Buttigieg at 0% among African-Americans in today's Quinnipiac South Carolina poll

[Chambi]

Biden leads with Warren in second.
https://poll.qu.edu/south-carolina/release-detail?ReleaseID=3649

[LakeArenal]

1. Pete doesn't appeal to black voters?

That’s a shame because Pete is an up and coming politician and will be around for a long time.

Is it a gay issue? Hope not.

[AkFemDem]

4. Yes it's absolutely a gay issue

He’s going to face an uphill battle especially in southern black churches.

[Joe941]

46. You do know you are saying black voters are discriminating...

[NCLefty]

63. Yes. They helped screw us on prop 8 and it's generally harder to be gay in the black community.

See: Religion, hyper-masculinity, etc.

Still, ZERO percent among AA... wow O.o



(Voting YES was bad): http://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/CAExitPollGayMarriage.pdf

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-nov-08-me-gayblack8-story.html

[SaschaHM]

64. They contributed less to "Yes" than white voters so spare us w/ your justifications.

Even at 70/30, if they made up 10% of the electorate, they contributed 7% to the Yes tally.
White voters made up 63% w/ 49/51, making their contribution 30-31% to Yes. For every black voter voting yes, you have 4 white voters doing the same. So if you're looking to place the blame anywhere, hint hint, it's the majority.

Pete has 40% name recognition and unless he has some uplifting stories of how he's helped the AA community in South Bend that he's not telling us, he's only selling hopes to people that have no reason to believe he will deliver. The AA community doesn't gravitate to white saviors.

[LeftTurn3623]

71. funny thing is AA do not Kamala Harris either

[SaschaHM]

80. Or Booker or Castro for that matter.

However, it's only homophobia that keeps them from supporting Pete, not you know, being unable to distinguish him from a crowd of johnny come lately candidates who don't have the history to back up their promises.

[LeftTurn3623]

81. The problem for Harris is her history though

Pete is pretty unknown but if he wins Iowa and the media blitz that follows AA along with everyone else will start to look at him as a real candidate. Once they get to know him then they will decide. But right now he is "johnny come lately candidate" as you like to call it.

[LakeArenal]

70. No need to tell me what "apparently don't know"

It was an honest question. Which the first part of your comment answered quite well until you decided to say that.
I’m not surprised that Biden leads. He has a lot to support. Including mine
I’m asking why Pete is not popular. That’s all. Now you told me why you don’t support him. I won’t suggest to think you speak for everyone tho.

[brush]

72. I don't speak for all AAs. Neither should you as you did with your broad brush...

swipe of all African Americans not supporting Mayor Pete because of his sexual orientation.

FYI: I will support the mayor should he get the nomination.

[LakeArenal]

73. I asked is it? It wasn't an accusation. It was a question that you answered really well.

So asking to be more informed is considered by you a repudiation of AAs?
Sorry I have not had all the diversity in my life that you feel I should have.

Pete is a smart good man. He’s served his country and wishes to continue. I see fromyour response that he has a long way to go to prove himself to some. That’s what I wanted to hear. I don’t know how it became an attack on a group of persons by me or an attack of me by you.
Thanks for your informative answer. Have a good day.

[brush]

74. I apologize. My response should've been to the poster who said it was...

definitely the sexual preference issue as to the lack of support.

[LakeArenal]

78. If I am honest, I would tell you....

Your response to my actual question has made me reconsider my support of Pete for VP. Maybe he does need more time in local or state politics.

But I’m still a bit pissed.

[brush]

79. I understand. But we still had a meaningful exchange, even though it was...

by my responding to the wrong poster.

[brush]

76. Maybe not. There is the poorly handled black police chief matter, and then the...

experience issue—I mean being the very young mayor of a decidedly non-major city doesn't rate that high, and then there are several nationally known candidates in the race ahead of him so don't paint ALL African Americans with such a broad brush.

You apparently don't know many of us make decision based on issues other than sexual orientation, but as in other demographics, some do.

It should be no surprise that Biden and others poll higher in SC as the state more accurately reflects the diversity of the national Democratic Party than do nearly all-white Iowa and New Hampshire do.

And then there are the many diverse states coming up shortly after SC on Super Tuesday.

