The Real Reasons Why The Trump-Harris Debate Had Little Impact On Undecided Voters

The Real Reasons Why The Trump-Harris Debate Had Little Impact On Undecided Voters

Admittedly, I did not watch the Trump Harris Debate. Admittedly I could neither watch nor listen to former president Donald J. Trump. I decided instead to watch clips of the debate and listen to the post-debate pundits on both CNN and MSNBC. Most interesting on both cable news channels were the interviews with the so-called “undecided voters,” many of whom indicated that they did not know enough about Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee. Many even continued to mispronounce her name. Even more of these so-called undecided voters blamed her for some of President Biden’s policies, not knowing whether she agreed or disagreed with some of his policies behind closed doors. These potential “undecided voters” failed to acknowledge that even if she disagreed with her “boss,” she could not come out publicly and say so. Those who have been in subordinate positions to bosses are most likely aware of this fact. Moreover, those who have any idea of the role of the vice president, know full well that it is not a position where one is entitled to assume the limelight, but one in which the vice president must remain in the shadow of the president. And, let us not forget, Ms. Harris is the Democratic presidential, nominee and Mr. Biden is still the president.

So, let us be honest. This presidential race is not about not knowing enough about Ms. Harris’ policies; rather it is clearly a case of racist and misogynistic ideology, on the part of both Donald Trump’s supporters and many non-committed, undecided voters. I submit that those who say they do not know enough about Ms. Harris’ policies are not non-committed voters, but had their minds made up in support of Donald Trump well before the debate. By most accounts, Kamala Harris offered insights of her policies and issues she thought were important to all Americans, while Donald Trump repeated many falsehoods as noted by fact-checkers other than the ABC hosts of the debate. My theory is further supported by an extremely interesting, well researched article in Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center On Media, Politics And Public Policy, “The Journalist’s Resource, US presidential debates: 4 studies journalists need to read.” Among many points highlighted in this article, let it suffice to say that it left the reader with this: “the vast majority don’t change their minds about which candidate they support based on what they see and hear during a general election presidential debate.”

Although I lived through Barack Obama’s presidency, I thought it wise to refresh my memory of the racist attacks on him and sought out just one resource to re-read. Politico Magazine, ran an article written by Professor Michael Eric Dyson, Ph.D., in what was called “The Obama Issue.” The article, “Whose President Was He,” was penned in January/February 2016. Among other points made in this article, Professor Dyson reminds us of several racist attacks and untruths leveled against then President Barack Obama. To cite a few examples, Glen Beck, conservative media personality, was quoted as saying President Obama had “a deep-seeded hatred for white people.” Did that mean he hated his white mother who died of cancer at fifty-two years old, or the white maternal grandparents who continued to raise him? Dinesh D’Souza, a right-wing political commentator of Indian descent, uttered the perception that President Obama had “an inherited rage” against American wealth and power from his anti-colonist Kenyan father. As an Indian American, was D’Souza talking about his own “inherited rage” against colonialism? Was this projection? After all, does history not show that India had once been colonized by the British? Still another example was expressed by now deceased radio personality Rush Limbaugh who claimed that Barack Obama wanted Americans to get Ebola as a payback for slavery. And, who could forget Donald Trump’s claims that Obama was not an American citizen? Not surprisingly, Mr. Trump did not know that Hawaii is America’s fiftieth state. And, then there was the question of how Barack Obama could have been accepted to Harvard Law School. Trump, on the other hand continues to brag about getting accepted to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, one of the best business schools in the country. However, Mr. Trump fails to mention that his brother, Fred Trump, Jr., had a former friend in the Wharton admissions office, who advocated for Trump to be accepted as a transfer student from Fordham University. He transferred to Wharton as a junior when at that time transfer students to Wharton had a higher than fifty percent acceptance rate according to an article written in Poets & Quants dated July 8, 2019 by John A. Byrne. The title of the article boldly stated, “Trump Admitted To Wharton With Help From A Family Friend.” When Mr. Trump became president, his “fixer” attorney, Michael Cohen, threatened to sue Wharton if the school released the grades of former student Trump. Both former students and at least one professor dismissed the claim that Trump was a good student. Now deceased, William T. Kelley, a former professor of Trump, was quoted as saying, “Donald Trump was the dumbest goddam student I ever had.” A classmate or two quoted in the same Daily Kos 2017 article indicated that Trump, the student, was less than a notable student; while Trump often attributed his graduation from Wharton as an indication of how smart he is. His claims often swirled around the fact that he graduated first in his class. Who could have started these rumors? I cannot help but wonder. However, there is the Commencement Program which lists the names of students who achieved the highest-grade point averages. In Latin, summa cum laude means with highest distinction, magna cum laude means with great distinction, and cum laude means with distinction. Trump’s name was on neither of these lists. Yet, he continues to state otherwise. One might easily conclude that Mr. Trump’s actions toward Mr. Obama were not only born of racism but of jealously as well. After all, black men are not supposed to be superior to white men in any fashion, especially intellectually. This trope was and is no doubt a “dog-whistle” to many in the white community, whether male or female. Mr. Trump seized upon the opportunity to reel in would-be white supremacists, and those whites who began to feel victimized by black and brown people who were receiving benefits that they once owned. Since before and during Reconstruction, black people have been painted as stupid and lazy. It begs the question; how could Barack Hussein Obama have achieved higher academic status than Donald John Trump?

