Why are Democratic candidates suddenly talking about reparations? Pretty simple. Donald Trump’s making inroads among black voters. They see their most reliable voting bloc starting to defect. To the Republicans. To Trump. Democrats may like denial, but they can read the headlines:

• Historic lows in black unemployment.
• Candace Owens and Blexit.
• The Walk Away movement.
• The president delivering on prison reform.
• Even Kanye West meeting with Trump. 

With economic opportunities improving for black Americans today, Democrats must turn to the past. Think of that friend of Kamala Harris and the Obama’s, Jussie Smollett. He used a noose in his staged hate crime. A noose! No wonder Chicago’s police chief Eddie Johnson rotates between tears and rage. And Chris Rock has lost all respect for Smollett. They are not alone. Ultimately we will discover that Smollett’s motive wasn’t crass financial gain. It was Democrat political panic.

Harris, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren have been loudly sounding the reparations cry. 

You can add Beto O’Rourke to the list. He’s reversed himself on reparations, now saying he would support a bill creating a commission to study reparations. The commission, according to bill sponsor Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee would, “make recommendations concerning any form of apology and compensation to begin the long delayed process of atonement for slavery.”

“Foundational to reparations is the word repair, foundational to repair is the truth,” Beto told Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.

“Truth”? “Long delayed process”? Really?

On Your Knees, Democrats

What makes the Democratic Party’s reparations push so stunningly ironic — if not chutzpah of historic proportions?  If there is one organization that should be on its knees attempting to atone for the sin and legacy of slavery, it’s the Democratic Party. Southern Democrats fought the Civil War to defend the institution. Democrats created the KKK and made it the party’s military wing.

Democrat Woodrow Wilson segregated the Federal government. Democrats pushed Jim Crow laws. The party fought the Civil Rights Act for decades. Democrats created welfare policies that stopped dead the economic gains being made by black families after World War II.

So what can the historic party of racism and segregation do? Try to make everyone look the other way. Ignore the racist behind the curtain. That’s why the Democratic party now calls for reparations. It’s not just politics. Not just pandering. It’s changing the subject.

If there’s a bill for reparations, it should be sent straight to the DNC.

But what about compensation as reparations for slavery? In part two, The Stream looks at just how messy, dangerous, and divisive reparations would be in practice.