Greene: It’s not what Obama stated to Black males, it’s how he stated it

As an alternative of being indignant at former President Barack Obama for calling out Black males nonetheless on the fence about Kamala Harris, we must be embracing anybody so forcefully decided to maintain Donald Trump out of the White Home once more.

After polls recommended that Harris’ assist is waning amongst Black males, Obama, the nation’s first Black president, hit the marketing campaign path to admonish the disillusioned as solely he might do.

“We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all corners of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,” Obama stated at a marketing campaign occasion in Pittsburgh.

“Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers. So if you don’t mind, just for a second, I’ve got to speak to y’all and say that when you have a choice that is this clean, when on the one hand you have somebody who grew up like you, went to college with you, understands the struggles (and the) pain and joy that comes from those experiences … Part of it makes me think — and I’m speaking to men directly — that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.”

In some barber outlets, that didn’t go over too effectively.

Radio host Charlamagne Tha God stated Obama was “finger waving at Black men” and questioned when white males who don’t assist Harris could be admonished.

Wendell Pierce, a number one African American actor, stated Obama was going about it the mistaken manner.

“Awful message,” Pierce wrote on X. “The party has to stop scapegoating Black men. Black men aren’t the problem.”

Their response to Obama’s remarks have been sturdy and effectively reasoned. However they’re lacking the bigger level.

And so is Obama.

It’s not a lot about what Obama stated as it’s about how he stated it.

Black males are bored with being lectured. They don’t wish to be blamed for one thing else they didn’t do.

It wasn’t their fault that Trump was elected in 2016, the final time a lady was the Democratic nominee. Blame that one on white ladies.

In 2016, when Trump was inconceivably elected president of america, exit polls confirmed that he acquired the vote of 53% of white ladies — although a white girl was working in opposition to him.

How did that work out?

Trump appointed three conservatives to the U.S. Supreme Court docket who overturned the landmark ruling on abortion. Can’t blame that one on the brothers.

Many Black males, and lots of Black ladies for that matter, say they’re bored with being taken as a right by the Democratic occasion. Gone, they are saying, are the times of blind loyalty with no measurable return.

That may virtually make sense every other 12 months.

Right here’s the issue: Obama gave the impression to be suggesting that Black males must be voting for Harris as a result of she is Black. She went to an HBCU. She has all of the sensibilities. She feels our ache. Yada, yada.

That’s the mistaken message.

Black males must be voting for Harris as a result of the opposite candidate is Trump.

NBA legend Magic Johnson stated principally the identical factor that Obama stated about Harris’ assist amongst Black males, and he didn’t get practically as a lot blowback as the previous president.

Why? As a result of Johnson made his argument concerning the different man — with out pointing fingers.

“Our Black men, we gotta get them out to vote,” Johnson stated to a crowd of Harris supporters. “Kamala’s opponent promised a lot of things last time to the Black community that he did not deliver on. We gotta make sure Black men understand that.”

After Pierce’s scapegoating tweet, he stated Obama gave him a name to hash issues out. He stated they’re on the identical web page now.

“It’s just a matter of messaging,” Pierce advised CNN. “The first thing is to approach and engage Black men, accept the challenge, and get out the vote.”