In a few weeks, the Iowa Caucus will kickstart the strenuous process of nominating a candidate on behalf of the Democrats. And when it does, there will be no Black candidate in proper contention.
Former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick has not dropped out of the race but it is a valid question to ask if he were ever in it.
What counted for Black representation was more visible in California senator, Kamala Harris and her colleague from New Jersey, Cory Booker.
Looking to follow in the footsteps of the last Democrat to occupy the White House, the pair of lawmakers never quite got around to lifting off. Any discussed surge never saw manifestation.
Harris was the favorite of the media elite and it was easy to see why. Being a woman of color, she preeminently ticked two boxes on the identity politics register.
Booker, on the other hand, looked like Barack Obama came back for another shot. It may not have been the New Jersey senator’s deliberate doing but the comparison was undeniably tempting.
Either way, both contestants quite simply failed. Harris, the better of two miserable campaigns, never went past 6% in credible national polls.
It is not wrong to argue that in the wider historical context, the odds were never in Harris’ or Booker’s favor.
They were looking to attain a level only one Black person had ever achieved – not that many had tried.
Booker called off his campaign on Monday, about a month after Harris. In the coming weeks, and quite probably, years, questions will need to be answered about why the Black candidates never inspired the numbers.
The three following arguments should be considered.
They were not considered safe choices
The election of Donald Trump is viewed by many experts as a backlash against the cultural significance of Barack Obama’s presidency. The theory holds that the nativist rhetoric found among some in White America points to that very fact.
As such, Black candidates for the presidency would be riskier gambles. Their ideas would not matter, just the color of their skin. This may explain why Booker and Harris were not popular among Black people. Bernie Sanders, a near-octogenarian Jewish man from Brooklyn, can count on more Black support.
The ambiguity of their ideology
The progressive wing of the Democratic Party is the most vociferous, if not the majority. This would have been unthinkable some 10 years ago, but this time, what an aspirant was worth was determined on the scales of progressive values.
Did they support Medicare For All? What is their policy on climate change and how did they intend to address deficiencies in America’s justice system? They tried to come off as progressives but Booker and Harris were found wanting. The crowd was unforgiving of Harris especially, who had been California’s top cop and therefore considered part of the problem.
They were not relatable
How does a politician become relatable? What has been sold to Americans over the years is the image of a person you can have a beer with – whatever that means.
In one of the debates, Booker attempted to come off as folksy by uttering a colloquialism – “You’re dipping into the Kool-Aid and don’t even know the flavor many” – many African-Americans have not heard. Unsurprisingly, it backfired.
And then there was Harris dancing to Cardi B and Beyonce but those never quite flew.
Face2Face Africa
