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Political commentary
6
Courtesy of Fox News
Herman Cain, Republican presidential candidate
The controversy surrounding Cain is not limited to his suggested economic policies. Cain’s policies are so drastic and radically inconsiderate of the middle and lower class they inflame debates about socioeconomic status. Cain’s policies that would slam impoverished blacks if enacted and garner overwhelmingly negative sentiments from Black Americans because of Cain’s own race and the widespread acknowledgement that socioeconomic trends are linked closely to race. It is not unheard of for Black people to be conservative, and in fact, with respect to many issues – such as same-sex marriage and abortion – the Black community is generally less than liberal. However, statistics show that 15.8 percent of African Americans are unemployed in comparison to the national rate of 9.1 percent, and that 27.4 percent of blacks live under the poverty line in comparison to the national rate of 15.1 percent. Tax reform increases economic hardship for the middle and lower class is simply out of the question. If you were to ask Cain, as Gregory did, whether race has anything to do with it, he would say no. However, what Cain says does not always match. He tends to flip flop. When speaking about President Barack Obama, Cain has said directly that, “he’s never been part of the black experience in America. I can talk about that. I can talk about what it really meant to be ‘po’’ before I was poor.” Cain also challenged Obama’s race and said, “A real black man is not timid about making the right decisions.” Herman Cain has proven that simply because someone is Black it does not necessarily mean that he or she is truly speaking on behalf of the greater part of the Black community. It does not mean that all Black people will or should rally behind him or her. Despite the negativity that may come of Cain’s quest for the presidency, it is important to note that this is representative of the possibility that African-Americans are now able to transcend their liberal political stereotypes. Does Herman Cain and the absence of a solid Black leader represent a serious lack of cohesiveness and direction in the Black community?