Giving the Democratic Party some free advice, 67-year-old Fox News host Bill O’Reilly stirred up a hornet’s nest saying progressives are trying to upend our nation’s old white order. “This is about race,” said O’Reilly. “The left sees white privilege in America as an oppressive force that must be done away with. Therefore white working class voter must be marginalized, and what better way to do that that than center the voting power in cities,” trying to help Democrats account for why President-elect Donald Trump steamrolled to victory winning Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. When Democratic nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced April 11, 2015 she would embrace the Obama legacy, it was the beginning of the end to her campaign. What she didn’t get was that vast discontent of independent voters.
O’Reilly’s Dec. 21 commentary stated the obvious, despite the politically correct crowd that can’t fathom that mainstream American society is not dominated by blacks and Latinos. Hillary’s decision to adopt the Obama record was more, as O’Reilly says, about race, since for eight years Obama packed the White House and courts with high numbers of blacks and Hispanics. Following suit, Fox’s main competitor, CNN, did the same, filling talk shows up with more minorities. Under Obama’s two-terms, the mainstream media got used to more blacks and Latinos, culminating with the Democratic National Convention. Hillary sought the elusive Obama coalition built off strong minority consolidation, hoping she could also attract white working class voters. Hillary lost that group when she said March 13 she intended to put coal miners and companies out of business.
Autoworkers and other manufacturers in the Rust Belt, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, heard Hillary’s message loud and clear. Instead of redeeming herself in the Upper Midwest, Hillary focused on sweeping minorities in the big cities and most populated states. “Very few commentators will tell you that the heart of liberalism in America is based on race,” said O’Reilly, referring to Hillary’s attempt during 2016 to monopolize minority voters. When the TV audience was treated to watching the DNC convention in Philadelphia, they saw the stage—and audience—packed with blacks, Latino’s, Muslims, gays, lesbian and the transgender community. O’Reilly sees liberals dominated by race because the Obama administration was all about increasing opportunity for minorities. Trump’s White House, with few exceptions, looks mostly white..
Led to expectations about a changing society, Obama and Hillary’s backers got a rude awakening with Trump winning the White House. When Hillary’s followers realized that things would be different, they protested loudly with activists taking to the streets in big cities around the country. “It permeates almost every issue—that white men have set up a system of oppression and that system must be destroyed,” said O’Relly, mirroring Trump’s voters who feared that if Hillary won the election America would never look the same. Hillary’s disgruntled followers accused Trump of racisms when various white supremacist groups celebrated Trump’s unexpected victory. While O’Reilly sees liberals as seeking to upend white control, the real issues had to do with eight years under Obama, giving minorities preferential treatment, creating the illusion that they replaced white society.
When Obama ran for president in 2008, what appealed to many white voters was his post-partisan, post-racial attitude. Since his famous red-state-blue-state keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004, Obama launched himself to the White House breaking the color barrier. Once Barack was sworn in Jan. 20, 2009, he governed differently, letting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) set his agenda, including imposing Obamacare over strong Republican objections. Once the House and Senate GOP realized Obama broke all his post-partisan promises, his presidency turned into more partisan gridlock. O’Reilly’s comments about liberals pushing racial politics reflects the degree of minority control in the Democratic Party. Voters in battleground states chose to change directions.
After Trump winning the election Nov. 8, voters watched Democrats try to invalidate the election by pressing the Electoral College to change its votes or backing Green Party’s Dr. Jill Steins’ costly recounts. When the Electoral College voted Dec. 19, they handed Trump 304 out-of 306 votes promised. Hillary actually lost five electoral votes leaving her vote total at 227. With Hillary winning the popular vote by 2.8 million, Democrats called to abolish the Electoral College, something as improbable as Stein overturning the election with recounts. Abolishing the Electoral College would give minority-rich urban centers in the Northeast and West Coast dominance in national elections. “The left wants power taken away from the white establishment, and they want a profound change in the way America is run,” said O’Reilly, explaining the racial backlash after Trump’s victory.
