Why black Joe Biden supporters in South Carolina remain loyal, despite his record on race

[RHMerriman]

27. Interesting quotes from the article:

Even as Biden’s record on race complicates his standing among black voters nationally, many African Americans across generations in South Carolina told The State they do not associate themselves with the criticism the former vice president has received.

They said enthusiasm for Biden’s candidacy derives from a combination of strategic thinking about who can beat President Donald Trump and a deep emotional connection to the man who served alongside Barack Obama, the country’s first black president.

And older black voters said they trust Biden to unite the country. If they turn out in large numbers next year — as they did in 2016, when the over-45 age bracket represented more than 70% of those participating in the S.C. Democratic presidential primary — that sensibility could prevail.

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However, the stakes feel higher for many black voters now than they did in 2008, seeing in Trump a president they believe does not deliver policies that help the African American community.

“African Americans understand that they have so much to lose with the re-election of President Trump,” said U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., a national Biden campaign co-chairman. “You’re not just talking about Roe v. Wade. You’re talking about a Supreme Court that could roll back Brown v. Board of Education, race used in college admissions. … There’s a bunch of things that are hanging out there that could decimate the African American community.”

The theory of the black vote as largely pragmatic actually underscores a sentiment expressed by nearly all the black S.C. Democrats interviewed by The State, across generations: Defeating Trump is the top priority in 2020, and there’s a belief that Biden can pull it off.

“Biden is the strongest candidate that can beat Trump,” said William Fairfax, a 21-year-old Claflin University student, pointing to Trump’s tweets targeting Biden as evidence Republicans see the former vice president as their biggest threat.

“(Biden) does not shy away from standing up to a bully,” Richmond, also a former Congressional Black Caucus chairman, added.

More than a dozen black S.C. voters interviewed by The State said Biden, 76, could run on being a seasoned politician who spent nearly four decades in electoral politics, plus another eight years in the White House.

“He’s been in politics for a long time, and I think he’s the best candidate to beat Trump,” said Jeffery Lytes, 49, of Lexington.

“I’m real high on experience, and I’m real impressed with the experience he has,” added state Sen. Kevin Johnson, D-Clarendon. “I think he’s the right person to bring us to victory.”

Dorothy Craig, a 56-year-old from Union who has “pretty much” decided to vote for Biden because of his experience, agreed.

“I just feel like he has the experience. I feel like we need someone who has that same experience to go back in and put it back in order.”