The Changing Political Preferences among Black Voters with Philip Blackett

Can political and personal conversations coexist without conflict? Discover the surprising insights of Philip Blackett, an accomplished author and entrepreneur, on the Communication TwentyFourSeven podcast. Philip’s transformation from liberal to conservative, influenced heavily by his Christian faith, offers a unique perspective on the changing political preferences among Black voters leading up to the 2024 elections. His book, "Disagree Without Disrespect," serves as a guide for those looking to engage in meaningful discussions without sacrificing relationships—a must-listen for anyone navigating today's polarized climate.

As we look into the shifting media landscape, we scrutinize the role of social and mainstream media in shaping public discourse. The democratization of information through social media has not only empowered voices but has also fostered negative behaviors like anonymous trolling and sensationalism. This segment explores how the competitive media environment has eroded public trust and contributed to societal polarization, urging a reevaluation of how we consume and engage with news.

Looking to the future, we discuss the Republican Party's strategy beyond the 2024 elections. With growing support from Black and Hispanic voters, Philip Blackett underscores the importance of focused outreach and developing a pipeline of future leaders. We emphasize the need for a shared set of values and principles that transcend identity politics, aiming to build a diverse coalition united by common beliefs. Tune in for thought-provoking per

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

About five months ago, pew Research released some key facts about Black eligible voters in 2024. The report revealed that in 2020, 92% of single-race Black non-Hispanic voters cast a vote for Democrat Joe Biden, while only 8% backed Republican Donald Trump. Just last month, pew reported that, while Black voters remain overwhelmingly Democratic and support Joe Biden over Donald Trump, biden's advantage is not as wide as it was four years ago. As a matter of fact, gallup recently reported the Democrats are losing ground with Black and Hispanic adults. Of particular note, the Democratic Party's lead over Republicans' and Black Americans' party preferences has shrunk by nearly 20 points over the past three years. This shift in party preference is one reason why I asked Philip Blackett to be my guest on the podcast.

Speaker 1: 0:55

Philip majored in political science and economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and then went on to get his MBA from Harvard Business School, followed by a Master's of Divinity degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He's been featured in Business Insider and Forbes and has written six books. This was a great opportunity to talk with Philip, who happens to be Black, about his Christian faith and how his faith transformed him from a liberal into a conservative, and how that transformation impacted his relationships within the Black community. We also talked about what is needed for the Republican Party to attract more Black voters in 2024 and beyond. It was a great conversation. I hope you keep listening.

Speaker 1: 1:57

Welcome to the Communication 24-7 podcast, where we communicate about how we communicate. I'm your excited about this conversation today because one of the things that I love about being a podcaster it gives me an excuse to have so many interesting people on the show to have engaging and meaningful conversations. Today, my guest is Philip Blackett, and I cannot wait to dive in, get to learn a little bit more about Philip's background, his ideals, his beliefs, some of his experiences that he has had along the way, and I know that you all are also going to enjoy this conversation because it's going to be a meaningful conversation. Philip, welcome to the show.

Speaker 3: 2:49

Thanks so much, Jen. Happy to be here with you.

Speaker 1: 2:52

Well, before we get started, for those who may not be familiar with you, you're an author, an entrepreneur. I know you're a man of faith. You've had such an interesting background and life experience, but do you mind just giving a rundown of who you are and to know a little bit more about you?

Speaker 3: 3:10

Yeah, it's always quite a task to try to condense like almost 40 years of life into like one minute or two, but I'll do my best.

Speaker 3: 3:19

So yeah, so my name is Philip Blackett, born and raised in Memphis, tennessee, so southerner at heart. So I like Chick-fil-A, like barbecue, like sweet tea that's typical things that I like. Went to school in North Carolina, chapel Hill. Worked in Wall Street corporate America beforehand Been an entrepreneur still am. Went to business school at Harvard. Got married the day after graduation to my wife now of eight years. We raised two twin daughters that are now seven years old, which is part of the reason why you see so many gray hairs on my head.

Speaker 1: 3:53

That'll do it.

Speaker 3: 3:55

And outside of that, I went to seminary. I went to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary during the pandemic, while running a business of my own at the time, and now I've authored six books this year. I think I'm good for now as far as writing, so the main focus is spreading a good word about what I wrote to be a positive influence, impact to others. And when I'm not doing that, I'm either helping out small businesses, help grow their businesses with AI or raising my family with my wife. How did I do?

Speaker 1: 4:24

Yeah, I mean, there's just so much that you have been able to accomplish, and I love the comment about where the gray hairs are coming from, because I have two children myself. Well, they're actually adults now my son's 27. My daughter's 26. It is no small task, though, to do everything that you're doing and also raise small kids at the same time. So kudos to you and your wife.

Speaker 1: 4:48

One of the reasons I wanted to have you on this show, of course, it's Communication 24-7, and I was really intrigued by your book Disagree Without Disrespect.

Speaker 1: 4:59

It reminded me of a conversation that I had some time ago with a colleague, and something that she said really stuck with me over time, and she said disagreement does not ruin relationships, but disrespect does, and so when I read the title of your book, it just reminded me of that conversation, and that was one reason why I wanted to have you on the show to just talk with you about the premise behind the book, your inspiration and what your goals are.

