Democrats Haven't Learned That They Can't Insult People Into Supporting Them
Former President Barack Obama should have known better, but there is a reason why he didn’t.
His recent gaffe at a campaign event for Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t do the candidate any favors, and could have actually harmed her bid for the presidency. As it turns out, telling Black men that they are sexist for not supporting Harris wasn’t the best strategic move, and it’s the type of mistake that Obama doesn’t normally make.
However, Obama was only using the same playbook Democrats used when he first ran for president – insulting and shaming people into supporting them. The problem? This is 2024, not 2008.
A social media analysis showed that Obama’s comments elicited a decidedly negative reaction.
Former President Barack Obama's recent speech may have done more harm than good to Kamala Harris' standing among swing state voters, as social media analysis revealed a negative reaction to his scolding of the Black, male electorate for its reluctance to support the vice president.
Heading into the final stretch of the 2024 election, the Democrats have called upon the former president to rally behind Harris on the campaign trail. However, comments made prior to Harris' recent rally in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania elicited a largely negative response.
Analysis conducted on Oct. 10-14 by social media monitoring firm Impact Social found that the online reaction to Obama's appearance was significantly negative, with many considering his remarks to be disrespectful and patronizing to Black voters.
Video footage showed Obama addressing a small crowd of Black men, saying that they are “coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses” to reject Harris. Polling shows that the vice president is failing to win over the percentage of Black men that previous Democratic candidates have.
Obama attributed this drop in support to sexism. "Because part of it makes me think -- and I'm speaking to men directly -- part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren't feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you're coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that,” he said.
He continued to scold Black men, saying they are “thinking about sitting out or supporting somebody who has a history of denigrating you, because you think that’s a sign of strength, because that’s what being a man is? Putting women down? That’s not acceptable.”
Obama isn’t the only Democrat to use this messaging tactic. Ever since Harris became the Democratic Party’s nominee, folks on the left have been using the usual trope: If you don’t support her, you are sexist, racist, or both. They suggested that Black Americans are somehow obligated to support Harris because of their racial identity.
If this sounds familiar, it is because it is the exact strategy Democrats used when Obama was running for president. Any criticism of him was attributed to racism. Members of the press gleefully labeled his critics as bigots, refusing to engage with their actual objections to his policies.
It worked then. But it ain’t working now.
In fact, Harris’ campaign seems to recognize that insulting and shaming people into voting for her is no longer a viable strategy. This could be why the campaign focused on branding her as a joyful warrior with a positive message. Instead of lashing out at “deplorables” as Hillary Clinton did in the 2016 campaign, they sought to exude an optimistic vision for the country. Whether or not this strategy works, it shows that they are reading the room.
Unfortunately for Democrats, other prominent leftists have not yet caught on, which was obvious when Obama made those comments.
The reality is that it is one thing to go negative against a politician on the other team. It is quite another to attack voters – especially at a time when America is more polarized than it has been in recent memory. It is about as foolhardy as trying to soak up the Pacific Ocean with a mop.
Former President Donald Trump benefitted from the Democrats’ strategy in 2016. His victory was a direct repudiation of those who used shame and race hustling to garner votes. It sent a clear message: We don’t give a crap if you call us bigots. However, Democrats have still not gotten the message, which could cost them in November.
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