Democrats worry their most loyal voters won’t turn out for Biden in 2024
Summary:
Democrats are becoming increasingly concerned about a possible drop in Black voter turnout for the 2024 presidential election, according to party insiders. The worries arise from a 10% decrease in Black voter turnout in the 2022 midterms compared to 2018, a more substantial decline than any other racial or ethnic group, as per a Washington Post analysis. The decline was particularly significant among younger and male Black voters in crucial states like Georgia, where Democrats aim to mobilize Black voter support for President Biden in 2024.
The Democratic party has acknowledged the need to bolster their outreach efforts to this demographic. W. Mondale Robinson, founder of the Black Male Voter Project, highlighted the need for Democrats to refocus their attention on Black male voters, who have shown lower levels of engagement. In response, Biden's team has pledged to communicate more effectively about the benefits that the Black community has reaped under Biden's administration, according to Cedric L. Richmond, a senior advisor at the Democratic National Committee.
However, Black voter advocates have identified deep-seated issues affecting Black voter turnout. Many Black men reportedly feel detached from the political process and uninspired by both parties' policies. Terrance Woodbury, CEO of HIT Strategies, a polling firm, suggests that the Democratic party's focus on countering Trump and Republican extremism doesn't motivate younger Black men as much as arguments focused on policy benefits. Concerns are growing within the party that if they fail to address these issues, disenchanted Black voters might either abstain or, potentially, be swayed by Republican messaging on certain key issues.
I'm convinced he was picked because "it was his time"
I don’t think that was the main reason.
IMO, Biden was nominated because he was a fairly uncontroversial (by mainstream sensibilities anyway) white male candidate who also isn’t that attached to many positions that would threaten the powers that be.
Biden is a weather vane that swings in accordance to the winds. Which is all that was needed to beat a historically unpopular candidate like Trump. Thankfully, Trump is such a bad option that even Biden can be a palatable candidate.
Why this fossil didn’t bend the knee and allow another younger, more exciting candidate step up for 2024 is beyond me though. But I guess seeing the average age and mental capability of Congress, it shouldn’t be surprising. IMO, everyone over the age of 65 should be ineligible for elected office. They are at retirement age, and have no real, justifiable stake in the future. They should retire with the knowledge they won life and can live out the rest of their days in comfort and leave running the country to people who have skin in the game and the energy/mental faculties to actually play it.
Biden joining + everyone else dropping out was the last hope the establishment had to kneecap Bernie, and it fucking worked
That almost makes it sound like we live in an autocracy and not a democracy when the party picks who's running and not the voters...
Well they have argued in court on the public record that they owe their members no expectation of democracy.
And why people still vote for them is astounding
People are structurally forced into voting for one of the two parties. It's got very little to do with their actual merits.
You’ve been lied to your entire life that we live in a democracy. When people tell you this isn’t a democracy this is the reason why.
Do people really believe this garbage?
The other candidates dropped out because Biden blew them out of the water in South Carolina and his campaign picked up momentum from there. A number of candidates effectively had their campaigns ended in South Carolina because it was clear they couldn't secure the crucial black vote.
This is normal. It has happened in primaries for decades. Candidates drop out as it becomes obvious they don't have a pathway to victory and the field narrows.
It's not some absurd conspiracy.
Bernie's strategy of only winning a plurality and not expanding his base was a terrible miscalculation.
Bernie's didn't have working class or minority support. Hence his heavy defeats in places like Michigan.
Bernie was simply not that popular with the electorate.
You're gonna hurt their feelings.
I voted Bernie but this is absolutely true. I mean, he himself said his campaign was resting on young progressives coming out to vote for him and guess what? They did what all the people in here are doing- bitch and then NOT VOTE.
Does anyone wonder why "the establishment" doesn't pay attention to progressive attitudes? It's because progressives don't fucking show up every. single. time. like other blocs. They bitch all the goddamn time but refuse to participate if their version of Santa Claus isn't running. The truth of it is that you need to get involved and push the ideas and people you want and if they fail to get the primary nod, then you still vote to advance your goals as far as you can (ie. the moderate Democrat.) If they do get the nod (a la AOC) then you keep fielding more and more candidates. Look how they have pushed the convo further left already.
Someone best explained it as "you're going 10 blocks north. One taxi will take you 5 blocks, the other takes you 10 blocks south of where you're at. Do you just not take either? Or do you at least go 5 blocks north." Also because if you don't vote to go 5 blocks north, guess what? You're going 10 blocks south. Great job- even further from your goal.
But no- I'm sure after years and years and years of sitting out and complaining on the sidelines, surely the Dems will come to their senses and go "hey- why don't we run someone completely far left so maybe these people who refuse to ever come out might show up." Sure, that'll do it. That's worth betting the farm on- run someone that is essentially progressive Jesus and risk alienating every voter who does show up every single time.
Biden won because black women liked him and they actually go out and vote in the primaries, unlike the louts in this thread who are literally talking about how they won’t vote.
I think that goes with him being uncontroversial. Black people in America are fairly conservative, and politically they like to go for people who can win that aren't too radical. Biden was that candidate.
Probably because the geriatrics fucked two whole generations of politicians by not stepping down when they should have.
Gen X and millennials don't have enough horses in the race with the experience necessary to run for president because they got fucked by the boomers.
We're going to be in for an exciting ride over the next two decades as something like 40% of Congress retires or dies in office without anyone with experience available to replace them.
And this is on both sides.
He won because they weren't going to allow Bernie Sanders to win
Well...maybe it will be his time and we will get Harris. We can dream I guess.
Your dream is Harris?! Shit, no. No, no, no.
My hope is that Biden is staying in the race until the 11th hour to be the lightening rod and the dems have someone better to step in.
Of course, that would require some intestinal fortitude and a few brain cells and I don’t think the dem leadership has that.
Literally no one wants Harris. She's completely un-electable.