Oh boy, Kamala Harris is facing some serious turbulence—and this time, it’s not just her approval ratings that are in freefall. Turns out, her key base of support—Black voters—might be slipping through her fingers like sand. And let’s be real, that’s the last thing the Democrats can afford in 2024 if they want to keep the White House.
A recent report from POLITICO is raising some pretty big red flags about Harris’ ability to energize the African American vote. Black voters have been a crucial Democratic stronghold for decades. I mean, without that demographic, good luck winning swing states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin. The problem is, enthusiasm for Harris seems to be fading, and that’s not something you can just slap a “Hope and Change” bumper sticker over.
Even though she’s been front and center at events like the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner, hammering home a message of community leadership and hard work, the buzz that surrounded her historic candidacy in 2020 is noticeably absent. Sure, she’s tried to pivot to more practical messaging around economic opportunity and “reproductive rights,” but it’s not exactly the adrenaline shot her campaign needs. Maybe because after years of lofty promises, voters are catching on that Democrats talk a big game but fail to deliver. Shocking, I know.
Let’s talk numbers. In 2020, Black voter support for Joe Biden was around 90%, but even that was a dip from previous years. More alarming? Younger Black men, a group you’d think the Democrats would have on lock, are starting to peel away. A recent NAACP poll found that one in four younger Black men are leaning toward Trump! You read that right—Donald J. Trump. The guy they spent years calling a racist is pulling in younger Black voters at a rate that should have Kamala sweating. Black men under 50 are especially skeptical—her support among that group is barely hitting 50%.
Why the shift? It’s not that complicated. Economic dissatisfaction, empty promises, and—let’s be honest—some voters probably remember when Harris was locking people up left and right during her days as California’s Attorney General. Funny how that part of her “history-making” gets conveniently left out.
The Democratic establishment is freaking out for a reason. If Harris can’t shore up her support among Black voters, especially in those key swing states, the GOP is going to make 2024 a very long night for her. Guess you can only run on identity politics for so long before people start asking, “What have you done for me lately?”
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