Vice President Kamala Harris recently announced outreach plans for select minority voting populations, as the Harris campaign scrambles to appeal to Black and Latino voters, who have shown a shocking disinterest in the Democratic Party.
New York Times/Siena College polling revealed a panic-inducing number of voters among the Black and Latino population who were leaving Democratic values, and possibly the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, behind.
A small percentage of voters drifting from one political party to another typically would not have a tremendous impact. However, with a presidential election and multiple congressional races razor-thin this year, a deviation the size polls reflect could spell Democratic defeat.
A New York Times article attributed much of this disillusionment to Democrats becoming the party of elites and abandoning the classic liberal working-class message it once possessed.
“Since Mr. Trump’s ascent nearly a decade ago, Republicans have made inroads with working-class voters across races and ethnicities while Democrats have increasingly become the party of college-educated, upper-income voters. It’s a potential realignment that many Democrats did not see coming.”
The fed-up voters caused the Harris campaign to launch a political counteroffensive, aiming to ensure the interests of the Black and Latino populations will be addressed and acted upon, per the New York Times.
“The Times/Siena poll found that roughly one quarter of Black and Latino voters are undecided or not fully decided.
“‘The Harris campaign has to fight for these votes,’ said Tory Gavito, the president of Way to Win, a liberal political group that has long warned that Democrats are not doing enough to address working-class voters’ concerns. ‘Particularly those who already have more economic precarity in their lives, they are frustrated.’”
In the same article, disappointed Black and Latino Democratic voters cited distrust of the Democratic Party’s ability to deliver a stable economy as the reason for their disillusionment after three years of destructive inflation under the Biden administration.
“These voters are often acutely focused on the economy and their personal financial well-being, leaving Democrats vulnerable after years of inflation. Mr. Trump’s strength on that issue is clear: Although a majority of Black and Latino voters favor Ms. Harris, large shares in both groups said that Mr. Trump would help them personally.”
Both Latino and Black voters, however, feel the entire two-party system has failed to upkeep any promises made, which could have adverse effects for both political parties battling for the White House and control of Congress this November.
“They are also distrustful and disappointed in politics generally: Hispanic voters are effectively split over whether Republicans or Democrats are better at keeping their promises, and large shares in both groups did not say that either party kept its promises.”
Harris Starts Damage Control
In response to mass dissatisfaction among Black voters, Vice President Harris presented a plan to male Black voters, a population that has shifted away the most from Democrats.
The Vice President’s plan, revealed conveniently during election year, includes economic relief for Black businesses, financial aid and the devotion of more resources to medical conditions which predominate the male Black population.
“Harris’ plan includes providing forgivable business loans for Black entrepreneurs, creating more apprenticeships and studying sickle cell and other diseases that disproportionately affect African American men.
“The vice president unveiled the plan ahead of a Monday visit to Erie, Pennsylvania, where she will visit a Black-owned small business and hold a campaign rally. Her push comes after former President Barack Obama suggested last week that some Black men ‘aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president,’” according to the Associated Press.
Additionally, the Associated Press reported the Harris campaign has started a group to appeal to Hispanic males as well, named “‘Hombres con Harris,’ Spanish for ‘Men with Harris.’”
In a fashion one might call pandering, the two moves by the Vice President seem to be a last-ditch effort to bring burned voters back into the fold, especially with the election just over two weeks away.
With the start of panicked strategies from the Democratic Party and cautious assumptions being made from the GOP, voting surges will definitely be expected this November.
In an unprecedented time of historical voting populations defying tradition, the outcomes for both presidential candidates, in one of the biggest election cycles in history, may emerge from the ever-shifting demographic political tide in the United States.
One thing is for certain: both candidates are desperately trying to unify, with Democrats unifying to reinforce and Republicans unifying to expand.
Will Vice President Harris be able to unite her splintering voter base or will former President Trump capitalize on the shifting tide? Only Election Day will tell.
Read the New York Times/Siena College poll of the Hispanic Likely Electorate here.
Read the New York Times/Siena College poll of the Black Likely Electorate here.
0
0
Be First to Comment