Does Early Voting Show Less Black Support for Hillary Than Expected?

by Stephen Lendman

Speaking in North Carolina days earlier, Trump called for a "new deal for Black America…grounded in three promises: safe communities, great education and high-paying jobs."

"Whether you vote for me or not, I will be your greatest champion. We live in a very divided country, and I will be your greatest champion," he said.

It's hard imagining a billionaire "champion(ing)" anything besides wealth, power and privilege. He's right saying "(w)e keep electing the same people over and over and over" - promising everything, delivering nothing, Obama, America's first Black president Exhibit A, breaking every major campaign pledge once in office.

"African-American citizens have sacrificed so much for our nation. They fought and died in every war since the Revolution and from the pews and the picket lines. They've lifted up the conscience of our country in the long march for civil rights. Yet too many African-Americans have been left behind," said Trump, trying to win support from a constituency Democrats take for granted without delivering anything in return.

Staunch Hillary supporter New York Times discussed what it considers a disturbing trend - "Black turnout fall(ing) in early voting, boding ill for Hillary Clinton," saying:

"African-Americans are failing to vote at the robust levels they did four years ago in several states that could help decide the presidential election, creating a vexing problem for Hillary Clinton as she clings to a deteriorating lead over Donald J. Trump with Election Day just a week away."

In so-called battleground state North Carolina, Black turnout so far is down 16% while overall turnout is up 15%, The Times reported.

In Florida, crucial for both candidates, Blacks are 15% of early voters compared to 25% in 2012. The same trend is true in Ohio, another key battleground state.

"The disappointing black turnout so far could foreshadow a larger and more intractable problem for Mrs. Clinton and the Democratic Party as they rethink their place in a post-Obama era," said The Times. 

"One of the biggest uncertainties Democrats have been forced to confront in this election is whether Mr. Obama's absence from the ticket would depress black enthusiasm, which was at historic levels in 2008 and 2012 and would have been difficult to replicate under even the best of circumstances."

"Inside the Clinton campaign, crunchtime has begun," The Times added. She could lose the popular vote, maybe overwhelmingly, and still be declared victor after polls close next Tuesday.

How the Trump campaign and millions of his supporters react remains a wild card if things turn out this way.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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