CNN pundit says ‘white folks’ must be held accountable for not voting for Kamala Harris

During an appearance on “First of All” Saturday with CNN’s Victor Blackwell, Rye discussed backlash triggered by comments made by former President Barack Obama after he scolded black men for not being more supportive of Harris’ campaign.

"This is the first time since he was in Pittsburgh and invoked the potential of sexism in his appeal to black men to support the vice president," Blackwell said in reference to Obama’s appearance in Arizona the day before. "Should there be a course correction because there was so much backlash to that framework? Was it a mistake for the former president to say what he did or to say it publicly?"

Rye pivoted and instead would make “white folks” the focus.

"You know, I think that it’s wonderful that President Obama is out hitting the trail for democracy, frankly. And what I think is a mistake is to let white folks escape the accountability that they must face for not showing up to save democracy themselves," she said.

"They want to get mad at presidential candidates, right, when they don’t wear a flag lapel pin or they don’t see you pledging allegiance to the flag," Rye continued. "That’s what they want to get upset about. Now, the face of patriotism to them looks like trying to tear down the Capitol in a terrorist attack on January 6th, 2021."

"The responsibility of saving democracy should be on the largest demographic in this country. That is white men and white women. I don’t want to see a women’s march with pussy hats come January if something doesn’t go right. What I want to see is for them to march theirselves (sic) to the polls…"

She concluded: "We are doing our part. It’s time for white folks to turn their ire and their attention to each other to ensure they also do their part."

Her comments came after an appearance by Obama in Pittsburgh last week, where he panned black voters for not showing the same amount of enthusiasm as they did for him.

"We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all corners of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,” Obama said.

"Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers. So if you don't mind -- just for a second, I've got to speak to y’all and say that when you have a choice that is this clean: When on the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, went to college with you understands the struggles [and the] pain and joy that comes from those experiences…"

"[P]art of it makes me think, and I’m speaking to men directly… that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that."

A recent poll by the New York Times/Siena College suggested that Harris holds 78 percent of the black vote, which is down from when President Biden garnered around 90 percent of black support. It’s also a drop from when Hillary Clinton won about 92 percent of the black vote. Support for Harris among black men dropped even more significantly, the report suggests, with 70 percent saying they would vote for Harris in November, a dip from Biden’s 85 percent in 2020.