Nathan Ivey Shares His Experience of the RNC; Where the DNC Missed Their Mark and How Both Parties Need to Appeal to Young Voters

Nathan Ivey, the man with one mic on one mission, gives Hype Magazine his perspective on the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. He also shares his thoughts on how both parties can win younger voters in this November’s presidential election.

Ivey got his start in radio in 2004 while attending the University of Cincinnati. After spending some time doing public radio, he crossed over into commercial radio working at Radio One for the next eleven years. He quickly grew in popularity as he became known for his informative and hold-no-punches rhetoric on politics and culture. His audience enjoys listening to the way he relates popular news to everyday living, while infusing elements of hip hop into what he calls his, “superlative flow.” In February of 2016, Ivey broke into the world of podcasting, where his show has nearly one hundred thousand plays.

When asked about his general take on attending the Republican National Convention for the first time, Ivey professes, “There were a lot of sights and sounds- everything from being at ground zero, Trump is very polarizing and that’s what you got to understand. The reason I wanted to go was to see the protesting that was going on there, and I saw all of it.” He says being able to see people face-to-face with police, waving flags and standing up for their beliefs regardless of party lines, allowed him to see democracy at it’s best – in terms of people exercising their first amendment right to free speech. While he attended various events throughout the convention, he was surprised to mingle with as many young, black republicans as he did. “They were no different, just different ideas in politics that’s all. Now maybe they truly believe their party’s beliefs or they’re using that party name to get ahead, we’ll never know,” he says. They weren’t the only ones he had the chance to bump shoulders with. Ivey also interacted with the likes of television/radio personality Roland Martin and Extra’s AJ Calloway, in addition to media from other countries. When asked if he questioned the international media about their opinions on issues happening in America, he says that the media from other places seemed very objective and only wanted to cover the events, without promoting their agendas. He admits the thing striking him most was, “how little common sense and substance you got from the Republican Convention and then just how little the people who supported Trump challenged him. It was like being on Family Feud and grandma gives the wrong answer but everybody agrees with her because it’s grandma.” He even describes being told to shut his mouth while speaking out on the convention floor. “I told them to take it up with the US constitution if they have a problem with it,” he laughs. Although it was tense at times being on the floor, he refused to allow anyone to run him out, even as he was challenged on his convention credentials. “I wanted to be there for the circus.”

Although he wasn’t physically at the Democratic National Convention, Ivey kept close watch through television and social media outlets, pointing out that there seemed to be a lot of protests against Hillary from Bernie supporters. He believes that when it boils down to it, there are diehard Bernie supporters who won’t vote for Hillary. Some, on the other hand, will ultimately do what’s best to support their party. “My problem with the DNC is that they didn’t talk about the issues enough,” he states. He further explains, “…they showed the Mothers of the Movement (the mothers of slain victims from police brutality), but why weren’t the fathers included. I also want to hear… what are the candidates going to do about criminal justice reform?” He was hoping that the Democrats would offer conversation on issues such as the legalization marijuana and the ongoing war on terrorism, instead of spending the majority of their time taking shots at Trump. Clinton still encounters a lot of mistrust from some due to the email scandal and the resignation of Debbie Schultz. Ivey goes on to explain that during the convention, Democrats steered the public into analyzing Trump’s rhetoric, as opposed to discussing issues. “Where the hell is Puffy at?” Ivey exclaims when asked about the hip hop culture and politics. He adds, “Puffy came out with one of the most important slogans ever – ‘Vote or Die.’ What ever happened to that?” It seems that both parties, especially the democrats, have shied away from utilizing the culture that helped propel Obama to his presidency. He also says the parties are missing out on utilizing the strength and unity of it. He believes that in its entirety, hip hop culture hasn’t pushed politics to the forefront. While there have been artists such as Killer Mike and Talib Kweli that are highly expressive in their opinions on politics, Ivey wonders where are the major campaigns that are geared specifically towards that community. These are all marks he feels that the DNC could have easily taken advantage of but failed to do so.

With millennial turnout in this election projected to be low, the question is what will it take to get them out? Ivey poses that the younger voter needs to feel that policies directly affect them. “It’s going to take local initiatives. It’s going to take people in Cincinnati to talk to millennials in Cincinnati and connect national politics to a local level. It’s got to happen in every city. We can’t just go to young people and say, “You’ve got to vote.” He continues on to say that trying to make newer voters feel as though they are in debt to vote because of the sacrifices from those during the Civil Rights Era would only go in one ear out of the other. “It has to be connected on a local level,” he reiterates. Connecting politics to local events and organizations as well as participating in local elections is key to increasing interest in national politics. Ivey closes our conversation by offering some solutions that he feels we won’t likely see in our lifetime. “We really need more parties” he says, adding that “it’s just like my cable bill – if I have four or five companies, they’re now competing to get my money. Now everyone’s staying on their toes.” He says that wealth-building and ownership, along with criminal justice reform are conversations that should be held in the household and are key in leveling the playing field to become more involved with politics.

To those who will be voting for the first time in November, Ivey parts with this: “What matters to you where you live? What are the biggest issues in your household you see your parents going through? If you’re going to college, what candidates are looking out for you and have your best interest in mind? What is happening in your community that affects you? These are all things you should think about if it’s your first time voting”.

Nathan is based out of Cincinnati and can be heard on…

www.nathanivey.com

Facebook.com/nathan.ivey

Twitter @KingofSt8Talk

Be sure to follow Will “Aryez” Jones on Twitter/Instagram/Snapchat @Aryeznow

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Tags: aryez, dnc, Hype Magazine, nathan ivey, Politics, rnc

About the Author

Will Jones Founder of Blaze 4 Glory Music Group, LLC. and contributing writer to www.thehypemagazine.com, interviewing radio personalities, dj's and music business professionals.