Biden risks alienating young Black voters after race remarks

Joe Biden's controversial remarks about race this week risk alienating young Black voters who despise President Donald Trump but are t inspired by his Democratic rival.

When pressed by Errol Barnett of CBS News on wher he'd taken a cognitive test, Biden responded that question was akin to asking Black reporter if he would take a drug test to see if “you're taking cocaine or t? ... Are you a junkie?” In a later interview with National Public Rio's Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Biden seemed to draw distinctions between Black and Hispanic populations in U.S.

“Unlike African American community, with table exceptions, Lati community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly different attitudes about different things,” he told Latina reporter.

He later walked back comment.

Black voters as a whole delivered Democratic mination to Biden, powering his commanding win in South Carolina primary, which rescued his floundering campaign. But that success was heavily dependent on older Black voters. In a general election where Democrats say vote can be taken for granted, young Black activists and elected officials say this week's missteps could make it harder to get ir vote.

“Trump is terrible, and he's a racist, and we have to get racists out of White House. But n Biden keeps saying racist things,” said Mariah Parker, a 28-year-old county commissioner in Ans, Georgia.

“It doesn't make me feel much better that we actually will have an improvement for Black community with one president over or.” Most Black voters view Trump as someone who exacerbates racial tensions and are unlikely to support his campaign in large numbers.

But those who sit out presidential election could sway outcome in closely contested states.

AP VoteCast data illustrates generational divide Biden is confronting.

Across 17 states where AP VoteCast surveyed Democratic voters during primary, Vermont Sen.

Bernie Sanders won 60% of voters under 30 overall, to Biden's 19%. And while Biden was strongly supported by African American voters overall, Black voters under 30 were slightly more likely to support Sanders than Biden, 44% to 38%.

A Washington Post-Ipsos poll conducted in June suggested that while Biden h majority support among Black voters d 18-39, re was skepticism about Biden himself.

Among Black Americans under 40 that were polled, 32% said y didn't feel he was sympatic to problems of Black people. And 24% of respondents under 40 said y felt Biden is “biased” against Black people, in contrast to much lower percents for middle-d and senior respondents.

Part of challenge for Biden, said activist Kristin Fulwylie Thomas, is perception among young Black voters that he's too moderate to deliver on issues that are important to m.

31-year-old managing director of Equal Ground, an Orlando-based group working to boost turut among Black voters across Florida, said she hears this concern from voters across state.

“What I'm seeing and what I'm hearing among young black voters is that Biden was t ir first choice, so folks are t excited to vote for him this vember,” she said.

Every gaffe makes it harder for Biden to generate that excitement.

Michigan State Rep. Jewell Jones, 25, said that he's seen a number of Biden's comments on Black voters, along with his past support for 1994 crime bill that contributed to mass incarceration of Black Americans, pop up on social media and raise questions among his peers.

“Young people are really holding people accountable se days,” he said. “Anything that comes up that y think is questionable, y'll challenge.” Jones said issue with young Black voters is “t necessarily skepticism about wher or t he's able to do job." “Young people today want to kw, are politicians' hearts in right place?” he said.

Biden campaign says y're working hard to reach out to young Black voters, and point to events hosted by ir young voter outreach coalition, League 46, as well as outreach geared specifically towards historically Black colleges and universities and Black sororities.

Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who is 30, pointed to Biden's clarification as a key difference between former vice president and Trump.

“It's such a contrast to actually have a leer, and hopefully a president, that's going to hold himself to a high standard,” he said.

Kenyatta, who has endorsed Biden, said he's spoken to former vice president about issues affecting young people and that “his ability to listen and understand that, and n put forward policy that dresses those concerns is going to be pivotal to us.” Indeed, Biden has put out proposals focused on Black ecomic mobility, which include pledges to steer federal money and tax credits to small business and ecomic development programs for mirity-owned firms and disvantd neighborhoods.

On criminal justice reform, he's called for a federal ban on police choke holds, national standards for police use of force, and a new federal police oversight commission. He's also embraced proposals to forgive some student loan debt and offer some free college.