With Obama, 'All the Smoke' and 'huddle-ups,' Harris ramps up outreach to Black men
Oct. 15, 2024, 2:12 AM GMT+5
Harris' campaign is ramping up outreach to the typically Democratic voting group, as polling suggests Trump could overperform among young men of all races.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign this week is launching its clearest effort yet to target Black men, announcing a new set of policy proposals, ramped-up programming and a media blitz — all designed to engage Black male voters as Republicans make a play for the typically Democratic constituency.
“As we approach the final stretch here, she wants to make sure that we are speaking directly to a constituency that has always been important for her, and that’s Black men,” said Michael Tyler, the Harris-Walz campaign’s communications director.
The vice president on Monday outlined her “Opportunity Agenda for Black Men.” The policies include a plan to provide as many as 1 million fully forgivable loans of up to $20,000 for Black entrepreneurs; further investment into training, mentorship and apprenticeship programs designed to help Black men land jobs in high-demand industries; and the legalization of recreational marijuana, paired with a concerted effort to make sure Black men are able to access wealth and jobs in that market.
“This agenda is a further realization of Vice President Harris’ Opportunity Economy, where Black men are equipped with the tools to thrive: to buy a home, to provide for our families, start a business and build wealth,” Harris-Walz campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond said.
Black men have historically voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates, with turnout typically lagging that of Black women but consistent nonetheless. This cycle, polling shows a historic gender gap, with Trump overperforming with men of all races. Republicans are trying to capitalize on this development, fueling concerns among Democrats of a potential — albeit marginal — shift in Black voter sentiment.
Even a relatively small drop in support from Black men for Harris could be significant given the razor-thin margins in battleground states.
An estimated 90% of Black men voted for President Joe Biden in 2020, but a new New York Times/Siena College poll showed 78% planning to vote for Harris now, with 15% supporting former President Donald Trump.
And a recent Howard University poll of Black voters across battleground states found 82% of those voters say they’ll vote for Harris, 12% say they’ll vote for Trump and another 5% are undecided. According to that poll, Trump’s gains were most prominent among Black men under 50, more than 20% of whom say they plan to support the former president this November.
Concerns over those voting trends were put on display by former President Barack Obama, who, during an event in Pittsburgh last week, called out tepid support among Black men for Harris.
“On the other side, you have someone who has consistently shown disregard, not just for the communities, but for you as a person. And you’re thinking about sitting out, and you’re coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses,” Obama said. “I’ve got a problem with that because, because, part of it makes me think — I’m speaking to men directly — part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman that’s president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for it.”
Several prominent Black Republicans pounced on Obama’s remark as evidence of the entitlement they say Democrats feel over Black voters, knocking the former president for chastising Black men as misogynistic rather than taking into concern legitimate criticisms they may have about the Democratic Party.
“He’s proving our point,” Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., posted on X in response to Obama. “Yea, Black voters are leaving the Democrat Party, but not for the hogwash reasons he’s giving. They’ve had enough.”
The Trump campaign’s “Black Men for Trump” advisory board, launched by the campaign in September to assist with messaging and programming, condemned Obama’s remark as “insulting.”
“Black Americans are not a monolith, and we don’t owe our votes to any candidate just because they ‘look like us.’ It’s demeaning to suggest that we can’t evaluate a candidate’s track record,” the board wrote.
Trump himself interpreted Obama’s comments as an acknowledgment of his edge with the voting bloc, posting on his social media platform, “Obama admits a total lack of enthusiasm for Kamala, especially with Black Men.”
Asked about Obama’s comments during an interview with the online news site The Shade Room, Harris reiterated her plan to “earn the vote” of Black men and noted that Obama also referenced the “danger” of re-electing Trump in his response.
A senior Harris campaign official told NBC News they were “very, very supportive” of Obama’s comments, feeling it started an important conversation around Black men’s voting choices.