Buttigieg, O'Rourke, Sanders Are Struggling With Black Voters

[question everything]

(snip)

Like a number of other white candidates, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., came to this city to introduce himself to South Carolina’s majority black Democratic electorate. Like them, he staged events that drew few African-Americans, leaving the candidates admitting they have work to do.

The 2020 Democratic field is largely set and is the most diverse in the party’s history. Four months after the race began, Mr. Buttigieg, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke and former Vice President Joe Biden are among those raising the most money and leading early polling. They attract crowds of fans on much of the campaign trail—but in South Carolina, they say, they aren’t attracting the black audiences they want or, if they do, they are finding less enthusiastic receptions.

Many voters here say only Mr. Biden has any relationship with African-American voters, an influential bloc in the Democratic nominating contest. The candidates and many of their top aides see this early primary state as key because it helped propel Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to general elections in 2008 and 2016, respectively. Mr. Buttigieg, who has gained steam in public polling and fundraising in recent weeks, said it was natural for voters of color to support candidates who look like them, or those who have long been on the national stage.

(snip)

When Mr. O’Rourke first came through South Carolina as a candidate in March, he headlined several events to enthusiastic, largely white crowds. But his speech before a largely black crowd at South Carolina State, which focused on themes including combating economic inequities, got hardly any applause. That was also true Saturday in Dallas, where Mr. O’Rourke gave the commencement address at Paul Quinn College, another historically black institution... Mr. O’Rourke said afterward that themes he hit on during the address are issues he raises regardless of the forum or audience. “I don’t think you can ... change your message given the geographic location or the composition of the audience," he said.

More..

https://www.wsj.com/articles/buttigieg-orourke-sanders-are-struggling-with-black-voters-11557230702 (paid subscription)

[yardwork]

61. Biden is trusted by many African Americans because of his relationship with Obama.

African Americans are also one of the most pragmatic voting blocs in America. They are used to having to make imperfect choices.

The professional African American women I know think that Biden can win. They aren't going to get distracted by his imperfections.

[crazytown]

2. Beto does not have a system problem with AA voters

he is struggling with reduced exposure..

Conservative black churches are a stumbling block for Mayor Pete.

Polls suggest Sanders has gone backwards in SC compared with 2016

[RandySF]

37. Beto struggled with Latinos throughout the 2018 election.

[crazytown]

39. Right. Beto speaks Spanish.

I didn’t know he was struggling with the Latino vote. In 2018?. Cruz is white in all but name.

I am presuming Beto does not have the sort of Ground Zero hurdles Mayor Pete is facing. Pete of course can speak Spanish. From memory, South Bend is 15% Latino.

[Tipperary]

44. Beto is even whiter than Cruz.

Beto is fourth generation Irish.

[Indygram]

41. That's not what 2018 Latino turnout in Texas says...

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2018-elections/2018/11/11/latinos-could-turn-texas-blue-2020-enthusiasm-holds-say

[Irishxs]

3. I think these three sound too intellectual and especially not down-to-earth. I bet none of them

could answer the “cost of bread or milk question”.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I'll bet that Mayor Pete could. He's a lot more down-to-earth than you might think.

Plus he's very intelligent and that leads to knowing more about other people.

[Celerity]

24. +1

[crazytown]

42. I watched Mayor Pete address the Shop n Stop picket,

He was pretty down to earth there. I notice when he is being interviewed, he adopts language and concepts best suited to get his points across. With a political scientist he said America could descend into proto fascism ( and Er are seeing that now!) To General audiences he says “somewhere bad”. He get’s a laugh. He doesn’t have to say anymore.

Pete has the best political mind I’ve ever seen. He may not be the best retail politician around (the man is shy) but on stage, he’s a revelation.

Of course Pete married an extrovert. How often have we seen that combination? And Chasten was his first love. The man with a key to the prison. I can’t imagine how much Pete loves him. It’s inspiring to see them together.

[Celerity]

7. I bet none of them could answer the "cost of bread or milk question".

That is patently RIDICULOUS, especially for Buttigieg, who unlike Biden, Sanders, Beto and others is not a multi-millionaire and has not, like Biden has, been chauffeured around by the SS for most of the past decade. I am sure even Biden could easily answer your ludicrous question.