Speaker 1: 5:25

You know what you hope to accomplish by writing such a book. And then I also wanted to be able to talk with you about your thoughts on politics. We're in an election year. It's getting closer and closer, and the Republican Party is definitely experiencing its own level of challenges, and so I just wanted to, you know, spend some time talking with you to get your insight on what's happening with internal communication and some changes that I've read about, you know, especially concerning the Black vote, you know increasing numbers going to the Republican Party. So I just I think we're going to have an interesting and engaging and meaningful conversation, and I'm just excited for it. So, to get us started, do you mind just telling us a little bit about your book and what was the reasoning behind writing this book?

Speaker 3: 6:19

Yeah. So first off, your friend's quote. That's definitely a tweetable right there. If I had permission to repurpose that and share that with people, I put the name on there too. That's a quote I wish I knew back when I wrote this book, for sure. Yeah. Because it's very telling. It's not a problem to have a disagreement with somebody, but how you go about it is so important on how that impacts your relationship.

Speaker 3: 6:47

And so the motivation behind the book itself Disagree Without Disrespect how to Respectfully Debate with those who Think, believe and Vote Differently from you actually came out from a family get-together 4th of July last year oh wow. Get together 4th of July last year, oh wow. So you know, I'm here in Boston, I invite my sister's family her husband, my niece and nephew. My mom comes up to see the grandkids and so one day we were sitting in the living room my sister, myself and my mom and so we were talking about something.

Speaker 3: 7:24

Quite frankly, I don't even remember what the topic was, but clearly my sister and I were on opposite ends of the spectrum on that particular issue, and so, as we were starting to dig a little bit deeper, have a discussion about this, my wife not my wife, but my mom jumped in like a referee, except without the zebra shirt on, and essentially like stop everything from taking place. Nope, we're not going to have this. I know we're planning on having fireworks later on tonight, and what I don't want to do is have an early showing of those fireworks here in this living room right now. Right works here in this living room right now Right.

Speaker 3: 8:05

And while I appreciate the intent behind that, as far as her trying to quote unquote keep the peace, especially with family, to getting together that we don't often see every now and then, the impact of it was I felt like it was a lost opportunity. It was a lost opportunity for my sister and I to get to know each other a little bit better. We have a close relationship we're only 22 months apart and this was something for me to be able to share, something that was important to me, that she might not know about, and to have a better idea of what the story behind that is, because I think you know, jen, there's some conversations that are better to be had in person.

Speaker 3: 8:48

Yes absolutely, and so when you have those opportunities to be in person with somebody, certain conversations can be had, as opposed to on the telephone, via text message or social media or even writing on a letterhead, and so I think the challenge that came out of that was essentially okay. This was an opportunity for you to learn more about me. We can't have that here. It's a lost cause or a missed opportunity. And so the thought that came on my mind in reflection was, if that was the case for me wanted to share something that was important for me to share with someone who I care about how many other people are experiencing something similar? Thousands, millions, exactly Whatever the issue may be, whatever the setting family reunion, get together, holidays, you name the event and so I think what came off in my head, Jen, was we've simply just lost the rules of engagement here on how to go about talking to one another with respect on things that might show disagreements or differences of opinion, which, as your friends quote said earlier, that's not what's going to stop a relationship by how you go about it, which, in this day and age, is more on the disrespectful end of the spectrum, where you see a lot of relationships being broken, a lot of people being unfriended, getting the cold shoulder from family and friends, criticized or cursed out on social media for no other reason than just having a difference of opinion on any issue.

Speaker 3: 10:34

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 10:35

You know so, let alone when we were growing up. They say, hey, you don't talk about certain things at the dinner table politics, religion and money. Now, it's like if you have any difference of opinion on any issue, you run the same risk. And it's not so much talking about it that's an issue, it's more so how we engage with it, because when I was growing up, my mom used to work in a courtroom and she would have attorneys come in that would argue one side of the case or another. They would do their job, argue very passionately, sometimes very aggressively, yeah, close and they exited the courtroom.

Speaker 3: 11:23

Most people overlook the fact that those two attorneys those same two attorneys oftentimes shook hands. Yes, they congratulated one another, right, they could be seen eating lunch together maybe that same day, or attending a daughter's soccer game on the weekend, which nowadays people would think like that's absolutely no way in the world that would happen. That's like sleeping with the enemy. Well, disagreements happened back then, and they happened prior to it, but there was just a level of decorum and respect we still had, though, where just because if I disagree with you, as my mom would say, it doesn't mean that I don't love you, right? So it's actually, in a sense, you can have a relationship with somebody, a healthy relationship with people that you don't see eye to eye on, and it's okay. And so that's what I was hoping to bring you know thoughts to paper, a framework together in a book like this to really help people understand that it is possible for you to have a great relationship with people that you care about, even if you don't see eye to eye on every issue.

Speaker 1: 13:09

It's such an important point to continue to emphasize. I worked as a media analyst for some time, and one of the great advantages of being a media analyst is I would have to read the news and rate it for reliability and bias, and then I would have to speak to other analysts from across the political spectrum about whatever it was that we just read, and then we had to reach a consensus on how reliable and how biased we thought it was, and, as you can imagine, sometimes there were some pretty robust conversations that we would get sidetracked and start arguing about the topic. More times than not, though, we would remember look, we're not focusing on the topic right now. We need to reach a consensus on whether or not we think what we just read is accurate. Is it reliable? How biased is it? And the advantage of having conversations like that with people who think differently from you is you don't know where your own blind spots are and, like you said, just because you have a disagreement, it doesn't mean that you don't love the other person or you don't like the other person or that, all of a sudden, there's just no reason for you to hang out. You just can't get along with them.

