Republicans Court Black Voters Over Cigarettes

Supply: Michael M. Santiago / Getty

Ahead of the Republican major in South Carolina, a gaggle of conservatives need to field-test a method to assist steer Black individuals away from the Democratic get together. Their plan? To persuade Black those that President Joe Biden will ban menthol cigarettes.

As beforehand reported, the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration proposed a menthol cigarette ban. Biden hasn’t introduced a call on whether or not he’ll approve the proposal, however “Republicans and conservative teams try to find out whether or not leveraging this subject can affect voter conduct and scale back the president’s vote depend,” in keeping with CNN, so placing the cart earlier than that specific horse is of their finest curiosity. One group is planning to make use of South Carolina as its guinea pig state to check out the technique.

From CNN:

The Liberty Coverage Basis, a conservative advocacy group, plans on launching an aggressive advert marketing campaign in South Carolina to see whether or not it will probably sway some public opinion towards Biden and Democrats, in keeping with a Republican strategist working with the group.

The advertisements rolled out on digital platforms Wednesday morning.

The advert marketing campaign is concentrating on three teams, the strategist stated: African People who disapprove of Biden and suppose he has been ineffective as president, small enterprise homeowners and younger People who lean unbiased.

The Liberty Coverage Basis sees the advertisements as a “excessive precedence as a result of we are able to take a look at how or if it strikes voters for the first,” the strategist instructed CNN.

Like white conservatives throughout America, the nice people at Liberty Coverage Basis are both unaware or pretending to be unaware of their very own racism.

Actually? You’re going to persuade Black voters to return to the GOP by telling them Democrats are going to take their Newports?

Right here’s the factor: White conservatives persistently reveal that they don’t care in regards to the normal welfare of Black individuals or the problems which can be vital to us. All they care about is what they’ll use to control Black individuals into Republican assist, and what they’ll use to current the phantasm of a racially numerous Republican get together and voters (all whereas denouncing DEI as id politics run amok).

If conservatives actually cared what most Black individuals suppose, really feel and wish, they might cease preventing each try at police reform the opposition proposes. They’d advocate for a truthful telling of American historical past as a substitute of the completely whitewashed, white America-friendly, oppression-denying propaganda they suppose is acceptable for varsity youngsters. They’d cease opposing affirmative motion and DEI whereas erroneously claiming the GOP is the get together of alternative, employment and schooling for Black individuals. They’d cease advocating for racist vigilantes and killer cops to go free. They wouldn’t vehemently oppose pro-Black activism the way in which they do. They wouldn’t suppress the Black vote by way of congressional redistricting or arbitrary election safety legal guidelines pushed to unravel an election fraud drawback that doesn’t exist.

There are literally loads of sensible issues Republicans can do to capitalize on the reported waning Black assist for the Democratic Occasion. However supporting these issues would value Republicans assist that issues to them most—white voters. Now, the Liberty Coverage Basis desires to attempt to acquire favor with Black individuals by enjoying on Black stereotypes, and that’s the place the menthol ban fearmongering is available in.

Right here’s the opposite factor: No matter how Black individuals really feel in regards to the proposed ban, there’s no cause to imagine an finish to the manufacturing and distribution of menthol cigarettes wouldn’t save Black lives. Research, certainly, present that 77% of Black people who smoke choose them. Research additionally present that menthol cigarette advertising and marketing advertisements had been actually geared toward younger Black individuals. In reality, in 2017, the documentary Black Lives/Black Lungs uncovered the way in which the tobacco trade has focused the Black neighborhood.

From our earlier report:

The implications have been devastating. African-People die from illnesses associated to tobacco use at the next fee than Whites, regardless that Blacks smoke fewer cigarettes and begin smoking at an older age than White individuals do, in keeping with the CDC.

Cigarette makers will not be the one trade beneath fireplace for concentrating on the Black neighborhood. Earlier this 12 months, two pastors from the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Courtroom towards Coca-Cola and the American Beverage Affiliation, CBS Information reported.

In accordance with the ministers, the soda trade shares an enormous a part of the duty for the diabetes epidemic that has swept by way of minority communities as a result of the trade targets African-People and Hispanics.

Do y’all keep in mind when conservatives had been attempting to persuade Black individuals to get behind their pro-life marketing campaign by declaring that Black individuals get extra abortions per capita, inflicting a disproportionate termination of potential Black infants? It’s odd that these Republican teams would apply the alternative rationale when attempting to persuade us {that a} cigarette ban isn’t in our greatest curiosity. In the meantime, as CNN famous, the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus each assist the proposed ban.

Right here’s the place it will get much more insidious: Republicans try to make use of the story of Eric Garner to spice up their white nonsense.

Extra from CNN:

CNN seen the advert that’s set to run within the South Carolina market, which incorporates a lady in a voiceover. “President Biden retains speaking about uniting People, bringing us collectively, so why is he pushing insurance policies that proceed to divide us? Like his proposal to criminalize menthol cigarettes. Group leaders have warned Biden in regards to the unintended penalties of banning menthol cigarettes.” The advert reveals headlines associated to Eric Garner, who died after police held him in a chokehold. Police initially confronted Garner for allegedly promoting cigarettes illegally.

To start with, Garner was killed by NYPD officers whereas there was no menthol ban in place. It hadn’t even been proposed but. Secondly, Black neighborhood members, together with Garner’s mom, have, certainly, warned in regards to the ban on menthol cigarettes, however not as a result of they suppose it’s unfair to Black people who smoke. They’ve warned that the ban would solely lead to extra racial profiling and policing of Black our bodies. White conservatives, however, have solely ever supported the police after they killed unarmed Black individuals, together with Garner. Now, the identical boot-lickers try to flip Garner’s story of their favor.

It’s hypocritical and racist as hell. It’s additionally very American.