[emmaverybo]

11. Biden still takes Amtrak. nt

[Celerity]

12. And that has what to do with the silly accusations towards the others?

I already said even Joe could answer it.

[emmaverybo]

21. Snide tone there. But thought there was the limo comment. Chill. Limo AND Amtrak nt

[Celerity]

23. Nothing snide, other than the initial snark (not by you) that I replied to

[emmaverybo]

27. I'd definitely wave back, but am uncool with emoticons. Yours so cute. Thanks!

[crazytown]

14. Chasten knows

“I now live in a world where people take photos of me in the deodorant aisle at the grocery store."

[Funtatlaguy]

60. He'd better buy roll-ons. Aerosols upset some people

[leftofcool]

17. That is ridiculous

Chasten is a school teacher and he and Pete do their own shopping. Had you actually looked at their tax returns you would see they are not rich enough to have someone drive them around and do their shopping for them.

[MH1]

43. Both things can be true.

Everything you said, but it can also be true that Buttigieg is perceived as intellectual and polished, which makes him "unrelatable" to a subset of the population, people who will feel he doesn't understand their lives. "Wouldn't know the price of bread" is just a stand-in for the general sense that he is somehow above them.

I don't mean this as a critique of Buttigieg. I like him and I love the idea of an intellectual in the WH again! But it may not work with some groups, is all.

I think his bigger problem with AAs is what the poster above perceptively noted: conservative AA churches. We tend to think of bigots as being generally white, but there are a lot of socially conservative AAs at least with respect to LGBTQ. I think most of us tend to give an oppressed group more slack in their biases - but it certainly pertains politically.

[marylandblue]

19. Nobody cares if they know the price of milk or not.

They want a candidate they trust. Biden has their trust through his longevity and his connections, the others have to earn it.

[leftofcool]

26. I see milkgate coming.

Buttigieg is the only candidate I actually trust.

[customerserviceguy]

71. Milkgate?

Udder nonsense!

[emmaverybo]

28. Remember Bush and the wonder at the bar scanner in the grocery store?

[JI7]

31. Hillary Sounded Intellectual and she did well with Black voters. Black voters also backed Gore

and KErry.

people make this more complicated than it has to be.

Kerry had an actual campaign to reach out to black voters. he campaigned and asked for their votes. it does help when you are in office a long time so
there are already long time relationships which help to get supprot.

Gore had support from serving with Clinton but even after the negative reaction to Lieberman pick he worked to win over those voters.

and in the end no matter who ends up the democratic nominee, black voters will vote for them.

[Cha]

5. I know Biden does.. Thank Goodness!

Many voters here say only Mr. Biden has any relationship with African-American voters, an influential bloc in the Democratic nominating contest. The candidates and many of their top aides see this early primary state as key because it helped propel Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to general elections in 2008 and 2016, respectively. Mr. Buttigieg, who has gained steam in public polling and fundraising in recent weeks, said it was natural for voters of color to support candidates who look like them, or those who have long been on the national stage.

[George II]

6. For one it's deja vu all over again.

[Skittles]

10. they've always been on to him

[Andy823]

8. And yet Kamala Harris

doesn't seem to have that problem.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/kamala-harris-blows-past-democratic-rivals-fundraising-communities-color-n1000031

[Merlot]

52. An article touting the diversity of the candidates singles out these four?

The 2020 Democratic field is largely set and is the most diversein the party’s history. Four months after the race began, Mr. Buttigieg, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke and former Vice President Joe Biden are among those raising the most money and leading early polling.

[True Dough]

9. While they need black and Hispanic voters,

they're all doing better than Amy Klobuchar overall!

[question everything]

58. Your point being?

Would you have the same snark were I Undecided?

I posted a story, why shoot the messenger?

[True Dough]

62. One person's "snark"

is another person's fact.

I believe each of the candidates is making his/her case in an appeal to minority voters. I know Mayor Pete has. Time will tell whether he's successful, but I don't doubt his sincerity.

[ecstatic]

13. Black voters want a winner. If it doesn't look like you'll win,

you're not going to get support. Period. That being said, I was in love with Pete for like a week but then he lost me completely when I learned about the Police Chief scandal. Honestly, there's really nothing he can say to overcome that once people learn about it. I still like him, but I'm not in love and I view him through a more cynical lens now.