Speaker 1: 14:32

One thing that I've learned through that experience of being a media analyst is some of the the closest friends that I have now, people who I will call and have conversations with them just to be able to get their point of view on certain things, because I know I'm a conservative, so I know I have my you know opinions about different topics. Sometimes I think you need to check yourself, and that's how a democracy thrives, right? I mean, we depend on people to see things differently so that we can have these conversations, so we avoid things like groupthink. Where do you think this shift truly began for us? Because it does seem like there was a point in time where you could have a disagreement and it was like, okay, well, you think that and I think that, whatever, get over yourself, let's go have a beer and you're right. Now there's been this huge shift. I blame social media for everything, but you know it has to be more than that. What are your thoughts on that? When did that shift start happening?

Speaker 3: 15:43

Well, jen, I think you took the words out of my mouth on that one. I think the first culprit here is social media, because, if you think about it, when we were growing up, you know you only had so many outlets to get your news and information from. Yeah, right, some people had three or four TV channels. If you splurge a little bit, you may have had 50 channels, right. So you're, you got your news from people that really that journalism really meant something to them. Right, and being objective, having a balanced, nuanced view of the world and how you spoke of the news, knowing the responsibility you have to deliver accurate information, but also understanding that the responsibility also comes with you're in a role that you are potentially influencing thousands, if not millions, of people on how they view the world around you. And so you took that seriously enough that, as you were saying before, as a media analyst, you were trying to really take your role seriously because you knew what the possible ramifications and consequences would be if you didn't do your job. Well, right.

Speaker 3: 16:55

Well, you know, when these social media platforms come up now, people have their own voice.

Speaker 3: 17:04

You know people talk about it on the good end.

Speaker 3: 17:06

Yes, there's a democratization of where people can have their platforms, they can say what's on their mind, build their own audiences and that sort. Well, it's a double edged sword, it sure is. You know, be careful what you wish for, because on one end, yes, you absolutely can have that power to share what's on your mind and spread it to an audience and that sort of thing and grow your own show or network. The other part is, you also have a place where people can have what they call Twitter fingers and have a sense where they can comment anonymously and comment is a nice way of saying it. But we take commentary to a whole nother level, a much darker level in terms of criticism, critique, cursing out, calling people outside of their given names and that sort of thing, shaming them, trying to cancel them simply by having a different viewpoint, right, and so it really kind of showed the more sinful side of us as far as human nature and how we can be behind closed doors or behind a screen, a monitor, right.

Speaker 3: 18:16

The other part that I would say is mainstream media has some culpability here too, as a result of social media and these platforms proliferating. Because, if you think about it, if you've gone from three or four news channels CBS, nbc, abc and Fox, for example and you start to add more channels, more places where people can get their news and information, now competition goes high, right? So now the question is yes, it sounds great, more competition. That means better product. It didn't work that way. No, it did. Now it's basically saying, hey, for us to keep those advertising dollars, to keep those sponsorships coming in. We got to fight to get these people to keep reading and listening from us.

Speaker 3: 19:07

So if they're going to other places and they're empowered to come up with their own information, now this starts to be a race to the bottom in terms of integrity and legitimacy of what you call journalism. Now you're looking at it not so much as far as a full-fledged balance story. Now it's being diluted to what's the best headline that can capture people's attention. How salacious can I make it? How scandalous can I make it? What's the thumbnail? How can I come up with a hyper-sexualized image that can get someone to stop what they're doing scrolling and click the button and we get some revenue off of that? And this is where clickbait comes in. Yeah, even if the story itself has nothing to do with the headline or the thumbnail image to begin with, has nothing to do with the headline or the thumbnail image to begin with. Yes.

Speaker 3: 20:01

But his goal was just to get another person to come in so you can provide for your advertisers. Hey, we got this many people coming to our site. This is why we're worth this amount of money to keep us going. And so people take note of that and they start copycatting. Yeah, they start doing the same thing. And now you get to a point where now people are picking up on that. It's like, hey, what I clicked is not the same as what I read. Now there's a degradation of trust. Now it's a sense of saying I don't mess with this news source, I'm going to go elsewhere. And now another way of that is you have some networks that are much more leaning towards one side of the spectrum or another, and it's very overt. It's becoming very obvious that it's more partisan news than anything, and now it's becoming more like propaganda than actual journalism. And so now it's basically educating and influencing people, that sort of skepticism that mistrust this sense that, oh, if you're not one way, you're another, and for that you are demonized.

Speaker 3: 21:13

Yes, you deserve to be slandered. You deserve to get your job taken away from you.

Speaker 3: 21:18

You deserve to be embarrassed publicly. Right, as I mentioned before, news of the past, they had a responsibility, knowing that they had a role that was going to be influential on how other people thought and went about their day. That still applies today, where now, with all these things happening, it is heavily influencing how we interact with one another. Where now it's a oversimplistic, less realistic way of looking at it, where it's like if you're not for this person, this party, these policies, this viewpoint, then automatically I feel empowered to say nope, unfollow. Nope unfriend.

