With the final stretch taking place before the Election Day showdown on Nov. 5, VP Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are enlisting prominent names to inspire voters. On Oct. 10, Barack Obama made an appearance in Pittsburgh, a swing state that will decide the election.
Obama took the moment to speak directly to Black males who are reluctant to vote for Harris.
“My understanding, based on reports I’m getting from campaigns and communities, is that we have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all quarters of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running, the lack of enthusiasm for Harris seems to be more pronounced with the brothers.” he said.
He took aim at those who are supporting Trump or will not vote at all.
“And you are thinking about sitting out?” he said. “Part of it makes me think — and I’m speaking to men directly — part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.”
Obama continued by sharing how Black women have always supported Black men. “Women in our lives have been getting our backs this entire time,” he said. “When we get in trouble and the system isn’t working for us, they’re the ones out there marching and protesting.”
Obama does have a point when it comes to the battle of misogyny that Harris faces, along with being Black. Some men, regardless of race, are against the idea of a woman being in leadership.
But the notion that Black men aren’t overwhelmingly supporting Kamala Harris is mostly an angle perpetuated by some media outlets and social media users. It’s always possible to find an outlier to make a point that Trump is gaining ground when it comes to Black male voters. But the numbers don’t prove it.
According to a recent AP-NORC Poll, only 18% of Black male voters have a favorable view of Trump and 73% of Black Male voters believe that Trump would not make a good president. The same poll reveals that 13% of Black women have a favorable view of Trump and 78% of Black women believe that Trump would not make a good president.
When it comes to Harris’ potential to become the next U.S. President, the hurdle will not come from Black men or women. In America, polling shows that race still matters. According to a poll by Pew Research, white voters prefer Trump to Harris (55% to 41%).
Harris has made some inroads with white voters, particularly white women. Her ability to reach more white voters will be the deciding factor on Election Day.
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