Gop needs to meet people where they are

Last Monday morning I received a call early from a respected colleague in politics that presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy wanted to visit the southside of Chicago after watching a viral video of residents upset about the current immigration situation. First thing I thought was “here's a guy who wants to play politics with people's lives”. I agreed to jump on a zoom call and to my delight I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was asked to help secure members for a panel to help describe what life is like here in Cook county and Chicago. The format was to be a town hall fashion where the panel fields questions from the crowd. I was asked to help secure community members and leaders to attend and to have 2 join the panel. Along with a few others, we got to work.

Fast forward to Friday morning and after several meetings, phone calls and discussions the panel was set, and the day had arrived. Here's the thing though, no scripted questions or topics were sent by Vivek and his team. No prep or softball questions were allowed. Real coffee/bar type conversion was to occur, and my curiosity was at an all-time high. The event did not disappoint.

First question was on reparations and Vivek’s anti-stance. He didn’t shy away and change his answers because he was there in person, in fact he gave his answers in the context of his own life (which many politicians do, including yours truly). He disagreed with that young woman but the panelist to his right Tyrone Muhammed did not. He explained why Black Americans are asking for such things, he did not give the standard talking point answer. He stated that training centers had been removed from their communities, so opportunities became less, Drugs filled the void and became the community's economy.

Questions on immigration followed, then affirmative action. The discussion raged as community members and political figures looked on. Some in awe, some in dismay and others with glimmers of hope, that finally people were coming to their neighborhood to talk about what they needed. The GOP has forgotten these people because voter turnout and vote results don’t play well here, Democrats have abused and taken these people for granted coming around only during election season.

Finally, the economy was discussed, here is where we as a party can impact the most. Lack of business opportunities or “fake grants” (impossible to meet the conditions of the grant) can uplift the low-income communities. Investment in training centers like the old Chicago Vocational training facility can be brought back to life. We lack so many tradesmen to do the repairs needed in a region where all 4 seasons can damage your property. This is where the GOP can meet people where they are.

We are the party of the entrepreneur they say, PROVE IT! Let's support orgs that want to provide this to their people, not just the folks who agree with us but ALL GROUPS. Let's show them that we were the party who changed the landscapes of slavery, women's suffrage and that spirit of working together in an AMERICA FIRST FASHION. It won’t be easy, the establishment of both parties will be highly critical, abusive and dismissive. I call on all grassroots to drop the partisan labels and meet these people where they are NOT where we want them to be. This will not only improve their lives but ours as well. Safety is this area’s biggest issue right now but working to get more opportunities and less equity will have a positive effect on safety and spill into education.

Let's use this format of bringing dissenting voices together to find common ground solutions so our fellow Americans can thrive and prosper. I encourage all candidates to have this type of format, take the hard questions and show the fortitude you claim to have in your ads and mailers. I DARE YA (DOUBLE DOG DARE YA)