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HORIST: Why do blacks vote for Democrats?

HORIST:  Why do blacks vote for Democrats?

Not long ago I asked why Jews vote for Democrats.  Perhaps even a more confounding question to ask is why do blacks vote for Democrats – and in such overwhelming numbers?

Part of the reason is that large portions of the black community have been propagandized by a racist white establishment within the Democratic Party and the news media.  They perpetuate a false narrative that the Democratic Party serves the interests of the black community.  This is nothing less than propaganda that has been reinforced by our school systems, the news media, the entertainment industry and book publishers — all overwhelmingly controlled or influenced by the elitist liberal Democrat establishment.

Within the segregated and impoverished black communities, millions of people are denied access to education – especially the true history of race relations in America.  They are led to believe that the racist masters of the Democrat urban machines are their benefactors – not their oppressors.

A cadre of black politicians beholding to the political machine — who Malcolm X referred to as “house negroes” — are empowered by the bosses in the big-city city halls to keep the black community – meaning the vote – in line by constantly casting the Republican Party as the enemy of the Negro.  It is achieved through a false narrative of both black and Republican history — AND by distracting from the prevailing racist policies of the Democrat machines that are negatively impacting the daily lives of those trapped by poverty in the segregated slums of the American cities.

The role of the Democratic Party as the primary vehicle of oppressive institutional racism in America throughout history has been politically sanitized.  Because the Democratic Party’s role in defending slavery is irrefutable — and the brutal and deadly racism of the 100 years of Democrat occupation of the states of the old Confederacy — many willingly (or reluctantly) concede that Democrats were the true villains of racial equality and justice and the Republicans were the courageous heroes.  That perception was strategically changed over the course of 30 years by the creation of the false racial narrative that persists to this day.

It began with the Great Depression.  Blacks, like most Americans, lost confidence in the economic policies of the Republican Party.  In 1932, the dominance of the Republican Party – and the loyalty of the black community – dramatically shifted.  But it was a precarious realignment. Throughout the 1930s, most blacks remained registered as Republicans – and appeared that many were returning to the GOP fold.

To prevent this, the Democratic Party engaged in a scheme to maintain its hold over the black vote.  It was hatched in Chicago by black Democrat Congressman William Dawson.  He was a machine hack –one of those “house Negroes” who Malcolm X railed against.  Originally a Republican, Dawson pursued his political power with all the zeal of a convert.

Dawson was the political machine’s overseer for the black community in the Windy City – in charge of what was known as the as the “submachine.”  The black newspaper, The Chicago Defender, wrote that Dawson, as a civil rights leader, was “non-committal, evasive, and seldom takes an outspoken stand on anything.”

Facing the potential loss of the black vote for the Democrats, Dawson perfected a variation of an old political theme – make voters financially dependent on the political leaders.  In other words, the services and benefits of government would be dependent on political loyalty.

What this did was to set aside the traditional constitutional rights of equality in education, jobs, public safety, and other government services – all the rights of which segregated urban blacks have been deprived for generations – replaced by welfare dependency.  It was that simple.

President Franklin Roosevelt liked the idea enough to have Dawson named vice chairman of the National Democratic Party – commissioned to sell his scheme throughout the nation.  The concept was consistent with FDR’s overall racist New Deal policies (a subject that will be covered in a future Black History Month commentary).

The welfare-as-civil-rights was greatly advanced with malice of forethought by President Lyndon Johnson.  In telling a number of southern Democrat senators the unstated – at least publicly – benefit of his so-called war on poverty, Johnson proudly claimed that it would “keep the n*****s voting Democrat for 200 years.”  It has done that for more than 50 years, already.  What the war on poverty has NOT done is to uplift the lives of those trapped in the urban segregated ghettoes.  It has not provided them with quality education, upward mobility, equal justice, safe streets, economic development and access to America’s opportunity society.