It follows that presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, is also the recipient of Donald Trump’s racist tropes. Noted for his elementary school child-like name-calling, he has called Ms. Harris “stupid,” has questioned whether she is black as if he did not know that she is of both black and Indian heritage; and like many bi-racial individuals she can identify however she wants. Has he not heard of two children born of a mixed-race marriage who often chose one or the other parent to identify with, perhaps to acknowledge the presence of both parents? Donald Trump’s negative swipes at Vice President Harris are not only born of racism but like his former negative swipes at President Barack Obama, I argue they are also born of jealousy as he knows Ms. Harris is more qualified for the presidency than he is, as she is the one with well substantiated government experience and he on the other hand pales in comparison to both her experience and smarts in several areas of government. What is this racism all about? Author and journalist Roland S. Martin in his book White Fear: How The Browning of America Is Making White Folks Lose Their Minds, makes his very clear point in “Chapter Two’ pages fifteen through sixteen. One need not read the entire book, unless one wants to, to get the idea of “white fear,” and the notion that the white population may become a minority rather than remain in the status-quo position of the majority. Consider how the immigration “problem” plays into this notion as well. The Latinx population in the United States is growing at a very fast rate. Disguised as the “immigration problem,” this is Trump’s way of saying let us put a stop to the “browning” of America. This is what he has espoused; and yet it causes one to wonder why he thwarted a bi-partisan possible solution to the “immigration problem.”

