Well, it’s official. The GOP has officially crowned DJT (I can’t bring myself to type his name) as their nominee. This man has doubled-down on his racist remarks about Blacks, Mexicans, Muslims and Jews. This man has a history of being verbally (and sometimes physically) abusive with women, so much so that it is nearly impossible for him to have a conversation with a female journalist without a sexist or derogatory remark during or immediately after the interview. This man denies climate change, surrounds himself with white supremacists and lackeys and has said he will not honor decades-long international treaties. It is 2016, not 1916!
So how could so many millions of Americans let this travesty happen? Let’s be honest and clear: the racial backlash against Obama is real. Not only did “no-drama Obama” emerge but also he “exposed” the millions of educated Blacks (and Latinos) in this country who have been hardworking in the face of systemic and institutional racism. A colleague recently asked on Twitter if we could imagine if Obama had tried to run for the presidency as a twice divorced man with a wife 24 years his junior and five children by three different women? Under no circumstances would the media or voters see his circumstance as a “blended” or “modern” family. The racial implications for Obama have always been different because of his race. I’m sure we all remember when Sarah Palin’s unwed daughter was pregnant on the campaign trail, and many saw the double standard as clear as day. There is no way the narrative would have been the same if it were Obama’s two teenaged daughters. In no way do I mean to pass judgement on divorces, blended families or people who choose to begin a family without getting married. I raise these examples to show the racial double standard applied to Obama and his GOP competitors.
So, the GOP competitors are able to pass themselves off as “everyday people,” while supporting policies that will take away the livelihoods of the people they purportedly represent. The vitriol many of us witnessed at the Republican Convention and in the past few months has been a culmination of Republican chickens coming home to roost. They realize that their mediocrity can no longer save them. Jobs will no longer automatically be put aside for them. Blacks and Latinos are using tools they have discarded. And the face of America will never be the same. Because of these facts, DJT has emerged as the Great White Hope to make America great again. The coded language is not necessary. He wants to use the very same people he has exploited. Unfortunately, racism oftentimes trumps common sense, and they cannot see that the man who has filed bankruptcy four times is the worst type of tycoon, one who will lie to your face, and then call you a liar.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University and the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream.” You can find her on Twitter @Dr_CMGreer.