[UniteFightBack]

112. That's part of it but I think it's just his vibe too ...the brutha ain't got no soul. I love Pete

and he would be my #2 pick...man do I think he would be able to handle dump and fully expose the Russiapublicans in such a delicious way! But if the brothers and sisters aren't on board for whatever the reasons it's just not going to work - this time around. So Biden is it.

[nycbos]

5. There is homophobia in every community.

Last edited Mon Nov 18, 2019, 08:56 PM - Edit history (1)

For the record I am not black or gay.

But a gay woman won every single ward in Chicago's mayoral election. Organizations tied to her opponent tried some dog whistling at the end in some black precincts. It didn't work. If anything it back fried.

[cwydro]

26. Thank you.

[MichMan]

31. Female homosexuality is often more accepted than male homosexuality by some.

[Funtatlaguy]

77. True. And homosexuality more accepted in Midwest than the South.

Especially in churches.

[Celerity]

82. as the trifecta (part black, female, and LGBTQ) I can attest to this (obviously there are a tonne of

exceptions.) It is also very much a regional thing, and often linked to religion as well, again with a myriad number of exceptions. Finally, as bad a some of us cis-gendered queer folk can have it, our 'sufferings' (if you will allow me that terminology) PALE in comparison to our Trans brothers and sisters.

[Dream Girl]

37. Black trumped gay in Chicago.

[nycbos]

40. The runoff was between two black women.

Toni Preckwinkle was (and is) President of the Cook County Board Commissioners.

Lori Lightfoot the current mayor was lawyer at a downtown law firm and a former member of the Chicago Police Board

[redqueen]

10. No, it's based on his record in South Bend,

for the most part.

[airplaneman]

34. Bingo n/t.

[Act_of_Reparation]

11. Mayor Pete is a Mayor.

Mayor of the 301st most populous state in the US. Maybe that's the problem.

[cwydro]

27. He's the mayor of a STATE?"

Who knew?

[jcgoldie]

38. yes but

Its only the 301st most populous state... thats gotta have even less people than either Dakota...

[radical noodle]

51. I'd love to know where you got the information

that you're quoting. There aren't 301 states, so how in the world can Indiana be 301st? And, having been a Hoosier for 65 years, I'm pretty sure there are more people there than in either one of the Dakotas. In fact, I just looked it up and Indiana has 6.692 million population, South Dakota has only 882,235, and North Dakota has even less than South Dakota.

[jcgoldie]

55. Lighten up Francis

I was making a dumb joke about the typo two posts above mine.

[Act_of_Reparation]

66. Yes, I am obviously an idiot.

No fucking way I occasionally make mistakes when wording. My assessment of Mayor Pete's relative inexperience, lack of political capital, and obscurity are completely invalid. You win the internets. Well done.

[SaschaHM]

43. Ding ding ding ding

Not every state allows their mayors the power and authority that say South Bend or New York does.

My mayor is a family friend, but if my perception of the job was based on his responsibilities and tenure, I wouldn't elect him to anything more than a congressional seat.

I've said this elsewhere, but most voters aren't going to do a deep dive into the South Bend mayoralty to decide if Pete is qualified. They're going to use their own notions of what a mayor does and that's really not going to be to Pete's benefit in the south where state governments (and local councils) often took back control from local mayors.

[thesquanderer]

13. It doesn't mean Pete doesn't appeal to black voters. It means SC black voters tend to prefer Biden.

You can only vote for one person. Not voting for someone doesn't necessarily mean you don't like them, it often just means you like someone else better.

Biden has a huge lead among black voters as he wins 44 percent. Sanders gets 10 percent, Warren has 8 percent, and Buttigieg receives less than one percent among black voters.

[SaschaHM]

39. He's a 37 year old mayor w/ no connection to the SC black community.

Why would they give him the time of day when Bernie, Warren, and Biden are there? Black voters aren't going to give the keys to the car to someone they don't know can even drive yet.

Pete doesn't impress me. I don't hate him and would support him as the nominee. However, there's nothing about him that I as a gay black voter identify as something that I would support over Bernie, Warren, Biden, Harris, Booker or Klobuchar.

[Demsrule86]

44. Interesting you say that...My daughter is gay...I asked her how she liked Mayor Pete...she is

in college. I expected some excitement. I mean it is ground breaking but she was lukewarm...she likes Warren and Harris.