As far as the lack of applause during Beto's speech, I don't know, maybe he's trying too hard? Just be yourself, Beto. You can't go wrong when you're being authentic and sincere.

[crazytown]

15. I'll defend Pete on the police chief.

The phone of senior police offers were inadvertently taped by the station recording system. As discovery, the black police chief instructed his secretary (lto continue taping the phones of fellow officers in order to find evidence of racism . The FBI commenced investigation with probable cause of a violation of the wiretap act. The Police chief failed to disclose to the incoming Mayor that he was under investigation by the FBI for a Federal felony. When Mayor Pete found out he demoted him. The officer continued to serve until 2017.

A section of the AA community accused Pete of covering up realism amongst the police. The demanded he release the tapes. The council was sued by the white officers seeking an injunction against releasing the tapes. The council applied to the Federal Court for a ruling about making the tapes public without violating Federal Law. After a ruling that they could, the white officers appealed. Finding no Federal issue, the court of appeal referred the matter back to the state courts where the matter rests today.

[ecstatic]

16. Right. He discovered rampant racism,

and he was the only one punished and demoted.

[leftofcool]

20. Wire tapping is illegal

Do you get that?

[brush]

29. The feds didn't charge him but the mayor fired him then demoted him when...

the firing was rescinded. AAs won't support that, especially when the white racists went unpunished but the black chief was.

No way to get around it.

[crazytown]

22. No. He discovered a police chief who withheld critical information -

that he was under criminal investigation. Anyone would have dismissed him for something like that. I have added to my reply above. The white officers sued to prevent release of the tapes, and got an injunction. Pete was urged to listen to the tapes, but put the matter before the courts to determine whether they could be made public without violating the Wiretap Act.

There was a lot of speculation what the tapes contained. Speculation of toxic racism, but nothing concrete. The 4 white officers resigned. Then sued the council for damages. The stare court awarded them $500,000.

[leftofcool]

18. The police chief was under FBI investigation

Pet had no choice but to fire him. I don't know why that is so hard to understand.

[johannsyah]

33. people will always try to find a dirt on Pete.

I mean look at him. he's clean, he's a veteran, he speaks intelligently, he's not rich

"but he fired a black chief, he must be racist."

yeah right, when we know the black chief had done the illegal thing.

[emmaverybo]

25. I have to say this. Beto needs a speech coach. Body language exhausting

Seriously, that pumping fist detracts from his message. So maybe audience was just gesture fatigued.
That nervous movement signals tension and the one gesture does not highlight or compliment what he’s saying. It also doe not help him channel the tension through and out of his body. Then the neck cords bulge and his voice tightens.
It would take very little coaching for him to free up his body and voice.
I like him, but can’t watch or listen to him.

Also, yes, trying too hard. But take the body and the mind will follow.

I really have to look into that police chief story. I had a Beto crush, but moved on to a more mature candidate.

[Indygram]

35. I've been watching all of his town halls and he gets plenty of applause from black people

The article was clearly written without doing adequate research.

[dalton99a]

50. I saw his visits to black colleges and predominantly black communities

The applause was there. It seems the writer never bothered to watch them

[Indygram]

53. Exactly...he proved himself on the issue of race when he answered the NFL kneeling question

during his Senate race. He also led a march to Tornillo on father's day last year and that helped close that awful desert tent city they were locking up children kidnapped from their asylum seeking parents.

[JI7]

30. it's not that they have a problem with Black Voters as much as others just have a better

relationship and support among the community . usually built up over a long period.

although i do think Sanders does because he is more known than the others and can't seem to do well.

Buttigieg and O'Rourke do well when they are talking about issues concerning black voters .

[FreeState]

32. Not this again

This is seriously offensive to me so many levels.

How about a story about which candidate gay people aren’t connecting with - because I can guarantee no democrat wins without LGBT voters.

Stop building wedges and walls. They serve the other party. They divide communities.

[LuvNewcastle]

74. I would say that the opinions of GLBT voters are at least as

important as the opinions of people in South Carolina. It's not like the Dem nominee is going to carry SC anyway. The state that's been sending Lindsey Graham to the Senate all these years isn't going to vote for a Democratic presidential nominee no matter how many black churchgoers vote for him/her.

