Chat Box with David Cruz
Is the Harris Race Gap Real? ; Sen. George Helmy's Agenda
10/25/2024 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Dr. Christina Greer on election analysis; Sen. George Helmy on his agenda in the Senate
David Cruz talks with Fordham Univ. Political Science Prof. Christina Greer about concerns among some Democrats regarding soft support for VP Kamala Harris among Black & Brown men. The author of “Black Ethnics” & co-host of the podcast “In the Thick,” discusses the political landscape with less than two weeks to Election Day. Later, Sen. George Helmy on what a short-term Senator can accomplish.
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Chat Box with David Cruz is a local public television program presented by NJ PBS
Chat Box with David Cruz
Is the Harris Race Gap Real? ; Sen. George Helmy's Agenda
10/25/2024 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
David Cruz talks with Fordham Univ. Political Science Prof. Christina Greer about concerns among some Democrats regarding soft support for VP Kamala Harris among Black & Brown men. The author of “Black Ethnics” & co-host of the podcast “In the Thick,” discusses the political landscape with less than two weeks to Election Day. Later, Sen. George Helmy on what a short-term Senator can accomplish.
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♪ David: Hey, everybody.
Welcome to "Chat Box," I'm David Cruise.
We are days away from the presidential election, which most polling indicates is extremely close, especially in those seven swing states.
Here in blue jersey, the question is how is this Ray still so close after -- race still so close after the pou pourri of Trump?
Christina Greer is a star of print, TV and podcast, here to break down what needs to be broken down, welcome, professor.
Guest: Thank you for the generous introduction.
David: Lots to unpack here.
I feel anxiety.
We keep hearing every day about how this is the most consequential election of our lifetimes?
A, is it?
B, do you feel any of that anxiety?
Guest: It absolutely is one of the most important elections of our lifetime.
We have a particular candidate who says he would like to be a dictator, you have a candidate who says he would like to have German style folks and his cabinet, and we need to believe Donald Trump when he says he would like to take our country back, and for millions of Americans, that would be a dangerous proposition for a man who does not understand the diversity in this country and what is needed to move forward.
Yes, he is a real threat to the future of democracy, especially someone who is only running because he does not want to go to prison potentially.
So, the anxiety, do I wake up to several texts saying, tell me everything is going to be OK?
Do I have to remind people?
Here is what I do when I'm feeling anxiety, get to work.
I'm writing, I'm going on shows, and going on podcasts, talking to my students, trying to convert wishy-washy independents who I happen to know, and I would tell people that if they are feeling anxiety, get to work.
Sure, there are people in your circle who may be on the fence, who may not have a voting plan, who may be in a swing state that needs information about doing more for November 5, and so I think that helps me assuage some of the fear that a lot of folks are feeling right now just because the future of second term of Donald Trump is a really frightening proposition for millions of Americans.
David: On the other hand, we have Kamala Harris.
Lots of buzz after the convention.
I feel a little bit like the drill is -- thrill is gone, that joint narrative after the convention seems to have cooled since, no?
Prof. Greer: the summer was tumultuous and hectic.
We had the disastrous debate in June, than the July surprise of Joe Biden saying he would not run for reelection, and then the collective sigh for a lot of Democrats realizing, OK, so we actually could possibly win.
There was a lot of joy and excitement.
The Tim Walz addition to the ticket.
There was a six-week rollout, a short runway for a new candidate and a new ticket.
Obviously, that inertia has to set in because as Kamala Harris reminded Democratic supporters, the hard work begins, making sure that we can get across the finish line.
So the bloom is somewhat off of the Rose, but I think lots of folks have to remember that this is not just about how you feel, it is really about true policy and what we will experience if Donald Trump is allowed -- I always tell people, the first time was a smashing presidency, and he had good Republicans who put in some stopgaps to make sure he could not be a dictator and use executive orders willy-nilly.
