Good Luck on Election Day

The Gantt Report

By Lucius Gantt

Good luck to all of the candidates seeking victories in Tuesday’s elections. Large numbers of African Americans and other persons of color will be hoping to get a new “title”.

Some folk love to be called “Representative, Senator, Commissioner” and they love to wear the little flags or broaches on their lapels.

What candidates should love most is public service. They should run for office to protect and serve the citizens and to defend the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution.

Being an elected official is not about getting a government credit card, getting a plane ticket to Costa Rica, drinking liquor in the sky box at the college football bowl game or viewing the “Hamilton” stage play in New York City.

Good politicians stand up, speak out and fight for equal rights, justice and the righteous way.

Yes, I see how some candidates conclude that they should run for office. Oftentimes, candidates run for office because “their girlfriends told them to” or because some fundraiser promised potential candidates that they would fund their campaigns.

Let’s stop here!

People that contribute, or lie about contributing, to campaigns probably want a vote, a law, a contract or a position in return.

If you can’t look a lobbyist, a special interest group, a corporate official or any other kind of political contributor in their eyes, accept a contribution and still do the right thing and vote the right way, you’ll not only be a bad politician to people that will vote for you, you may also be a traitor to your race!

To most candidates, “white political ice” has always been colder than “Black political ice”. An uneducated, inexperienced pale faced political consultant from a far away city or state is always better than a Black woman or man that provides political advice in your own city, state, district or community.

I know how some political candidates are. That’s why I don’t endorse candidates “willy nilly” or because of skin color in The Gantt Report. TGR readers can come to their own conclusions about who they should vote for.

I just want my people to be able to recognize the political perpetrators, political charlatans and political punks that try to masquerade as God’s gifts to Black voters.

Before I end this opinion column today. Think about how politics work.

People that raise funds or contribute large sums of money give money to people they know, like or those they think they can control.

And, politicians spend political money with people they like or want to like.

When Blacks run for U.S.  Senate or House seats and all of the campaign staff that has any decision making authority are white people, the people that will staff and run the political office won will be white people.

Most Black people know how to cook chicken. Why can’t Black people cook chicken for the campaign party? Black people know how to design and print political signs. Why can’t Blacks print signs? Because unions say politicians must use union printers if they want union money.

You tell me, why can’t Black voters tell candidates, Black and white, to spend money with Blacks if they want Black votes?

There are more Black candidates on earth than there are white candidates but white political professionals are hired in Africa, the Caribbean, in South America and everywhere else because when it comes to politics we refuse to hire our own!

Good luck on Election Day! God bless the political child that can get his own.