Newt Gingrich used his special white-guy insight into the black community and predicted that Donald Trump’s special brand of outreach could mean more votes from African Americans “than any other Republican in modern times.”
Trump wouldn’t need a lot of black votes to beat the other Republicans. Since 2000, the earliest year Gallup tracked the black vote, the highest won by any Republican was George W. Bush, in 2004, with 7%. But even getting to 7% looks difficult for Trump. A recent poll found Trump with a 0% favorability rate among African Americans.
Furthermore, while Trump plans to go through the motions of reaching out to black Americans, it’s really little more than a photo op. A New York Times report found that for his visit to a black church today, the candidate demanded questions in advance and the campaign scripted his answers. In reality, Trump’s so-called outreach to African Americans is much more likely a play for wavering white Republicans.
Of course, Fox host Eric Bolling mentioned none of that last night as he discussed Trump with supporter Newt Gingrich.
But even by Fox standards, Gingrich’s optimism was over the top:
GINGRICH: Donald Trump is the first Republican I can remember who is explicitly saying to the African American community, things can be better, but not with Democrats in charge. If he continues to say it and if he has the courage to go back to places like Chicago and say it, I think he’s gonna get far more votes in the black community than any other Republican in modern times.
Actually, Trump's line is more "Things couldn't be worse" than "Things can be better." But Bolling let that go, too.
Crossposted at Newshounds.us
