ELECTION 2020

[HairOfTheDog]

I think Trump's smear campaign has had an effect on Biden's campaign but all those strange non sequiturs that Biden spews isn't helping him at all.  "Lying dog-face pony soldier"?  What the fuck is that?

I saw a poll yesterday that showed a huge drop in support for Biden and nearly the same amount of increase for Bloomberg and the conjecture was that black voters are going with the candidate with the best chance of beating Trump because that's their number one priority right now.

For me, Trump's bullshit isn't really the problem (though if Biden fails, he may put the blame there).  I think Biden is simply not confidence-inspiring and that's his biggest problem.  

I've heard pundits claim the same regarding Bloomberg's 'surprise' rise with black voters, essentially that black voters are telling them they want Trump out and they'll support any candidate who can get that job done.   

I don't think that perspective/priority is unique to black voters, however.  I think it applies broadly to Democrats and justice-minded Independents. 

And, I don't think it's surprising at all that black voters could look past Bloomberg's old (and racially discriminatory) 'stop and frisk' program and get behind him rather than one of the other Dem contenders.

Bloomberg has acknowledged 'stop and frisk' was wrong, he's apologized, he's spent a lot of time and money in recent years addressing gun violence and establishing youth programs in poorer communities, he's advertising his work with Obama and Obama's praise of him, he really is a self-made billionaire who won't run out of money or have to bow to donors.........  

Why should/would black voters blackball Bloomberg?  And, who the hell would they vote for if they held such grudges?

Black people aren't inherently dumber (or smarter) than anyone else and it strikes me that political activists and pundits often seem to project their own feelings onto entire communities/races inaccurately.

I mean, the Clintons and Bernie and Biden and other Dem candidates were all said to be in hot water with black voters for supporting the crime bill that contributed to mass incarcerations decades ago.  Cory Booker and Kamala Harris were said to be in hot water for their actions as attorneys which disproportionately affected people of color.   Mayor Pete is said to be guilty of 'white male privilege' and actually makes a point of acknowledging it on the stump.  And, on and on and on.  

Even those who are not prejudiced and have fought for racial equality don't have perfectly clean hands when it comes to racial justice, in retrospect.  So, most voters (black or not) consider the intentions and full records of the candidates, and they put more weight on decent candidates' current practices and future proposals, in my observation.