Yesterday, in Milwaukee, Donald Trump announced a bold plan to win black votes and help blacks help themselves.   Instead of pandering to blacks by promising more government benefits, which has been the policy of Democrats and most Republicans since LBJ, Trump challenged blacks to  analyze that the Democrat policies have done little to help the majority of blacks, especially blacks in the  cities that have been governed by Democrat mayors for years, such as Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, etc.   And Democrat policies at the national level, such as “free” trade and excessive taxes and regulations on business and not enforcing immigration laws, have hurt the economy.  This has resulted in fewer jobs for black as well as whites, especially entry level jobs.

In addition to being the correct economic approach, Trump’s approach is also smart politics.  Trump has to carry the battleground states of Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, in addition to Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina.  To win Pennsylvania, Trump has to win black votes in Philadelphia, to win in Ohio, Trump has to win black votes in Cleveland, and to win in Wisconsin, Trump has to win black votes in Milwaukee. 

Blacks are in the same position as labor unions. Both have supported and voted Democrats for so long that the Democrats’ politicians take their votes for granted and only pay lip service to them.  Part of Reagan’s winning coalition were the “Reagan Democrats” consisting of union members dissatisfied by the economy and weak foreign policy under Jimmy Carter.

Trump is attempting to get “Trump Democrats” by appealing to blacks who suffer from high crime rates and unemployment in the cities.