[SaschaHM]

45. I'm gay and I'm lukewarm about him at best.

It's a long and complicated conversation that I don't want to have on DU, but the LGBT+ community can be factional and there's a long and divisive history over many issues. White gay men will be excited about Buttigieg. Some gay men, regardless of race, will be. Other members of the LGBT+ community, may not be, simply because the whole "We all rise together" mantra often isn't true. I'll just say his issues with the AA community in South Bend, probably resonate beyond the AA community and into certain segments of the LGBT+ community.

[Demsrule86]

53. Interesting...thanks.

She asked my would I vote for like Nikki Haley just because she was a woman...I said no of course not...and she said,well it is kind of the same thing.

[JonAndKatePlusABird]

69. Your daughter summed it up perfectly

I’m gay, and completely agree with her. Going to use the Nicki Haley comparison as well when explaining to others.

[Demsrule86]

90. I am very proud of my smart girl...she is really something...smart and kind...very lucky.

[Gothmog]

109. Still at 0%

Link to tweet

[mcar]

49. What has Pete done to appeal to black voters?

Do not call an entire group homophobic without actual proof.

[loyalsister]

75. That is a bigoted assumption

He relied on the old, stand by urban renewal policy which is part of the root of our wealth disparity without engaging the people most affected. When the process of identifying blighted areas and using eminent domain was first used in the 60s, the policy makers could argue that they were not aware of the consequences.
Pete did this at a time when he should have known better. It should be a mark of shame on his record, but instead he lists it as an accomplishment. The idea that one white man's interests and intentions outweigh all of what was lost by the Black and Latino residents of South Bend is white supremacy.

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/21/pete-buttigieg-democratic-presidential-hopeful-south-bend-indiana-turnaround-city/3165477002/

[LeftTurn3623]

2. This will change once he wins Iowa

[Chambi]

7. Black people are waiting to see who White people like best?

My theory is that African-Americans have a mind of their own.

[Skya Rhen]

16. As an AA, I sincerely thank you for your sensible response.

[LeftTurn3623]

67. nonsense

most people havent heard of Pete and once he wins Iowa the media attention will make him a bigger name

has nothing to do with AA making up their own mind

[Demsrule86]

36. It will not change...the only consequence in Iowa is Warren will be in trouble... She is the only

one that Iowa matters for. Mayor Pete has not addressed the police chief thing and never built up ties to the Black community...and he will not and should not be our candidate.

[Blue_true]

47. I think the police chief thing will likely do him in.

Did the chief explain to him that there were racists in the department? If the chief didn't bring it up, shouldn't Buttigieg have looked at the paltry number of POC officers and ask questions. If mayor Pete did ask, maybe the presence of racist police officers in the department would have surfaced and the police Cheif would not have allowed an illegal taping of a racist POS detective.

It has more to do with yuppie mayors than his sexuality. Yuppie mayors focus on prettying up the city and attracting cutting edge businesses and industries. They often ignore the needs of the less welloff parts of the city until that oversight comes back to bite them in the ass.

[Demsrule86]

54. I think you are correct...

[Gothmog]

99. Black South Bend official endorses Biden while criticizing Buttigieg

Link to tweet

The vice president of the South Bend, Indiana, Common Council on Friday endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president, and criticized South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg as the city's mayor faces more questions about his appeal to black voters.

Oliver Davis is one of the longest-serving black South Bend council members, according to a news release by the Biden campaign, and was previously the president of the South Bend Common Council. Davis ran for mayor in South Bend this year and lost to James Mueller, whom Buttigieg endorsed as his preferred successor. Buttigieg has been mayor of South Bend since 2012, and did not seek reelection.

"In times like these, when the political winds are fiercely blowing across our country, it's important for us to have an experienced leader who has been through the diverse storms of life to guide our country. That's why I am very pleased to support Vice President Joe Biden to be our next President of the United States of America," Davis said in a statement provided by the Biden campaign.

Davis told Politico that Biden is more experienced, and said he doubted Buttigieg could win a general election given his low level of support among black voters. Davis told Politico that Buttigieg's problem attracting support from communities of color "is not a new problem for him." He said: "For us, this has been a consistent issue that has not gone away."

