Why would everyone believe that President Obama can generate the same political enthusiasm in Black communities this year when African Americans are doing worst under his Presidency than they did under the previous President?
I know you don’t like for me to write like this but compared to four years ago, more Blacks are unemployed, more Blacks are victims of criminal foreclosure activities, voting rights of Blacks and other minorities have been decimated and so forth.
One, two or six months before an election is not enough time to put together a winning political campaign.
The reactionary strategy used by most Black candidates simply entails buying campaign signs after you see your opponent’s signs, creating a direct mail message after getting a direct mail piece in your mail box from your opponent or buying T-shirts just because you like to see your name printed on someone’s chest!
Black people need to stop letting white newspapers pick their leaders. We need to stop letting early morning radio clowns tell us whom we should vote for. We need to call out preachers, teachers and others that have been paid to mislead us and guide us down the wrong political paths.
Yes, the political devil is tricky. He will give Black candidates enough funding to get into a race to dilute the Black vote but he will never give a Black candidate the war chest he needs to be victorious on Election Day.
Be careful who you throw your political support to in 2012. Some candidates that run to you and say how Black they are are merely modern day neocolonialists or devils dipped in chocolate!