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NEW YORK – More than a third of the candidates for the Democratic nomination for the presidency are women. There are two black men, a Mexican American, a Taiwanese American and a homosexual.
Yet, during the initial phase of the 2020 race, two heterosexual white men appeared as the fastest fundraisers, and another has taken a lead in recent polls, even before they d. announce your candidacy.
The rise of Senator Bernie Sanders (Vt.), Of former congressman Beto O. Rourke and former Vice President Joe Biden in a field of historical diversity has sown the consternation among some Democrats, especially African Americans and women who were hoping for a revolutionary candidate who reflects the changing face of the party and the country.
Black voters, especially black women, have the potential to play a decisive role in the Democratic Party's attempt to defeat President Trump in 2020. The inability to win their support has dealt a severe blow to previous candidates – most recently Sanders to the primary and 2016 to a lesser extent Hillary Clinton in the general election.
This has led white candidates to seek out black voters quickly. They open the door to reparations, openly speak of the legacy of slavery and offer a direct speech about racial injustice – a radical change from past presidential campaigns in which candidates marched to the slight.
While 11 presidential candidates have appeared this week in a downtown Manhattan hotel for the National Network convention, frustration has emerged over the reputation of non-white candidates. But there were also tensions between some black voters who want a candidate reflecting the diversity of the nation and others who perceive white men as potentially stronger against Trump.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Speaks at the National Action Network convention Friday. He stated that there was a "racial wealth gap because slavery, segregation, Jim Crow and predatory lending had stolen that wealth from African Americans" (Seth Wenig / AP).
"Because I am a black woman, I want to see a black woman in the presidency. And not just because she's a black woman, but we have great candidates, "said Lovelle Clark, a 65-year-old New Yorker who named Senator Kamala D. Harris (California) and potentially Stacey Abrams. who ran for the governor of Georgia last year. For many people, Clark said, "there is always this level of comfort with what we've had for all but one president – and that's a white man."
She applauded Abrams during a Wednesday speech that electrified a very black audience at the National Network of Action (NAN) meeting. The address resulted in slogans of "Run, Stacey, run!" While Abrams left the door open for an offer from the White House.
Other Democrats have said they see Biden, O'Rourke and Sanders as credible and convincing candidates best able to defeat Trump. Conflicting views revealed democratic divisions over race, gender and identity that could shape the fight for the bid.
"The old whites have been in the political arena. They know what the job entails, "said Yvonne James, a 79-year-old New Yorker who wore a canvas bag at the convention featuring images of Obamas and others. "Strong black men and women". "So, if it boils down to them or to someone who is a bit new, let's move on to the experienced choice."
In their speeches, the candidates spoke about criminal justice reform, economic disparities between blacks and whites, and the need to protect the right to vote. They also approved a project to establish a commission to study reparations for the descendants of slaves, a topic on which NAN founder Al Sharpton insisted and that many participants strongly favored.
Sanders, who had trouble attracting black voters to some campaign events and who lost many African Americans to Clinton, was enthusiastically applauded on Friday, especially when he qualified Trump as "racist", "sexist" and "homophobic".
Sanders has mentioned Barack Obama twice, with whom he shares little ideology. He also said there was a "racial wealth gap because slavery, segregation, Jim Crow and predatory lending stole this wealth from African Americans."
Democratic voters have become more racially diverse over the last two decades, according to a 2018 poll Pew Research Center study. In the mid-term elections, a record number of women, mostly Democrats, were elected to the House. Democrats expect African Americans – especially women – to play a central role in the 2020 primary race, starting in South Carolina, for the fourth time in programming.
These factors could complicate the application process for Biden, Sanders and O'Rourke. In addition to his past struggles with African Americans, Sanders was asked about the treatment of his sexual harassment complaints in his 2016 campaign.
O'Rourke expressed regret for comments that have been perceived by some as not recognizing his white male privilege. Speaking at the NAN conference Wednesday morning, he focused on racial injustice.
"This pipeline school is underway and this problem of mass incarceration is much deeper than the police, than our courts. It is our country and we must absolutely deal with it, "he said.
While the former congressman and Texas Senate candidate received applause, some audience members expressed uncertainty, saying they did not know him as well.
At this early stage of the presidential campaign, the strengths of the white candidates have become evident. This week's Sanders campaign has raised $ 18.2 million in its first 41 days, surpassing the competitors who announced their totals. The O'Rourke campaign raised $ 9.4 million in 18 days in the first quarter of the year. Both have cultivated loyal armies of small donors. Harris ranked second among fundraising candidates to date, raising $ 12 million over a longer period than O'Rourke or Sanders.
Biden has always been a leader in the first national and national polls. Many Democrats attribute their early successes – and those of O'Rourke and Sanders – to the formation of a national group in previous campaigns, but they do not claim that this victory is guaranteed.
"It is a bit too early to decide that Democratic voters are refusing a group of candidates and opting for a more" traditional "package," said former Attorney General Eric Holder, who also spoke at the conference.
It's been 15 years since the Democrats last named a white man to the presidency, choosing John F. Kerry, who would then lose to George W. Bush in 2004. With so many solid alternatives this time, some Democrats say that they are not. wanting to do it in 2020.
"It's the American standard; people are voting for what they know. But that's the old safe standard that brought Trump out there. I think it's time to change things a little bit, "said 37-year-old Tiffany James, head of NAN's South Carolina subsidiary. She arrived at the convention with a t-shirt bearing the inscription "Black Women 2020", promoting an incentive to put their agenda at the center of her concerns.
The presidential candidate, Julián Castro, said in an interview that it was "important that all voices be heard during this primary." . "
The other White House candidates who spoke at the convention sought to bring their own touch to common themes.
"In America, justice has not been applied in the same way for all," said Harris, who launched a succession of speeches on Friday. "In the last two years, the situation is even worse."
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) Said on Friday that she was willing to end the systematic obstruction of the Senate, saying it was "a matter of tool to block progress on racial justice. "
Senator Cory Booker (DN.J.), seeking as Harris to become the second black president of the country, spoke with the cadence of a preacher towards the end of remarks in which he declared that the country was at a "moment" moral".
Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, said Thursday that the words "black lives mattered" in his speech. S then addressing reporters, he expressed his contrition for having previously used the term "all lives matter".
Some of Biden's supporters said he would bring the gravity and experience needed to defeat Trump. But it was also feared that his advanced age could be a handicap. Biden is 76 years old and Sanders is 77 years old.
"The work of a president requires a lot of energy. A lot of leg work, "said retiree Jacob Azeke, 77, of New York.
The chairman of the National Democratic Committee, Tom Perez, praised the diversity of the field in a passionate speech delivered at the convention, his voice reaching a cry. In an interview, he warned against drawing radical conclusions about the rapid success of white candidates.
"It's a marathon and we have about four miles," said Perez.
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