On Saturday, September 3, 2016 Donald Trump visited a black church! Specifically, Trump spoke to the congregation of Great Faith Ministries, a non-denominational church in Detroit. If you did not get a chance to see it, for your convenience, the video is below.
Trump spoke to the crowd about unity and even cited a verse from the Holy Bible (John 4:12). He also told the crowd that a “civil rights agenda” was needed for our time. Upon conclusion, a prayer shawl was draped over his shoulders and he was given a Jewish Heritage Study Bible that the pastor said was straight from Israel. The reviews from those in attendance were positive with most viewing his efforts as being honest and helping to make him more relatable. However, it was noted that one visit alone may not be enough to change the negative perception that many Blacks have of Donald Trump. Unfortunately, however, where ever Trump goes there are protesters and the church was no different. There were protests outside of the church from people who were staunchly opposed to his visit to the church.
It is the opinion of the Political Great Whine that Trump deserves credit for clearly stepping outside of his comfort zone to speak directly to the black community. It is agreed that it will take more than just that one visit to change at least some minds, but it was a very decent start. As far as being draped with a prayer shawl…I think that was a little over the top and unnecessary. It reminded me of the “cape routine” by the late James Brown where someone would come out and drape a cape over him after he completed a song. Showing appreciation for Trump’s visit is fine, but he is only a candidate for president. Would they give a shawl and bible to Hillary if she visited their church? What about future presidential candidates from any party? The bar is set pretty high.
As to whether Trump genuinely cares about the plight of low-income black neighborhoods, the Political Great Whine is not convinced. It seems like his empathy developed as a result of him running for president. Honestly, he could have done far more for inner city neighborhoods as a businessman than he can as president. Anything ranging from a non-profit after school program to opening a for-profit factory for his clothing line. He is correct that the deplorable condition of inner cities is due to bad Democratic leadership…but it is at the state and local levels. The president cannot dictate orders to a governor on how to run their state unless it is under a state of emergency. So when Trump says he can “fix it” if elected president, it would not be totally within his scope to do so. While he can signal to Congress to authorize increased funding for city improvements, those funds would be disbursed to the states who would then distribute to local jurisdictions. More information about that will be discussed in a later post.
Still, the fact is Mr. Trump went to church and based on the video it seemed like he had a nice time. At the end of the day though what may help improve his standing among all low-income families is being some specific ways he plans to bring jobs back to the cities, improve education, or provide affordable housing. The same is expected of Hillary Clinton. What is your opinion?
Thanks for “listening” to me whine. Hopefully my whining has made you think. If so, tell your friends/family/colleagues that you heard it through the Political Great Whine!
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