, 9 tweets, 3 min read
My Authors
Read all threads
Ok, Buttigieg & black folks.

Look, his inability to gain traction w/ black voters is MUCH less a function of his being gay than of his lack of connection/reputation. Of course there’s homophobia - in the US & in black America; the question is does it affect black vote choice…
We know that Buttigieg’s white support is on the rise while his black support has remained at or near statistical zero. This 3% in the latest YouGov poll shows how anemic his black support still is.
But here is what we also know….

His favorability is highest among black folks. The importance of gay rights is highest among black Americans. Black folks think he’s more electable than whites/Hispanics.
This is also true – black churches, esp south of the Mason-Dixon (MD, NC stand out) – were some of loudest objectors to same-sex marriage a decade ago.

But religious views DO NOT generally dictate the black electorate’s votes in elections. We know this.
Consider the Chicago mayoral election where black gay candidate Lori Lightfoot won thanks to black voters.

AND where there was open acknowledgement that if she’d kissed her partner in a black church, she’d be asked to leave.

cnn.com/2019/04/07/us/…
As a prominent, recent black candidate for office told me: “Even the black pastors who were afraid of being forced to conduct same-sex marriages in their churches said they understood & supported the need to protect the civil rights of LGBTQ Americans.”
As a prominent black candidate for office recently told me: “Even the black pastors who were afraid of being forced to conduct same-sex marriages in their churches told me they understood & supported the need to protect the civil rights of LGBTQ Americans.”
Consider this: sexism is real, but it doesn’t stop the vast majority of black men from supporting black female candidates. Why? Bc race for black voters is the identity w/ the strongest influence on voting behavior. Other identities/views are often subordinated to group interest.
Bottom line: Buttgieg’s poor performance among black voters – when it comes to vote choice – has more to do w/ his record in South Bend, his lack of connection, & the other Dems running than his sexual orientation.

All else being equal, a straight Buttigieg is prob still @ 3%/
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh.

Enjoying this thread?

Keep Current with Theodore R. Johnson

Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

Follow Us on Twitter!

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just three indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!