[Gothmog]

108. African American voters will not pay attention to Iowa

Link to tweet

[Captain Zero]

3. Mayor Pete is great but,

think how that number, even if it improves, would play out on a November election day across the country. It's just a fact, turnout among a key component of the base would be problematic to say the least.

[Dream Girl]

15. Yep. What I call the "standing in the November rain test". Black voters often have to queue up for

hours in underserved precincts (part of voter suppression). We need a candidate that can motivate AA voters to deal with the substantial hurdles placed before them. Obama was able to do that in historic proportions. Biden probably would too. However, I doubt Buttgieg can motivate that kind of dedication...and yes religious homophobia will be part of the equation, but newsflash ---- many whites are homophobic too, maybe not the liberal base we see represented in Iowa and NW but plenty of whites who won't vote for a gay man sorry to say.

[cwydro]

28. If getting the orange asswipe out of office doesn't motivate ANY voter of ANY color -

Well, I don’t know what will.

[StarfishSaver]

35. I understand your point

But there's motivation and then there's "standing out in the rain" motivation. Black voters have to overcome hurdles that few other voters have to deal with. Candidates and campaigns need to try at least as hard to attract our votes as they do to appeal to certain other demographics of the lighter persuasion.

[mcar]

50. Plus, black voters, esp women

have been the backbone of this party for a long time. How much longer do they need to fall in line?

[StarfishSaver]

52. And meanwhile, we have to put up with people climbing all over themselves

trying to appeal to white working class voters and white suburban moms who voted for Trump last time around.

[mcar]

65. Yep.

[dem4decades]

29. If Pete's running mate was Stacy would that do it?

She's great, smart and wonderful.

[LakeArenal]

41. *!*

[brush]

61. Reverse that ticket and you might get some attention from AA voters.

[Gothmog]

98. Biden snares black leader's endorsement in Buttigieg's town

From the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-snares-black-leaders-endorsement-in-buttigiegs-town/2019/11/22/a80c9b44-0d5e-11ea-8054-289aef6e38a3_story.html

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden sent a message Friday to Mayor Pete Buttigieg with three endorsements from black Indiana leaders, including one from the South Bend mayor’s hometown.

The moves underscore the 37-year-old mayor’s trouble connecting with black voters even as he’s surged to the top of polls in the first-caucus state of overwhelmingly white Iowa. For the Biden campaign, they emphasize the 77-year-old former vice president’s strength among black Democrats, despite his otherwise uneven campaign that leaves some establishment party figures, particularly wealthy, white donors, nervous about his long-term prospects.

Biden’s new endorsers are South Bend Council officer Oliver Davis Jr. and two state representatives from metro Indianapolis.

“When the political winds are fiercely blowing across our country, it’s important for us to have an experienced leader who has been through the diverse storms of life to guide our country,” Davis said in a statement explaining why he’s behind Biden.

[Gothmog]

106. African American vote share in this South Carolina @YouGov poll:

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

107. Mayor Pete is still at 0%

Link to tweet

[AkFemDem]

6. Relevant article

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.com/amp/story/2019/05/15/pete-buttigieg-black-voters-1322396

[thesquanderer]

12. OTOH, check this post for a different perspective...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287340957

(I'm referencing the post rather than the original article because the article is behind a paywall)

[SKKY]

8. This, unfortunately, is the absolute truth...

...If I weren't leaning on pragmatism this time around, I'd be a Mayor Pete supporter for sure. No doubt.

[crazytown]

9. Six months of outreach

Last edited Tue Nov 19, 2019, 12:08 AM - Edit history (2)

have not made a dent

[Blue_true]

48. Mayor Pete demoted a Black Cheif of Police who was fighting racists in his department.

A few years after that, a cop that was known to be rough with Blacks and used racist language fatally shot a Black man. Outreach is not going to paper over that, nor will an argument that Mayor Pete doesn't want to impede an ongoing investigation (which nothing has been heard from).