Speaker 3: 22:02

You even have dating apps. Now I've heard that if someone says hey, if you're for this candidate, just go ahead and swipe left.

Speaker 1: 22:10

Yes.

Speaker 3: 22:14

We're not going to even entertain the thought or if any sort of curiosity to learn more about the story behind that person, a word that we were really wary about growing up and we didn't want that word associated with us. It was a P word called prejudice. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 22:35

What I would venture to say is that we're becoming a more prejudice group of people. Yes, we're just off of seeing a headline about somebody, or seeing one's affiliation or a trigger word that's included. We'll make a emotional snap judgment, a neat reaction that will completely discount or dismiss another person or an organization without even really getting to know the person.

Speaker 1: 23:07

Yeah, it's believed to be justified in some way. You know, we have legitimate prejudice happening right now because people will go into these different platforms, these different systems and they're given that option and, oh, this is okay to filter. We're filtering this way and it's natural to have preferences. Especially when you're in the dating world, you are going to naturally have preferences. When you start thinking about someone's opinions or someone's beliefs to just completely based off of, maybe, who they voted for, what a superficial way to begin filtering out who you think would be a good partner for you. You have absolutely no idea about anything else about that person.

Speaker 1: 24:20

No-transcript in division. Right, there's a lot of money to be made in division and emotional appeal and to the fear appeals, all of the above, the type of language that journalists choose to use or editors choose to use in the headlines. It's all about getting the click, getting the attention, getting those ad dollars. You know all of the above and at the end of the day, as consumers, as communication consumers, we're forgetting that we are the product at the end of the day. So it's having a profound impact on what we believe, what we choose to say, who we choose to hang out with, who we choose to talk to all of those things. It's having such a profound impact, and I know you have experienced this on a personal level, cause one of the things that I I did read when I was going through your background is that you were not always conservative. Right, you had a change. I think I read that your Christian faith had helped you transform in some way, and so can you tell me a little bit about that transformation, and how did that impact your experience with others and your conversations and their willingness to accept a different belief system or accept, you know, different ideals?

Speaker 1: 25:48

Coming from you, someone that they've seen go through this change, have you ever felt the social ultimatum of choosing between your God and your race? Are you struggling to reconcile your Christian beliefs with the prevailing social and political ideologies in your community? In Philip Blackett's book titled Jesus Over Black how my Faith Transformed Me Into A Conservative Within the Black Community, philip addresses the core problem that many Christians face the conflict of identity within the black community. His book shows you how to navigate the challenges of reconciling your Christian faith with prevalent social and political ideologies without compromising your beliefs and biblical worldview. This book is perfect for individuals within the African-American community who are grappling with their Christian faith and how it intersects with the expectations of their cultural and political environments. If you feel isolated or conflicted due to your traditional or conservative values and are looking for validation and a path forward that aligns with your faith, this book is for you. Get your copy today at communication247.com. Forward slash podcast. That's wwwcommunication247.com. Forward slash podcast. That's wwwcommunication247.com.

Speaker 3: 27:03

Forward slash podcast yeah, so this is definitely a reference to another book of mine, yeah, um which you know. I've written six books, jen, but if you were to ask me to rank them in terms of which ones have like the most personal significance to me, disagree without disrespect is definitely up the top, but right there with it, I would say, like one and one A is Jesus over black. Ok.

Speaker 3: 27:34

OK how my faith transformed me from a liberal to a conservative within the Black community. And so when I was growing up in the South, my family, we were Black. We were also Democrats.

Speaker 1: 27:52

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 27:53

And that was just the rule of thumb for me growing up. It was almost to the sense, like you didn't really question it, even though I will credit my mom for me opening up, where she would say hey, philip, even if you're a Democrat, you ought to see and expose yourself to what's being said on the other side. If for no other reason, it's either going to help you further fortify what you believe in, like you get greater conviction because you know what people on the other side think, or at the very least, just understanding where someone else is coming from, so you have a more fruitful conversation or debate. That's right.

Speaker 3: 28:34

And so I think for me, like I was a Democrat, for example, you know, even though I wasn't voting, you know growing up but then when I went to college and I was able to vote, you know, the first election I was able to participate in it was 2004. That was Democrat as far as the vote for me, 2008. I didn't care what anyone said at that point, with me being 22, 23 at the time, the opportunity was just so great to be a part of, to elect the first African-American president of the United States, so I was not really seeing anything but that, and that led me to vote Democrat there. And then the next election, 2012,. There was nothing that I could listen to or hear, otherwise that would stop me from reelecting the first African-American president of the United States. So I voted Democrat there too.

Speaker 3: 29:32

But 2016 was different. 2016 was different because now the whole honeymoon stage of oh my gosh, we made history. That's now coming on 2016. I'm now in my 30s, not my 20s, you're like more of an adult and I did something foreign, dare I say, radical or controversial at that time in 2016. I actually read someone else's party platform.

Speaker 1: 30:08

And you'd never done that before.

Speaker 3: 30:10

Never done it before.

