Emerging statistics indicate a potential decline in Vice President Kamala Harris's popularity among Black voters in the forthcoming 2024 presidential race, suggesting a less robust majority than initially projected.
As reported by The New York Times, Harris faces a daunting task in the coming weeks to secure a level of Black support comparable to that of previous Democratic presidential contenders. In the 2016 elections, Hillary Clinton garnered 92% of the Black vote, while President Joe Biden secured a slightly lower, yet substantial, 90% in 2020. However, a recent NY Times/Siena College poll indicates that Harris currently holds a mere 78% support among Black voters. Over the past eight years, Black support for the Republican candidate has more than doubled since 2016, now standing at a notable 15%.
The gradual shift of Black voters away from the Democratic Party is attributed to a longstanding perception of being overlooked. Black supporters of Trump expressed their disillusionment with the Democrats' frequent exploitation of racial issues, while their communities and incomes suffer under Democratic governance.
LaPage Drake, a 63-year-old resident of Cedar Hill, Texas, criticized the Democratic Party, saying, "They sweep table scraps off the table like we're a trained dog and say, 'This is for you.' And we clap like trained seals." Drake, who owns a tree removal service, expressed his support for Trump, stating, "Regardless of how people call him racist and stuff, he is for the country of America."
In a bid to improve her appeal among younger Black male voters, Harris has been visiting historically Black colleges and universities and has scheduled a town hall-style event next week with the popular podcast "The Breakfast Club."
Despite these efforts, the poll reveals that only 75% of Black voters believe Harris would handle issues important to them more effectively than Trump. This leaves 17% who believe Trump would perform better, a significant increase from his initial run eight years ago.
The NY Times/Siena poll, conducted from September 29 to October 6, surveyed 589 Black voters, with a sampling error of +/- 5.6 percentage points.
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