We all know Trump is intellectually a back-of-the-classroom third grader. But he has a kind of animal cunning, and a wolf’s instinct for how to herd and divide the sheep. I agree that the attack on Harris’ racial identity was calculated as was being pulled off the stage so he could play victim for his white, racist cultists.
Asha - appreciate the insight. While I would not believe this might have been Trump’s idea on his own to try to divide and depress part of the Black vote - and I believe you reference this possibility twice in your post - I would believe this to be part of the playbook designed by Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Paul Manafort, and Steve Miller, among others. I would also not be surprised if these efforts were not also still being supported/coordinated by and with outside entities/governments. How can we protect against the chaos and devision Trump/Stone/Bannon want to create?
Thank you for shining a light on the ADOS movement. I was not aware of this group's intersection with the reparation discussion. You are 100% right; Trump doesn't do anything by accident.
I 100% agree that as black voters, we are not a monolith.
The support I saw with friends and family who actually voted for Trump in 2016 was the 'he's a businessman and we need an outsider.' (That was still a very small number)
Many of those admittedly became disillusioned after the 4 years he was in office. For others, Jan 6 was the final straw.
I agree there has been a concerted effort to try to depress/twist black support against a Trump opponent. And there was a lot of apathy about a 2024 rematch vote.
That all flipped 180* when Biden graciously stepped aside and Kamala not only stepped in, but has been an outstanding candidate. Energy and enthusiasm are through the roof.
I don't think Trump is savvy enough to think about a group like ADOS, let alone try to appeal to them. I think he's a simple transactional guy who tried to project his transactional nature onto Kamala by claiming she was 'pandering' to specific audiences.
But this wasn't Hillary Clinton claiming she carried hot sauce in her purse. Harris went to an HBCU and is an AKA. It looks silly to claim she is disingenuous about her black heritage because she claims both her Indian and black heritage.
And it's landed badly with all races. Almost all of us have biracial friends and family. It sounds woefully out of touch for a 78 year old man to act like people have to choose one race or another or they are pretending to be something they are not.
Great insight. I was unaware of the potential black divide that was being triggered. But I did think he was appealing to a different audience, his base, which would be energized by his offensive performance.
He may have been getting benefits from both angles. Calculated and not stupid at all.
Thanks for this - it's an angle I otherwise wouldn't have picked up. And thanks for keeping Cambridge Analytica and the transmission of polling data on people's minds. I certainly haven't forgotten these things, but I also feel, sometimes, like I live in Attention Deficit Nation. And although the Cambridge Analytica head has been chopped of the hydra, it keeps growing new ones (e.g. Emerdata).
It did feel and sound very much a talking point where he had spent time briefing or discussing with his handlers. Too well prepared for something off the cuff.
Asha - I cannot thank you enough for pulling that 2016 data forward, the Cambridge analytica info, RUssian interference , etc. sooooo many people are not aware of this history. They erroneously believe that Trump won handily, and you have to point out OFTEN that it was ~80k votes , but spread between 3 important swing states. With the black voters , I fully believe that changed the election - they depressed an important voting bloc that otherwise turned out. Remember - I know you do- the 2 individuals who were convicted for providing misinformation ? I forget which state - this effort also targeted black voters, and Musk is employing this again with the AI Chatbot. Another important group that was targeted via soc media and CA was the Latino voters. Here, the group was hit with near constant soc messaging re:socialism communism ti stoke fear.
I did not know about this group - I think for the purposes of reparations that descended from slavery might be but 1 distinction - but not the only. It also seems irrelevant - bc we know that being raised Black and Indian in America in the 60s, 70s, 80s was not easy. Her father is a descendent of slaves brought to Jamaica (is he not?, that is not an indigenous heritage- even if it is, that’s a minority class). This is trivial hairsplitting. Additionally being raised by parents who have recently immigrated here is difficult - many studies in this area. Seems even the ADOS folks would not be onboard with this- lastly , add being a woman and biracial.
My dear lady ... I thought you was busy till Labor Day, I don't blame you for dipping your toe back-in, the information environment has become, how shall we say ... <[Infectious]> has it not !
Thank you for taking time and writing well (what I had been thinking and worrying about). We should never underestimate Trump despite his unconventional and improbable style — his hold and power over people’s attention and time, even on those of us who refuse to engage with his ilk, is outcome-oriented.
Now let’s see what tricks he will have up his sleeve this afternoon at 2 p.m.
Appreciate especially your reference back to the concerted disinformation attacks against blacks in the runup to the 2016 election. Anything that was effective then, his people are definitely trying again. His planners probably visualize more sophisticated stuff than he actually pulls off, like the NABJ debacle, but the racism is stoked regardless.
