Roland Martin: Dems Need to Ask Poor White Voters in MS: 'What the Hell Do You Have to Lose!?'
Roland Martin Says Democrats Need to Ask Poor White Voters in Mississippi: ‘What the Hell Do You Have to Lose!?’
by Aidan McLaughlin | Nov 23rd, 2018, 4:13 pm
Roland Martin appeared on MSNBC Friday with a message to Democrats in Mississippi: ask poor white voters what supporting Republicans has done for them.
The host of Roland Martin Unfiltered was on to discuss the Senate special election runoff in the deep red state between Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy. “Democrats have got to stop being scared of white people in the southern states,” Martin said. “They have to be frank with white people.”
He continued: “Democrats always want to only want to focus on, ‘Well, if we could get some young voters and some progressive voters’ — No, you have to tell broke, white people: ‘You’re broke. And if you guys want to keep voting for your guns, go right ahead, but your health care is jacked up. Your education is jacked up. Your economics are jacked up.’ So, I really hope that Democrats get the message. They have to go into the South and go into these poor areas and not just talk to black voters, but talk frank to white voters and say, ‘Will you vote your economic interest?'”
Martin went on to argue that Espy can win in Mississippi if he gets high African American turnout — but MSNBC host Ali Velshi countered by asking if the Democrat could get enough white votes in the state to claim victory.
“Democrats have to be willing to go into rural Mississippi and literally look white, poor people in the eye and say, ‘Let me ask you a question. How has it been voting for Republicans in this state, how has it actually helped you get out of poverty?’ Answer the question,” Martin said.
“I dare say Democrats should go into Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, go into Louisiana and go into those states and look at broke white folks and say, ‘What are you going to do? You’re still broke, you still have bad education, you still have bad health care. What the hell do you have to lose!?'”
video
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/roland-martin-says-democrats-need-to-ask-poor-white-voters-in-mississippi-what-the-hell-do-you-have-to-lose/
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This statement is assuming that the south has no Democrats at all and someone needs to "go into" the state. 
They are there - see Doug Jones. Certainly Jimmy Carter (and his kin) is still in GA.
Some of this problem may be getting "Democrats", both black AND white, to actually show up to vote. And not just every 4 years or perhaps every 2 years, but EVERY YEAR. And it has to be in a persistent fashion because the lack of turnout meant that the GOP took over the state at every level and then made it more difficult for "Democrats" to vote at all (blacks by suppression and whites by not feeling it was worth it).
However one of the sad phenomena in so-called "red" areas, which is not just something that goes on in the south but nationwide, is that people are often pressured into or even forced to "register GOP" in order to live in their neighborhoods or towns, and so this skews the reality since those (D)s forced to "register" and "talk" GOP, don't bother to vote at all just to keep the peace. We had that going on here in PA in Montgomery County for decades. People who were essentially "liberal" forced to register/vote GOP in order to actually not be harassed and/or to be able to receive essential services (especially in places with volunteer police/fire). Once that mess got blown away, "suddenly" Montgomery County went "purple" and then "blue".
Be like Oprah and Common and Will Ferrell, Mr. Martin. Get your ass down to Mississippi and start knocking on doors. Souls to the polls. Rent buses like Cher. There's two and one-half days until the primary... BE THE CHANGE.
(Yes, I fully realize I'm X telling X what to do... 
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