[Celerity]

60. that is a large misrepresentation of what actually happened

A must read, this backs up what I have been saying since spring. It also does a great job at fully fleshing out the Boykins (the SB demoted police chief) issue in some depth. The whole Sirota/JD/TYT/DSA/BoBer/Jacobin/Nina Turner etc etc crowd has been camping down in South Bend for 8 months or so in various and sundry permutations, trying to dig up dirt and smear Buttigieg. This was often done with the aid of small local disaffected partisan hacks and outright cranks, many with dodgy personal agendas and reasons (which I also have documented in the past, including a rabidly homophobic SB councilman (now ex) who posted man/dog sex pics to condemn gays in the military), who were then amplified at times by the national press after the far left penumbra had already baked them into the cake.


'Racist' TYT reporter continues smear campaign against Buttigieg

https://orderofthecoif.wordpress.com/2019/10/25/racist-tyt-reporter-continues-smear-campaign-against-buttigieg/

The Young Turks today published the latest in a series of articles about Pete Buttigieg that they’ve characterised as “investigative reporting”. As will be shown in this article, these articles by Jonathan Larsen constitute nothing less than a sustained smear campaign that breaks all the basic rules of good, objective journalism. Mr Larsen consistently relies upon anonymous sources with suspect motivations, and often misleads his readers about the nature of documents on which he purports to rely.

The articles have also consistently pressed the most slanted and unfavourable interpretation against Mr Buttigieg, and relied substantially on innuendo and conspiracy theory dressed up as searching questions. The articles have sought to create an impression that Mr Buttigieg is engaging in racist policies or corrupt conduct, while failing to establish corroborated facts that actually support such an interpretation. This article will also set out Mr Larsen has questions to answer about his own conduct, which has been alleged in open court to include racist bullying, harassment and racial discrimination. Cenk Uygur should explain why a reporter credibly accused of racist conduct is allowed to continue on his staff while the issue remains unresolved.

Secret Tapes

The matter begins in January 2012 when Mr Buttigieg commenced his first term as Mayor of South Bend. Upon taking up a mayoralty, an Indiana mayor will determine who their chief of police shall be. The incumbent is not guaranteed to be appointed to continue under the new mayor. The incumbent chief in South Bend was Chief Darryl Boykins, an African-American police officer who enjoyed the confidence and respect of the community. Mr Buttigieg interviewed three candidates from the South Bend Police Department; Chief Boykins and division chiefs Steve Richmond and Tim Corbett. Mayor Buttigieg decided, based on his performance as chief and his good relations with the community, to reappoint Chief Boykins.

It has been alleged that six days after Mayor Buttigieg took office, on 6th January, 2012, Chief Boykins called division chief Richmond into his office and, “berated him for having been disloyal to him by seeking his job and for being a ‘backstabber'”. Chief Boykins also told Richmond that he had been wiretapping his and other senior officers phone lines, and that “he would fire anyone he determined to be disloyal”. It is also said that on 17th January, Richmond spoke to Karen DePaepe, SBPD Director of Communications, and asked her whether it was true that his line had been tapped. DePaepe responded that the chief requested a line tap “the day he promoted you to division chief”.

Richmond and other officers whose phone lines it transpired had been tapped by DePaepe at the request of the chief since 2010, went to the US Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, a Democrat Mr David Capp (who was incidentally later fired by Donald Trump), to complain about the taps which they interpreted to be illegal breaches of their constitutional 4th amendment rights. The FBI commenced an investigation of Chief Boykins, and Mayor Buttigieg was informed. Prior to this the mayor was unaware of the existence of the tapes. The US Attorney informed the mayor that if Chief Boykins was quietly dispensed with as head of the SBPD, they would agree not to press charges.

snip


a lot more at the link, all documented, including the court documents showing the all The Young Turks and their reporter's alleged racism

[Blue_true]

85. The Chief was fighting racists in his department.

I stand by wrote I wrote, Buttigieg should have dug deeper into the matter, he didn't. I doubt that I would trust a US Attorney for Indiana, the person was likely a person that tacitly approved of the racists in South Bend's police department and was ok with getting rid of an obstacle to those racists. If you show me where Blacks in South Bend support Buttigieg other than an election where it is hom or a republican, then I will consider that, I doubt that you can do that.

[Celerity]

86. you are spinning up dross, and I stand by my post 100%, it lays out a detailed time frame

that debunks so much of the disinfo that is slung out there.

