Saturday, December 21

Tag: biden

Joe Biden Did So Well In Georgia, How?
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IN OTHER NEWS

Joe Biden Did So Well In Georgia, How?

For nearly 30 years, the state of Georgia has voted reliably Republican in presidential elections. Not since 1992 has the state backed a Democrat for president. Now, the hand recount of 2020 election ballots has confirmed Joe Biden won the state. The initial returns from Georgia on election night leaned Republican, but in the days that followed, the balance of the count shifted steadily, as ballots from in and around Atlanta were counted. These votes were largely from communities of color, mostly African American – and they represent much of the state’s rich history of civil rights advocacy. Atlanta, often called the “cradle of the civil rights movement,” was the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. and made up much of the congressional district represented by the late John Lewis. I am ...
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Can Biden’s Climate Change Plans Quickly Raise The Bar, And Be Transformative?
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ENVIRONMENT, POLITICS, SCIENCE

Can Biden’s Climate Change Plans Quickly Raise The Bar, And Be Transformative?

The day Joe Biden becomes president, he can start taking actions that can help slow climate change. The question is whether he can match the magnitude of the challenge. If his administration focuses only on what is politically possible and fails to build a coordinated response that also addresses the social and economic ramifications of both climate change and the U.S. policy response, it is unlikely to succeed. I have spent much of my career working on responses to climate change internationally and in Washington. I have seen the quiet efforts across political parties, even when the rhetoric was heated. There is room for effective climate actions, particularly as heat waves, wildfires and extreme weather make the risks of global warming tangible and the costs of renewable energy fall. A...
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With Harris pick, Biden reaches out to young Black Americans
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POLITICS

With Harris pick, Biden reaches out to young Black Americans

With his choice of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, Joe Biden may have helped bring young Black Americans to his side on Election Day. Only 47% of those Black Americans under 30 years old that we surveyed recently planned to vote for Biden, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee. But by picking Harris, a Black running mate, support for Biden jumps to 73% in this age group, which is a significant increase though still lower than other age groups. Harris joining up with Biden may have made the Democratic ticket more attractive to younger Black Americans, who now comprise what we define as a critical set of swing voters. But these aren’t your grandparents’ swing voters. No longer working-class whites Most political analysts define “swing voters” as those who swing their suppor...
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Before Kamala Harris became Biden’s running mate, Shirley Chisholm and other Black women aimed for the White House
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POLITICS

Before Kamala Harris became Biden’s running mate, Shirley Chisholm and other Black women aimed for the White House

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, the American daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, is Joe Biden’s choice for vice president. If Biden wins in November, Harris would break three centuries-old barriers to become the nation’s first female vice president, first Black vice president and first Black female vice president. Geraldine Ferraro was the first female vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket, in 1984. In 2008, Alaska’s then-governor Sarah Palin was Republican John McCain’s running mate. Before Harris was picked as Biden’s running mate, she was his competitor for the Democratic presidential nomination. She is one of many Black American women who have aimed for the highest office in the land despite great odds. Hands that once picked cotton African Americans have endured many ...
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Young Black Americans not sold on Biden, the Democrats or voting
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POLITICS

Young Black Americans not sold on Biden, the Democrats or voting

Most political analysts define “swing voters” as those who swing their support from one party to the other between election cycles – determining winners and losers in the process. According to this conventional wisdom, the “swingiest” voters are working-class whites in the Midwest, who supposedly hold the keys to the White House. Meanwhile, by contrast, pundits often portray Black Americans as an undifferentiated mass – loyal Democrat-supporting foot soldiers who will execute their mission for The Team on Tuesday as long as some preacher provides the right marching orders on Sunday. If these depictions have not already expired, they are certainly growing stale. Having studied electoral trends for decades, we can tell you that those undecided voters of the past are an endangered species ...
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Biden Our Vote And That Support Must Be Earned
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POLITICS

Biden Our Vote And That Support Must Be Earned

Not long before the murder of George Floyd, America witnessed a viral incident that depicted the volatility of Black life. We saw Amy Cooper, a White woman, threaten and maliciously call the New York City police to punish a Black male birder who dared to ask her to restrain her unleashed dog. The inherent harm of this call—the harm she intended and that which was possible—was evident. This careless disregard for Black life makes women such as Amy Cooper dangerous. We all know this is not new information. In 2016, an estimated 53% of White women voted to elect Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States despite the disdain and hatred he and his supporters expressed for Black people. Just as Cooper knowingly weaponized law enforcement for her benefit, so too did the women who hel...
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Sanders exit opened door for Obama to endorse Biden – and offer up his rhetorical skills
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POLITICS, VIDEO REELS

Sanders exit opened door for Obama to endorse Biden – and offer up his rhetorical skills

The three endorsements Joe Biden needed most came within the space of 48 hours. First, Bernie Sanders backed his former Democratic rival for president on April 13, effectively ending the Democratic primary. The emergence of a consensus candidate appeared to liberate former president Barack Obama, who a day later reentered American politics proper, after dedicating three years to staying largely below the political radar. In a 12-minute YouTube video, Obama declared he was “proud to endorse Joe Biden” adding, “I believe Joe has the qualities we need in a president.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren followed suit on April 15, pledging her own support to Biden. The emergence of a consensus candidate – reportedly after Obama held a series of conversations with Sanders – allowed the former president to...
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Biden’s big night with moderates, African Americans and Baby Boomers
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POLITICS

Biden’s big night with moderates, African Americans and Baby Boomers

With the race for the Democratic nomination narrowed to two front-runners, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, six states went to the polls on March 10: Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington. We asked three scholars to examine the primary results. Keisha N. Blain, University of Pittsburgh The March 10 Democratic primary results highlight the power of the African American vote. Despite Sanders’ efforts to reach African American voters, he was unable to win their vote on Tuesday night. He underperformed in several states, including some he previously won in 2016. At the heart of Sanders’ loss is the African American vote. While African American voters are not a monolithic group, the majority lent their support to Biden on March 10. There are many factors that acco...
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