There is a grand inconsistency and incoherence in the fact that anger and frustration so often drive the oppressed urban blacks to demonstrate, protest and riot against the very political leaders that they vote into office every Election Day. The race riots that resulted in death, injury and extensive property damage since the passage of the civil rights legislation in the 1960s shows that they virtually all occur in cities that have been on the almost exclusive control of the Democratic Party for more than half a century – and some even longer.

This grim truth has remained a constant even when black politicians assume the leadership of a city.  The paradigm does not change because most of those black politicians have the same vested interest in maintaining the status quo.  Baltimore would be an example of a city which has had black Democrat leaders for decades – a city in which billions upon billions of federal dollars have flowed supposedly for the benefit of the poor.  And what has changed – and where did all that money go?  It is simple.  Nothing has dramatically changed – except, perhaps, that the streets are less safe – and the money flowed to the powerful and wealthy political establishment.  It certainly has had little impact on the poor or the communities in which they live.

Some try to differentiate the racist policies of the urban Democrat machines from the national party.  In fact, it is the national Democratic Party that has always spoken in support of civil rights while the racist elements were allowed to influence – and even dictate – policy.  It was seen in the old segregated south.  It was seen during the Roosevelt years as the powerful southern congressional Democrats set the agenda.  It was even seen in the era of civil rights with the likes of Lyndon Johnson, as Senate Majority Leader, and then-Senator Jack Kennedy pontificating about civil rights but voting to defeat or water down civil rights legislation.  It was seen when national Democrats gave lip service support to Martin Luther King’s call for equality, while President Kennedy conspired with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to investigate and harass the civil right leader and conduct a campaign of character assassination – and as the national party yielded to Chicago’s racist Mayor Richard J. Daley as a Democrat “powerhouse.”

Rarely has an interest group voted so overwhelmingly for political leaders who did NOT represent their interests.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

25 Comments

  1. Donald R Laster Jr

    The Republicans did not create the economic problems. The Democrats managed to blame Republicans. but it was FDR and the other “Progressives” (i.e. Socialist/Marxist/etc). that created the Great Depression. Had Hoover managed to do what Calvin Coolidge has done in 1920 the Great Depression would not have occurred. Woodrow Wilson and FDR are to blame for the problems that created the Great Depression and many of the problems we have today.

    Calvin Coolidge has a 6 month depression that was as bad as the Great Depression. He got Congress to reduced taxes and unneeded regulations and the depression was over in 6 months. We ended up with the roaring 20s. The Stock Market crash would not have been a problem for most people if the Market had been left alone to correct itself from the speculation people engaged in.

    • Shea H. Bradley

      Thank You for the reference to Calvin Coolidge. Many people (including Republicans/Conservatives are ignorant of this part in our history) And why we have the social politics that we have today.

  2. STEVE FLOWERS

    DEMOCRATS! ……..THE BLACK VOTERS SEEM TO THINK THAT THEIR ALLEGIANCE IS TO VOTE DEMOCRATIC. THAT IS HOW THEIR FAMILYS DID FOR DECADES. THE DEMOCRATS USE PEOPLE, THEY WILL PROMISE EVERYTHING TO ET THAT VOTE. AFTER THE ELECTION, THE BLACKS DON’T HEAR FROM THE DEMOCRATS UNTIL THE NEXT ELECTION. I’M NOT BLACK, BUT I HAVE WITNESSED THEIR ACTIONS FOR YEARS.AS TIME GOES BY, MORE BLACKS ARE CHANGING THEIR VOTING PRACTICE. PERHAPS IT IS BECAUSE OF THEM BEING EDUCATED. WHAT HAE THE DEMS DONE FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY? IT WAS THE REPUBLICANS WHO FREED THE SLAVES, IT WAS THE REPUBLICANS WHO PASSED THE LAWS FOR THE BLACK PEOPLE. ‘NO MORE FREE TRASH CANS FROM THE DEMOCRATS’ THIS WHAT WAS PROMISED YEARS AGO. AGAIN! I MUST STATE THAT THE DEMOCRATS USE THE BLACK PEOPLE FOR THEIR VOTES!