The second time, there is more methodical dismantling of American democracy and he does not have good Republicans surrounding him.
He has the bottom of the barrel folks who would like to take as much as they can away from the American people.
That is a real proposition that he has presented time and time again.
I behoove people to taken very seriously in doing so.
David: Donald Trump is literally the Teflon it would seem.
Is it ever going to be reared again for a presidential candidate to do the kinds of things he -- be weird again for presidential candidate to do the kinds of things he does in front of thousands?
Prof. Greer: I don't know.
At some point, if Kamala Harris is elected, we can correct the course.
Imagine moving forward if a candidate just danced on stage for 30 minutes?
Could you imagine that instead of saying here is plan for low-wage or hourly workers to lift them out of poverty and think about how to increase the minimum wage.
Instead, I will dress up for 15 minutes and do cosplay at a fast food restaurant, handout French fries and leave it at that.
So I'm really hoping that, unfortunately, this is a candidate sector of politics.
I really do want the Republican Party to redirect itself so we can get back to having good faith debates, and a two party system, where we have interesting tell.
Ideas and policy, and we can still come together, and it was not evolved into this divisive guttural politics that we have seen.
Actually, Donald Trump has excavated it since 2016 and beyond.
David: I remember the days when you would get a substitute debate, and people would say that was boring.
Now I feel like we long for those days.
Prof. Greer: I love for precedented times.
David: Exactly.
Meanwhile, an increasing number of analysts are suggesting that Black men are backing Trump in high enough numbers that it could cost Democrats the election, they used to call that blame the Black guy.
You wrote about this.
Prof. Greer: I sure did.
There are substantive critiques that Black people, not just Black men, had with the Democratic Party, but it remains to be seen that Black men are leaving the party in droves.
I don't believe it, and I don't think exit poll data will show that.
Might there be a dip from the 90% of Black men who vote for for the Democratic Party to 80%?
Sure, there is baked in misogyny for all men and women in voting for a woman at the top of the ticket.
Even still, even if Black men do drop in certain percentages, they will still be the second largest voting bloc for the Democratic Party, second to Black women.
If Kamala Harris is not successful, we cannot blame the Black guy, and we cannot blame the Blacks, as Donald Trump likes to say, it is actually the people who consistently vote against their interest are white voters.
We have seen white women consistently vote against their interest, ever since we collected data in 1952, they have only voted for the Democratic Party candidate in the majority two times, 1964 with LBJ, 1996, Bill Clinton, second term.
Never have the noted for the Democratic candidate in the majority, upper Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden.
Hopefully Kamala Harris recognize that they don't have white women built in.
Abortion being on the ballot is very important and consequential, but the scapegoating of Black men has been frustrating as a political scientist because the data is disappointing, no matter how much Barack Obama they say finger wagging to Black men that it is their problem, there might be some slippage but that is an institutional problem.
Some is misogyny, but that is from all men, and we will see it across various demographics, as well.
David: I tried to get to Obama and a second, but you see every day a new Black celebrity or Influencer coming out for Trump.
Don't they represent something?
Prof. Greer: listen, I think there is some appeal that Trump has.
I think we should also look at the types of celebrities coming out for him, these are folks -- it is the low hanging fruit.
David: You made a point about the difference between Black men and Black voters.
Prof. Greer: yes, well, and I think some of the people were coming out for Trump, these are celebrities.
The follow-up question when you ask a lot of the celebrities coming out for Donald Trump, have you ever voted before?
The vast majority have not.
I'm interested in what Black voters are doing, not just Black people at large.
I would like to know what Black voters who have been in the political process, who also have a voting plan, what they are interested in.
Donald Trump is very good at choosing Black people who like his bombastic style, but that does not necessarily represent Black voters.
David: You have Barack Obama, Cory Booker, other Black leaders urging on Black men.
I mean, campaigns, goals, everything.
They must be seeing everything, no?
