On April 29, 2021, Senator Tim Scott was given the honor by the Republican Party to give the Republican response to President Bidens State of the Union Address. At this moment, Scott had the opportunity to invoke the spirit of legendary black republicans. Senator Scott had the chance to address the systemic racism he had admitted on the senate floor that exists, but somehow in prime time, he could not summon up the internal strength necessary for the moment.
Senator Scott had the opportunity to stand before the nation and express his experience as a black man; instead, he was the puppet. He had the chance to grab leadership, and he had the opportunity to make blacks look seriously at the republican party. Senator Scott had the chance to become a legend, but he couldn’t do it. This failure to present our case once right-wing blacks have standing and power because they are more concerned with a political career is a reason why blacks like Scott are called sellouts.
What Scott and many black republicans do is called racial distancing. It is something white politicians aren't required to do. Unless it's to avoid issues affecting communities of color. Black Democrats have done it too, but we have seen the most effective use of this by leading black "conservative voices.
How politicians practice ‘racial distancing’ with communities of color
They tailor speech to be supportive without alienating white voters, professor says
Many politicians find themselves walking a fine line when it comes to talking about the African American community, LaFleur Stephens-Dougan, Princeton University assistant professor of politics, says. They want to simultaneously voice their support for policies, positions, and attitudes widely held by African American voters without alienating white supporters, a rhetorical strategy she refers to as “racial distancing.”
“the phenomenon whereby politicians convey to racially moderate and to racially conservative whites that they will not disrupt the racial status quo.”
LaFleur Stephens-Dougan, author of “Race to the Bottom: How Racial Appeals Work in American Politics,” offered a view that went beyond the Trump era.
news.harvard.edu
This technique is evidence of how pervasive white racism still is in America. White politicians can run explicitly arguing for the concerns of the white community, but black politicians or politicians of any non white population must shape their rhetoric into more generic terms to insure whites how their concerns are included.
