Atlanta Voice
Election 2020 – Black voters are unsure of Democratic Candidates
ATLANTA VOICE — As the first Democratic debate is thirteen days away, a new poll reveals the crowded field must do a better job of promoting themselves, their policies and informing the electorate of their raison d’être in order to stand out. According a poll released by the Black Economic Alliance, of 1,003 black Americans discovered that between 27% and 33% of those surveyed “have reservations” about or are “very uncomfortable” with Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Beto O’Rourke, and Pete Buttigieg as presidential candidates.
By Itoro N. Umontuen
As the first Democratic debate is thirteen days away, a new poll reveals the crowded field must do a better job of promoting themselves, their policies and informing the electorate of their raison d’être in order to stand out. According a poll released by the Black Economic Alliance, of 1,003 black Americans discovered that between 27% and 33% of those surveyed “have reservations” about or are “very uncomfortable” with Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Beto O’Rourke, and Pete Buttigieg as presidential candidates.
According to the same poll, 37% of black Americans do not know who O’Rourke is and 47% are unfamiliar with Buttigieg.
On the other end of the scale, 68% of respondents are enthusiastic or comfortable with Joe Biden, 58% are comfortable with Bernie Sanders, and 47% are comfortable with California Senator Kamala Harris.
By comparison, 87% of respondents are very uncomfortable or have reservations with President Donald Trump’s job performance at this moment in time.
“We live in a world where we follow politics 24 hours a day, but that’s not the reality for most Americans,” said Akunna Cook, executive director of the Black Economic Alliance, which is hosting a presidential forum this weekend in South Carolina. “We know that black Americans are going to make a difference for who gets in the White House in 2020,” she said. “They’re hungry for a candidate that will speak to the issues that are central to them.”
The first Democratic debate is June 26-27 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami. Savannah Guthrie, Lester Holt, Chuck Todd, Rachel Maddow and José Diaz-Balart will moderate the debate.
This article originally appeared in the Atlanta Voice.