He needs to be held responsible for so much, way further back than even 2016 re: his mafia-like foreign ties. We have to win this election first and get more work done for the people, all of us.
BRILLIANT analysis, Asha, though I never expect less. I see Trump as a stumblebum but convenient provacateur / cult figure for the extreme right to exploit. As he himself might say, "there is no such thing as bad publicity." You KNOW that the Kamala Harris suddenly becoming black lie is meant to 1) draw media attention 2) outrage the already outraged 3) reinforce his MAGA street cred, and thus really doesn't do anything....EXCEPT, like you say, start to create a fizure? I could see Stephen Miller, Strategist and Racist Historian being the architect on this, among other scoundrels. Yes, I can see how stir up African Americans who seek reparations, and there are problems for the Democrats. I was disappointed with the way the Joe Biden suspended his campaign, but in the end, everyone knows it was for the best, it was a noble act of a statesman, and the Rock Star status of Kamala Harris with Tim Walz instills great hope for the future of our country. This compares to the not so Grand, not so much a Party, but very OLD Republicans who have nothing positive to offer or say. Old Man Trump leading the Old Republicans. Not so much that old in and of itself is a bad thing, but when it is decaying like Trump before our eyes, and the moral bankruptcy of the party, "old" is not an option.
Trump has spent his life controlling through many techniques he learned through working with his father. He is not a bright person but he has learned what works. Divide and conquer is his go to because it is so effective especially when used in businesses and organizations that are not above board. So what I witnessed was trump doing exactly that, sowing more seeds of division. Hoping to create infighting which weakens the strength of a tightly knit group. I am sure he succeeded with some black voters but strengthened the resolve of those determined to not ever see another trump presidency.
Every time Donald changes the topic from Project 2025 and his many disqualifications he has a win. Racist is a topic that takes a lot of air but isn’t as bad as rapist, fraud, failure, traitor, insurrectionist, Roe ending, Covid deaths, etc.
My guess is that it is both. He went in with a mission to stir things up with the identity stuff, and then Rachel Scott immediately riled him up which led to yet another off the rails racist rant. He really cannot help himself.
We all know Trump is intellectually a back-of-the-classroom third grader. But he has a kind of animal cunning, and a wolf’s instinct for how to herd and divide the sheep. I agree that the attack on Harris’ racial identity was calculated as was being pulled off the stage so he could play victim for his white, racist cultists.
Asha - appreciate the insight. While I would not believe this might have been Trump’s idea on his own to try to divide and depress part of the Black vote - and I believe you reference this possibility twice in your post - I would believe this to be part of the playbook designed by Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Paul Manafort, and Steve Miller, among others. I would also not be surprised if these efforts were not also still being supported/coordinated by and with outside entities/governments. How can we protect against the chaos and devision Trump/Stone/Bannon want to create?
Thank you for shining a light on the ADOS movement. I was not aware of this group's intersection with the reparation discussion. You are 100% right; Trump doesn't do anything by accident.
(absolutely LOVE your work Asha!!)
I 100% agree that as black voters, we are not a monolith.
The support I saw with friends and family who actually voted for Trump in 2016 was the 'he's a businessman and we need an outsider.' (That was still a very small number)
Many of those admittedly became disillusioned after the 4 years he was in office. For others, Jan 6 was the final straw.
I agree there has been a concerted effort to try to depress/twist black support against a Trump opponent. And there was a lot of apathy about a 2024 rematch vote.
That all flipped 180* when Biden graciously stepped aside and Kamala not only stepped in, but has been an outstanding candidate. Energy and enthusiasm are through the roof.
I don't think Trump is savvy enough to think about a group like ADOS, let alone try to appeal to them. I think he's a simple transactional guy who tried to project his transactional nature onto Kamala by claiming she was 'pandering' to specific audiences.
But this wasn't Hillary Clinton claiming she carried hot sauce in her purse. Harris went to an HBCU and is an AKA. It looks silly to claim she is disingenuous about her black heritage because she claims both her Indian and black heritage.
And it's landed badly with all races. Almost all of us have biracial friends and family. It sounds woefully out of touch for a 78 year old man to act like people have to choose one race or another or they are pretending to be something they are not.
Great insight. I was unaware of the potential black divide that was being triggered. But I did think he was appealing to a different audience, his base, which would be energized by his offensive performance.
He may have been getting benefits from both angles. Calculated and not stupid at all.