It was six days into his term as Mayor he was told that Boykins (who Pete DID re-hire as Police Chief) was under federal investigation for illegal wiretapping.

Almost no one (including Buttigieg) has heard those tapes and you are conveniently moving to plazzy story that negates any of the power dynamics that were rolling well before Buttigieg assumed office. If Buttigieg had released the tapes (which EVERY controlling legal authority to date, including state and federal courts has said were illegal wiretapping) he would have opened up South Bend to millions of dollars in civil liability potential exposure. The detectives in question have already won FAR more in civil suits than Boykins did (he barely got anything and served out his career and retired in 2017 with a full pension.)

So nope, I am not going to buy in simplistic posturing and least-common denominator attempts to play connect-the-dots, so sorry. I am far beyond that level in terms of my cognitive thought processes.

[Blue_true]

87. So be it. I also stand by what I wrote. nt

[Demsrule86]

91. And it is still racist it looks like...wasn't there a police shooting there not long ago?

[Blue_true]

92. Yes, a White cop with a history of roughing up Black suspects

shot a Black man dead.

[Gothmog]

110. African American Community leaders from Indiana endorse Joe Biden

Link to tweet

[The Valley Below]

14. Biden 33% Warren 13%

20 point gap.

[Skya Rhen]

17. And 100% of delegates for Biden...

[The Valley Below]

18. And among likely black voters in SC it is 44% Biden, 8% Warren.

That's a 36 point gap.

[dsc]

24. actually probably not

SC has one VRA district which is much more heavily AA than the rest of the state. Biden will likely sweep that but if Warren is fairly close to 15% over all then she is virtually certain to be over 15% in the other districts.

[PDittie]

19. Paging Jonathan Capehart

Pick up the nearest white courtesy phone ...

[Gothmog]

20. Black vote in SC in new Qpac poll:

Link to tweet

[Celerity]

21. well, this is not good

[Gothmog]

22. This poll heavily under-sampled African American voters, and Biden is still up 20! What's up Q?

Link to tweet

[Celerity]

23. maybe all of my fellow PoC they did not sample are Buttigieg fans!

A little gallows humour.

[Chambi]

83. You didn't show proof

You saw someone tweet the claim and you simply copy and pasted it.

[Gothmog]

100. AMJOY

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

103. If Joe Biden... is not on the ballot in 2020. many older black voters might just stay home

Link to tweet

[Celerity]

104. Why do you keep replying to my post over and over? Go try and change someone's mind who

is against a moderate candidate, because I am not such a person. I think a far left nominee is courting general election disaster.

If Buttigieg is not the nominee I will work my ass off for Biden if it is him. I will do so regardless of who our nominee is, obviously, but the only candidates I would have to do so DESPITE, NOT BECAUSE OF, their DU supporters, are Biden and Sanders (Sanders having no chance to capture the nomination anyway.)

[highplainsdem]

25. Warren's in 3rd place, not 2nd, with AA voters: Biden 44%, Sanders 10%, Warren 8%, Harris 6%,

Steyer 4%, Booker 2%, Yang & Williamson & Deval Patrick 1%, all others 0%.

In case anyone wonders why Steyer is at 4%, ahead of Booker, he's spending very heavily on ads in the early primary states. Steyer's at 5% with white voters, and 5% overall, in 5th place after Biden 33%, Warren 13%, Sanders 11%, and Buttigieg 6%.

[maximusveritas]

30. This mostly has to do with name recognition

African-American voters tend to have lower name recognition in these polls early on. I support Biden, but he undoubtedly benefits from that and his lead among African-Americans is not as strong as some of his supporters pretend.
It may be too late for Buttigieg to win a significant number of these voters, but he will do better once they get to know him, no matter how much some on the far left are trying to smear him with race-baiting.

[Chambi]

56. He's at zero

If the problem were name recognition, Buttigieg would have gradually improved among AA. he's at zero.

[maximusveritas]

62. Bad logic. 60% of black respondents in this poll said they didn't know enough about him

This is their first poll in SC so it is hard to compare, but that is actually higher than previous polls. Might just have to do with this poll's sample and would explain why he polled the way he did.
In any case, there is no evidence that his name recognition is improving.

