Gary Franks: For Black women, Democrats can do no wrong

Will Black women continue to blindly offer their loyalty to Democrats or any Democrat for political office? They are the definition of a monolithic group when it comes to politics. If you are a Democrat, then they are voting for you.

History is proof (according to Roper for Public Opinion Research). It tells us that since 2000, Black women have given Republicans approximately 8% of their vote — with a high of 12% and a low of 4%. Former President Barack Obama averaged 94%. Democrats such as Al Gore, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden together also averaged around 90%. Trump hit the highest mark for a Republican — 12% in the last election.

But with the white women vote nearly evenly split, one could argue that the Black women vote could decide the upcoming presidential election. Even if they stay home on Election Day, Biden loses.

In politics those who object to this standard of Democratic support risk being ostracized. Their political ambitions would be thwarted.

If you are a Democrat elected official that spouts racist remarks, then you are tolerated by this base. Want examples?

A Democratic sitting congresswoman’s campaign referred to her Black male Republican challenger as “Curious George,” a reference to the monkey in a children’s book. The challenger’s name was also George, but he was not a monkey. She, a Black woman, won her reelection, narrowly.

Recently, a sitting white Democratic congressman seeking a seat in the U.S. Senate referred to a political adversary who happened to be a Black man as a “jigaboo.” Yes, that is a racist term comparable to the “N-word.” And the white politician does not feel he should be judged poorly by Black people either, especially Black women. The wannabe U.S. senator voiced his comments at a Congressional Committee meeting in a manner that would convince anyone listening that he has used the term and worse words before to describe Black people.

In both instances, if a Republican member of Congress sunk to such levels, they would be forced to resign or the voters would “retire” them.

I cannot explain why such a high percentage of Black women vote Democrat. Only the abortion issue comes to mind. Maybe that is why Democrats are attempting to make the abortion issue their top one this election cycle.

What is noteworthy is that Black women seem to accept racist comments and hurtful acts by Democrats constantly, even when it can hurt their own children.

As another example, let us examine a major issue like education. Black women seem OK with their children going to segregated schools. In many states, schools are more racially segregated today than when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were alive.

The Democrats’ accomplice in denying education freedom — school choice — is the de facto pro-segregation teachers’ union, the National Education Association being the largest and one of the most powerful in Washington, D.C. The teachers’ union has fought for decades to deny Black women the right to choose the schools they see fit for their children to attend. Remarkably Black women seem to be all right with their children being stuck in poor performing or even failing schools.

The teachers’ union gives nearly every dollar of their millions in federal campaign contributions to Democratic candidates and incumbents including their best allies — Black elected officials.

Maybe, just maybe, this could be the year that Black men give Republicans an unprecedented (at least in recent decades) lift in elections. They realize that repeatedly hitting their heads against the wall while expecting a different result makes absolutely no sense.

Democrats realize that they cannot win presidential elections without nearly every possible Black vote. And for Black women, if you are a Democratic elected official, you can do no wrong.