The 2024 election cycle is heating up as it becomes increasingly clear that the nation will once again be choosing between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the race for the White House. Of particular interest this season is the declining support for Biden among Black voters, a critical constituency that helped him win in 2020.
Current polling shows that while Biden still enjoys considerable support among Black voters overall, with 73 percent preferring him over Trump, his backing drops significantly among Black voters under 34—to just 60 percent. Interestingly enough, 28 percent of this group support Trump.
Given the reality that Black Americans have supported Democrats at percentages exceeding 90 percent in days past, it is clear this new trend has placed quite an obstacle in the president's path to reelection.
The obvious question is: Why is this happening?
For starters, the Biden administration has largely neglected Black voters' concerns since taking office in 2021. Yet Biden has championed other groups of Americans, such as migrants and the LGBTQ community. Indeed, even Ukraine seems to get more attention from the Biden administration than African Americans.
The president has essentially signaled that he cares more for the plight of people in foreign countries than addressing domestic issues that affect the Black community.
Another issue could also be the leftward lurch the Democratic Party is making. While African Americans have traditionally supported Democrats, they are not necessarily progressive Leftists. Black voters tend to be more moderate and even conservative on many issues. Moving further toward socialism is likely to turn off even more African Americans.
The numbers reveal a growing disillusionment with the Democratic Party. For over six decades, the party has enjoyed the unwavering support of Black Americans. But more Black voters are seeing that Democrats have taken their loyalty for granted, refusing to keep promises and continuing the same policies that have harmed Black Americans for decades.
This sentiment is particularly pronounced among younger Black voters, who do not have the same attachment to the Democratic Party as their elders.
Of course, it is worth noting that just because Black voters are moving away from the Democrats and a higher percentage are willing to support Trump does not necessarily indicate that members of this voting bloc will begin backing the Republican Party. It is more likely that most of these disaffected voters will choose not to vote at all.
However, this development does provide a unique opportunity for the Right to finally start engaging with African Americans. It will take a long-term focus to persuade younger Black folks to give right-leaning candidates a chance. The smart move would be to take advantage of the growing dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party as an opportunity to build a bigger tent.
President Biden's struggle with keeping the support of Black voters is not his alone. The entire party is losing Black support—and for good reason. This represents a tremendous shift in the political landscape, especially if Democrats fail to figure out how to win these voters back.
It should serve as a wake-up call for both parties. The question is: Which one will take the opportunity to reassess its approach to the Black community?
Jeff Charles is the host of "A Fresh Perspective" podcast and a contributor for RedState and Liberty Nation.
The views in this article are the writer's own.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
