BET founder Robert Johnson doled out some election advice after the 2020 race. Well, we still have ballots to count and legal challenges to play out, but he was quite adamant about one thing. If you’re black and thinking about voting for a Democrat in an election…don’t. Johnson was on CNBC last week where he noted that black Americans are getting tired of voting for Democrats en masse and getting nothing in return. It’s a “minimal return” for the show of support cycle after cycle. He was also skeptical of Joe Biden delivering on a better economy for black Americans as well (via CNBC):
“I think Black Americans are getting a little bit tired of delivering huge votes for the Democrats, and seeing minimal return in terms of economic wealth and closing the wealth gap, the job creation and job opportunities,” Johnson, the millionaire entertainment magnate and philanthropist, told CNBC’s Hadley Gamble via video call.
“And Joe Biden was not an inspiring candidate for many Black Americans. And some of them stay at home. Some of them voted for Trump.”
The strong statements come amid a drawn-out 2020 election vote count that’s revealed President Donald Trump and Democratic opponent Joe Biden neck-in-neck in several battleground states. Among the many issues defining the cultural and political fault lines in America leading up to the election has been the topic of racial equality, with movements like Black Lives Matter backed by several Democratic candidates.
But Johnson, who became America’s first Black billionaire in 2000, doubts that Biden and the Democratic Party will deliver when it comes to African Americans’ needs, particularly when it comes to the economy.
“Black people do not embrace Biden as he never articulated a policy that went directly to the concerns of Black Americans,” the businessman said. “I don’t think Biden has that leadership quotient that’s going to allow him to do what is critical to bring the economy back, due to the trade-off between restoring the economy and fighting the pandemic.”
Tough words. Oh, and let’s not forget that President Trump built the best job market for black Americans ever before the coronavirus hit. Maybe we could have prepared better if a certain political party wasn’t obsessed with impeachment for the better part of three years.