When Florida was hit with severe storms and Hurricane Ian in 2022, Vice President Kamala Harris demanded that “communities of color” must be first in line for aid and that assistance should be prioritized “in a way that is about giving resources based on equity.”
She has repeatedly made similar claims, differentiating “equity” from equality, stating that “not everyone starts in the same place.”
Of course, equality, meaning providing fair opportunity for all, is a laudable and very American ideal. But “equity,” meaning enforcing the same outcomes regardless of abilities or work ethic, is a deeply un-American notion. In fact, equity is quite literally Marxist — and has led to misery everywhere in history it becomes a driving societal construct.
As part of Harris’ overall “equity” radicalism, she has also stated repeatedly that she favors race-based reparations for slavery in America and discrimination of decades past. Harris even co-sponsored legislation in the Senate to create a reparations study commission.
But new polling from Michigan reveals just how soundly Americans reject this radical and discriminatory idea. Punishing people for crimes they did not commit, in many cases historical wrongs that occurred long before they were even born, represents a cruel injustice.
In that key battleground state, only 28% of likely voters support reparations, while 60% oppose them with 12% unsure. That poll, which sampled more Democrats than Republicans, was conducted by TIPP for American Greatness. The poll included over 1,000 registered voters in Michigan and 741 likely voters, with a margin of error of +/- 3.7%. Importantly, in this survey the views of those who oppose reparations are far more intense, with 48% strongly opposing vs. only 16% of Michigan voters strongly favoring reparations.
Not surprisingly, among white voters — who would be the ones paying, rather than receiving these “punishment” taxes — only 18% support reparations while 70% oppose them. Similarly, among independent voters in this key swing state, only 19% support reparations while 69% oppose them.
Given how tight the overall presidential contest is in Michigan, this issue could tip the balance for Trump by highlighting just how radical and out-of-step the California candidate is compared to the views of sensible Midwesterners. The topline number for this poll has Harris only up 1% in a multi-candidate field, and up narrowly by +2% in a two-person race.
With such a slight lead, within the margin of error for the poll, an issue as polarizing as reparations could very well flip Michigan back into Trump’s camp and secure an overall Electoral College win.
In terms of messaging on this key issue, Trump and his allies should point out that campaigns of recriminations for historical wrongs only create new discrimination of elevated societal animosity. We only need to observe South Africa today to ascertain this reality.
Do we really want to go down that path of intense, race-based division by telling hard-working Hispanic, Asian and white Americans that they must make payments to their black neighbors for sins they never committed?
As I wrote about previously on Harris’s race-obsession: “Consider, for example, the status of Harris herself on this [reparations] issue. Since she is half Indian and half black, would she receive a half payment? Would she have to pay on her Indian side, collect as half black, so it cancels out to a wash for her? These questions seem ridiculous … because they are! The entire notion of race-based payments and preferences is ridiculous and patently anti-white, Hispanic and Asian.”
So, it is important going into the home stretch for Republicans to highlight the Marxist tenets of “equity,” expose Harris’ extremism on reparations and earn the electoral benefits in the process.
Steve Cortes is former senior advisor to President Donald Trump, former commentator for Fox News and CNN, and president of the League of American Workers, a populist right pro-laborer advocacy group.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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