Did Police Protests Help Biden Get Elected? Black Swing State Activists Believe So
Since the election (which is still not technically over, although it’s very much decided), Congressional Democrats have squabbled over what is to blame for their less-than-stellar performance at the ballot box. Among the accusations, launched most vociferously by S.C. Rep. James Clyburn, is that “sloganeering” in the form of “Defund the police” was harmful for Democrats, particularly in congressional races.
Activists—and a bit of data—have challenged that claim.
According to a new Bloomberg CityLab report, which spoke to several activists for its report, noted that “pretty much every city in the U.S. that hosted protests” voted for President-elect Joe Biden, as did their surrounding suburbs. In fact, cities like Milwaukee, Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Pittsburgh—all of which have relatively large Black populations and saw a lot of protest activity over the summer—were instrumental in giving Biden victories in their respective home states.
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But the Pennsylvania-based activists Citylab spoke to said the “defund/abolish the police” language appeared to draw in more people than it turned away, especially first-time and infrequent Black voters who were pivotal to Biden’s victory. It also opened up crucial discussions about the nature of policing and what effective reform could look like—even if people misunderstood or didn’t agree with the stance.
https://www.theroot.com/did-police-protests-help-biden-get-elected-black-swing-1845658954
I lost respect for Moore for putting his name on that climate film but at least he isn't like Manchin & others scapegoating the base for why the election was so close.
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