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Black Voters to Democrats: You’re Welcome Black Voters to Democrats: You’re Welcome
(about 2 hours later)
The first election I can remember was the race between George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis in 1988. Dressed in footie pajamas, I stayed up late with my political diehard parents. They tried and failed to avoid swearing as the map turned red. The first election I can remember was the race between George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis in 1988. Dressed in footie pajamas, I stayed up late with my political die-hard parents. They tried and failed to avoid swearing as the map on television turned red.
“Who are we cheering for?” I asked them.“Who are we cheering for?” I asked them.
“The blue people,” my dad said, because the red people “don’t like us.”“The blue people,” my dad said, because the red people “don’t like us.”
Who is “us?” I asked.Who is “us?” I asked.
“Black people,” he said.“Black people,” he said.
You could call my dad’s opinion reductionist. Or you could acknowledge that in the Alabama Senate election Tuesday, the red people voted for Roy Moore — a guy who said the slavery era was the last time America was “great.” You could call my dad’s opinion reductionist. Or you could acknowledge that in the Alabama Senate election on Tuesday, the red people voted for Roy Moore — a guy who said the slavery era was the last time America was “great.”
I stayed up late on Tuesday, excited by exit polls showing some 30 percent of the Alabama voters were black, a higher percentage than in either of the presidential elections Barack Obama won. Mr. Jones rode to a one-and-a-half-point victory in one of the reddest states in America thanks to black voters. That was his only real path to the Senate: White voters in Alabama have a longstanding preference for Republicans, and black voters, at 27 percent of the state’s population, make up a large chunk of Democratic voters there. I stayed up late on Tuesday, excited by exit polls showing that some 30 percent of the Alabamians going to the polls were black, a higher percentage than in either of the presidential elections Barack Obama won. Mr. Jones rode to a one-and-a-half-point victory in one of the reddest states in America thanks to black voters. That was his only real path to the Senate: Whites in Alabama have a longstanding preference for Republicans, and blacks, 27 percent of the state’s population, make up a large chunk of Democratic voters there.
Most of Alabama’s white voters did choose Mr. Moore, either despite or because of his support for slavery, the allegations that he had sexually assaulted girls as young as 14 and the fact that he was twice removed as a justice on the state supreme court for disobeying court orders. Most of Alabama’s white voters did choose Mr. Moore, either despite or because of his support for slavery, the allegations that he had sexually assaulted girls as young as 14 and the fact that he was twice removed as a justice on the Alabama Supreme Court for disobeying federal court orders.
Alabama’s black voters overwhelmingly chose Mr. Jones, despite numerous obstacles placed in front of them. The voter ID bill, passed in 2011 to undermine “the black power structure,” as a lawmaker had described it, has an outsize impact on black and Latino voters because they are less likely to have the financial resources (for transportation and a fee) and get time off from work to get an ID. Yesterday some black voters reportedly received text messages that told them to report to the wrong polling places. And when some black people showed up to vote, they found that they had erroneously been marked “inactive,” so they would have to complete a re-identification form and update their address before they could vote. Alabama’s black voters overwhelmingly chose Mr. Jones, and turned out in force despite numerous obstacles placed in front of them. The state’s voter ID law — passed in 2011 to undermine “the black power structure,” as a legislator had described it — has an outsize impact on black and Latino voters because they are less likely to have the financial resources (for transportation and a fee) and get time off from work to get an ID. On Tuesday some black voters reportedly received text messages that told them to report to the wrong polling places. Others found that they had erroneously been marked “inactive,” so they had to fill out a form and update their address before they could vote.
It’s not an accident that Doug Jones was so popular among black voters. He successfully prosecuted two Ku Klux Klan members for the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham that killed four black girls in 1963. Mr. Jones also campaigned with quality black surrogates, like the former basketball player Charles Barkley, Senator Cory Booker, the former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, Representative John Lewis and Representative Terri Sewell, Alabama’s only congressional Democrat. President Barack Obama even recorded a robocall for him. Mr. Jones visited black churches and historically black colleges, and focused much of his get-out-the-vote effort on black voters. It’s not an accident that Doug Jones was so popular among black voters. He prosecuted two Ku Klux Klan members for the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham that killed four black girls in 1963. Mr. Jones also campaigned with quality black surrogates, like the former basketball player Charles Barkley, Senator Cory Booker, the former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, Representative John Lewis and Representative Terri Sewell, Alabama’s only congressional Democrat. Mr. Obama even recorded a robocall for him. Mr. Jones visited black churches and historically black colleges, and focused much of his get-out-the-vote effort on black voters.