[Indygram]

34. Beto isn't struggling with black voters at all

He's struggling with misleading news stories related to his 2020 campaign.

Here's something from last fall:

Congressman Beto O’Rourke, the El Paso Democrat hoping to oust Sen. Ted Cruz in November, is not shying away from talking about race. And black voters are noticing.

According to a Quinnipiac University poll released last month, 97 percent of black voters surveyed said they favor O’Rourke.

“We don’t expect anything to be 97 percent in almost any category,” said Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at UT Austin.

https://www.kut.org/post/beto-orourke-talking-about-racial-injustice-black-voters-are-listening

[dalton99a]

40. 10,500 showed up at Texas Southern University

https://heavy.com/news/2019/03/beto-orourke-houston-rally-vs-kamala-harris-crowd-size-photos/

BTW I love Kamala

[brush]

47. Beto doesn't have the problem with AAs that Sanders and the mayor have.

Beto's message resonates with Latinx voters, being from the border region, and that in turn speaks to AAs who also face racial discrimination.

The other two have the problem of seeming to speack to white voters, and in Sanders' case, white, working class voters lost to trump.

[RandySF]

36. African American voters saw Biden stand by Obama for eight years

and that means more to some people than a 10-point plan,

[Cha]

38. +1!

[Irishxs]

49. +1

[WhiskeyGrinder]

45. "I don't think you can ... change your message given the geographic location or the composition of

the audience," [O'Rourke] said.

This seems like a pretty rookie mistake.

[Indygram]

46. Beto does not poll test anything

That is why he always comes across as genuine and authentic and he never twists himself into a pretzel trying to tell people what he thinks they want to hear. Voters can tell when candidates do that and they don't like it. Beto almost beat Cruz in Texas campaigning on the same issues he is right now. He knows how to sell his positions and that's the key.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

48. That is certainly one way to look at it.

[Indygram]

51. An Iowa voter at one of yesterday's town halls commented on this issue

She said that some candidates are making promises and telling voters what they think they want to hear just to try to get their vote and that Iowa voters can spot that a mile away. She thanked Beto for NOT being like that and told him that she agreed with and liked everything he said during the town hall. I know that I am the same way...I can spot lip service a mile away and it's a massive turn off. I would vote for someone who I disagree with but who is authentic and honest over someone who just tells me what they think I want to hear any day of the week.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

55. "I would vote for someone who I disagree with but who is authentic and honest over someone who just

tells me what they think I want to hear any day of the week."

Okay!

[comradebillyboy]

56. I recall Cornell West telling me just how authentic 'Brother Trump' was

Authenticity may be one of the more overrated virtues.

Link to tweet

?lang=en

[WhiskeyGrinder]

57. People justify their decisions in all sorts of ways.

[Indygram]

63. Let me make this 100% Clear...

I would not vote for that orange piece of sheeit if you paid me a million dollars. I would choose DEATH over voting for that festering boil on the ass of humanity.

Now...back to my point...I don't need to agree 100% with everything a candidate says. I need to TRUST them to have the best interest of the country at heart. I don't want recreational marijuana legalized but my chosen candidate does. I don't need him to be 100% lined up with my personal views. I need him to be authentic, honest and electable.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

65. Okay.

[Indygram]

64. What is wrong with valuing honesty?

Being able to TRUST a candidate is important to me. There will never be a candidate who lines up 100% with my views, so a good, honest candidate who I don't agree with on everything is better than a candidate who feeds me a line of bullcrap. Integrity and truth matter.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

66. Nothing at all.

[comradebillyboy]

67. He called Trump authentic. I don't equate honesty with authenticity.

Joseph Stalin was authentic but not particularly honest.

[Indygram]

69. I got the impression that it was being implied that what I said about authenticity

was somehow being associated with supporting Trump.

I find him disgusting so obviously I felt compelled to make my sentiments very clear.

[comradebillyboy]

70. I'm not suggesting anything of the kind. We simply disagree on the importance

of authenticity. It's a very nebulous term in my opinion.

[KPN]

54. Why are we posting WSJ articles that just divide us here?

Geesh!