    • Jimmy M Whitehead

      Blacks vote for Democraps because they are the give away party! Welfare,food stamps, section 8 housing, free Osama cell phones, discounted electric bills and simply bums helping bums by giving them the money that hard working Real Americans pay in taxes!!!!!

  3. John

    What an interesting and factually informative piece of writing. I have, since studying it at, UCG, consistently attributed, as you have the damage caused by the, Franklin Roosevelt, “New Deal,” Factually, that did far more damage than the Great Depression would have caused without his actions. Thank You.

  4. Richard L. Hunt

    Whoever is responsible for this impetus knows very little about the American population but instead allows him(her)self to use inferences to dissuade a true voting feelings and is anti democratic philosophy. You are undoubtedly a Republican liar intent on retaining the indisputable sorry soul of Donald Trump. Note that I refuse to even acknowledge that he is president. He is a sorry feminine abuser of the worst most disgusting sort and has proved this fact himself by discussing his filth on public television. Trump is the sorriest excuse for a leader than any human existing today! He must be impeached!

    • Nikki

      Bullshit

    • Donald Gitschier

      Hey dick,you need to find a few brain cells and read a book

  5. Mad

    With the help of Hollywood

    • Tim

      and other communist

  6. William J Vital

    I think that a larger percentage of the black population is uneducated and they believe the Democrap lies, not realizing that the politicians promise everything but, after the election, give NOTHING to anyone except themselves and their buddies.

  7. Donald Gitschier

    If not for WWII, we would be the USSA. the United Socialist States of America. FDR was pathetic, his policies are what dragged the Great Depression on for a decade.

  8. W. Brushky

    Has everyone forgotten about Bill Clinton?

  9. Jim S.

    Does not surprise me.

  10. The jimmmer

    the friends who I have who ancestors came from Africa all know that the dems in this country are the ones who are enemies of the black folks – the dems have lied over the years for the brainwashing to have grab a hold of the folks – a lot now are breaking free of the cult grip called the democrat party – it has been a hood winking of a mass scale – it was the southern dems who paid the ship captain to import people from Africa as cargo and then ownership of the cargo – it was the dems who basically called for all the statues to be erected in the south. now the Dems blame the reps for these statues being erected. there is more hatred, intolerance and racism running rampage thru the democrat part that ever before – it was always an under lining of society but now it has rear its ugly head. you notice the hate comes from the dems with all the fake new media and they try and blame there ways on the rep. the anti Jewish inside the Dem party has just raised its ugly head with all these dems now – as we see now, David Duke once the Grand Wizard of the KKK has hitch his wagen up with the female who was elected who hates Jews. this is a main stay of the KKK- I could go on but you get the story of what the Democrat party is truly about.

  11. James

    No the GOP is all about the Rich they really never cared about the middle class with the current tax break most people wont be seeing a tax return but they will have to pay end

    • David Barron

      James, the only way the rich get richer is to increase their businesses, and to do so the little man or middle class also gets to work. You can work as hard as you want or sit on your democratic rear end and wait for Democratic handouts as you piss and moan about being left in the dust.\. Anyone can get ahead if you try,save,and don’t get into debt. I use a saying my father once told me, when you think you need something really bad, remember you can’t afford it unless you can pay cash for it now. Instead of paying interest on something wait and save, you will be better off. I know we are in a time of instant gratification where you have to have this or that, but do you really need it or can it wait? The only thing you would finance is a house or maybe a car. Is your car doing the job, keeping you dry when it rains, warm in the winter, cool in the summer, plays music, and gets you from point a to point b safely? So who cares if its a few years old, its paid for. Save money. I am not rich person but have used those thoughts for most of my 73 years and I now have over $4M in assets and nearly $1M in cash. Do I blow it, no, I save it for a rainy day that I choose to spend it on instead of paying interest to the banks. Don’t blame others for your failures in responsibility and finance.

