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BLACKVOTER.ORG #98
BlackVoter.org
July 15, 2024
In this article, Susan J. Demas discusses the current speculation surrounding President Joe Biden's candidacy for the 2024 election.
Demas notes that there have been growing calls from Democrats, donors, and political observers for Biden to drop out of the race after his shaky debate performance and concerns about his health. However, Biden has made it clear that he is not leaving willingly and sees a second term as a moral obligation to the country.
Demas suggests that any real effort to get Biden to step aside would need to start with his former running mate, President Barack Obama, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Additionally, the anti-Biden forces have yet to unite over an alternative candidate, and there is a palpable unease from pundits about Vice President Kamala Harris taking over.
Overall, it remains to be seen if Biden can demonstrate the forcefulness and fortitude to lead Democrats to another victory in November.
In a conversation at the Essence Festival of Culture, Vice President Kamala Harris claimed that Black women in the United States have the highest maternal mortality rate. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports this claim, showing that Black women are around three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than other women.
In 2022, Black women had a maternal death rate of 49.5 per 100,000 births, compared to a combined average of 16.
3 for other demographic groups. This racial disparity in maternal mortality rates is considered a healthcare crisis and “unacceptably high” by experts.
Contributing factors to the high maternal mortality rate include a lack of universal healthcare coverage, no federal parental leave policy, and less robust postpartum healthcare. Discrimination and clinician bias also play a role in the racial disparities in healthcare.
President Joe Biden will be discussing issues affecting the Black community in a one-on-one interview with BET News' Ed Gordon. The interview, titled "Black America Votes: The Biden Interview," will air on July 17 as part of BET's We Vote campaign, which aims to increase civic engagement and voter participation among Black Americans.
The conversation will cover critical issues impacting the Black community and address concerns about President Biden's fitness for office, the state of the economy for Black families, and the fight to engage Black voters. This interview marks the first time Biden has used BET to directly address the concerns of everyday Black Americans, although he has previously sought out Black reporters to address doubts about his mental acuity.
The BET interview is not expected to follow the same format as previous interviews conducted with pre-approved questions, as in the case of a controversial interview with Philadelphia-based WURD Radio. The BET interview will be 30 minutes long, with clips and a transcript to be released at a later date.
A group of prominent African-American faith leaders in Georgia gathered at the state's Capitol to express their support for President Joe Biden's re-election bid. The news conference came after calls for Biden to step aside due to his age, following his poor performance in a recent televised debate.
However, these faith leaders are sticking with the president, highlighting his accomplishments rather than focusing on his age. They praised Biden's achievements on behalf of the Black community, such as record-low Black unemployment rates and increased federal funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The faith leaders also expressed their intention to play a large role in mobilizing voters and setting records for turnout in support of Biden in the upcoming election.
Forbes has received backlash and deleted a controversial article by an expert in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) claiming that black voters might now identify with Donald Trump because he survived a shooting. USC Professor Shaun Harper, who has advised numerous organizations on their diversity policies, argued that Trump's defiant raised fist after the shooting might resonate with George Floyd protestors.
The article suggested that Trump's support among black Americans has doubled since the 2020 election and that his raised fist gesture could appeal to black voters associated with the Black Power protest of Tommie Smith and John Carlos. The article was heavily criticized and labeled as racist, leading to its deletion by Forbes.
In a segment meant to criticize former President Donald Trump, "The Daily Show" inadvertently showcased the diverse range of opinions among black voters. The segment featured correspondent Josh Johnson asking six black voters from the tri-state area if they supported Trump.
To the surprise of the show's producers, three of the interviewees stated that they would be voting for Trump, while the other three expressed support for President Joe Biden. One of the Trump voters explained that the Democratic party often makes promises they can't deliver, using the issues of African Americans as a political tool.
Despite trying to shock the Trump voters with footage of Trump's speech at the Black Conservative Federation Gala, all three remained firm in their support for the former president. The segment serves as a reminder that not all voters, including black voters, can be generalized or easily swayed.
The New York Times has organized a focus group of eleven black men who support former President Donald Trump in order to better understand their perspectives and challenge the notion that Trump is a racist. The group discussed various topics, including the economy, education, border security, and criminal justice reform.
Participants had positive things to say about Trump, using words like "leadership," "courageous," and "respected" to describe him. This is significant because Republicans typically receive only a small fraction of the black vote, so even a slight improvement in support among black men could have an impact on the Democratic party.
The aim of this series is to shed light on what both Republicans and Democrats fail to understand about black men.
The 20-year-old Pennsylvania man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a campaign rally on Saturday has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks. Crooks, a registered Republican who donated to a progressive Super Pac, lived in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, with his parents, who were licensed behavioral care counselors.
Crooks was not known to have any criminal or traffic citations and had no financial problems such as foreclosures. He initially showed no clear political leanings when he donated to a political action committee aligned with Joe Biden's Democratic party on the first day of Biden's presidency.
However, during his senior year of high school, Crooks registered as a member of the Republican party and retained his affiliation when he voted in the November 2022 midterm elections.
This article discusses the potential impact of the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump's life on the divisive political rhetoric in America. The author acknowledges that the attack has been condemned by both President Joe Biden and various political figures, regardless of their affiliations.
While it is difficult to predict the exact consequences of the attempt, the author speculates that it may distract from Biden's current troubles and even lead to a rise in Trump's popularity. The article suggests that this incident could be an opportunity for politicians from all sides to moderate their language and foster a return to civility in politics, although the chances of that happening are low.
Ultimately, the article highlights the prevalence of political violence and the need for a more civil political discourse in all countries, not just America.
The shooting incident at a Donald Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania serves as a stark reminder of the grim new era of political violence in which we are living, writes Moira Donegan in The Guardian. While little is known about the motives behind the attack, Donegan argues that violence has become a central part of American political life, with Trump's controversial rhetoric and willingness to condone physical violence setting a dangerous example.
The risk of vigilante violence by Trump's supporters seeking revenge or to punish his enemies could be high. In the wake of the incident, some Trump supporters immediately blamed Joe Biden for the attack, demonstrating the deeply divisive and polarized nature of US politics.
The Democrats, on the other hand, issued statements expressing gratitude for Trump's safety and condemnation of violence. However, Donegan suggests that violence will continue to be a prominent feature of American politics and will not be easily eradicated.
