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Jim
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Okay, so I had a moment of outrage then a smile as I realized the silver lining in what I am about to share with you. Bear with me because I have to share a lot before I get to my point. First this, a Leaked State Department Memo Indicates Official Support for BLM Agenda. To quote the blog Human Events…
A source within the Biden State Department wishing to remain anonymous has shared with Human Events News a document that indicates that allU.S. “Diplomatic and Consular posts” are being encouraged to display shows of support for Black Lives Matter on Tuesday, May 25, the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death. The memo reads in part, “The Department supports the use of the term ‘Black Lives Matter’ in messaging content, speeches, and other diplomatic engagements with foreign audiences to advance racial equity and access to justice on May 25 and beyond (italics added) We encourage posts to focus on the need to eliminate systemic racism and its continued impact.”
The memo, which is in part a woke statement on social justice, part an apology for U.S. actions, and part an endorsement of all BLM materials, expressly encourages the display of the BLM flag or banner at U.S. facilities (except on the actual flagpole that holds the American flag).
My first reaction to this was jaw-dropping shock as this was outrageous and at first glance political suicide for the Democratic Party. A few supporting facts on that claim. Despite relentless positive promotion by the media and political elites, support for Black Lives Matter in America has dropped to a two year low. To quote Summit News.
An essay written by academics Jennifer Chudy and Hakeem Jefferson published by the New York Times analyzes how support for BLM soared to +20% in mid-2020 but rapidly dropped to only +5% – which is where it was in mid-2019.
The authors note that the figures serve to contradict “the idea that the country underwent a racial reckoning.”
The academics note that despite a high level of outrage at what happened to George Floyd amongst whites and Republicans, such groups subsequently “actually become less supportive of Black Lives Matter than they were before the death of George Floyd.”
The tweet below shows the decline in graphic detail. (Pun intended.)
The New York Times article cited by Summit News argues that the decline was due to “…shifting attitudes among Republicans and white Americans, two large and often overlapping groups.” As to what caused those shifting changes, the NYT article said, “In the days and weeks following Floyd’s death, Republican politicians quickly turned attention away from the actions of a murderous police officer to those individuals protesting the injustice. As just one salient example, three days after Floyd’s death, as protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis, Mr. Trump declared, in memorable rhyme, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
Wow. That’s a lot of disconnection from reality.
Could it be that it was not Republican politicians shifting attention away from the fair trial of the “murderous police officer” that caused the decline of support but the more than $2,000,000,000 (USD) in damages that the mostly peaceful protests caused? Could it also be the constant disruptions of those same types of “protests” continuing to this day? Case in point, click here to watch the video below where a BLM mob forces businesses to close to show “respect” for Malcolm X’s birthday. (This happened on May 21, 2021. Did you hear about it on the mainstream news? Rhetorical question. I know you did not.)
I think Democratic support for BLM without denouncing the violence that tends to accompany them is a profound mistake for their cause. And studies prove it happens consistently, although not in every situation.
As soon as I stumbled across that report, I ran across another one which crystallized everything I was reading. Check out this quote from Ezra Klein.
…fear of violence undermines liberal politics. Just look at America post-9/11. Or after the crime surges of the 70s and 80s and 90s — strongmen politicians win, punitive responses like mass incarceration and warrior policing rise, social trust collapses. We’re not there yet. Larry Krasner survived his primary challenge in Philadelphia. But we are seeing other signs. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms isn’t running for reelection after being attacked by challengers as soft on crime. Chesa Boudin is facing a recall effort in SF.
Violence is the second most important issue to Democrats in the NYC mayoral primary. — behind coronavirus but ahead of housing affordability and racial inequality.
The politics of this could really tip, and not just in cities — if these numbers keep getting worse, then as with Nixon and Reagan in the 70s and 80s, it could bring “law and order” conservatives (including Trump) back to power in 2024.
Do I think Ezra Klein is correct? Yes. I do. I really, really do. I also think Democrats realize it somewhat, just not as much as they will in the future. What do I mean by that? Its happened before. This 2020 quote from Newsmax says it all, I think.
Yet it’s finally beginning to dawn on Democrat donors and their media allies that the riots, looting and “fiery but mostly peaceful protests” that they have egged on for months are actually backfiring with the public as in the 1960s and ’70s.
Lemon himself said the riots had to stop – not because burning down people’s homes and businesses is a bad idea in and of itself – but because “it’s showing up in the polling.”
And here’s a tweet so you can hear it for yourself.
So, here is my prediction. Assuming the BLM flag will fly at US embassies around the world as planned, there will be outrage from the right and the left will feel emboldened; the far-left especially. More BLM “activism” will happen with the inevitable violent disruptions and/or confrontations being ignored by the mainstream. (Here is another recent example from May 1, 2021 that you probably saw on the mainstream news. LOL. Just kidding, I know you didn’t.)
As BLM becomes more active and polling shows public support trending towards low approval, politicians will begin to denounce BLM’s violent tendencies long enough to get re-elected. However this time, I do not think it will work because if BLM is disavowed by Democrats, BLM will push back and likely accuse Democrats of being racists themselves and fracture the needed black vote. I think it is that need for the black vote that BLM flags will fly tomorrow at US embassies and other political stations.
And this is where things will get very interesting for all concerned. When 2022 comes around and BLM has not toned down the violence, any Democrat associated with them will mean that they are soft on crime, preferring to defund the police rather than protect their constituents. Republicans will seize on that and leverage that rhetoric to great advantage. So how can Democrats support BLM while at the same time, appear to be pro-police? I don’t think its possible. If a Democrat comes out as pro-law enforcement, his party will turn on them, Take for example how Alexandria Ocasia Cortez attacked Joe Manchin when he said…
You can read about their feud on the NY Post. The headline though, gives you the gist.
Perhaps the Democrats hope to have their cake and eat it too. I doubt they will be able to pull that off. I think Republicans will spend a TON of money on political advertising to remind voters how Democrats supported BLM’s defund the police agenda and thus are very soft on crime and they will say that ad nauseum. Democrats will likely rebut with their push for social justice and I think that will not resonate with voters as much as they would like. Its like what Ezra Klein said about the violence of the 60’s and 70’s. More recently, its what Don Lemon alluded to in 2020 (and I am paraphrasing but only slightly)…
The violence has to stop because it is costing us votes.
Supporting BLM is a double-edged sword for the Democrats that will cut both ways. Of course, the unkindest cut will be in 2022 and 2024 when I think Republicans will win, bigly.
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