Speaker 1: 30:11

Okay. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 30:12

I had Democratic Party platform read through that. I read the Republican Party platform. Read through that. I read the Republican Party platform. Read through that. What I recognize after doing that exercise, I think I'm more of a Republican than I am a Democrat.

Speaker 1: 30:30

So let me hit the pause button here. I want to ask you when that hit you, after you read that and that hit you, what was your initial reaction? Were you in? Were you in disbelief? Were you like okay, wait a minute, let me think this through. Like this surely?

Speaker 3: 30:54

this can't be, or were you more open? So there definitely was an oh snap moment. Yeah, I don't know how this is going to go along. My friends and family, I don't know how this is going to go along my friends and family? The other part was look, I was a political science and economics double major in college, so I live like politics. As far as, like you know, my goal or my dream at the time when I was in college was like I would love to be a political analyst for CNN. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 31:16

Yeah, would love to. I have different thoughts now. That's a whole nother story.

Speaker 3: 31:22

But the other part that came off, jen on this one, was curiosity as far as why, why was there a switch? I didn't actually vote Republican that year because I guess there was such a such an onslaught of disbelief and, dare I say, hate thrown at trump that I felt like, oh my gosh, like timid philip, I can't vote trump but I'm definitely not a hillary fan, so I went the third party route. I went libertarian because I was like that's a compromise. I did too, I yeah I did the same thing.

Speaker 3: 31:59

There I go, gary john. There we go. Yeah, caught a little flack for that because people were just dismissing. Oh that doesn't matter, you just wasted a vote. I said, ok, all right, I'll keep that in mind for 2020. Right, right.

Speaker 3: 32:12

But to get to your point in your question, jen, I think a lot of it was asking myself those questions what was different, what was missing from one platform versus the other?

Speaker 3: 32:23

Me trying to go off just off the merits of it, not being persuaded by personality or peer pressure.

Speaker 3: 32:31

I was trying to go off of more on principles and worldview and at that time, for me, I had been a growing man of faith through college and as I was learning more and more and it accentuated even more when I got to seminary in 2020, that I realized that.

Speaker 3: 32:53

Okay for me to believe, for example, that the word of God, the Bible, the book that I've been reading ever since I was young, passed on from my mother, from my grandparents especially my grandparents, a Sunday school teacher from my grandmother, a deacon at the church, my grandfather book that's transferred generation after generation, for me to believe that what is said in that book is true, for me to believe that what is said in that book is the standard of right and wrong and that it's the word of God, as far as God writing of what we should go about and if we want to flourish as humans, as his creation.

Speaker 3: 33:34

For me to believe that, that it's inerrant if we want to flourish as humans, as his creation. For me to believe that that it's inerrant, infallible, without error, that is different from what a lot of people think and that, in and of itself, just that belief would make me conservative. That would make me conservative even within the Black community, of which a great portion of the Black community go to church and are Christians a great portion of the Black community go to church and are Christians.

Speaker 3: 34:00

Because if I just take that belief and I applied it to some of the issues of today and I say what does God have to say about this? What is written in the Bible about this issue, then that will put me at odds with a lot of Democrat policies. So the question would then be which one rules the day for you, philip? Are you more Democrat than Christian, or are you more Christian than Democrat? And I can apply the same thing for Republican too. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 34:31

Because the essence of the book Jesus over black is saying that there should be no higher identity factor as far as who I am outside of being a follower of Jesus Christ.

Speaker 1: 34:42

Yes.

Speaker 3: 34:43

Yeah, it shouldn't be the most important thing that I'm Black. It shouldn't be the most important thing I'm at one political party or another.

Speaker 3: 34:51

It shouldn't be more important that I'm from this country of origin or another. It shouldn't be me taking identity and the degrees I have. It should be Jesus over everything. And so if I were to love God and to love his commandments and to love Jesus and love and value what he teaches and apply that, then I recognize the Democratic Party for a good portion of time, is a lot more liberal and has a lot more left leaning than it was 30 years ago.

Speaker 1: 35:22

Yes, yeah.

Speaker 3: 35:23

Yeah, for me, that's something that, just on its merit, not just fill up, waking up one day and say I'm going to redefine myself. It's my rules, my philosophy. No, it's me saying, aligning myself with something that came before me that I believe in is to be true. It would be a misalignment for me to vote against it in these issues. And that's what would say to me. If, for nothing else, yeah, I'm a conservative. Yeah, politically, yes, both parties have their issues. No party is perfect, because last time I thought, last time I remember Jesus isn't on the ballot this year. Right, there isn't a Christian party. So you're going to have to decide among parties that may have elements you like and elements you don't like.

Speaker 3: 36:14

But, yeah, if it came down to a Democrat or Republican based off where I'm coming from, based on principles and worldview rather than personality and peer pressure, yeah, I check the box for conservative and yeah, I check the box also for Republican. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 1: 36:32

How did your friends and family react? Like did you? How did you go about talking with them about this change, and were you met with resistance? Were you met with disbelief?

Speaker 3: 36:48

I think the box all of the above would be sufficient. Yeah, yeah. I think part of it too is just the thought that it's scary sometimes to go out on the open. Sometimes being the minority of one can be a scary place to be, and especially when it's around people you care about. That care about you, that you gain some sort of sense of community. A lot of people don't want to be ostracized from it.

Speaker 1: 37:20

Right.

