Kanye West announces bid for president.

[Worgen]

Biden primarily draws in black conservatives, who definitely would not approve of Kanye's lifestyle or shenanigans. He does have this weird evangelist thing going on since Jesus is Lord, but that would technically take votes away from Trump in equal measure. In reality neither Biden, nor Trump, nor Kanye are gonna get the disenfranchised working black class vote, and between the recent BLM stuff, Biden is more likely to get votes even in that demographic. It's important to remember that class antagonisms persist in intra-racial politics, and Kanye's right-wing bootstrap rhetoric in his glammed up music and expensive clothes would at most appeal to the black middle classes, but he's been getting chewed out for his comments regarding slavery (which realistically would mean that he'd get support from black Republicans) and because he's openly getting religious to start dodging taxes.

It's possible it's that kind of diversion but y'all got to remember he's got an album coming out and he likes to stir this kind of shit up every time there's a new release on the horizon. It generates hype and attention for his music and for his fashion line, which only hypebeasts really care about.

Well lets take a look.

92 Percent of Black Americans Support Biden Over Trump, Poll Says

As police conduct and racism move to the forefront of voter issues, a new poll found former vice president Joe Biden has the overwhelming support of Black Americans for November's election.

www.newsweek.com

Ehhh, doesn't quite look like that. It sounds like 92% of blacks favor Biden over Trump with 49% in direct support of Biden and 50% opposing trump. It does sound like of the younger generation of blacks that only 66% think Biden is sympathetic to black issues compared to 87% of older ones, but it also sounds like over 20% of those under the age of 40 are not registered to vote at their current address, meaning they don't really matter.

Although I have heard that in general blacks in the US tend to be more conservative then whites, which makes it all the weirder that republicans have pretty much decided to throw them in the back of the bus and spend more time rallying against them then trying to go for them.

 

[Agema]

I don't think we should disparage star-power, West is famous and that tends to draw people in. And, though I fear it is a racist notion, I think there is a good chance that black voters will vote for him, if for no other reason than him being black.

I doubt he'll even get his shit together to hand in the paperwork, and even if does I suspect Kim will talk him out of it.

 

[dreng3]

I doubt he'll even get his shit together to hand in the paperwork, and even if does I suspect Kim will talk him out of it.

That's the hope. I also doubt that West is doing anything but a publicity stunt, but I do worry about the consequences if this is a real bid for the presidency.

 

[Sneed's SeednFeed]

Well lets take a look.

92 Percent of Black Americans Support Biden Over Trump, Poll Says

As police conduct and racism move to the forefront of voter issues, a new poll found former vice president Joe Biden has the overwhelming support of Black Americans for November's election.

www.newsweek.com

Ehhh, doesn't quite look like that. It sounds like 92% of blacks favor Biden over Trump with 49% in direct support of Biden and 50% opposing trump. It does sound like of the younger generation of blacks that only 66% think Biden is sympathetic to black issues compared to 87% of older ones, but it also sounds like over 20% of those under the age of 40 are not registered to vote at their current address, meaning they don't really matter.

Although I have heard that in general blacks in the US tend to be more conservative then whites, which makes it all the weirder that republicans have pretty much decided to throw them in the back of the bus and spend more time rallying against them then trying to go for them.

Favouring Biden over Trump is exactly what I meant when I talked about the recent BLM movements. Only 49% direct support isn't exactly great in that sense, and my point was that the black community isn't a monolith but is subject to class stratifications, as is any community. That 'not registered to vote' demographic is the disenfranchised black working class, in combination with those who intersect in terms of apathy towards Biden. Primarily, it is conservative black voters who are going for Biden, but it's gonna take more than being non-awful to mobilise people in favour for voting for him. He's no Jesse Jackson.

As for which demographics are more conservative than others, you're making a generality here. I highly suggest you read Adolph Reed Jr's essays on black communitarianism to get a better picture of the situation. One can be conservative and still not vote Republican unilaterally, and one can still exhibit class antagonisms of fundamentally right-wing anti-working class attitudes whilst opposing the crass chauvinism of Republicans. Just look at Reverend Al Sharpton or Cornel West's blatant peddling of religion and bootstrap rhetoric.

https://libcom.org/files/ReedWhatAreTheDrumsSayingBooker.pdf

South Carolina, Neoliberalism's Stranglehold, and the Mystique of the 'Black Vote'

By reducing all of black Americans' concerns to race or exploiting the idea of a singular "black vote" in the first place, the elite political class continues to undermine our ability to organize the majoritarian social movement we need to combat the ruling-class assault on all working people in...

www.commondreams.org

 

[Worgen]

Favouring Biden over Trump is exactly what I meant when I talked about the recent BLM movements. Only 49% direct support isn't exactly great in that sense, and my point was that the black community isn't a monolith but is subject to class stratifications, as is any community. That 'not registered to vote' demographic is the disenfranchised black working class, in combination with those who intersect in terms of apathy towards Biden. Primarily, it is conservative black voters who are going for Biden, but it's gonna take more than being non-awful to mobilise people in favour for voting for him. He's no Jesse Jackson.

