I haven't written you in a while; probably since I left you six years ago. But this newest embarrassment made me drop you a line. Hopefully, you'll take heed.
Listen. This is part of what happens whenever conservatives find themselves dealing with famous Black folks. You either have them love you at first and then change their mind under pressure (Kanye West), or you conservatives jump behind Black people that the community doesn't care for (Ben Carson), or the stars jump fully in bed with conservatives--only to be dumped when you no longer want them (Stacy Dash). Those are all bad optics.
This is a fight that you shouldn't still be fighting. Most Black people have conservative values. They want reasonable taxes, good schools, a protected middle class, and safe neighborhoods. They are pro-faith. They want to stop gentrification, own their own homes, and create profitable businesses. They aren't crazy about abortion on demand, illegal immigration, or insanity regarding gender confusion.
(And no, that doesn't mean they will be ugly toward LGBTQ folk; it means they don't want men using bathrooms with their daughters, and it means that they aren't seeking consent from their babies to change diapers or give them girl names. But I digress). But you still aren't learning your lesson.
You see, the GOP already had a hard time reaching a large plurality of Black people regarding these issues BEFORE the Social Media Era (2009 to now). All the SME did was expose every closeted bigot and racist that looked mainstream; not to mention every Rosewood and Park Patty lying on Blacks and calling the cops on Blacks.
It was bad under Bush. It got WAY worse under Obama. And it's exploded out under Trump. But your constituents are running with that rather than going against it. You'll never gain our vote that way in any scale outside of less than seven percent.
If you ever want to reach the Black community, GOP; stop trying to sign big name, already famous, free agent recent converts to Republicanism. You will continue to be embarrassed when they shake you, and leave you high and dry.
Instead grow your farm system. Start at the smallest levels--Black PTA meetings, Black business leaders, Black neighbourhood councils, Black cops and firefighters, or Black bloggers, writers, activists. Grow and groom those folks on principles that the community cares about.
That's where Obama came from. That's where Kamala came from. That's where your future stars are coming from, not the Black glitterati. Oh, and you'll never gain blacks that will vote for your principles if you keep picking Blacks that spend their time attacking Blacks. Sorry. Nobody was ever dissed into enlightenment.
I don't know why I'm trying to write you again; you never listen to Black voices about change. I know so many Black Republicans that are now independent conservatives because of the thinly veiled racism amongst your consistency. Selecting Trump in all his rhetorical splendor has NOT helped your cause. And this Kanye thing is an embarrassing joke.
But maybe just maybe, you'll listen to me. Maybe you'll change your strategy. Maybe some of you will come to this conclusion that if you win the midterms, you might just make it even worse. Maybe you'll try having a positive and optimistic message instead of the we hate everyone perception you're giving off. Maybe you'll start the change now.
I doubt it though. The Democrats are too dumb to see that when they play the same game you ALL look bad. Meh. Well, good luck anyway.
Your former loving friend,
Tamon Steven Pearson
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