[UniteFightBack]

32. I'm confident that he would win black folks over. He knows about discrimination too. nt

[airplaneman]

33. I think it is a 1000 houses in a 1000 days issue - was not good for minorities n/t.

[Celerity]

58. not true at all

How the Media Is Getting Mayor Pete's Gentrification Story Wrong

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2019/04/21/how-the-media-is-getting-mayor-petes-south-bend-gentrification-story-wrong/

South Bend, Indiana was a prosperous manufacturing town through much of the 20th century. It achieved a measure of fame for hosting the auto plant that built the Studebaker. But as the economy changed, so did the town’s fortunes. Between 1960 and 2010, its population plummeted by nearly 25 percent. Left in the wake of mass departure and economic stagnation was a rash of urban blight: thousands of homes and other buildings stood vacant, left to disrepair. With blight came decreased home values and a rise in crime.

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, now a Democratic presidential candidate, launched an initiative in February 2013 he called “1,000 Homes, 1,000 Days.” The goal: identify 1,000 vacant or abandoned homes (about a third of the total) and either demolish or repair them. By November 2015, 427 homes “were repaired, 569 were demolished, 10 were deconstructed, 6 were set aside for repair by community development corporations, and 110 were under contract for demolition,” according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provided a block grant supporting the initiative. If Buttigieg’s reelection with 75 percent of the vote is anything to go by, South Bend’s citizens have signaled their approval. The city’s population has steadily increased since 2013.

Buttigieg has made the initiative’s success a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, so it should be no surprise that journalists have looked into it. But two remarkably similar stories published last week—in Buzzfeed and on CNN.com—said the initiative “smacked of gentrification.” That this odd phrase appeared verbatim in both stories is perhaps interesting. (Buzzfeed’s Henry Gomez, who published his piece first, should wonder where CNN’s Dan Merica and Vanessa Yurkevich got their inspiration.) What’s puzzling, however, is the decision to frame the demolition and rehabilitation of vacant and abandoned homes as akin to displacing minority communities. (Judging from 2011 and 2019 population estimates, no displacement appears to have occurred. What’s more, it’s hard to displace people from homes where no one was living.)

The two major challenges Buttigieg’s initiative faced were the town’s lackadaisical enforcement of building code violations and absentee owners of the targeted homes. One of the initiative’s biggest obstacles was determining if the blighted properties’ owners were both sufficiently willing and able to improve them. Both the Buzzfeed and CNN stories lean heavily on two sources: Stacey Odom and Regina Williams-Preston, two African American women who had purchased blighted properties. Odom purchased one, which she hoped to fix up and make her own home, without knowing that the initiative had already slated it for demolition. Williams-Preston had purchased three vacant homes “with plans to refurbish them and either sell them for a profit or create a business, like a day care for local kids,” CNN reported. Sadly, her husband fell seriously ill and money that would’ve gone toward their investment went toward health care instead.

Both stories strike a decidedly oppositional tone. Buzzfeed seemed particularly intent on framing the story as a conflict between a robotic, white, impersonal politician and a black community. (The word “data,” and the mayor’s abiding interest in it, somehow became grounds for opprobrium.) Ironically, both stories show Buttigieg to have been an exceptional leader. Odom struggled to get her property off the demo list, but then, as CNN reports, she had a chance encounter with Buttigieg. What happened next was governance par excellence:

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[SaschaHM]

42. Not shocked.

He's a 37 year old former mayor in a country that has never elected mayors to the presidency. He doesn't have the name recognition of the others. The power that mayors have varies nationwide which colors the perception of whether you think a mayor is qualified to do more than show up an ribbon cuttings. He doesn't have a relationship w/ the community, at least not a decent one.

There's no reason for black voters in SC to believe in anything that he's selling. Let alone for them to believe that white voters nationwide are going to elect him in spite of the fact that he routinely trails Trump.

If you like Pete, that's great. However, he's not god's gift to politics. There are so many other politicians in this race that have the experience, recognition, and bonds that he lacks with the SC black community. That matters more than any scholarship or any number of learned languages.

