BLACK VOTERS CAN'T BE BOUGHT
The results from the South Carolina primary and Super Tuesday are in and, unsurprisingly, Black voters in the South turned out overwhelmingly in favor of former Vice President Joe Biden. Two observations that I've been following:
Democratic candidates have spent a record amount of money courting African Americans this primary season
neither of the leading candidates have economic platforms that specifically target Black Americans
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THE BILLIONAIRE CANDIDATES SPENT MILLIONS COURTING BLACK VOTERS
Tom Steyer, the hedge fund billionaire who went viral for backing that thang up with Juvenile last weekend, spent millions courting Black voters in South Carolina. According to The New York Times:
the Steyer campaign spent roughly $14 million on local broadcast ads in the state, including many Black-owned news organizations
he spent "lavishly" with Black-owned businesses: hiring Black staffers from local communities, hosting events at Black-owned venues, and employing Black vendors
Additionally, the Steyer campaign hired Black-owned messaging and strategy firm HIT Strategies as its internal pollster. Despite promising gains in the state, Steyer finished in third place in South Carolina and exited the race on Saturday.
But no one has spent more money this primary season than former NYC mayor Mike Bloomberg. While his overall campaign spending is enormous––by mid-February he had already spent more than $400 million on advertising alone––he has also been throwing record-breaking sums of money at Black-owned news organizations and businesses:
The Bloomberg campaign is spending a record $3.5 million to advertise his presidential campaign in the black news media
His charitable contributions over the years have resulted in a remarkable number of Black mayors endorsing him
He has employed a Black-owned print company, PR firm, and creative agency
and released a nationwide TV ad touting his support for Black-owned businesses
Nevertheless, he is said to be reassessing his campaign
after his disappointing Super Tuesday performance.
BIDEN & BERNIE LACK ROBUST BLACK ECONOMIC AGENDAS
While other candidates and former candidates like Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and Mike Bloomberg have laid out plans that addressing the economic needs of Black Americans, neither of the current leading candidates have plans in their platforms that specifically target Black Americans.
Joe Biden's somewhat vague "Plan to Invest in Middle Class Competitiveness" says nothing about how he will specifically help Black Americans. And while Bernie Sanders' Racial Justice plan is commendable, his approach to economic justice is not race-specific. This is notable because the historic and systemic economic injustices leveled against Black Americans specifically, need solutions that are specifically for Black Americans.
As we move forward in this election cycle, we as Black Americans must demand race-specific economic solutions from the remaining Democratic candidates.