Electrical Male Voters and the 2024 Elections: the Missteps and Future Prospects
It was a gloomy day in our country's capital when Vice President Kamala Harris met with THE SMOKE, a well-liked podcast and YouTube show led by former NBA All-Stars Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.
On THE SMOKE —a platform for Black male podcast listeners and what some might consider an unconventional media outlet for Democratic Party officials— Jackson, Barnes, and Harris had an open conversation, something only possible between Black men and Black women, sharing common American experiences.
The conversation, taped at Number One Observatory Circle, the official residence of the American vice presidency, occurred on September 24th. They discussed topics like weed legalization, interracial relationships, "the 1/8 rule," being a step-parent, Too Short and Tupac, and the longstanding inequities affecting far too many Black Americans, particularly Black men.
"We have a failing system if only the exceptional are the only success stories," Harris said during the ALL THE SMOKE YouTube interview, seated in a cozy brown loveseat in the living room of Number One Observatory Circle. "If you're highlighting the exceptional and the only success story you have, that's a failed system."
As she highlighted the achievement gap and the intentional lack of opportunity that has hindered Black male success since the country's founding, Harris showed the energy of the "wise ole" successful aunt that many Black American families have come to know and recognize in Black Hollywood's portrayal of the African-American experience.
Joining the race for the presidency in July, Harris' appearance on ALL THE SMOKE—just a couple months after announcing her candidacy—shows her interest and readiness to engage and center Black men and their experiences. This is in contrast to the Biden-Harris administration and the Democratic campaign staff that saw the Black male vote as almost assured, placing Black men's political interests and concerns on the back burner.
Following the November defeat at the hands of President-elect Donald Trump, the Democratic Party must now devise a new political plan to engage their base and build a coalition that will enable them to regain much of the ground lost to the Republicans. African Americans will be essential to this coalition, including Black men—the highest voting demographic for Democrats, besides Black women.
According to exit polls, Harris won 77% of the Black male vote—a testament to her and the Democrats after a tough loss. Keeping Black men with the Democratic Party was expected, but their lower than expected turnout has Democratic Party insiders questioning the party's efforts and long-term neglect of a crucial constituency.
For many, Harris' conversation with Barnes and Jackson represented what was wrong with the Democratic Party's infrastructure and what was right with Vice President Kamala Harris. Gathering nearly 700,000 views on YouTube alone, Harris' ALL THE SMOKE interview was a candid conversation with Black American men that Mondale Robinson, co-founder of the Black Male Voter Project, believes should have started years ago at the start of the Biden-Harris administration.
Robinson, who saw Harris as an underutilized voice during much of Biden's presidency, describes the Democratic Party's relationship with the vast majority of African-American men as nonexistent.
"Black men aren't included in the Democratic equation, and they haven't been for some time," Robinson said, whose organization focuses on studying Black male voting habits.
For Robinson, the lack of Black men in the equation shows in how the Democratic Party approaches talking about getting in touch with that demographic.
Robinson mentioned that outside of get-out-the-vote efforts, there is a lack of meaningful outreach to Black men by top-tier party leadership. He also touched on what he called the Biden White House's reluctance to utilize Harris as part of a two-way conversation with Black men.
In referencing beleaguered senior Black political advisors, an excessive reliance on overpriced consultants, and the silencing of well-skilled, experienced Black organizers and strategists, Robinson expressed his belief that the Democratic Party latched onto a narrative that Black men were making a mass exodus to the "Make America Great Again" land.
Nonexistent exodus forced the Harris-Walz campaign to spend nearly the entire second week of October focused on rolling out the Opportunity Agenda for Black Men, Black male-centered media interviews, and several rallies featuring big names from sports, music, and Hollywood.
Robinson claimed that these efforts backfired.
"Unfortunately for the Democratic Party, their strategy of leaning into college-educated Black men and thinking that they could appeal to those brothers without college degrees and those not represented did not work," Robinson said. "A majority of Black men in this country do not have college degrees."
While Robinson agreed and supported the Opportunity Agenda for Black Men, he believed the policy proposals should have been released sooner, with greater focus on issues affecting Black men as a whole. He also suggested that there should have been more emphasis on the overwhelming majority of the voting bloc, living outside the sphere touched by the methods and tactics utilized by the party and its consultants.
"A majority of Black men in this country who are voters or eligible to vote are not qualified to get a government contract because they don't have a small business," Robinson said. “So this conversation about small businesses, crypto, and college education was for a small population, and that population turned out – and that’s the problem.”
A previous employee from the 2020 Biden-Harris campaign campaign spoke up, choosing to remain anonymous.
This individual raised concerns about individuals hired under Biden's campaign and retained by Harris after her takeover this past summer.
"Instead of utilizing voices and experts deeply embedded in the grassroots of the Black community to spearhead the campaign's Black agenda, narrative, and message, the Democrats opted for individuals detached and unaware of the challenges faced by our community," the anonymous source stated.
The source further pointed out the absence of Black male voices that mirrored the diverse makeup of the United States' Black male diaspora. They claimed that the Black male voices the party, campaign leadership, and consulting structure ultimately endorsed reflected a long-standing issue in ensuring Black men are heard, seen, and ultimately engaged in the voting process.
"This campaign excluded many from having a voice at the table, resulting in subpar electoral results," the source stated, citing lower-than-expected Black male voter turnout in Milwaukee; Detroit; Philadelphia; and Atlanta.
