Democratic Primaries

left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts) Sun Jul 14, 2019, 10:30 AM Jul 2019

Buttigieg makes new pitch to attract black voters

Pete Buttigieg this week released an extensive plan aimed at alleviating the effects of “systemic racism” — but whether it can also lift his standing with black voters will be the key political question. A major barrier for Buttigieg if he is seeking to become a serious contender for the nomination is his lack of support among black voters. In two recent polls, from the Economist and Quinnipiac University, respectively, he scored 5 percent and 4 percent support among all Democrats but 1 percent and zero percent among black Democrats.

Buttigieg will be hoping that his new plan released Thursday, named The Douglass Plan after the iconic 19th century black leader Frederick Douglass, will help demonstrate that he has a real awareness of how racial disparities roil the nation — and concrete proposals to do something about them.

The plan is lengthy and specific. It includes proposals on criminal justice, on health care, education and entrepreneurship. It proposes, among other things, the creation of health equity zones and increased training for health professionals to reduce racial disparities in health care.

Buttigieg told MSNBC’s Craig Melvin on Thursday, “I do think it's very important for black voters to have an answer to the question they're always asking me on the trail, which is ‘How is your presidency going to make my life better and different in a way that's better than any of your competitors?’”

https://thehill.com/homenews/the-memo/452897-the-memo-buttigieg-makes-new-pitch-to-attract-black-voters