The Democrats can’t take any chances in an election that will likely be decided by base turnout. Everyone has made up their minds about Biden and Trump, and it’s not even Tax Day. That can be either good or bad for either candidate. Trump is facing a phantom threat from GOP voters who never liked him and could arguably be called Democrats right now. Biden is facing internal revolts from Black, Hispanic, Muslim, and labor union voters.
He can right the ship on some blocs, like union households, though I think Trump will get a healthy share of these workers come Election Day. Muslim Americans will remain agitated as long as Israel keeps fighting Hamas, and the high inflation, rising crime, and the illegal alien crisis are only placing more pressure on Biden’s already struggling 2024 re-election effort. We’re at a point where voters might look past Trump’s bombastic nature if it means a stable economy. That was never in the card during his presidency.
Black voter support for Trump is promising, but let’s hold off. It sounds like we’re in ‘too good to be true’ territory, but Democrats aren’t taking chances. Biden’s new menthol ban has been put on hold to avoid angering black communities (via Washington Examiner):
A two-year-old proposal to ban menthol cigarettes may be delayed until after the 2024 election as President Joe Biden weighs a move that could risk eroding his support within the black community.
The Food and Drug Administration first proposed banning menthols and flavored cigars in April 2022 but has since missed two deadlines for finalizing the rule, the second of which expired at the end of March.
[…]
Biden’s menthol ban has received praise from public health advocates who say it can save hundreds of thousands of lives. The tobacco industry is also accused of disproportionately targeting the black community with its marketing of menthol cigarettes.
But the issue has divided black community leaders and drawn opposition from law enforcement groups.
The Rev. Al Sharpton has come out against the ban, saying it will give police more reason to target black people, though the ban’s advocates point out that he has accepted donations from industry groups.
Gwen Carr, an activist and the mother of Eric Garner, says the ban is inconsistent and racially inequitable. About 81% of black adult smokers used menthol cigarettes in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared to 34% of white adult smokers.
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Well, there you have it; you could argue that Biden’s menthol ban is racist. Biden is most certainly not an astute politician, and there’s no way he had the bandwidth to navigate these voter base waters without running aground. Which voter bloc he will crash into is anyone’s guess, but any of these groups could sink his re-election chances if he fumbles, which he will eventually.
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