By Richard Prince | Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Journal-isms
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Vice President Kamala Harris is gaining among Black male voters and Donald Trump’s appeal is declining, the NAACP said Monday, unveiling fresh survey information just days before election day Nov. 5.
The nation’s oldest civil rights organization attributed whatever success the Republican former president has had with Black men to misinformation and disinformation on social media, which has usurped both broadcast and cable television as media of choice for younger Black voters, as well as a decline in civics education in the nation’s schools. Those who favored Trump were also the least likely to vote, they said.
At a midday press briefing, NAACP President Derrick Johnson also faulted the news media for focusing too much on “side issues, when there is a clear and present danger that should be addressed head on.” Trump supporters are seeking to create a “Jan. 6 reality,” he said.
The organization found that from August to October, Black men under 50 decreased their likelihood to vote for Trump (27-21%) and increased their likelihood to vote for Harris (51-59%). The number of Black people who are certain Trump voters has declined by 11 percent since a September survey, while support for Harris has risen by 6 percent, the survey found.
“Black men are the least Trumpy male voters in America,” said Joshua Doss, senior pollster and political strategist at HIT Strategies, which conducted the polling for the NAACP, yet media coverage has been “a little misleading,” with the exaggerations “popping up in focus groups.”
NAACP officers and HIT pollsters also said they were heartened by results showing that discussion of health issues was resonating with Black men and that more than half said they planned to vote in down-ballot races, indicating that their perception of the value of “community power” was on the rise.
“The concept of voter apathy is declining” among those surveyed, said Phaedra Jackson, vice president of unit advocacy and effectiveness at the NAACP, perhaps a natural consequence of the truism that more people pay attention to the election after Labor Day.
Johnson called the misinformation and disinformation on social media the biggest obstacle to getting African Americans to cast ballots, saying media consumption habits were generational. The median age for African Americans is 32.
The difference between the broadcast media and cable, favored by previous generations, said Johnson, is that “You have social media without any guard rails.” And “you have a whole generation who never had civics making bad choices, including not to vote.”
The NAACP is meeting the change in media habits by “meeting people where they are” — through digital media — but Johnson also said “the biggest hurdle now is an education hurdle.”
The get-out-the-vote drive is operating on many fronts, including the courts. The officials pointed to a victory this month in Nebraska, where a state Supreme Court ruled that state election officials must comply with a law allowing former felons to vote immediately after they complete their sentences instead of waiting two years.
“To date, NAACP’s $20 million civic engagement program has reached over 60 million Americans through canvassing, digital outreach, community outreach, and digital, print & radio ads,” the organization added.
“The NAACP has successfully ended Georgia’s Hand Count rule, prevented the disenfranchisement of thousands of WA voters, and halted Alabama’s ‘Purge Program’ through coordinated litigation.”
Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee Monday announced “a first-ever seven-figure ‘I Will Vote’ ad campaign targeting Black voters through ads in 55 Black publications and on 48 Black radio stations across the country. The historic ad campaign will feature radio spots from Kerry Washington, LeToya Luckett-Coles, John Legend, and Stevie Wonder,” it said.
“This strategic investment comes on the heels of several paid ad campaigns launched by the DNC and the Harris-Walz campaign aimed at turning out and mobilizing Black voters – a critical voting bloc this election. The DNC’s ‘I Will Vote’ campaign directs voters to the DNC’s most complete, accurate, and up-to-date national coverage of polling places and voter education information all in one place to empower Black communities with the information they need to exercise their right to vote in this critical election cycle.”
In another development, BET Media Group announced Monday it will premiere the ‘BET Black Men’s Summit,’ hosted by comedian, actor, and radio host D.L. Hughley. Airing on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 10 PM ET/9 PM CT and streaming on BET+, BET.com, and across the BET social media platforms.”