President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were in Philadelphia on Wednesday to launch a new campaign initiative aimed at bring black voters back into the Democratic fold.
The plan — creatively named “Black Voters for Biden Harris”– comes as polling indicates Biden’s support among black voters has plummeted since his inauguration, according to Philadelphia’s WCAU.
On the tarmac at Philadelphia International Airport, Biden and a number of state and local dignitaries stopped for a photo op and to take a few questions from reporters.
One of those questions, however, didn’t go over very well with the octogenarian president.
CSPAN posted video of the interaction to X.
Trending:
Q: “President Biden, will you be serving your full four-year term or handing over power to Vice President Harris?”
President Biden: “Are you okay? Are you alright? You’re not hurt are you? I said are you okay? Did you fall on your head or something?” pic.twitter.com/6uOquSaCZm
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 29, 2024
“President Biden, will you be serving your full four-year term or handing over power to Vice President Harris?” the unidentified journalist asked.
Biden, as is often his wont, didn’t answer the question, which was relatively straightforward, instead choosing to attack the one who asked it.
Is Biden mentally fit?
Yes: 2% (9 Votes)
No: 98% (484 Votes)
“Are you OK? Are you all right?” Biden asked, pointing to his head. “You’re not hurt are you? I said are you OK?
“Did you fall on your head or something?” he concluded, as those around him simpered and snickered. (I honestly don’t know that I’ve ever used the word “simper” before, but that’s precisely what Biden’s companions were doing.)
After that, Biden turned away from the assembled reporters, and a media handler could be heard thanking those assembled and dismissing them.
WCAU noted that the new push from the Biden campaign to invest in “Black student organizations, community groups and faith centers across the country” came after a March poll showed Biden with 55 percent approval among black adults.
At the beginning of his term, his approval among that voter group was 94 percent. That’s quite a fall.
To hear the Biden campaign talk about it, however, you’d think everything was coming up roses, both for Biden’s re-election chances and for black Americans.
“Today, Team Biden-Harris is launching Black Voters for Biden Harris, a national organizing program to bolster our continued historic investments in outreach to the backbone of the Biden-Harris coalition — Black voters,” a spokesperson for Biden wrote in a statement cited by WCAU.
“These voters were instrumental in electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2020, paving the way for the Biden-Harris Administration to deliver a record low Black unemployment rate, Black wealth increased by 60%, more Black Americans with health care coverage than ever before, and billions forgiven in student loan debt that disproportionately impacts Black borrowers,” the statement added.
Despite that lofty proclamation, black Americans — like most Americans — are hurting in the Biden economy. Few of us, no matter our racial background, are doing better financially than we were in 2020, when Biden was elected. I’m not sure that pretending that isn’t true is a winning strategy for Team Biden.
But, hey, do me a favor, huh? Don’t tell them.
