President Joe Biden is seeking to quell the growing rebellion within the Democratic party regarding his fitness for office by rallying support from Black, Hispanic, and progressive leaders.
Biden has actively engaged in the Democratic Party's debate over his candidacy, with some of his strongest defenders being lawmakers of color. They have bolstered Biden's claim of having rank-and-file support while criticizing "party elites" for their apprehensions about his physical and mental state potentially paving the way for Donald Trump's return to the White House. Their support, the report said, has significantly slowed efforts to push him out of the race.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has expressed support for Biden without explicitly endorsing his candidacy, according to a Bloomberg report. Trump is also working to gain traction with Latino voters, a demographic Biden won by over 20 percentage points in 2020.
However, Biden has been bleeding support among Latinos, and recent polls suggest Trump is poised to secure the biggest share of voters from the demographic than any other Republican presidential candidate in history (including himself).
An often cited A New York Times/Siena College poll found that Biden had only a 1% lead over Trump among this demographic, with 47% and 46% respectively. As Newsweek reports, if those numbers were to be similar come election day, Trump would surpass Richard Nixon's as the Republican with the biggest share of Latino votes in history. Nixon received 40 percent of the Latino vote in 1972, just 7 years after the 1965 Voting Rights Act granted suffrage rights to Hispanic voters and other ethnic minorities.
Moreover, even though Black communities have traditionally been a cornerstone of the Democratic Party, recent polls indicate Biden's declining approval among members of the demographic. Concerns about inflation, slow civil rights progress, and Biden's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict have contributed to this trend.
During a virtual meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus on Monday, Biden's support among Black elected officials was evident. Representative Steven Horsford of Nevada, the caucus chairman, expressed unequivocal support for Biden. Biden has scheduled several events, including appearances in Detroit and Las Vegas, and a speech to the AFL-CIO labor coalition, to signal his determination to continue his campaign.
Cedric Richmond, the Biden campaign co-chair, underscored the importance of the Black community's support for Biden's campaign. Vice President Harris has also been actively engaging with key groups, including meeting with the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team and planning speeches for historically Black sororities.
Biden's strategy of leveraging support from Black voters is reminiscent of his 2020 primary campaign when an endorsement from prominent Black lawmaker Jim Clyburn was pivotal in his South Carolina victory. Additionally, Biden has received tepid backing from progressive leaders like New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who acknowledged Biden's determination to run.
Biden's political future remains uncertain. Many Democrats fear that his insistence on remaining in the race could lead to a Republican victory in the upcoming election. Another poor performance, especially during or after the Thursday press conference at the NATO summit, could further jeopardize his campaign.
Recent polling in seven swing states indicates that 55% of respondents believe Biden should consider stepping down, although only 31% of Black respondents share this view. Despite these challenges, Biden continues to reinforce his belief in his candidacy's viability through public appearances and targeted outreach. So far, he has remained defiant of his detractors and committed to staying in the race.
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