National leaders in the Black community are warning Joe Biden‘s presidential campaign that the 81-year-old incumbent is failing to generate enthusiasm among Black voters — a critical base of support for the Democrat Party. With just over 150 days until the 2024 presidential election, they warn that the Biden campaign may be out of time to shore up turnout among Black communities in several critical battleground states.
Black leaders claim that the Biden campaign has not done enough to message to the critical minority voter group. They note that the information gap has left many Black voters without an understanding of any of the Biden government’s minority-focused policy achievements.
“I’m in a battleground state. I know what has and hasn’t been done. I felt a level of disconnection earlier on the message, on the messengers, and on mobilization,” Congressman Steven Horsford (D-NV) said in an interview with POLITICO. Horsford serves as the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, a powerful group of Democrat lawmakers.
Radical progressive Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) pointed to the increasing numbers of voters getting their news from social media and the Biden campaign’s lack of urgency in the medium. “I think that the way that we communicate has changed in such a way that if you don’t invest earlier, it’s going to be a problem,” she said, adding: “I’m not saying that it’s the last minute, but we are in crunch time.”
While Black leaders in the Democratic Party point to messaging as the issue, polling data suggests Biden’s inability to bring inflation under control, the lack of full-time employment, and the illegal immigration crisis is what is driving minority voters away from Democrats. Several polls have shown Biden’s approval among Black voters at around 60 percent, down from over 90 percent in 2020.