[dalton99a]

68. +1. Many African-Americans know who he is and his record as mayor

They saw the polarization that erupted in the town hall, and how African-Americans were left behind in the South Bend "miracle" (which had more to do with the national economic recovery and developer-driven gentrification than his super amazing genius)

[Gothmog]

84. According to Nate, there may a number of Southern states where Biden is the only candidate over 15%

Link to tweet

[SaschaHM]

88. Yup and a lot of them are on March 3rd, the week after SC.

This time crunch means that effectively Biden, Buttigeig, Warren, and Sanders (Harris/Gabbard/Booker too maybe) are all going to be on the ballot whether their campaigns are active or not. Given that the white vote will still be splintered and neither Sanders nor Warren are going to get scared out of the race by Buttigieg picking up two wins w/ his AA numbers, Biden is probably going to be the only one to hit the viability threshold thanks to his AA numbers.

[Gothmog]

89. Is Joe Biden actually underrated now?

Link to tweet

Among black voters in the Quinnipiac poll, Biden took 44% to 10% for Sanders and just 8% for Warren. (South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg received less than 1% of the black vote in South Carolina in the new Q poll. Ouch.)

Of the UNF poll, Dr. Michael Binder, faculty director of the Public Opinion Research Lab, said: "Buoyed by his support among African American voters, Biden has an established lead far above the other contenders in South Carolina."

Biden's lasting strength in South Carolina and with black voters is mirrored in his improving performance in national 2020 polling as well. Biden was in danger of losing his edge over Warren in national 2020 surveys as recently as a few weeks ago. Now? He averages more than 7 points over Warren, according to the polling database maintained by Real Clear Politics.

To be clear: Biden is still not where he wants to be in Iowa or New Hampshire. And his fundraising needs to get drastically better. But his continued strength in South Carolina -- and the persistence of support from black voters even amid online predictions of his imminent demise -- suggest that Biden may have more strengths than he is getting credit for at the moment.

[Gothmog]

94. Biden does best among African American voters

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

95. Biden has 154 endorsements from current or former black or Hispanic elected officials.

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

96. Black South Bend leader endorses Biden, rebukes Buttigie

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The longest-serving African American man on the South Bend, Ind., Common Council is endorsing Joe Biden for president, a rejection of Pete Buttigieg that highlights the South Bend mayor’s struggle with black voters.

Council Vice President Oliver Davis told POLITICO that while it’s nice to see someone representing Indiana in the Democratic presidential primary and bringing national attention to South Bend, Biden is more experienced.

“When you’re flying in the middle of a storm, you want to make sure you have steady, experienced leadership,” Davis said. “I believe that Vice President Biden has demonstrated throughout the years by having a steady hand, he can help lead us through these times, and with all of the challenges we face nationally and now even internationally, he has the relationships, has the skills, and I think he can bring us together in different ways.”

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But Davis also scolded Buttigieg, saying the mayor’s woes attracting support from communities of color “is not a new problem for him.”

“For us, this has been a consistent issue that has not gone away,” Davis said.

[Gothmog]

97. BIG! South Bend Councilman Oliver Davis Endorses @JoeBiden

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

101. This is interesting

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[Gothmog]

102. 'I know Joe's heart': Why black voters are backing Joe Biden

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It’s a pragmatic calculation among many African Americans, especially older ones, who believe Biden will appeal to white voters and can defeat Trump next year.

As other candidates make increasingly vocal appeals to African Americans, Biden says he stands apart because he’s been with black voters since the beginning of his political career as a member of the New Castle County Council in Delaware.

“I’ve always been comfortable with the community, and I think the community’s always been comfortable with me,” he said after a recent meeting in Atlanta with a group of African American mayors.

Black voters will be crucial in determining the next Democratic nominee. Biden’s support among this group gives him an important and sometimes overlooked advantage nearly two months before voting begins. While Biden is bunched near the top of the pack in the overwhelmingly white early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, he’s better positioned in the more diverse states that follow.

[Gothmog]

105. Mayor Pete is still not polling well with African American voters

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

111. It's so exciting how many african american hoosiers are coming forward to support Joe Biden!

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[RhodeIslandOne]

113. Barack Obama didn't even come close in South Carolina in 2008 and 2012

And I have very little hope they will even think of throwing out Lindsey Graham.

I suspect no Democratic candidate will come close to scumbag Trump. That state is fucked.

So what South Carolina thinks in the big picture means zip to me.