Speaker 3: 37:21

But at the same time, I would say, part of the flip side of it is saying well, as we talked about before when I talked about Disagree Without Disrespect, how that book came about. If I don't become myself in a world where everyone else is preaching, do what's right for you, do, do you do what you love, be you, be authentic, okay. If I'm not being able to be myself and be honest with people, then what purpose am I serving? Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3: 37:51

So I think at some point you say to yourself listen, I recognize some people will not see me the same way.

Speaker 3: 37:58

I recognize some people may, in this day and age, unfriend me, unfollow me and that sort. Clearly their level of respect and love for me was conditional on that matter, that I agree with them on everything. But what also opens up too, is there's a whole nother group of people that I might not have come across, that can be a part of my community, based off of not believing what is true to me out of fear what others may think. But the flip side is, by believing what you believe is to be true, you can come across to other people that believe the same thing, that say, hey, you're welcome here, we appreciate you, let's talk it out. And even then, in that group of people you may not agree on everything, but at least there you're much more at ease with people that aren't going off of skin color, whether or not they affiliate with you. It's more so. We have a common set of beliefs and principles and worldview that goes beyond the color of your skin.

Speaker 3: 39:06

It goes beyond where were you born. It goes beyond whether rich or poor and, quite honestly, I think that's the type of community I would thrive in and I would very much appreciate, and that's what has me in it today.

Speaker 1: 39:21

Yeah, I know, as a, as a woman who is a conservative, a similar experience in that, you know, and I've been in the higher education realm for some time and so I've even had students we've had these conversations in class, you know, oh, you're a woman and you teach college and you know they go through this checkbox. They're like you must be a Democrat, and they're surprised when they find out I'm a conservative and it is. It can be a little scary stepping out there because of all of the preconceived notions that people will have about you just based off of that label alone, you know, and and of course, they will tend to go to the negative route. One of the things that I've learned, though I've I've been a registered Republican since I can remember, you know, my entire adult life, and that doesn't mean that I have agreed with everything that has, you know, come out of the Republican Party, the GOP has pissed me off right.

Speaker 1: 40:27

The GOP has pissed me off plenty of times over the years, and so it doesn't rule how I cast my vote. I do look at the policy of the politician and whoever aligns with me most closely that's going to be who gets my vote. But one of the things that I've learned over the years and oftentimes being one of the unusual voices at the table, I guess I'll say is that it's important to have that voice at the table and I've learned to embrace that, and it's opened up a lot of opportunities for me to be able to say okay, while I don't represent every female Republican who exists, I can at least give you my perception of you, know my beliefs and how I understand our policies and how they speak to me. At least that is a voice that has not always been represented, you know, at the table and it's so important to be willing to do that, and I like that. You have had this experience that it's really opened up a community for you of people that you can have these conversations with and talk about really important topics in depth. You know important topics and how they're impacting our world, our society. You know us as individuals today.

Speaker 1: 41:51

One of the things that I read not too long ago. Let me pull it up. It up and I'm interested in hearing your take on this. It was from Gallup, and back in February Gallup had printed an article Democrats Lose Ground with Black and Hispanic Adults. And.

Speaker 1: 42:09

I'm sure you've probably been watching this closely how the voting block is shifting slightly and, it said, the Democratic Party is widely over Republicans and Black Americans. Party preferences has shrunk by nearly 20 points over the past three years. What do you think is going on there? Because it seems like you approach this from a faith perspective. You know, in hearing your story about developing your relationship with Jesus and in making sure that whatever you are looking at is going to have to align with your Christian beliefs, those values, and I do know that there is a significant portion of the Black community who have a very strong faith.

Speaker 1: 43:00

Do you think that there's something similar happening in this shift that has happened over the past few years? Or what are you witnessing in the conversations you're having? Are you tired of engaging in debates that quickly escalate into personal attacks and animosity? Do you long for a world where diverse thoughts are respected and celebrated, even in the face of strong disagreements? Have you ever wondered how to have a respectful and productive conversation on complex and sensitive topics such as politics, religion or social issues, without causing offense or damaging relationships with your friends and family? Disagree Without Disrespect. How to Respectfully Debate with those who Think, believe and Vote Differently from you by Philip Blackett is a powerful guidebook that empowers readers like you to engage in thoughtful and respectful debate, even in the midst of polarizing conversations. Get your copy of Disagree Without Disrespect today at communication247.com. Forward slash podcast. That's wwwcommunication247.com. Forward slash podcast.

Speaker 3: 44:13

So one of the things that comes off my mind is a 2024 Democrat is very, very different than a 1994 Democrat. Yes. Right. Our current president was Democrat those same periods.

Speaker 1: 44:32

Right.

Speaker 3: 44:32

And I could use him as an example to say, hey, his views have drastically changed over the course of 30 years Right, and I use that as an example to say listen, over time, there's something about the word conservative that we're missing in this definition, whereas you are preserving something of tradition over time, and so people can be resolute on what they believe is the right way to go, whether it's 1994 or 2024. You have a party that is becoming more and more left, more and more liberal, that is starting to have people say, hey, I was there for you on this issue, but now you're starting to stretch it, when you're now pushing even further left and you're basically having a vicious cycle happening where even the president is held hostage in my belief to it that you have to go down this route, that the party is going on, or else you're not going to get the type of support you need to stay in power.

