It has been no secret that over the years Joe Biden has long depended on black voters – first as a multi-term U.S. senator from Delaware (elected seven times); and then, most notably, in the 2020 South Carolina presidential primary, which delivered him a win that led much of the Democratic field to consolidate behind him.
But according to a December poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs, just 50% of black adults said they approve of Biden – as compared with 86% approval in July 2021. This dip in support is of concern to Democratic political strategists heading into the 2024 election cycle.
David Lowery Jr. is the founder and president of the Living & Driving While Black Foundation, Inc., a national civil rights organization advocating against racial profiling.
"The real situation is this: the liberals have lost the black vote for sure, as well as the Hispanic vote," he tells AFN. "And we deserve better than what we've seen out of the liberals and Joe Biden."
Lowery contends black voters are looking for the alternative.
"If they step up like the GOP is doing in my community, black people will become the weapon that the Republicans need to get this office and help us get this country back on track," he predicts, "because right now, as it stands, black folks are tired. We are ready to make that change."
AP contends that seven states will be critical in deciding the Electoral College next year: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Across those states in 2022, black turnout dropped (on average) about 22% from the 2018 midterms, according to multiple Democratic firms' data analysis. Lagging black support for Biden in any three of those states next fall could cut off his path to the required 270 electoral votes.
