WASHINGTON – The Congressional Black Caucus prides itself on its authority among Democrats and its influence with President Joe Biden in particular. So far, only one of about 60 members has joined calls for Biden to drop his re-election bid due to concerns about his age and ability to win.
But the caucus’ broad support for the president varies widely, ranging from enthusiastic support to outright skepticism. And a small but growing number within the group publicly express doubts about Biden’s candidacy.
Black voters are widely credited with helping Biden win the Democratic nomination four years ago and then defeat Republican Donald Trump. Whether black lawmakers will stand with the president now, and how fervently they do so, could be critical in the coming days as pressure increases from the highest levels of the Democratic Party for Biden to end his campaign.
Biden’s approval ratings among Black Americans have fallen since he took office, reflecting weakening enthusiasm. Among Democrats nationwide, nearly two-thirds say Biden should step aside and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to a survey by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
In the same poll, black Democrats were divided on whether Biden should remain or resign as a candidate.
For now, the CBC remains the bedrock of Biden’s support. Several members emerged as prominent advocates.
“President Biden, as I have said repeatedly, is our nominee,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a CBC fellow, told reporters on Friday, calling Biden “one of the most accomplished American presidents in our history”.
“I believe he has the vision, the ability, the capability and the track record to advocate for the American people that will result in our success in November,” Jeffries said.
Rep. Joyce Beatty, former president of the CBC, said Biden is fully capable of campaigning effectively enough to defeat Trump.
“Not only do I believe it, I know it,” Beatty said. “Biden is at his best against all odds.”
“I am a Biden delegate. I will only accept guidance from Joe Biden, not from the Fourth Estate, not from billionaires, not from my very influential colleagues”, said Congresswoman Gwen Moore.
Still, a crack emerged on Friday when Rep. Marc Veasey of Texas became the first member of the CBC to call for Biden to withdraw. Ending his campaign, Veasey said in a joint statement with three other Democrats, is “the responsible and patriotic thing to do.”
The unprecedented buzz around Biden’s candidacy began on June 27, when the president’s debate performance against Trump sparked concerns about his age and ability to persuade doubtful voters. Biden gave meandering answers and often seemed to lose his train of thought as he struggled to deflect Trump’s attacks and defend his candidacy.
Democratic panic broke out immediately. As the furor deepened, Biden quickly held a virtual call with the CBC, his first meeting with a large group of lawmakers after the debate, to thank them for their support.
“You protected me and I promise I will protect yours,” he said.
Central to many CBC members’ support for Biden is the sense that the stakes of the election mean that any party infighting will harm the interests of Black Americans and the group’s overwhelming priority of defeating Trump. CBC members have been adamant in private conversations that they should focus instead on mobilizing communities of color, the Democrats’ most consistent voting bloc.
“What you hear and see from black voters is a true reflection of the simple fact that in every election we are casting a survival vote,” said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist and senior adviser to Rep. Jim Clyburn, the South Carolina Democrat. who supported Biden four years ago in his state’s primaries, paving the way for Biden’s victory and the consolidation of the Democratic field.
Clyburn, who remains one of Biden’s most influential supporters, expressed openness to a hypothetical “mini-primary” if Biden stepped aside, although he later emphasized that he was only speaking in the hypothetical.
“We are now at a point where people are saying, ‘Biden is too old.’ Hell, I’m older than Biden,” said California Rep. Maxine Waters, who at 85 is four years older than the president, during an appearance on Essence Festival.
“I want to tell you that no matter what anyone else says, there will be no other Democratic candidate. It will be Biden and we better know that,” she added.
Before the Trump assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, Biden was expected to hold a crucial week of events focused on black and Latino voters.
But the White House canceled a planned Monday appearance to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin due to the weekend’s events. Biden delivered remarks as planned at the NAACP’s annual convention on Tuesday, where he said that “our politics have become very heated” and that Americans “must oppose all violence,” linking the attack on Trump’s life to the recent mass shootings. deadly, police killings of unarmed black Americans and race riots throughout the country’s history.
Then, the next day, Biden’s scheduled remarks at the national convention of UnidosUS, a Latino civil rights group, were canceled after he tested positive for COVID-19.
The diagnosis sidelined Biden as many in his party were concerned about calls for his resignation.
Much of the concern about Biden’s candidacy revolves around the potential impact on all Democrats running for office.
Biden and the Democrats depend on the overwhelming and enthusiastic support of black voters to increase their chances of victory in November, which means that high pessimism can be decisive in competitive races.
On July 10, Representative Ritchie Torres of New York wrote on social media that the party must have “a serious calculation of the negative effect of whoever we nominate” and that the decision must be guided by “an unsentimental analysis of cold, hard numbers – which have no personal feelings or political loyalties”.
Among black activists and civil rights leaders, there is concern about low enthusiasm among black voters as communities grapple with issues such as rising costs of living.
“African Americans are most concerned about the political priorities of whoever the next president is. They also want to see a president who unifies this country and focuses more on solutions and not creating divisive dog whistles and soundbites,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in an interview shortly before Biden’s convention speech. .
But several black Democratic strategists close to the CBC argued that depressed turnout won’t be a problem once black voters mobilize around the stakes of the election and opposition to Trump. which remains largely unpopular in black communities.
“Because we know that not all progress is permanent, and because we know that old battles have become new again, everything we have fought for generationally still remains an important fight,” Seawright said.
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Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed.