Prof. Greer: I think they are seeing baked in misogyny across men and it is of concern, but I would like to be clear, if Kamala Harris does not get over the finish line, it will not be because solely of Black men, it will be because of white voters who will vastly vote for the Republican Party.
We have to remember that this is vintage Barack Obama.
He's known to go to Black communities and give the Bill Cosby speech to Black voters several times about what we are not doing, even if the data says that it is not the fault of Black people.
It is white voters.
David: You made the point that I was going to make about Barack Obama sort of taking on the Bill Cosby type role without the other stuff.
How effective is that?
I feel like there could be a lot of pushback to that as there was when Bill Cosby was talking like that.
Prof. Greer: this is the diversity of the Black Lecter, and as I wrote in my piece in "Divers magazinee" we are pushed together.
So Barack Obama was chastising Black men, and making sure they go out and support the Democratic Party at large, and they appreciated that stern talk and they appreciated him being a leader.
And then there was another faction of the Black electorate that feels as though that is a misdirected anger and chastisement that should be going to the white voters that we have not seen Barack Obama have the same smoke for them in the past or present.
David: We keep hearing how this is a turn election and not an election of trying to convince anybody because the other day, you said, listen, if you are undecided still at this point, there is something else wrong with you.
But if this is a turnout election, who was the favorite?
The Democrats have that machine to be able to get out the vote as they need to?
Prof. Greer: yeah, Democrats over time have worked consistently to combat some of the acromion -- to crony and -- Draconian policies over the years, so you see people like Stacey Abrams across several states doing the work like in Arizona and Nevada with various organizations.
I don't think many political scientists would that against me when I say the Democratic Party in Kamala Harris will be victorious with the popular vote, but can we make sure we have turnout in places that will be deciders, like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, where they have had just horrible effects of the two hurricanes, lots of people displaced, making sure voters can turnout, Arizona, Nevada, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin.
Those are the states that will be paid attention to, and even a place like Florida where there has been lots of tumult because of hurricanes and climate change, so this more so looking at swing states, making sure critical Democrats turnout.
David: Are you optimistic or pessimistic?
Prof. Greer: I'm always optimistic because I'm an educator, so I get to spend time with the future of America and our future leaders, senators, governors in my class right now.
I'm like a plant, I lean towards the light.
Also, I've done what I'm supposed to do, so I would encourage people who have anxiety and fear to actually do as much as they can so when November 5 rolls around, they can say they left nothing on the field.
David: Christina Greer, good to meet you and thank you.
Prof. Greer: thank you.
David: Optimism is always good going into an election.
Our next guest is always optimistic, and it has served him well.
You may remember him from roles as state director for Cory Booker, or chief of staff to the governor, or hospital administrator.
His new role is junior senator from New Jersey, and it brings him back to "Chat Box."
Welcome back.
Guest: It is wonderful to be with you again.
David: We have known each other a while.
Your new role became very clear to me recently when members of the Jersey Democratic leadership met Vice President Harris at the airport in Trenton, and he was out the front of the line, if not the senator from New Jersey?
Guest: What a wonderful experience, I've had a great fortune to meet her in the past, and it was nice to see her again.
We got a few minutes to talk about the election and a couple of elections I'm leaning on, and I cannot wait to see her sworn in in January.
David: How different are your days now?
What is the schedule like?
Sen. Helmy: The schedule is packed.
I don't know that it is much different because as you know I've been in government service for over a decade.
One of the reasons, as the governor mentioned in his appointment speech, that he selected me is because of my institutional knowledge, not only of these hallways having served two tours as a junior staffer and a more senior staffer for Senator Booker, but also a chief of staff, so the days are packed.
We are doing constituent meetings all day, advancing the issues that I know from my time in Trenton are deeply important to my neighbors and those across the entire state, and elevating issues that are not getting as much attention.
The uniqueness of having that independence of knowing I'm here for a short time, I'm not running for office, and I get to elevate and choose the issues I would like to be vocal on.
