President Biden’s recent address at the Morehouse College in Atlanta has drawn lots of criticism from several sections of the country. Black voters, in particular, were unimpressed with a speech that they believed was laced with an annoying amount of race-baiting.
This development represents a massive blow to the president’s efforts to revive black support for his re-election bid.
The President Saw a Great Opportunity in the Morehouse College Commencement
With barely six months to go before the nation gives its verdict on the President’s performance, Biden jumped at the chance to interact with black voters—especially the young ones at Morehouse College.
The institution is a historically black college, where his message would resonate with a large portion of the black community—a voting demographic among whom he seems to be losing ground.
Losing Support From the Black Community
Black voters and other nonwhite groups were the backbone of President Biden’s narrow victory over Donald Trump in 2020. But recently, polls have shown displeasure among black voters with the President’s performance.
Amidst the spate of pro-Palestine campus protests across the country, the polls aren’t giving the President good news about his reputation amongst young black voters, many of whom have preferred to abstain from voting.
A “Divisive” Speech
President Biden’s speech to the 400 graduates was a crucial one for the fresh-faced college leavers, his presidential re-election bid, and also the nation. In his speech, Biden preferred to focus on rooting out “systemic racism” and calling out “the poison of white supremacy.”
According to many commentators, the President threw away the opportunity to inspire a sense of unity amongst his audience, choosing instead to project a grim picture of division.
A “One-Trick Pony”
According to a piece from the New York Post, Biden’s address exposed him as a one-trick-pony whose only strategy is “pandering, hard, to the far left.”
Some controversial aspects of the speech were the president’s claim that black Americans had to be “ten times better than anyone else to get a fair shot.” He also questioned the usefulness of democracy for the black community.
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Criticism From Black Voters
Black voters have also voiced their displeasure with Biden’s re-election tactics which were pretty evident in his Morehouse College speech. New York resident Lou Valentino, while speaking on Fox and Friends, decried the negative energy behind Biden’s speech.
“It’s tough to hear that… this guy is trying to set you back… I don’t know what’s going on with the Democrats,” he lamented.
Another Black Voter Calls Biden Out
In the same vein, another black voter and Virginia business owner, Ajay Brewer, has questioned Biden and Democrats’ disposition towards the black community. He spoke about how the Democrat Party always paints Black Americans as victims and second-class while presenting themselves as the only hope for black emancipation.
“It’s hopelessness, man… It’s the party of hopelessness,” he declared.
Brewer Gave Reasons for His Exit From the Democrat Party
Brewer went into details concerning his decision to turn his back on the Democrat Party. After he became a business owner, the realization hit him about the mental cage he had been confined in all the while.
It was a cage the party had built in the minds of black folks that taught them to see themselves as less-privileged people who wouldn’t get ahead without government intervention. “We don’t need folks to do things for us, we don’t need folks to baby us,” Brewer declared.
Biden Tried to Appease the Pro-Palestine Audience
Biden tried to win over the Pro-Palestine students in his audience by portraying a neutral stance in the war. During his speech, the President called for “an immediate ceasefire.”
According to the New York Post, this move was tantamount to throwing Israel under the bus. The president also declared his support for “peaceful, nonviolent protest,” in an apparent reference to the largely destructive protests on a number of college campuses.
The Trump Campaign Announces Gains in Black and Latino Support
Interestingly, President Biden’s loss has added more steam to the Trump campaign even as their spokesperson announced a surge in Black and Hispanic Americans. They announced that they achieved the feat in spite of Biden’s “persistent gaslighting and the multimillion-dollar ad buys he is forced to make.”
At the same time, Trump has been hammering on the perceived weaknesses of the Biden administration, such as the economy and border security.
Trump Has Been Wooing Black Voters
Meanwhile, Trump hasn’t been resting on his recent success with black voters. He has been making moves to appeal to them. Particularly, he has taken advantage of his legal travails and what he believes is unfair persecution to relate with them.
“I got indicted… a fourth time, and a lot of people said that’s why the Black people like me because they’ve been hurt so badly and discriminated against,” he claimed.
A Georgia Voter Reveals the New Expectation
People’s expectations from their political leaders have evolved, says Bernadette Wright, an independent Georgia voter. According to her, the black community, as well as other racial groups, are getting increasingly tired of election campaigns that are tied to racial generalizations.
Instead, she disclosed that voters are now more interested in how elected officeholders plan to solve the most pressing individual and community needs.
Biden Still Has The Upper Hand Amongst Black Voters
Although the President’s support amongst the black community has experienced some setbacks, he still enjoys the majority of their support. Political experts say that Biden’s support amongst the older black voters remains solid.
With the elections just around the corner, he has lots of work to do to preserve the trust of arguably his most reliable voting population. But he needs to go about it in a sincere and positive manner.
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