His strategy was much more effective than, for example, that of Jon Ossoff, a Democrat who lost his bid for a Georgia House seat this year. He didn’t focus as much on personal appearances, or corralling high-quality black surrogates. That election saw lower black turnout than previous elections in that district. His strategy was much more effective than, for example, that of Jon Ossoff, a Democrat who lost his bid for a Georgia House seat this year. He didn’t focus as much on personal appearances, or on corralling prominent black surrogates. The black turnout in that race was lower than in previous elections.
Doug Jones’s victory should wake up the Democratic Party. Black people made up 13 percent of Democratic voters in 1992, but that figure rose to 23 percent by 2014. Yet a majority of them think the party takes them for granted and doesn’t even try to win their votes, according to a 2017 survey. We are drowning in reports on how Democrats can win the white working-class vote. But black voters are the ones who have a much more robust history of turning out to vote and winning elections for Democrats. Mr. Jones’s victory should wake up the Democratic Party. Black people made up 13 percent of Democratic voters in 1992, but that figure rose to 23 percent by 2014. Yet a majority of them think the party takes them for granted and doesn’t even try to win their votes, according to a 2017 survey. We are drowning in reports on how Democrats can win the white working class. But blacks are the ones who have a much more robust history of turning out to vote and winning elections for Democrats.
Nor does the Democratic Party spend enough money addressing the policy concerns of black voters. It does not routinely condemn racial inequality, out of a fear of turning off white voters, nor does it make specific appeals to black voters on issues like jobs and education. Yet black voters arguably made the difference in the Alabama election and the Virginia governor’s election, and we drove President Obama to victory twice. Surveys have found that politically inactive minorities are easily persuaded to get off the sidelines when cultivated by political parties.Nor does the Democratic Party spend enough money addressing the policy concerns of black voters. It does not routinely condemn racial inequality, out of a fear of turning off white voters, nor does it make specific appeals to black voters on issues like jobs and education. Yet black voters arguably made the difference in the Alabama election and the Virginia governor’s election, and we drove President Obama to victory twice. Surveys have found that politically inactive minorities are easily persuaded to get off the sidelines when cultivated by political parties.
But voter suppression remains a significant barrier to black turnout. Numerous states have passed stricter voter ID laws in recent years. Consider Wisconsin, a state that Mr. Trump won by only 22,800 votes; a court found in 2014 that its strict voter ID law meant 300,000 voters didn’t have an ID they could use to vote. But voter suppression remains a significant barrier to black turnout. Numerous states have passed stricter voter ID laws in recent years. Consider Wisconsin, which Mr. Trump won by only 22,800 votes; a court found in 2014 that its voter ID law meant 300,000 state residents didn’t have an ID they could use to vote.
To be competitive nationwide, Democrats need to fight voter ID laws, pass automatic voter registration, restore the Voting Rights Act to its full strength and work to re-enfranchise ex-felons, who deserve to be fully reintegrated into society. Democrats should also make targeted policy appeals to black voters and support promising black candidates like Stacey Abrams, who’s running for governor of Georgia in the 2018 election. To be competitive nationwide, Democrats need to fight voter ID laws, pass automatic voter registration, restore the Voting Rights Act to its full strength and work to re-enfranchise ex-felons, who deserve to be fully reintegrated into society. Democrats should also make policy appeals aimed at black voters and support promising black candidates like Stacey Abrams, who’s running for governor of Georgia in 2018.
The Alabama election results provide a great opportunity for the Democratic Party to make a stronger effort to reach out to black voters. Black voters are just like white voters in that we like to be courted and told that our participation matters. There are many ways to do this. If Democrats want to win more elections, they’re going to have to integrate black voters into the heart and soul of the party. The Alabama election results provide a great opportunity for the Democratic Party to make a stronger effort to reach out to black voters. We are just like white voters in that we like to be courted and told that our participation matters. If Democrats want to win more elections, they have to integrate black voters into the heart and soul of the party.