Category Archives: 2022 Midterms

Cross Connection Finds Good Trouble

With zero notice, Cross Connection hosted by Tiffany Cross was canceled by MSNBC only days prior to the 2022 midterm election. Speaking out and speaking truth as a Black person is clearly like walking through a mine field in a snow storm. Though I did not watch Cross Connection regularly, I found Tiffany Cross’ commentary to be truthful. In fact, these days I hardly watch MSNBC and not because of any disdain, but rather the constant ugly political news thrust upon us all by white supremacists and right-wing extremists. It was TC (fox) who called Tiffany Cross a racist for rightly exposing him and his right wing bigots, and it seems MSNBC has bought in. Tiffany standardly served truth straight up with no chaser. Here’s another truth, MSNBC is corporate America, and Black women are rarely supported in corporate America. If we don’t stay in our place then…well, Tiffany is proof of retribution.

Isn’t it curious how Black people are always held accountable yet White people like tucker or trump and his minions never seem to be. She spoke too plainly. She exposed too many truths. She made too many White people uncomfortable. Is this her media lynching? Should only White men be allowed to speak so freely and placate an increasingly fragile White America, i.e., Joe Scarborough? MSNBC has made an executive decision and the cable news platform will need to navigate the fallout. This cancelation looks bad, misogynist, and frankly racist, and her callous release has offended many in the Black community. It’s time for Black journalists, pundits and subject matter experts to stop esteeming cable news platforms like MSNBC as a badge of acceptance or bonafides. MSNBC is not that deluxe apartment in the sky.

Tiffany has been silenced on MSNBC, but her voice will be lifted up in many other spaces. She’s more dangerous now than ever before — unbought and unbossed. She’s free. Lemonade baby, lemonade. Maybe she’ll join Roland Martin, and the two can compare notes on how so-called mainstream media handles Black people who won’t bow down. John Lewis encouraged getting into good trouble; I’d say Tiffany Cross has found a measure. Head up Tiffany. Beware Joy Reid. Seasons come and go, but only the steadfast prevail.

Criminal Intent

In these final days of the 2022 Midterm campaigns, the GOP has played its “crime” trump card. It’s a familiar racist trope that has been used for years by Republicans to scare White people into voting for them. Sadly, it works. “Crime” is the age-old euphemism for Black people. After all, it was Lee Atwater who developed the Southern Strategy under Reagan and the Republicans successfully leverage it with regularity. Case in point, George Herbert Walker Bush defeated Mike Dukakis with the infamous Willie Horton ad campaign.

What the GOP won’t tell voters is where the crime is really happening. You guessed it, in red states. In a recent report by Third Way entitled The Red State Murder Problem we find that murder rates are highest in cities run by Republicans. In 2020, eight of the 10 states with the highest murder rates voted for trump. GOP hypocrisy and lies are boundless. In fact, the biggest criminal appears to be trump himself, the titular head of the Republican party, with at least 55 uncharged criminal offenses since 2015.

So, what is the answer? Democrats must fight back with messaging that frames Republicans as the party that is anti law and order to include the fact that most, if not all, of the GOP does not follow or adhere to the U.S. Constitution that they claim to love. It is the GOP that refused to condemn the trump insurrection of January 6th and whitewashed the violence against Capitol Police officers. It is also the GOP that is fomenting The Big Lie. Democrats’ messaging should continue to drive this point while also emphasizing public safety.

November 8th is election day. If we are to preserve the U.S. democracy, get out and vote, and when you do, VOTE BLUE up and down the ballot. Don’t cede the U.S. democracy to a fascist GOP.