Commentary
Opinion: Kamala’s Gun and the Men in My Lyft Focus Groups
Kamala Harris started the week with a bang. “I have a Glock, and I’ve had it for some time,” she told Bill Whitaker on the Monday special edition of “60 Minutes.” I mean look at my background in law enforcement.” “Duh,” right? But it’s a point she needed to address. Kamala is a bad ass with a gun.
By Emil Guillermo
Kamala Harris started the week with a bang.
“I have a Glock, and I’ve had it for some time,” she told Bill Whitaker on the Monday special edition of “60 Minutes.” I mean look at my background in law enforcement.”
“Duh,” right? But it’s a point she needed to address. Kamala is a bad ass with a gun.
Trump? He’s the big ass with a bag of burgers.
Voters need to know the things that separate the two candidates. Kamala is law and order. Trump is the lawbreaking felon with 34 convictions.
And that’s how Harris kicked off her media blitz that included “The View,” “Howard Stern,” “Call Me Daddy,” the Colbert late show, then ending up this week in Vegas for good reason.
She needs the guys.
Not the MAGA-prone White guys, but the men of color apparently blindsided by a woman who is simultaneously African American and Asian American, and who is powerful and savvy enough to make history as the 47th president of the United States.
Some Black men and Latinx men I talk to get overly macho when you ask them about voting. They blurt out the name “Trump” as if in self-defense.
So, again, Harris was happy to wave her gun to attract the guys.
“Have you ever fired it?” asked CBS’ Whittaker.
“Yes,” Harris laughed. “Of course, I have — at a shooting range.”
My Lyft Focus Groups
When I visited Nevada recently, the freedom loving women there will have to carry that battleground state.
I talked to Nevadans during my “Lyft ride focus groups,” (the only times I had a real captive audience). One Black male driver was so anti-Harris when I pointed out a previous passenger left a pro-Harris poster, he reached back, grabbed the sign, and ripped it to shreds.
He explained he wasn’t for anyone. He had no time for politics. He was just happy driving his Lyft and being left alone.
In fact, few really wanted to talk about politics. There was a real disenchantment with government and our leaders. They just didn’t want to engage. Not even for a five-star rating.
Most all the drivers were youngish, under 40, and concerned about the economy.
The Latinx drivers were more willing to talk.
“Voting for Trump?” I asked.
“Look at the price of gas, the price of anything,” they said.
I told them inflation is down to 2.5 percent. And that if Trump got in, he’s going to impose tariffs on Chinese goods, that companies will pass on to consumers. Nobel economists say Trump’s economic plan guarantees greater inflation.
No response. The guys were MAGA stuck.
On my last day, I got a driver, a Mexican immigrant named Enrique. To him there was no question. Who was he backing?
“Anyone but Trump,” he said. “I’m voting for her.”
The race is so close, it’s hard to figure what the national polls reflect. Harris is ahead by 2 percentage points, 49-47%, according to the latest Times/Sienna College poll. But that could reflect an abundance of California voters were Harris leads big. Or it could reflect an abundance of Florida voters, were Trump leads bigly. The Electoral College is what counts, and that’s where attracting men of color in swing states could make a real difference.
About the Author
Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. Listen to his micro-talk show on www.patreon.com/emilamok.
Commentary
Opinion: Trump Wants to Take the Constitution, Fold it Up and Make Himself a Crown
On Oct. 14, two people got sick at a Donald Trump Town Hall in Pennsylvania. But Trump seemed indifferent — to either the people who fell ill or the voters in the room. In fact, Trump prompted the DJ to turn up the sound and show off his dance moves. With less than three weeks to go, Trump showed a level of cluelessness and apathy unbefitting of the presidency. How would he act in a crisis?
By Emil Guillermo
On Oct. 14, two people got sick at a Donald Trump Town Hall in Pennsylvania. But Trump seemed indifferent — to either the people who fell ill or the voters in the room.
In fact, Trump prompted the DJ to turn up the sound and show off his dance moves.
With less than three weeks to go, Trump showed a level of cluelessness and apathy unbefitting of the presidency. How would he act in a crisis?
“Hope he’s okay,” Vice President Kamala Harris commented on X.
At a Pennsylvania appearance in Erie, Harris expressed concern for Trump’s overall health, but especially his mental health.
Harris played a clip of recent Trump statements. It was clear from the reel that he man who wants to be president again started talking like the man who wants to be America’s first dictator.
“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within,” Trump said on Fox. “We have some sick people, radical left lunatics, and I think, and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by the National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military.”
Most Asian Americans know of this talk.
Filipinos escaped the Dictator Marcos and started coming to America in the 1970s. They saw what happened when opposition leader Benigno Aquino, exiled to the U.S., returned to Manila, and was gunned down at the airport in 1983.
Asian America is full of those yearning for freedom. Chinese left mainland China to flee persecution. Koreans fled to the U.S. to escape the threat of North Korea. The Vietnamese fled Communism. Since 2000, more than 188,000 Burmese refugees have resettled in the U.S.
And that’s just a partial list.
