Strange thing that benefits Mr. Trump before the sprint race
Báo Dân trí•16/10/2024
(Dan Tri) - Something strange is happening in the race to the White House as Republican candidate Donald Trump is gaining more support from the traditionally loyal black and Hispanic voters of the Democratic Party.
Former US President Donald Trump (Photo: New York Times).
In 2016, billionaire Donald Trump became president after repeatedly insulting Mexican immigrants in his campaign speeches. Nearly eight years later, polls show that he could return to the White House with the support of black and Hispanic voters. Mr. Trump is the first Republican candidate to do so since the US enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1964. "How is this possible?" is the question on many people's minds. The latest New York Times/Siena College poll of black and Hispanic voters nationwide is trying to answer that question. Although Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris still leads Mr. Trump among black and Hispanic voters, polls show that Mr. Trump is doing unusually well for a Republican candidate when it comes to support among these two groups. The surge in support among black and Hispanic voters can be explained by a couple of reasons. First , they don’t mind his negative statements, even when they are offensive. For liberals, Trump’s views on race, crime, and immigration are nothing short of racist. Many black and Hispanic voters feel the same way, but a surprising number of them like what they hear. About 40% of black voters and 43% of Hispanic voters say they support building a wall along the southern border. Similarly, 45% of Hispanic voters and 41% of black voters say they support deporting undocumented immigrants. Half of Hispanic voters and nearly half of black voters say crime in big cities is a major problem that is out of control. That share is roughly the same among white voters. Overall, 20% of black voters said people who are offended by Trump take his words too seriously, while 78% agreed that people have a good reason to be offended. Similarly, 40% of Hispanic voters said people who are offended by Trump take his words too seriously, while 55% said they have a good reason to be offended. Importantly, only about a third of Hispanic voters felt that Trump was talking about them when he mentioned immigration issues. Support for Trump’s views extends beyond issues related to race and immigration. A majority of black and Hispanic voters appear to sympathize with his “America First” foreign policy, which they believe should focus less on foreign issues and more on domestic issues. More and more Hispanic voters support Mr. Trump (Photo: EPA).Second,economic policy may be the biggest factor. Only 20% of Hispanic voters and 26% of black voters say the economy is good or excellent. More than half of both groups say they have cut back on grocery purchases in the past year because of rising costs. This is important to economically vulnerable voters, especially those who previously voted for Democrats and thought the party represented their economic interests. Overall, the economy is the most cited issue among black and Hispanic voters when asked what will determine their vote in November. As a billionaire businessman, Trump has always had an advantage on this issue. Now, Trump is running for reelection at a time when voters are unhappy with the economy, many of whom have viewed his presidency as a time of prosperity and peace. On the economy, Harris leads 69%-25% among black voters, while Trump leads 61%-35% among Hispanic voters. Third , Democrats are letting these groups down. In addition to the state of the economy, another problem facing Democrats is that many voters feel that continuing to vote for the party won't make much of a difference. Of all the questions in the poll, the worst for Democrats may be "which party keeps its promises better?" Only 63% of black voters and 46% of Hispanic voters lean toward the Democrats on this issue. Black and Hispanic voters are disappointed with the results the Democrats have delivered. They say the Democrats have failed to meet their expectations in fixing the problems they care about. The results are largely due to the state of the economy today and have been simmering since Barack Obama’s presidency failed to deliver the changes many hoped for. Perhaps a new generation is finally comfortable with the values that Mr. Trump represents. The Times/Siena poll found that Mr. Trump has the strongest support among young black and Hispanic voters, especially young men. Overall, he leads Ms. Harris 55%-38% among Hispanic men 45 and younger. Ms. Harris leads among black men under 45 69%-27%. The Times/Siena poll found a small portion of young black and Hispanic men who appear relatively moderate on traditional economic and cultural issues, but also seem to resent the cultural norms that Democrats often emphasize. Perhaps most importantly, however, Mr. Trump has scored among politically neutral voters. If Mr. Trump gains support among traditional Democratic groups, it will come from younger, less engaged voters who have had little or no affiliation with the Democratic Party in the past. Still, there are doubts about whether Mr. Trump’s gains will materialize on Election Day. Young black and Hispanic men are not the most reliable voters, and their turnout is not particularly high. But today’s young black and Hispanic voters will be tomorrow’s regular voters anyway. Even if Mr. Trump’s support doesn’t fully materialize this November, it may only be a matter of time before Republicans make a run.
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