In 2020 Donald Trump won North Carolina by less than 1%. This year, not surprisingly, it is considered a toss-up state.
But I think the Democrat Party just lost it.
From Bradley Jaye’s article at breitbart.com (maybe, given the subject matter this should be notverybreitbart.com) we have this:
The Democrat-majority North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) blocked Cornel West and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the November general election ballot on Tuesday, upholding an earlier decision.
However, the board approved the Constitution Party, enabling the small party to include a candidate on the ballot.
Liberals West and RFK Jr., candidates for the Justice for All Party and the We the People Party, respectively, would likely siphon votes from Democrat President Joe Biden. The candidate for the conservative Constitution Party is expected to garner votes otherwise going to Biden’s challenger, former President Donald Trump.
Do these geniuses really think that they will gain votes by denying Cornel West – the very visible, very leftward and very Black Cornel West – a place on the ballot? Or RFK Jr. – whose supporters perceive him as an antidote to both Trump and Biden?
Do they not realize that people willing to vote third-party (i.e. reject the two main candidates) are probably far more likely to vote write-in than partisans for either side; therefore the affect on people already disposed to vote for West or RFK Jr. will be minimal?
And – this is the key point – do they not realize that, by intentionally denying a place on the ballot for these two candidates, they will not just royally piss off their supporters, they will also royally piss off plenty of probable Biden voters as well?
-How many Black voters who might have voted for Biden will be sufficiently angered over Cornel West – a Black candidate – being excluded by the Democrat Party to “teach them a lesson” and vote for West instead?
-And a big, fat ditto for Democrats who might have voted for Biden over RFK Jr.
My guess is that this move will lose Democrats votes. Enough, given the closeness of the state, to probably move it into Trump territory.
All Republicans need do (assuming they are smart enough – which, I concede is a very big “if”) – is advertise the fact that Democrats and Democrats alone dumped West and RFK Jr. in the political garbage can and Joe Biden did not voice any objection to them doing so….with a special effort to talk about West’s being dumped in heavily Black areas.
WILL Republicans be smart enough to do this? I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?