David: This is not unfamiliar work to do for you.
You chose to have staff now a lot more doing the job that probably you used to do.
But, are there things that you are learning now that you were not aware of when you were a near state director?
-- mere state director?
Sen. Helmy: Of course, being the person who gets to negotiate in the room and to have pacified briefings where we are getting deeply versed in issues happening as member of the Foreign Relations Committee, those are wonderful growth opportunities for me.
They have been incredibly demanding intellectually and physically.
As I've said before, I consider myself a super staffer for New Jersey, continuing to operate as a staffer, writing my own speeches and sometimes my own memos.
I love this work.
I love advancing public policy that would change people's lives today for generations to come, and while I would not say much has changed except I have a nicer title but the work remains and our focus on it remains the same.
David: What has been the biggest surprise?
Is there something like where you were like I did not know this was the deal?
Sen. Helmy: I don't know if it is a surprise but it was nice to see it again.
I got to see the collegiality and the deliberative engagement with senators of both parties, and may be being in Trenton and watching that from afar, you know, you figure that maybe is not happening.
What has been most surprising and warming his outreach efforts from Republican members, numbers of conservative views, and their willingness to engage with me on issues important to New Jersey.
I've been fortunate to take almost ready one-on-one meetings, many with Republican leaders, and they've been collegial, and I have been able to advance issues that hopefully as I new Congress convenes, they will continue to be advanced on the floor.
David: That is straight out of the Booker book.
I remember when he first went to the Senate, or Bill Bradley told him to make sure you meet members of the opposition party.
You have picked that one up And it surprises for me to hear you say that things are so collegial because all we here at home and across the country is how this is a do-nothing Congress and they are always fighting and they are ideological.
Are you finding at least in the meetings that you will have it isn't like that?
Sen. Helmy: I think anybody of this size, you are always going to have outliers who come here and their view of getting something done is press releases, twitter, and their outlet of choice, but what I know as a staffer and being in this role, the majority of those are Americans first, partisan second, and they would like to advance something.
I will see if there are deliberate for a reason, they take a long time to get anything done.
And I do feel that the folks who come to work here every day really would like to advance policy on behalf of American people.
David: What are the top issues you are hearing from constituents about?
Sen. Helmy: I've had the great fortune of stepping into a Senator Menendez's committees, and he having been here before was on three of the most important committees in the Senate, banking, Senate financing and correlations committee.
And what we know from our higher education institutions, the delays in FAFSA and the changes and the impact they have had on the financing of those institutions and the finances of low and middle income Jerseyans who rely on that assistance, and we are able to combine them with the relevant department, like the Atlantic City Housing Authority, and the conditions that many of our neighbors are living in, and the facilities provided there, and advancing that in speaking directly with the HUD administrator.
Regardless of who wins the election in November, tax policy will be at the front of the debate at the United States Senate.
I've been able to use the finance committee to solve their importance to middle income families in New Jersey, increasing the child tax credit and the Pell Grant, and coming from a very diverse estate, if not the most in the nation, I've been one of the few senators to talk about the complexity of the issue in the Middle East, and that we must do more and demand more on the humanitarian crisis that is currently in Palestine, Gaza, the West Bank, and the growing crisis in Lebanon.
David: Is there one thing that you would like to do before your term ends?
Sen. Helmy: I'm doing it, frankly.
I would just say that I have exceeded what I thought I would be able to accomplish in the number of months we have had.
First, I take great pride having started my career as a caseworker.
I have my team report on casework numbers every week, all the specific people, everyone asking for help.
Like I have said before, and you have come from a similar neighborhood that I have come from, when that family falls and grandpa cannot get an answer from Social Security, or grandma and grandpa cannot get help from the V.A., that is what they care about, not some bill to put your name on that will be sometime away, they care that they get an empathetic, knowledgeable voice, and we have been delivering that in my office since I've been here.
