Pssst! Al! When you publicly suggest that Joe Biden discuss white supremacy, you should at least pretend it is for moral, not ulterior political reasons. Unfortunately, Reverend Al Sharpton said the quiet part out loud on Monday's Morning Joe.
Since Biden's handling of economy and border security has caused a slippage of support for him among black voters, Sharpton stated that when Biden uncorked another campaign speech in Charleston later in the day, he should bring up white supremacy in his speech as a way to shore up support among a group that has been increasingly disappointed in him.
MSNBC host Jonathan Lemire touted Biden's animus against extremism and hate: "This is an animating principle for Joe Biden. This is why he ran in 2020, what happened in charlottesville. He talks about that frequently. We know he connected that extremism, the hateful rhetoric and, at times violence, with what Donald Trump has unearthed for this country. That he has given license to a lot of this anger and racism, and the worst of us."
But Biden is still slipping!
JONATHAN LEMIRE: We should also note, South Carolina, this is a political stop, because South Carolina is the first democratic primary with their new calendar. It also is a place where President Biden is going to really try to try to hone his pitch to black voters again. Because polling suggests that his support there has really slipped.
And perhaps one of his top allies is Congressman Jim Clyburn, who of course, it was his endorsement back in 2020, that kind of opened the door for Biden’s nomination. And Clyburn gave an interview over the weekend, where he acknowledged he is, quote, ‘very concerned about President Biden’s standing with black voters.’ He went on to say that though he thinks the president has done a good job, quote, ‘my problem is that we have not been able to break through the MAGA wall in order to get to people exactly what this president has done.’
And I think even Joe Biden’s staunchest supporters will acknowledge there’s been a real communication breakdown, that his team and the president himself have struggled selling his accomplishments. Now, that said he was clear-eyed and forceful on Friday. And I suspect we will hear the more from the same today, Reverend Al, because this is a — this is a demographic, voters of color, particularly black voters, he simply can’t afford to lose.
Perhaps Biden wouldn't be losing black support of he had been keeping inflation in check and prevented a flood of cheap labor entering the country due to poor to non-existent border security. However, Al Sharpton can be relied upon to focus on his favorite topic in order to garner political support.
AL SHARPTON: He can’t afford not only to lose them, he can’t afford a low turnout. And I think that just as he came to South Carolina in the primaries, when he finally got in the race, and they energized his campaign, after he did not do well in Iowa and New Hampshire, and Clyburn endorsed him and he went to the head of the class so to speak. I think that that can happen today when he reminds the nation and black voters what white supremacy can do, and when you have people soft on that, that take back the White House where it could lead to.
And later in the day, almost predictably, Joe Biden's teleprompter flashed "poison" of "white supremacy" on the screen a couple of minutes into the speech for him to read. And thanks to Al Sharpton, we know the real reason why that happened.