Speaker 1: 45:37

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 45:38

Right, and so if that's the case, you want to stay in power, then that means you have to abide by the demands of the party. I think what you're starting to see, though, with regards to blacks and Hispanics, but even more so with blacks, is and in particular, black men I'm starting to see too is that OK? What I grew up on is not being reflective in this new party. Yeah, and so now it's putting me in a position where I'm having to choose. Where is my alignment on? And so when there's certain issues that say, hey, back then I wasn't for now, now you're trying to press that I should be this and that should be the case, you're going to have to make a decision, and you're having a lot of people saying, hey, like you've gone too far for me, this is, I'm not in alignment with that. You also have people saying, listen, I'm also coming across as a black man that this party is using the word race a whole lot. Ok.

Speaker 3: 46:42

And so, from a perspective of saying, listen, when you're using that word so much as a means to victimize certain people, particularly people that look like me, to say that we are victims, we can't get past a certain situation, we can't be on the other side. All the issue here is dealing with racism. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 47:07

I think a lot of what we're seeing, too, is that's further dividing the country.

Speaker 3: 47:12

Right, it might mean well, but it's actually doing more division, where we're trying to get a point where we can be judged by the content of our character not, oh, he's a Black man, he's a Democrat. I think a lot of people are also saying to themselves hey, my colors shouldn't predicate who I vote for. And I resist that, to begin with, because I don't want people thinking that they can take me for granted or dismiss or discount what I have to say just because I look a certain way. Because, once again, here comes that P word prejudice. And so I think, at that point, when people are starting to see that, and then even more so, what I argue is, when you look at policies and platforms apples to apples, this versus that right, just like what I did in 2016. You're having more people look at that and saying themselves, even taking faith out the picture, jen, just off the merits of the platforms. You're having a lot of people come to realization and saying, hey, these policies seem like they will benefit me and my family better than the opposite party.

Speaker 3: 48:20

And so now I'm just going off of just strictly which one works better.

Speaker 3: 48:25

You can't throw insults at it, you can't cry out race on this one. It's just based off okay, these are the policies of this party. These are the policies of this party which one proves out better for me and my family Right, as it should be, and people of different colors, but in particular Black. More of them are saying I see the results of both of these policies. The ones coming from Republican side are coming up with the type of results that I want. The ones coming from.

Speaker 3: 48:57

Republican side are coming up with the type of results that I want Like. I'm seeing what it's like with Republican controlled or governed cities and states and how that compares with Democrat governed cities and states when it comes to crime, immigration, education, the economy, inflation, a number of different issues, and you're being able to look at both of them, a versus B, and you're saying one's clearly better.

Speaker 1: 49:25

Right.

Speaker 3: 49:26

So, if nothing else, you're having a lot of people awaken to say, hey, let's just review both of them and see which one best meets out, and a lot of people are saying the Republican side is better.

Speaker 1: 49:37

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 49:38

I'm going to go with that.

Speaker 1: 49:40

Yeah, instead of focusing on the individual who may be running for office and the shortcomings and the character flaws that's an abyss that just will never end. And I don't care whose side you're on, I don't care, pick a name, pick any politician's name you start focusing on character flaws or they said this or they did that. That is never ending. But if what you're doing is focusing on the policy, then that is something concrete. That is something that you absolutely, apples to apples, can compare, and I'm so glad that you said that there's a lot of yeah, I'm a big proponent of media literacy. There's a lot of media literacy in that statement. Actually read through it, compare it, ask the tough questions and see where you come out at the end.

Speaker 1: 50:30

That's really what I hope that we all do. What advice would you give to the Republican Party? You know, as I'm sure, the ones who are in control right now the campaign strategists. You know everybody's getting together in their small rooms looking at statistics like the one that I just read. What kind of conversation should they be having? What should they be doing to try to continue this trajectory of growing the Black vote within the Republican Party?

Speaker 3: 51:05

You know what, jen? I've been wanting someone to ask me that question for so long, quite honestly, as a Black man, as a registered Republican, as a conservative. Yeah, I wish, because I feel like the party is not asking those questions. Yeah. I think that I would respond to. It is listen One. The Republican Party could go and last beyond 2024.

Speaker 1: 51:33

Yes, yes.

Speaker 3: 51:35

Meaning this is likely the last time we're going to see Trump and Biden in an election. This is it, 2028, you're going to have two different people, more than likely Vastly different, yeah, so what are we doing to prepare not just for November 2024, but we're preparing for 2026, 2028 and ongoing? I don't feel like we have a strategy. I think we're putting all our ducks in one bucket, our chips all on one candidate, and nothing else that we're overlooking. What's the long-term strategy here? For example, like you're talking about before, jen, as far as, like, more black and Hispanic voters are coming to a Republican party, there ought to be a task force or a group of people with the specific focus on meeting with those people. Understanding why are you moving from one side to the other? What will it take? Like actually doing like focus group, customer research type of stuff?

Speaker 1: 52:43

Like going back old school.

Speaker 3: 52:45

Right, like put everyone in a room and ask them questions to better understand. Like what will it? Why did you go to the Republican side? Did it? Did it hurt when you left? Like the questions you're asking? Did it hurt when you left people from family? You're asking, did it hurt when you left people from family and friends that thought of you otherwise for voting this side? What's keeping you here? What are important policies for you going forward? What would you like to see? Because I think what's going on there Jen is once again we're being so short-term minded. Yes.