Yes, I would say that this is about advancing clauses and getting it on other people's agendas with what they understand and with what they care about so that long after I'm gone, somebody will pick it up, whether it is Senator Booker, Congressman Kim, or people from other states, I hope people pick up what I'm talking about.
I've done that already with Republicans on youth mental health, which has been a core issue, number of Republicans have already signed onto bills that I have addressed and help he advanced the issues I've talked about.
David: I know that politics and the elections must be taking up a lot of the time for folks involved in your business.
Speaking of elections, we were just talking to Professor Christina Greer about the suppose it Black male gap.
She says it is overblown, but you have President Obama, Senator Booker out there telling Black men to "man up."
Is there a gap?
Sen. Helmy: I've seen the numbers, and I have read the articles about that.
I was just in Georgia two weeks ago, had the wonderful privilege of spending time with my colleagues Raphael Warnock, praying, at the historic Avenues or Baptist, and we did a few things.
I don't feel it on the ground.
There is great enthusiasm for the vice president, whether it be Black men or women, or their minorities, I was there to talk to students who are focused on Arab-American hate and the war in the Middle East, and there is wild enthusiasm for what the vice president represents, and I'm positive we will see those results with people using their feet on election day.
David: We talked to people leading up to the election, and a lot, more so than the ideological race, this is a race that really is about turnout and giving enthusiasm from your base.
Do Democrats have that?
Sen. Helmy: I think they do.
And I felt it.
Anti-making calls to different states on behalf of colleagues -- and I'm making calls to different states on behalf of colleagues.
We have elections that are close to hold the Senate, so I'm hearing directly from people in the swing states and counties that will decide the election.
I think enthusiasm is on our side.
I think the vice president has presented a message to Americans with a focus on growing the middle asked, investing in new industries -- middle-class, investing new industries, protecting vulnerable communities, and I think the other side has not delivered a message that resonates with core American values.
David: What has the workmanlike in terms of trying to keep this ever so slim Senate majority?
We have got New Jersey senators, not everyone is out, but the majority is at stake right now, no?
Sen. Helmy: The majority is at stake, whether that be a dear friend, incredible leader, incredible guy like Bob Casey, our neighbor Senator, all of these states are going to be close.
They typically are.
I have said this a number of times, the wind is at our back.
The people I'm seen at the rallies and the people and calling, we help drive resources to these states, there is a ton of enthusiasm.
People understand the value of holding the Senate and what it means to driving policy, but also, with the overturning of Roe, but the Senate needs in terms of judicial nominations.
I think people will be focused on the Senate races, as well.
I'm hopeful that Chuck Schumer is our majority leader come January.
David: You seem to like this gig and it seems to suit you well, based on your record so far.
Can you see yourself running for something?
Sen. Helmy: I don't see that now.
Who knows what the future holds.
I don't see that now.
I always say that I would love to do one more stint in public policy, but I've always been a behind the curtain guy.
I like to roll up my sleeves, drive the ball down the field, whether it be a yard or 100.
Just because I believe in what institutions me know what we are able to do for the betterment of society and our neighbors and families, and betterment of generations to come.
I'm hopeful that there will be an opportunity for me to do some real work, but I don't see that in terms of being an elected official.
David: All right, we will mark that right now.
Just in case summary down the line you say, well, I said I was not going to run, but then, you know.
Sen. Helmy: Reserve the right to change my mind, that is where I am.
David: The junior senator representing New Jersey, thank you for coming on with us.
Sen. Helmy: Wonderful to be on.
Thank you.
Take care.
David: That is "Chat Box" for this week.
You can follow me and if you like the content, share it and subscribe to the YouTube channel to see more great work from our journalists.
I'm David Cruz.
For all the crew here, thank you for watching.
We will see you next week.
Announcer: Major funding for "Chat Box with David Cruz" is provided by the members of the New Jersey Education Association, making public schools great for every child.
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