Biden to air 90-minute radio programs targeting Black voters

The Hill ^ | 10/28/20 05:28 PM EDT | BY REID WILSON

[RandFan]

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden plans to air 90-minute radio programs on gospel stations across the country this weekend urging Black voters to head to the polls in a final sprint of early voting before Tuesday’s elections.

The Biden campaign will pay about $109,000 to air the programs on 29 radio stations in seven states, according to sources watching the advertising market. The programs are set to air in Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Democrats typically run Souls to the Polls programs aimed at Black churches in the final weekends before a November election, when some of the party’s most loyal voters crowd onto buses and head en masse to polling places nearby their houses of worship.

Those programs look different this year because of the pandemic, which has fallen disproportionately on Black and Brown Americans. The radio play is a way to reach those voters even if they cannot attend church in person on Sunday.

A Biden campaign spokesman did not have additional details to add about what the programs would feature.

But Biden, more than most Democratic candidates, owes his success to Black voters. After stumbling badly in the first three contests in the 2020 primary, he won big in South Carolina, on the strength of his support among Black voters and aided by a key endorsement from Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.).

Days later, Biden used that win to steamroll through the rest of the Democratic field on Super Tuesday.

Early voting data show African American voters are turning out in droves to vote early, just as in previous years. More than 5.4 million Black voters have cast a ballot so far this year, up from about 3 million at this point in the 2016 contest, according to TargetSmart Consulting, a Democratic firm tracking the early vote.

In several states including Texas and Georgia, the number of older Black voters who have cast a ballot already exceeds the total number who voted in 2016, including on Election Day.

More than 3.3 million Black voters over the age of 50 have already cast a ballot. About 357,000 Black voters have already cast their first-ever ballots this year, and another 1.1 million African Americans who cast ballots infrequently have voted.

[StolarStorm]

That’s going to annoy a lot of people. Backfire...

[hal ogen]

Are “black” individuals “black” if they don’t bother to listen to this pandering criminal oaf?

[gov_bean_ counter]

Plus, they will be royally pissed about him taking away regular programming.

[gov_bean_ counter]

No, Amos and Andy...

[funfan]

Can you imagine listening to Biden for 90 minutes I bet they have someone doing his voice for him.

[wareagle7295]

In 2016, 59% of blacks voted, and that was a 20 year low percentage wise. There is 42 million blacks in the usa currently, so that would amount to about 24.7 million votes this cycle. If that were to go down just one percent that is 500,000 votes lost.

Now, lets say they get .59 black turnout again. But 15% went for Trump, that would amount to 1.7 million votes lost by the Dems .

I've been around long enough to see this song and dance before, so I would say the more likely scenario is black vote is lower 58 percent or lower, but and Trump gets maybe 1 or 2 percent more of the vote.

One more terrifying reality they are facing. If expected black turnout (in a non-covid year) should be around 24 million, and so far only 5 million have turned out - they are in deep crap on election day, because I would say African Americans over 40 are the group most paranoid of the virus (besides Karens). If you combine lower turn out by the plus 40, with the current disinterest by the sub 30s with Biden, they have a major issue.

[Jess Kitting]

Biden to air 90-minute radio programs targeting Black voters

Targeting? Is he going to shoot at them? What a racist!

If he's trying to attract anyone, I'm sure a 90-minute radio speech from Biden will do the trick. Zzzzzz.

[John Locke Forever]

Why is Harris-Biden worried about getting the black vote anywhere?

[Dr. Sivana]

Who is going to listen to a 90 minute radio program?

Rush Limbaugh's audience?

[wareagle7295]

Who is going to listen to a 90 minute radio program? Rush Limbaugh's audience?

To rephrase the question - Who is going to listen to a 90 minute radio program of Joe Biden?

[Army Air Corps]

Bingo. People have an attention span for the things that interest them. Who has the interest to listen to Joe “Beijing’s Cabana Boy” Biden for an hour an a half?

[Dr. Sivana]

To rephrase the question - Who is going to listen to a 90 minute radio program of Joe Biden?

Oh, as many people as attend his rallies. He can save the planet some burnt jet fuel.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

90 minute radio program? Heck, he should have just cut some LP records and mailed them out.
 

[Kickass Conservative]

I was listening to Rush Limbaugh streaming ona Seattle Radio Station today.

They are running Biden Commercials. The one I heard talks about Poll Taxes and Tests being used to stop from Blacks Voting.

Then it says Trump doesn’t want Early and Mail in Voting because he is trying to suppress the Vote. Of course the Narrator is a Black guy.

The Urban League also has a Commercial touting the same crap.

[ReelectTrump2020]

Trump campaign should just buy ad time during each to replay Biden quotes- “you ain’t black”, where he said that black people “aren’t diverse”, parts of his speeches in support of segregationists, and parts of his speech in favor of the crime bill should just about cover it

[SaxxonWoods]

Joe thinks you get votes by ordering people to vote for you.

[Lion Den Dan]

Who will listen to a radio program for 90 minutes unless President Trump or Rush Limbaugh are the speakers/host?

[SDShack]

The big picture isn’t blacks voting for Trump, or even not voting for Prez, it’s blacks not voting PERIOD. This will have a HUGE impact on the house...and that is why the DNC is panicking. It is a huge tell how the real votes are actually going if Corrupt Senile Joe is going all-in like this at the last minute to try to get blacks back on the plantation.

[windsorknot]

Massa Joe gonna crack the whip on the runaways. “They gonna put y’all back in chains”

[RevelationDavid]

90 minutes..... black gospel radio.... on a weekend… Right.

That’s going to reach a ton of people for sure.

Rush Limbaugh reaches more people in the first 15 minutes of his show, than this will reach in total.