Speaker 3: 53:16

Trump is not going to be the candidate 2026, 2028 going forward, you're going to have somebody else. If you don't capitalize on this time where you're having the biggest influx of black and Hispanic people going to the Republican Party from the Democrat Party, shame on you, yeah, mm. Hmm, shame on you, yeah, because the other thing I think of, too, what I would use as a recommendation, is I do not see a effort to develop a pipeline of the next generation of Republicans to come after Trump. Yeah, a lot of the people that we see here, I saw them years ago. The thought that comes to my mind is okay, if you have, let's say, four Black congressmen that are Republican and one senator that's Black, that's a Republican.

Speaker 3: 54:05

Where's the next group coming up, whether state representatives or Republican staff or whatever the case may be, or people that are on the come up up and coming right? Where's the pipeline for women? Where's the pipeline for Hispanics? I'm not seeing that, where people feel encouraged that, okay, they want me involved, they value what I have to say, they're including me in the conversation, they're including me in those rooms, they're asking me those questions I can be a part of not just party and platform and policy, but also strategy and outreach and communication, and I think that if you're that short term minded to focus just on November 5th and just for Trump, you're going to miss out on a significant opportunity that the party is going to need going forward.

Speaker 1: 54:58

I agree.

Speaker 1: 54:59

I think there needs to be a strategic plan, and a part of me wonders if the Republican Party you know we are anti-identity politics, right.

Speaker 1: 55:10

I mean, that's no secret Anything.

Speaker 1: 55:14

Identity politics is just antithetical to what we believe and understand, and I can't help but to wonder if there is something to that, that that belief is so strong and there's a misunderstanding that exactly what you're talking about a pipeline, reaching out, understanding, having those conversations, trying to figure out what is it that we're missing?

Speaker 1: 55:38

What is it that we need to make sure we're including the questions and the topics you know in those types of conversations? That's different from identity politics, and I can't help but to wonder if the old guard, like what you're talking about, there's some people that have been around for a long, long time, if that's not the issue right there, because we're not talking about identity politics, we're not talking about placating, or oh, I'm just going to try to say the right thing, just so I can get your vote. I think if you truly want to be able to bring in different communities who share similar values, similar beliefs and conservatism, then you're going to have to get over the fact that we are going to come from different backgrounds and different experiences and we are going to look different you know, and?

Speaker 1: 56:30

but I don't know, it's just a theory, but I can't help but to wonder if maybe that is a part of the issue, that we're just kind of cutting off our nose despite our face.

Speaker 3: 56:38

I agree, because I think part of it is we talked about this before, jen where it's like if we go off of principles and worldview versus personality and peer pressure, if we congregate among a shared set of beliefs and values and principles, regardless of where we come from and who we look like and what our background is, that, to me, is going to be more representative of what you will want America to look like. Yeah, because that's what it was. In my sense is like, OK, a multicultural melting pot, but we had shared values. Yes, right, I think of that. Similar for the Republican Party.

Speaker 3: 57:21

It's like if you can get past what the other side is doing and just say, hey, these are the things we stand for, and be very clear and very upfront about it, you will inevitably attract people that see the other side as opposite of what they want and they'll be attracted by what you espouse to believe. And if you keep the doors open to all, those people can come in and say, hey, I'm right there with you, I'm right there with you, brother, I'm right there with you, sister. I look different from you, I'm from a different place, a different neighborhood, a different background, but you and I were in agreement with this. I think this is just me. That is what's going to be significant about pulling the party in a better place than it is right now, going forward.

Speaker 1: 58:10

Amen. This has been such a fun conversation for me, Phillip. I hope you've enjoyed it. I know the listeners have enjoyed it. I want to go ahead and start wrapping it up, but before I do, because we've been talking for almost an hour now. It goes by so fast when you're having fun. If anybody is interested in purchasing your books or contacting you, how can they get in touch with you?

Speaker 3: 58:35

Absolutely so. Any of my books, whether it's Disagree Without Disrespect, how to Respectfully Debate with those who Think, Believe and Vote Differently from you, if it's Jesus Over Black, how my Faith Transformed Me from a Liberal to Conservative Within the Black Community, or even some other of my books that deal with Black Conservatism and what the Republican Party can do to bring more black voters in the fold for now and going forward. All those books are available on Amazon, so you can look it up, either via title of the book or just look up my name, Philip Blackett P-H-I-L-I-P-B-L-A-C-K-E-T-T. You can also go to my website at philipblackettcom, and we can also connect on social media. I'm available on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Just look up my name, Philip Blackett. Love to have a conversation with you.

Speaker 1: 59:27

Fantastic, all right. Thanks again so much for being willing to have this conversation with me. I truly enjoyed it and I hope to have you again on the show sometime. I hope you're willing to come back and have some more conversations with me, because I'd love to continue.

Speaker 3: 59:42

I would love to have that too.

Speaker 1: 59:43

Fantastic. All right, everyone. I hope you enjoyed this conversation as well, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day, so y'all take care now. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the podcast, please share it with others, post about it on social media or leave a rating and a review.