Since 2016, the Democratic Party has observed a slight decrease in Black men voting for its presidential candidates. Throughout the last three presidential elections, the party has lost five percentage points among Black male voters nationwide.
Robinson and his colleagues attribute this trend to some Black men opting out of the election.
"It's impossible to convince Black men or convince them to trust a candidate during an election year; trust stemming from forming an intimate relationship between everyday Black men and their concerns," Robinson stated. "The lack of an intimate relationship with a majority of Black men has led the party to instigate a narrative and message that isn't resonating."
Prime concern for many revolves around employment and the economy. As of November 2024, African-American male unemployment was six percent, nearly double the national rate of 4.2 percent.
Although unemployment rates decreased under the Biden-Harris administration, the dismal statistics and lack of job opportunities pertaining to black men have prompted concern among many.
"It shouldn't demand a pollster, consultant, or presidential election for the Democratic Party to prioritize the concerns of Black men," the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign official stated. "Black men constitute a critical component of the Democratic Party's base, and outreach to Black men should be proactive rather than reactive, primarily incurring resistance to accusations of pandering."
During a post-election interview with Pod Save America, David Plouffe, senior advisor for the Harris-Walz campaign, referred to these concerns as "economic headwinds." However, veteran grassroots organizer Keron Blair argued that a more deliberate effort could have been made to address these concerns at the outset.
"For those instrumental in delivering the White House and the Senate for the Democrats in 2020, particularly Georgia, I think many are questioning whether their lives have fundamentally altered due to this administration," Blair stated. "I think this question warrants consideration, and I'm unsure if there are robust responses to address it."
Many Black men in America felt this concern was addressed when they played a pivotal role in the voting coalition that delivered Georgia for Biden and guaranteed Democratic control of the U.S. Senate and House.
With police accountability and reform among Black men's top issues during the early days of the Biden administration, Black male voters believed that Biden, experienced in the Senate, would champion these reforms in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act—a comprehensive strategy aiming to hold police accountable and reform the culture of law enforcement.
"We'll accomplish an abundance more," Biden told George Floyd's family during a 2021 phone call. "We'll remain determined until we make it happen."
The legislation, named after Floyd, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police, is still stalled in the U.S. Congress.
In May 2022, President Biden issued a series of executive orders, including prohibiting police chokeholds and instituting law enforcement reform within federal law enforcement agencies. However, these orders may be jeopardized with Trump's return to the White House.
Robinson, who organized in Georgia, Michigan, and North Carolina for the past four years, believes that the Biden administration's reluctance to push for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, along with the Senate filibuster and a busy White House agenda that moved the bill off the priority list, removed Black men and their concerns from the priority list as well.
"Black men in America are not accustomed to winning, so the idea that Joe Biden had to win for Black men is erroneous," he concluded. "The president didn't need to win, but he needed to fight as he promised he would."
He continued, "Black men are not accustomed to observing candidates make promises to support and prioritize them and then failing to follow through upon taking office."
The lack of progress on the legislation and the White House's failure to prioritize these issues appear to be indicative of a larger issue that the Democratic Party would likely face in 2024, and may require increased turnout for the 2026 midterms.
As of December, the Democrats have only three months remaining until they elect a new party chair and officers and begin formulating a strategy for midterm victory in 2026.
It's crucial for them to decide on prioritizing the concerns, desires, and political ambitions of Black men. Taroue Brooks, an author, activist, and life designer, expects that Black men's resilience will serve as a strong reminder not only for the party's new leaders but also for Black men themselves.
"African American men must compel all political parties to tackle the issues that mean the most to us–economic fairness, criminal justice reform, healthcare availability, and education," stated Brooks, author of "Don't Audition For Your Life...It's Already Yours". "We need to urge candidates to fight for our interests, not merely sway their votes during campaign periods."
He followed up, "Our involvement, advocacy, and expectations must be amplified, rather than undermined or minimized by divisive narratives."
Robinson concurred with his thoughts.
"We have a party that persistently talks about the middle class, while a majority of our base lives in poverty," he said. "It's high time for the party to become dedicated to the vital aspects of our base and cater to their needs, rather than the opposite."
During Harris' conversation with the Black men of ALL THAT SMOKE, she aimed to fulfill that dedication. She demonstrated genuine concern for George Floyd's daughter, mental health challenges, and economic disparities that Black men encounter, and she displayed an unusual vitality that's scarcely seen among Washington politicians, showcasing the potential when a candidate embraces their identity and lived experience.
However, it remains uncertain if the Democratic Party's leaders and consultants have received this message. We'll have to keep an eye on the situation.
- During her candidacy for the presidency in 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the importance of engaging and centering Black men and their experiences, a shift from the Biden-Harris administration's approach.
- Taroue Brooks, an author and activist, advocates for Black men to urge candidates to fight for their interests, not just sway their votes during campaign periods, as they are crucial to the Democratic Party's base.
- As the Democratic Party prepares for the 2024 election, they must prioritize the concerns, desires, and political ambitions of Black men, as highlighted by author and activist Taroue Brooks and political organizer Keron Blair.
- In the 2024 election, African-American men, such as Mondale Robinson and Taroue Brooks, will play a significant role in shaping the political landscape, urging candidates to address issues that matter most to their community.
- In the aftermath of the 2024 election, the Democratic Party's new leaders must remain dedicated to addressing the economic fairness, criminal justice reform, healthcare availability, and education concerns of Black men, as indicated by author Taroue Brooks.
