Black Community Opinions
Publisher’s Topic: Worry Less – Do More
President Joe Biden’s debate performance revealed his deep knowledge but also highlighted his need to better communicate his achievements. As Black voters, it’s crucial we amplify his successes and stay vigilant in this critical election season.
#BidenDebate #TrumpLies #BlackVoters #GavinNewsom #BidenAchievements #Juneteenth #VotingRights #WorryLessDoMore #PublishersTopic
By Brenda H. Andrews
Publisher
New Journal and Guide
The anticipated first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump was not revelatory. As expected, Trump either lied or totally ignored answering the questions he was given. Biden answered the moderators’ questions based on the vast amount of knowledge he has about the subjects that were addressed.
Yet, while Biden was clearly informed about the questions, he performed very poorly in delivering answers. His voice was extremely frail and his spirit appeared deflated.
At the same time, the tempestuous Trump was unusually controlled, delivering quick responses to diverse questions, all from his repertoire of three main talking points: immigration, immigration, immigration. How bad it is for America; how dangerous immigrants are to Americans; how “Black jobs” are being taken away by immigrants.
In between his immigration banter, he told lie after lie about the “great” economy he delivered to the country; how “great” he was to the military and veteran population; how the January 6 Capitol attack and the Charlottesville racial march were “great” American stories that have been misreported by the media.
Left unchecked and allowed to wander into la-la land by the two disengaged CNN moderators, Trump spoke convincingly into the camera as if he were at a campaign rally and was being applauded.
It didn’t go well for Biden that night. It didn’t go well for Trump either because his lies showed his incompetence to lead the free world.
I watched the entire disappointing debacle, hoping for a Biden recovery before the end. On more than one occasion, I caught a glimpse in Biden’s eye that suggested he wanted to quit the silly game he was engaged in playing with a liar, convicted felon, and man without scruples or integrity. He appeared to want to lash out; but, he’s too much of a gentleman to have done so. It was billed as a debate, after all.
Biden Had Facts And Truth
The off-balanced and confused look Biden displayed at times has been reported by mainstream media as feeble and indicative of old age. I saw it as amazement and utter disbelief at the words coming out of Trump’s mouth which had absolutely nothing to do with anything he was asked.
It is clear to me that Biden had been pumped with so many “correct” answers and “important” facts and points in preparation for the debate by his advisors—likely too many Millennials and GenZers— that he faltered in remembering every “correct” answer and “important” fact; wanting to get them all in; trying to stay on subject; not daring to forget the current question in order to challenge Trump’s crazy untruths.
Biden was prepared with facts and truth, but he fell short to Trump’s natural bullying style and over-confident air unlike Hillary Clinton when Trump stalked her on stage during their second presidential candidate debate in 2016.
Biden didn’t tell his story of America’s comeback from the country’s devastation under Trump when nearly one million Americans—many Black—died from COVID which Trump racially popularized as the “China Virus”. Biden didn’t tell how well he has created more than 15 million jobs so far. How he—not Donald Trump—stewarded healthcare costs down, notably from hundreds of dollars to $35 on the drug insulin (which is vital for life to many Black Americans). And that’s for starters.
A Sign Of “Hope”
The only sign of “hope” the television media offered me after the debate as they sought out people to explain what went wrong for Biden came from an interview with Gov. Gavin Newsom of California. I heard the interview only once that night; and not even once more since the night of the debate.
Newsom had his own talking point that night and he stuck to it, despite the reporter trying to drag him into the abyss of gloom where she and other reporters were sulking. (Heavens only knows what job was being done on the conservative media outlets I don’t routinely watch.)
Newsom said simply, “Worry less—Do More”.
When pressed to explain what that meant after he refused to budge from that posture, he said, “Do something”—get Biden’s successful record out to the public, along with some other mandates. He maintained his calm demeanor, and I was able to tune out my fears from the distressing Thursday evening debate.
“Worry Less—Do More”
“Worry Less—Do More” is steeped in a message familiar to the Black community: “Worry Less, Trust God” and “Let Go and Let God”. I say it myself often, as I struggle to keep this historical Black institution, the 124-year-old New Journal and Guide, operational and relevant in a corporate white-run environment that downplays the role of the Black Press in maintaining the democracy in which they are the benefactors.
The Black Press is a resource that is helping Joe Biden and the Democrats deliver their messages to an influential market—Black voters who comprise the Democratic base. We have an investment in our community’s well-being.
And yet, when it comes to supporting our ability to stay in business—to support them—we are taken for granted and sent free press releases and photos instead of advertising dollars.
Recently, the Biden-Harris campaign decided it would invest $1.5 million into Black-owned media for the six or seven states considered “swing states”. Right now, every state is a ”swing state” when it comes to defeating Donald Trump’s agenda for the soul of this nation.
Every State Is A Swing State
We are living at a point in American history that is repeating an ugly part of itself before our very eyes and we need a president of integrity we can trust to know the right thing, do the right thing, and surround himself/herself with the right people.
Banning of books and whitewashing American history; heightened hate crimes and mass shootings; fake news and disinformation being presented as truth are all too common practices.
Voting freedom for Black Americans is being compromised by discriminatory voter ID laws, gerrymandering, shuttering of polling places in predominantly minority neighborhoods, limits on early voting and reckless purging of voter polls, as well as divisive disinformation about candidates.
We have a Supreme Court that is codifying state decisions that overturn hard won voting rights and 50-year-old health care rights for women. And the radical court is getting more radical with its decisions.
My Advice To President Biden
My advice to President Biden is to immediately enlarge his presence and outreach to Black voters through equitable paid ad messaging in the 200 plus Black-owned media companies, to include the New Journal and Guide representing some 500,000 Blacks in southeastern Virginia.
Secondly, I advise Mr. Biden to “be yourself going forth and be cautious when being schooled on how to present yourself by well-meaning young Millennial and GenZ advisors.” They live in a cyberworld of data, figures, algorithms, metrics, and artificial intelligence, with very limited scholarship in the ugly American history that older generations confronted to bring them to this moment in time.
Truth is, we need each other—the young and the old to progress. Biden comes from a generation where a handshake meant a sacred bond and trust. Where telling the truth exemplified a person’s true worth. And those principles still work.
Biden knows that, too. “One thing I do know is how to tell the truth!”, he said to his North Carolina crowd.
I agree that the optics, as the mainstream media continues to stress, were at play during the debate. Trump appears physically younger than Biden. He has lied his way through life—not dealing with the challenges.
Biden is an older man of dignity and integrity whose life scars show up very clearly.
On June 19th, the nation celebrated Juneteenth and what it means; what it can teach us that we can apply to this moment in time where Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are under attack; where affirmative action has been all but lost; and who knows the next attack.
I spoke in Chesapeake for the Juneteenth Foundation on the hope to be found in observing this holiday. Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day, has become a welcoming symbol of the long and courageous Black struggle for freedom in America. For all of our freedom.
Worry Less—Do More. This is not the time to jump the ship on Joe Biden. Too much is at stake.