Thanks for this - it's an angle I otherwise wouldn't have picked up. And thanks for keeping Cambridge Analytica and the transmission of polling data on people's minds. I certainly haven't forgotten these things, but I also feel, sometimes, like I live in Attention Deficit Nation. And although the Cambridge Analytica head has been chopped of the hydra, it keeps growing new ones (e.g. Emerdata).
It did feel and sound very much a talking point where he had spent time briefing or discussing with his handlers. Too well prepared for something off the cuff.
Asha - I cannot thank you enough for pulling that 2016 data forward, the Cambridge analytica info, RUssian interference , etc. sooooo many people are not aware of this history. They erroneously believe that Trump won handily, and you have to point out OFTEN that it was ~80k votes , but spread between 3 important swing states. With the black voters , I fully believe that changed the election - they depressed an important voting bloc that otherwise turned out. Remember - I know you do- the 2 individuals who were convicted for providing misinformation ? I forget which state - this effort also targeted black voters, and Musk is employing this again with the AI Chatbot. Another important group that was targeted via soc media and CA was the Latino voters. Here, the group was hit with near constant soc messaging re:socialism communism ti stoke fear.
I did not know about this group - I think for the purposes of reparations that descended from slavery might be but 1 distinction - but not the only. It also seems irrelevant - bc we know that being raised Black and Indian in America in the 60s, 70s, 80s was not easy. Her father is a descendent of slaves brought to Jamaica (is he not?, that is not an indigenous heritage- even if it is, that’s a minority class). This is trivial hairsplitting. Additionally being raised by parents who have recently immigrated here is difficult - many studies in this area. Seems even the ADOS folks would not be onboard with this- lastly , add being a woman and biracial.
My dear lady ... I thought you was busy till Labor Day, I don't blame you for dipping your toe back-in, the information environment has become, how shall we say ... <[Infectious]> has it not !
Thank you for taking time and writing well (what I had been thinking and worrying about). We should never underestimate Trump despite his unconventional and improbable style — his hold and power over people’s attention and time, even on those of us who refuse to engage with his ilk, is outcome-oriented.
Now let’s see what tricks he will have up his sleeve this afternoon at 2 p.m.
Until he goes away, he never really goes away.
Appreciate especially your reference back to the concerted disinformation attacks against blacks in the runup to the 2016 election. Anything that was effective then, his people are definitely trying again. His planners probably visualize more sophisticated stuff than he actually pulls off, like the NABJ debacle, but the racism is stoked regardless.
He needs to be held responsible for so much, way further back than even 2016 re: his mafia-like foreign ties. We have to win this election first and get more work done for the people, all of us.
BRILLIANT analysis, Asha, though I never expect less. I see Trump as a stumblebum but convenient provacateur / cult figure for the extreme right to exploit. As he himself might say, "there is no such thing as bad publicity." You KNOW that the Kamala Harris suddenly becoming black lie is meant to 1) draw media attention 2) outrage the already outraged 3) reinforce his MAGA street cred, and thus really doesn't do anything....EXCEPT, like you say, start to create a fizure? I could see Stephen Miller, Strategist and Racist Historian being the architect on this, among other scoundrels. Yes, I can see how stir up African Americans who seek reparations, and there are problems for the Democrats. I was disappointed with the way the Joe Biden suspended his campaign, but in the end, everyone knows it was for the best, it was a noble act of a statesman, and the Rock Star status of Kamala Harris with Tim Walz instills great hope for the future of our country. This compares to the not so Grand, not so much a Party, but very OLD Republicans who have nothing positive to offer or say. Old Man Trump leading the Old Republicans. Not so much that old in and of itself is a bad thing, but when it is decaying like Trump before our eyes, and the moral bankruptcy of the party, "old" is not an option.
I said this forever. tRump loves the media calling him a crazy, dementia, weird candidate. It deflects from what he is actually doing/saying.
Trump has spent his life controlling through many techniques he learned through working with his father. He is not a bright person but he has learned what works. Divide and conquer is his go to because it is so effective especially when used in businesses and organizations that are not above board. So what I witnessed was trump doing exactly that, sowing more seeds of division. Hoping to create infighting which weakens the strength of a tightly knit group. I am sure he succeeded with some black voters but strengthened the resolve of those determined to not ever see another trump presidency.
Every time Donald changes the topic from Project 2025 and his many disqualifications he has a win. Racist is a topic that takes a lot of air but isn’t as bad as rapist, fraud, failure, traitor, insurrectionist, Roe ending, Covid deaths, etc.
My guess is that it is both. He went in with a mission to stir things up with the identity stuff, and then Rachel Scott immediately riled him up which led to yet another off the rails racist rant. He really cannot help himself.