Even the Democrats, including the 2020 candidates, seem to be weary of debate season.
The latest debate was tepid and summoned very little interest. Even the candidates, aside from Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s increasingly desperate efforts to ingratiate herself with Joe Biden by attacking Kamala Harris (one failed candidate attacking another failed candidate), were bored and tired.
The race has come down to Biden and Warren. With neither really having a clear trajectory. That might change if Deval Patrick makes an impact, but for the moment the field is in a holding pattern.
Buttigieg has become the choice of people who don’t like either Biden or Warren, but has no pathway forward because he has no black support.
And that led to awkward Seinfeldesque attacks in which the attackers didn’t want to talk about what they were talking about.
Harris and Booker warn against Buttigieg as the nominee
Without, you know, naming the issue.
The black candidates on stage warned Democrats that they can’t afford to nominate a candidate who doesn’t appeal to diverse constituencies.
Harris was careful not to personally attack Buttigieg over his lack of appeal with black voters but spoke to “the larger issue.”
“The larger issue is that for too long, I think candidates have taken for granted constituencies that have been the backbone of the Democratic Party and have overlooked those constituencies,” Harris said.
Sen. Cory Booker was later asked a question about the southern border. But he used that opportunity to revive the discussion on race.
“I want to turn back to the issue of black voters. I have a lifetime of experience with black voters,” Booker said. “I’ve been one since I was 18. Nobody on this stage should need a focus group to hear from African American voters,” a veiled shot at Buttigieg’s campaign.
“Black voters are pissed off, and they’re worried,” Booker continued. “They’re pissed off because the only time our issues seem to be really paid attention to by politicians is when people are looking for their vote. And they’re worried because the Democratic Party, we don’t wanna see people miss this opportunity and lose because we are nominating someone that isn’t trusted, doesn’t have authentic connections.”
1. Black voters have shown little interest in backing Harris or Booker. The idea that they represent black voters can be shot down by looking at their poll numbers.
2. Neither Booker nor Harris can afford to say the obvious about why black voters don’t support Buttigieg. And it has very little to do with his policing policies. Despite claims otherwise by lefties and their conservative echo chambers. Nor is there any point for them in saying it.
It’s the elephant in the donkey room. It can’t be talked about because it ruins all the rainbow coalition building that the minority-majority coalition is built on.
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