It's exactly this kind of stuff that actually DOES DIVIDE US and result in some people eventually NOT VOTING.

Can we please just stop? Can we please just agree that we all need to pull together by not driving wedges?

[question everything]

59. Because it tells a true story?

Do not confuse the stories with the editorial board which, yes, is deplorable most of the time.

The WSJ recently won a Pulitzer for the exposing Cohen and the money to Ms. Stormy and others.

That some here choose this opportunity go throw darts at each other is sad. And I thought that, so far, the primary season here has been polite, compared to 2008 and 2016.

[KPN]

68. I'm not sure the true story is even relevant. And especially not when it uses identity as a wedge.

It's not relevant if we are all committed to voting for whoever the nominee is. I truly do not care who our eventual nominee is -- I will vote for that person. And if folks here truly love their country, they will do the same. Articles like this only serve to create targets for blame down the road, hard feelings and grudges that could carry over into the GE. And that's not a good thing by any measure.

Truth is important when it is relevant. This story is not at this point in time.

[Gothmog]

72. Biden's entry into the Democratic race provides a jolt to the Sanders candidacy

Link to tweet

One issue for Sanders is the erosion in the support he received in 2016. He won New Hampshire with nearly 60 percent of the vote. He lost Iowa but ended up in a near-tie with Clinton. Today, his support in both those states lags significantly from those performances. In a field of 20-plus candidates, Sanders doesn’t need nearly the level of support he got in 2016 to win or be a significant factor, but his current poll average in New Hampshire of 15 percent is not a healthy sign.

Sanders has a loyal base. The question is just how big or small that core support is. He is being squeezed from several directions.

Biden obviously is having some impact on Sanders right now, particularly with self-identified Democrats, some of whom question Sanders’s party allegiance. He also could have a bigger challenge in persuading a broad swath of Democratic primary voters that he would be the party’s strongest challenger against Trump.

Sanders is being challenged in another way by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.). In 2016, Sanders was the unquestioned leader in the offering of big, progressive ideas. Now, that’s far less the case: Others in the field have embraced some of his 2016 ideas, such as Medicare-for-all. Warren has gone further, offering specific policies on child care and student-debt relief, along with a wealth tax that she says would provide the revenue to pay for her initiatives. Sanders no longer has a premium on big ideas.

[Gothmog]

73. African Americans say presidential candidates are missing basic connections

I have been to a number of town halls held by members of the CBC. sanders really messed up here https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/african-americans-say-presidential-candidates-are-missing-basic-connections/2019/05/02/8055e02c-68fb-11e9-8985-4cf30147bdca_story.html?utm_term=.7c9afead9f0d

When Sanders arrived that day, April 18, he spoke for a half-hour about prison reform, economic inequality and educational disparities. But for Pryce, the most telling thing was what he said to her and the other volunteers darting in and out of the kitchen. Namely, nothing.

“I was surprised that his staff didn’t have him go back there, or that he didn’t do it on his own,” said Pryce, a former state legislator. “They just need some manners. We’re Southerners. We’re going to serve you something nice. We’re going to be pleasant, but you better believe there’s power in that kitchen.”

As the 20-plus Democratic hopefuls traipse across South Carolina, black voters are absorbing more than policy positions and applause lines. They’re also taking note of social miscues and ignored niceties that, as Pryce said in an interview, “show you’re coming to the black community just because you have to.”

In a testament to that community’s importance, at least two presidential candidates — former vice president Joe Biden and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg — are heading to South Carolina this weekend. Biden remains popular with many black voters, while some have expressed reservations about Buttigieg, but the visits are an important moment for both.,,,,

As for Sanders, he could pay a price for neglecting to greet Pryce and her fellow volunteers. The 71-year-old managed Democratic Rep. James E. Clyburn’s first race for the U.S. House. She’s an author who has written about racism in Spartanburg housing policies. And a decade ago, in the same church kitchen, she had her first meaningful interaction with a politician named Barack Obama.

Sanders campaign aides say any slight was inadvertent; he didn’t eat anything at the event, they said, so he was unaware people had worked hard on the meal, and he spoke to as many people as he could. But now, for anyone in Pryce’s network who asks for her opinion of Sanders, she has a sour first impression to relate.