  12. Jim

    Why do we keep calling the “democrat party” the democratic party?? they could be no more democratic than Cuba or any other socialist country.

    • Tim

      democracy IS mob rule, Jim. IT needs to be eliminated….by any means necessary

      • David Barron

        Not according to the Democrats who don’t know the difference between Democracy and a Republic. They even want to change our form of government, eliminate the Electoral College in favor of Mob (city) rule and take away your Constitutional rights. These are the people do are masters of deception and operate in the dark to enrichen themselves through graft and corruption to no end……known as the Swamp.

  13. BOBBY RAY NANCE

    THE BLACKS THINK THE GOVERMENT WILL GIVE THEM SOMETHING FOR FREE AND THE GOV.HAS NO MONEY TO GIVE THAT MONEY BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE AND THE GOVERMENT IS SUPPOST TO TAKE CARE OF IT AND SPEND IT THE RIGHT WAY AND PEOPLE ARE TO WORK AND MAKE THERE ON LIVINGNOT ONE THING IS FREE IN THIS LIFE AND THE WETS FROM THE SOUTH NEED TO BE TOLD NO FREE HAND OUTS GET USE TO WORKING AND COME TO THIS COUNTRY LEAGLY AND ON WELFAIR EVER.

  14. Gail

    Democrats have always twisted the truth to make their lies plausible . Using the likes of The NYTimes has always been their useful idiot connection.
    Because when you dumb down people they don’t know the truth .
    The civil war was not fought over slaves . It was fought over the same reason as today . Taxation without representation. And Lincoln was not about freeing slaves . He was solely about keeping the Union of the 13 colonies together . He knew that our enemies within wanted us divided . And divide they did . Using the NYT’s Horace Greeley printed propaganda about the South continually. As they do today . He was also a congressman and he launched the civil war with the .90 cents off every dollar the south made . Plus no slaves were ever brought to America by the south . The south didn’t own ships . And the north was responsible for all the deaths of the American Indian . And as we see the Indians get no voice in our government today . We have the same cruel vicious democrats today that we had infitratingvour government from the very start .
    A lot of black Americans are waking up to the plantation mentality of the democrats ,And thank God for this . By not teaching real history in our schools they don’t know the democrats are responsible for the things that kill or harm all black Americans.
    Planned Parenthood and the KKK and the Welfare system plus all the white privilege propaganda belongs solely to the democrats to destroy them personally. Stop being their useful idiots . Look around ! White people are working to live as well . Not all have money .
    They wanted all blacks dead , they used these things to try and succeed. When they didn’t they knew if they dumbed them down and controlled what they think and have they had them . And it worked !
    I pray not only blacks wake up to these vile wicked people and stand for what is right not what they want . Because the democrats want everybody either dead or in slavery . Power and our deaths are their goals . And like hundreds of years ago they are still playing the same old game . When they make sure that American babies die even after birth and they cry for illegals children . What does that tell you ?
    Wake up now . There’s no time left !

  15. douglas diercks

    the democrats have brain washed blacks into thinking that republicans want to put them back in chains. what a lie! democrats do not want blacks to improve their lives. they want blacks to stay where they are and just keep voting for democrats. it is called control and power! pres. trump wants to help all blacks have a better life. he is doing this with his policies. blacks are waking up to the truth. there will be a big increase in blacks voting for pres. trump.

  16. David Barron

    Any person who does no think of which leadership is best for them and who will best represent them, and votes blindly, is a fool. There is a reason why the voting age was 21, its because the normal person has no idea what is politically correct for them until they mature and get some life behind them. Those that are 18 are still being driven by the hormonal urges to find a mate and make woopie! hahahahahah

  17. k

    Just as I’ve seen on other “blogs” there is a HUGE misconception about African American Voters. We should remember we are Americn Voters and the outcome affects all of us. There was a time when the uneducated believed that democrats were close to “saviors”. That time has long past. People, ALL people are much smarter today than before and the big picture reflects it. This democrat congress is recognized for what it is, power hungry and extremely crooked.