Joe Biden owes at least 1 group and 1 person a huge debt of gratitude for his epic presidential win: Black voters and Stacey Abrams.
Politics
The blue wall of Democratic support across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania would have crumbled had it not been for Black voters. Black Minnesotan’s channeled their rage from the George Floyd murder into votes at the ballot box. Black Wisconsinites remembered Donald Trump’s MAGA white supremacists killing 2 Black Lives Matter protesters on the streets of Kenosha and turned their anger into votes. A Black chaplain in Detroit recognized Donald Trump’s game to stop counting (Black) votes in his state and was correct when he said “As goes Detroit, so goes Michigan.” And, it appears “Black Philly” was incredibly instrumental in delivering Pennsylvania for Uncle Joe. Of course, we can’t forget how Black voters in South Carolina resuscitated Joe Biden’s failing campaign during the primaries and brought him back from the dead.
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Chaplain in Detroit on the “stop the count” protests:
“We’re not deterred … The Black vote in Detroit is higher than it’s ever been and we will determine the outcome — because we’ve gone from picking cotton to picking presidents.” #Election2020 pic.twitter.com/J4CLPf21yL
— The Recount (@therecount) November 4, 2020
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Yes, the 2020 presidential election proved the power of the Black vote more than ever before. Lines to vote were wrapped around the corner in cities from coast to coast and were filled with young voters, first-time voters, long-lost voters, and others who finally figured out they have a voice and the ability to affect change. Additionally, Ms. Harris’ sorority (Alpha Kappa Alpha) and the other members of the “Divine 9” traditionally Black fraternities and sororities also turned out in record numbers and used the strength in numbers of Black voters to their advantage.
However, the 2020 presidential election undoubtedly had an MVP. A superhero. A super-SHEro. Her name is Stacey Abrams.
Ms. Abrams, the former gubernatorial candidate in Georgia who lost to Brian Kemp in 2018 by less than 1 percentage point, took the lessons of her campaign and spun it into Georgia gold for Joe Biden. Traditionally known as a ruby-red Republican state (with a Republican governor, attorney general, secretary of state, and majority state legislature), few believed Georgia was worth Biden’s time, money, or effort.
And then, Stacey Abrams stepped in.
She convinced the Biden camp to invest money in the state, to purchase ads, and to make multiple visits — mainly due to her perceived power of the Black vote in Atlanta, Augusta, Savannah, and surrounding suburbs. It was a huge risk, but they took the chance.
Joe Biden sent former President Barack Obama into Atlanta to speak directly to African-Americans and encourage them to use their voice to make a difference. Biden himself even made a last-minute trip to the state, selling Georgians on why he and the first Black and female vice-president in Kamala Harris could make a difference for their lives.
It was a genius move, as Donald Trump watched Black epicenters in the state slowly chip away at his lead. Unless the planned recount shifts the outcome by several thousand votes, Georgia is prepped for delivery to Joe Biden. In fact, Ms. Abrams and Black Georgians might also deliver a majority in the US Senate to Democrats via its 2 run-off contests in January.
Democrats and the Biden-Harris ticket owe a huge debt of gratitude to Stacey Abrams. A king-maker. The caped-crusader. And the woman who can probably have her pick of any job she wants within the upcoming Biden administration.
AP: Two years ago, Stacey Abrams became a household name when she ran for governor of Georgia against Brian Kemp, then secretary of state. Though her votes came in short, she refused to concede – citing widespread voter suppression in a state where the election was run by the opponent himself. In 2020, she is still not the governor. But in some ways, Abrams never lost. Though it is poised for a recount, Georgia surprised America and the world when – on the basis of the first count –the Democrats outpolled the Republicans last week. If the result survives the recount then Joe Biden will become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia in 28 years. He could not have done it without Stacey Abrams. The huge voter turnout – inspired by Abrams’s work and a groundswell of Black community organizers in her circle – means that both Georgia Senate races will go… Read more »