Trump is showing off his authoritarian desires to take the Constitution, fold it up and make himself a crown.
And his targets are set: Immigrants and the political Left.
HARRIS’ BLACK MALE PROBLEM
While the overwhelming majority of Black, Latino and Asian voters are supporting Harris, the number of Black male supporters for Harris is much less than it’s been in previous years.
In such a close race, that slim margin of Black males for Trump is all it takes to make him the winner.
Former President Obama was trying to get at the reason for Trump’s appeal.
“Part of it makes me think that you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president,” Obama told a small group in swing state Pennsylvania recently, suggesting that men of color have a misogynistic streak.
Some Black critics say Obama was bullying and lecturing men of color, an approach that could backfire.
Maybe the best way to overcome 2024’s intractable male syndrome (be they Black, Latino, or Asian for that matter) is not persuasion.
Simply go around them and register more voters who understand what’s at stake.
We all know enough to vote now. Vote by mail or vote early in person.
In California, time is running out. The deadline to register on-line is Oct. 21.
You can do so by mail if the registration form is postmarked by Monday, October 21, 2024.
And if you miss the deadline, there is redemption for the procrastinators. You can “conditionally” register up to and including on Election Day itself.
You have to show up and vote for America’s sake.
About the Author
Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a micro-talk show on www.patreon.com/emilamok
Activism
OP-ED: Hydrogen’s Promise a Path to Cleaner Air and Jobs for Oakland
For too long, Black, Latino, and lower-income communities, particularly those in industrial truck corridors along West and East Oakland and near busy highways, have been subjected to a disproportionate share of harmful air pollution caused by emissions, especially diesel particulate emissions, from trucks and other sources. A recent study authored by researchers at UC Berkeley and the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment found that disparities are widening between the communities most exposed to harmful pollutants and those most protected from them.
By Rebecca Kaplan,
Vice Mayor of Oakland
As California accelerates its shift to a clean energy future, the debate around how to best reduce emissions often focuses on the merits of one technology over another.
But the truth is, to meet our ambitious climate goals, we need a comprehensive approach—one that includes both electrification and clean hydrogen solutions. We cannot afford to choose one over the other if we want to ensure a cleaner, more equitable future for all.
That’s why I was honored to welcome state and federal leaders to Oakland for the official launch of the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES), a groundbreaking project that marks a turning point for our city and the greater Bay Area.
The event showcased Oakland’s leadership in hydrogen adoption, demonstrating how Oakland is implementing innovative technologies that have practical benefits for our community.
This includes a hydrogen sea ferry that will reduce emissions in our bay, AC Transit hydrogen buses that will improve air quality on our streets, and the NorCAL ZERO First Element Hydrogen Fueling station, the largest in the nation, which will significantly reduce harmful air pollution from our hardest-hit neighborhoods.
Why does this matter for Bay Area residents?
For too long, Black, Latino, and lower-income communities, particularly those in industrial truck corridors along West and East Oakland and near busy highways, have been subjected to a disproportionate share of harmful air pollution caused by emissions, especially diesel particulate emissions, from trucks and other sources.
A recent study authored by researchers at UC Berkeley and the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment found that disparities are widening between the communities most exposed to harmful pollutants and those most protected from them.
Reducing truck emissions is one of the most important steps we can take toward climate and environmental equity in terms of human health impact; it causes asthma, cancer, and even premature birth in these disproportionately impacted communities.
Hydrogen fuel cell technology is a crucial piece of the puzzle in addressing these challenges, offering both environmental and economic advantages that will benefit Oakland and Alameda County for future generations.
Two years ago, I was proud to introduce a resolution asking the state to make the City of Oakland a clean-fuel hydrogen hub for ARCHES, which aims to accelerate the adoption of renewable hydrogen and develop the necessary infrastructure. This initiative is pivotal for several reasons:
- It supports the transition to a zero-carbon economy, aligning with our city and state’s ambitious climate goals.
- It prioritizes environmental and energy justice, addressing the needs of communities like ours that have been disproportionately impacted by pollution.
The focus on equity within ARCHES cannot be overstated. The realization of economic and environmental benefits from hydrogen projects represents a tangible commitment to rectifying historical injustices by addressing environmental disparities rooted in systems of injustice.
With zero-emission trucks and improved air quality, we are taking a significant step toward reversing the health impacts suffered by our communities. Beyond the environmental improvements that our region desperately needs, this initiative is poised to create good-paying jobs and boost our local economy.
For these hydrogen projects to realize their full potential, ongoing support and engagement are crucial. We must continue to advocate for policies that support clean energy, push for further investment in renewable infrastructure, and ensure that the benefits of these advancements reach all corners of our community.
As we look ahead, we must prioritize a California with cleaner air and a more robust economy. The hydrogen revolution is here, and with it, an opportunity to transform the Bay Area for a brighter, healthier, and more equitable future.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of October 16 – 22, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 16 – 22, 2024
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Activism4 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of September 25 – October 1, 2024
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California Black Media3 weeks ago
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Former Mayor Willie L. Brown Endorses Dana Lang for BART Board District 7
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