Another question that must be asked is how does misogyny fit into this presidential race? Many men cannot stomach the fact that a female could possibly hold the highest position in the land. I have heard at least two disturbing utterances, one from a family member who said Tim Walz should run for president and Kamala Harris should be his vice president. Also, in a social media report, a Trump supporter in a paraphrased statement said the world was a better place when women could not vote. I also contend that many men can identify with Trump’s claim of being able to grab women by their genitals as possibly wishful thinking on their part. Some of these same men are less likely to be concerned with rape. If my memory serves me correctly Mr. Trump’s first wife accused him of raping her. In a biography written by Harry Hurt III about Donald Trump, Mr. Hurt apparently claimed access to Ivana Trump’s divorce deposition where she described the circumstances under which this rape occurred. An article written by Jane Mayer in the October 17, 2016 issue of the New Yorker goes into more detail. Many men believe that their wives cannot claim rape just because they are their wives. These men do not adhere to “no” means “no,” but may look on their wives as property that they can do whatever they want to do in this possessive act of non -respect and possible cruelty. Speaking of wives, I would be remiss if I did not include the notion of cheating.  My guess is many men can also relate to Mr. Trump on this level, as it is common knowledge that Mr. Trump cheated on his first wife, possibly on his second wife (or possibly when she was his girlfriend), and allegedly on his third wife, which he still denies although found guilty of disguised criminal acts by a jury of his peers in a court of law which still pointed to cheating on his third wife. Women may grab their pearls at Mr. Trump’s “misdeeds” but far too many men, unfortunately, can relate and therefore are not bothered by this misogyny. They may not only relate to Donald Trump, but may indeed admire him or look up to him. To further make my point about this disguised misogyny and/or and lack of respect for women I, unfortunately, can attest to two members of my own family, who urged their wives to keep their opinions to themselves when in public. In short, one practically said to his wife, “stop talking” in my presence. I was appalled and never would have obeyed his command.” Finally, with respect to those who cannot vote for a woman president, a former pastor in my family church was known to have said to the husband of a well-established female member of his church, who wished to voice her opinion about how monies were being spent in the church, in my paraphrased statement said, sit your wife down. It leaves me wondering how many men and young males cannot vote for Ms. Harris not because they do not know enough about her policies but cannot vote for Ms. Harris because she is a woman…minds made up before the debate.

And, yes, there are blacks for Trump and other minorities for Trump. Unfortunately, there will always be those who are either self-hating, choose to identify with the white majority, or have been brain-washed into thinking white is better. Proud Boys Leader, of Cuban heritage, and obviously brown-skinned not white-skinned as many Cubans are, is presently serving jail time for storming the Capitol on January 6, 2022 in support of Trump’s claim that the “election was stolen”. Does he or did he believe Trump because of his whiteness or because of his misogynistic actions or both? Did he prefer to identify with the white men as their designated leader? Unless he tells us, we will never know. At present, we do know Enrique Tarrio is paying the price, and he is just one person who is not obviously white, but who may put whites on a pedestal in his wannabe-white quest.

As for Donald Trump, yes, he is white, but most importantly, he is a felon and has no moral compass. Who steals from their own charity? To be sure, Trump was ordered to pay a fine of two million dollars for misusing his own charitable foundation funds for both his political and business uses. Moreover, who establishes a so-called university, non-accredited and for-profit, encourages students to sign up for the promises of teaching good business practices which would also include superior real estate and entrepreneurial advice, and then gives them certificates not worth the paper they were written on after teaching them nothing? Luckily, the students in a class-action suit, “got a clue” and ended up suing him. These student-victims were able to win back eighty to ninety percent of the huge amounts of money they spent on these fake and fraudulent “courses,” These facts were reported in several news outlets including The New Yorker, CNN, NBC, ABC, and NPR.

Yes, I have taken some details from previously noted Michael Eric Dyson’s 2016 article; Roland S. Martin’s book, and many other resources; however, I cannot end my thoughts without mentioning a few of the more than fifteen books written about Donald Trump by those who either worked in his administration and had first-hand knowledge of the behind-the-scenes scenarios, or written by those who knew him personally. I have chosen just a few that struck me as extremely telling. Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff, A Warning by Anonymous, Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward, It’s Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America by David Cay Johnston and The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself and His Family also by David Cay Johnston.

For those who say “Do your research,” I have done my research and coupled with my own experiences and thoughts, feel that Donald J. Trump does not deserve another term in the White House, not only because of his lack of compassion even towards those with disabilities, and his lack of respect for those who fought for and/or served our country in other capacities, but also because of his lack of a moral compass and because of his racism and misogyny. So, for those who keep spouting about not knowing enough about Vice President Kamala Harris’ policies, let me just say that I am appalled about your dishonesty. Call it what it is, because if you believe that Trump has “concepts of a plan,” or that he knows nothing about “Project 2025” and these “policies” are sufficient for you, then take a hard look in the mirror and face who you really are and what you really stand for.