As for which demographics are more conservative than others, you're making a generality here. I highly suggest you read Adolph Reed Jr's essays on black communitarianism to get a better picture of the situation. One can be conservative and still not vote Republican unilaterally, and one can still exhibit class antagonisms of fundamentally right-wing anti-working class attitudes whilst opposing the crass chauvinism of Republicans. Just look at Reverend Al Sharpton or Cornel West's blatant peddling of religion and bootstrap rhetoric.

https://libcom.org/files/ReedWhatAreTheDrumsSayingBooker.pdf

South Carolina, Neoliberalism's Stranglehold, and the Mystique of the 'Black Vote'

By reducing all of black Americans' concerns to race or exploiting the idea of a singular "black vote" in the first place, the elite political class continues to undermine our ability to organize the majoritarian social movement we need to combat the ruling-class assault on all working people in...

www.commondreams.org

No one ever made the argument it wasn't. In my initial post I said 'try' to split the black vote, not would. Actually it sounds like black voters are pretty on board with Biden, from the poll in the article I linked 75% said they were certain to vote and with 92% supporting Biden, that sounds like a pretty good number of them are with him. Not to mention that it sounds like more black americans are hopeful Biden will tackle racism then were of Obama, by 65% to 59%.

I never said blacks who were conservative would vote republican. Republicans have made shitting on black people one of their long standing traditions. I said its weird that republicans haven't even tried to change that since they would probably end up winning a ton if they did. Although its also possible they would end up losing their racist base to a third party if they did that.

 

[Baffle]

Isn't Kanye West also very anti-LGBT, on top of being a colossal bell?

 

[Agema]

Isn't Kanye West also very anti-LGBT, on top of being a colossal bell?

He has something of a mixed record, as I recall.

I think ideas just float into his head and back out again with no great consistency, depth, or reflection, and I suspect that's because he doesn't give a shit either way, as the only thing that really interests Kanye is Kanye.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

God not two in a row.

 

[ObsidianJones]

I look forward to seeing this as his inauguration speech.


Holy Shit, we are truly going full Idiocracy. NEVER go full Idiocracy...

 

[Baffle]

He has something of a mixed record, as I recall.

I think ideas just float into his head and back out again with no great consistency, depth, or reflection, and I suspect that's because he doesn't give a shit either way, as the only thing that really interests Kanye is Kanye.

Greatest living rockstar though, apart from all the others.

Edit: Hang on, is Pete Doherty still alive? I'm not sure it would change my statement, I'm just curious.

 

[Seanchaidh]

That's the hope. I also doubt that West is doing anything but a publicity stunt, but I do worry about the consequences if this is a real bid for the presidency.

At worst, the other of the two very horrible candidates will win. Also, at best. Not seeing that much to worry about, at this point.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Although I have heard that in general blacks in the US tend to be more conservative then whites, which makes it all the weirder that republicans have pretty much decided to throw them in the back of the bus and spend more time rallying against them then trying to go for them.

Well in what way would you expect them to try to appeal to black voters? And in what way do you see them rallying against black voters?

 

[dreng3]

At worst, the other of the two very horrible candidates will win. Also, at best. Not seeing that much to worry about, at this point.

Yeah, no. One of the candidates is clearly worse than the other. You're implying that Trump and Biden are equally bad, but Trump is clearly worse and is more likely to inflict damage on the US.

 

[SilentPony]

I would make a joke, but Im legit worried he'll be president one day. He wont win in 2020, but given the state of our country he might in 2024 or 28.

 

[happyninja42]

On the one hand, I presume this is a joke.

Don't presume that, Kanye West is even MORE of a mentally unstable narcissistic egomaniac than trump is.

All I can say to this is that it just proves that prideful men with god complexes, clearly knows no racial boundary.

 

[Aegix Drakan]

I think ideas just float into his head and back out again with no great consistency, depth, or reflection, and I suspect that's because he doesn't give a shit either way, as the only thing that really interests Kanye is Kanye.

Pretty much this.

Which is why he's said stuff like "Being enslaved was a choice". Basically because he couldn't believe that so many black people were enslaved and didn't overthrow their oppressors.

Kanye's not a thinker. He just says shit.

 

[Worgen]

Well in what way would you expect them to try to appeal to black voters? And in what way do you see them rallying against black voters?

Well, stopping dog whistling anti black stuff would be a start, such as referring to them as thugs. Not trying to disenfranchise them would also be good, such as through redistricting. At best being quiet when an unarmed black person is killed by cops or dies under mysterious circumstances in police custody, not to mention their tough on crime rhetoric.

 

[Agema]

Edit: Hang on, is Pete Doherty still alive? I'm not sure it would change my statement, I'm just curious.

Apparently so... not that anyone really cares.

Christ, but he and The Libertines were amongst the most overhyped nothingburgers of the last couple of decades. I get it in a sense that the guitar-rock fancying NME writers have long been pining after new heroes to drive back the creep of soulless, manufactured, major label R&B, but they haven't half got overexcited over mediocrity a lot of times in the process.

 

[Dalisclock]

On the one hand, I presume this is a joke. On the other, that's about what people were saying about Trump and here we are now. Of course, I believe it's too late for him to be on the ballot in several states, so it doesn't much matter if he's serious or not.

But I hope he is, because I want more entertainment out of what is a very boring presidential race.

Trump ran for president in 2000, which I sure nobody remembers because he ran reform party and most people don't even remember they exist. Running as a republican and somehow beating out 10 Republicans in a free for all was a key difference here.

Without the backing a major party(or even a minor party, like the Libertarians, who are gonna have a blow out "any year now"), it's questionable how significant the protest or "oh, shiney" vote is going to be over the standard "I'm voting for Mickey Mouse" write in.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Well, stopping dog whistling anti black stuff would be a start, such as referring to them as thugs. Not trying to disenfranchise them would also be good, such as through redistricting. At best being quiet when an unarmed black person is killed by cops or dies under mysterious circumstances in police custody, not to mention their tough on crime rhetoric.

Then if that's how you think they could stop rallying against them then how do you think they should appeal to them that's different from the Democrats?