Presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden this week named Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate. The two will square off against President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in November.
Her selection was not really a surprise, as influential Democrats already had given Biden orders that he was required to pick a woman, and a black, as his running mate.
But instead of attracting more support from the black community, the selection of Harris seems to have done the opposite.
It is Paul Bedard, in his Washington Secrets column, who pointed out that Rasmussen Reports found that now “a third of likely voters who were black said they are ‘less likely’ to vote for the Democratic ticket.”
The same numbers said they are “more likely” as well as those who said it will make no difference.
He pointed out that 37% of blacks have a “very favorable” opinion of her, compared to just 28% of white voters.
JULY 2020 – FULL MONTH JOB APPROVAL SUMMARY
National Likely Voter (LV) Job Approval of @POTUS – 47%
Men LV App – 49%
Women LV App – 44%
GOP LV App – 79%
Dem LV App – 23%
Ind LV App – 41%
White LV App – 48%
Black Total LV App – 36% !
Other Non-White Total LV App – 51% ! https://t.co/45keakekAX pic.twitter.com/QzbGZf4hSg
— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) August 7, 2020
“Biden has recently made a handful of gaffes seen as damaging his effort to shore up the normally Democratic black vote. Party officials said they hoped that Harris would help Biden win the 90% of the black vote Democrats commonly get,” the report said.
“But the Rasmussen poll is a red flag. And it follows other recent polls by the firm that show support for President Trump. For the month of July, Rasmussen said that black approval of Trump was 36%. Before the coronavirus crisis, black employment had hit a high, and his administration has tackled key issues in the African American community, including criminal justice reform and inner-city opportunity zones.”
