South Carolina lawmakers suggest Biden may be taking black voters in the state for granted


It's safe to say former Vice President Joe Biden's performances in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary did not go as planned.
Fourth- and fifth-place finishes don't look very good when you were once considered the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, but the Biden campaign has been waiting for South Carolina to vote later this month. Biden has traditionally dominated in polls there, and he's still the favorite. But it no longer seems like a lock, Politico reports.
Part of that is because he's apparently losing some steam with the state's black voters. Biden's support among African-American voters has been a major focus of his campaign, but some people believe the vice president has been a little too sure of himself. "I think some people feel like because he had such a wide lead and we have such a long history with him that maybe there was some sort of taking for granted that the support would remain," said Tameika Isaac-Devine, a councilwoman in Columbia, South Carolina, who hasn't endorsed any contender yet.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
South Carolina State Rep. John King said he's backing billionaire Tom Steyer instead of Biden in part because, while the latter may believe he has the state's African-American vote, "he has not spent time in South Carolina and [Steyer's] people are on the ground." Read more at Politico.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
'The question is what it does for the ecosystem'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
August 26 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Tuesday’s political cartoons include a simple guide to gerrymandering, a MAGA-approved Cracker Barrel logo, and an FBI raid at John Bolton's house
-
Four royal holiday hotspots
The Week Recommends Follow in the footsteps of royalty and experience the charm of some of their most popular getaways
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportation
Speed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda
-
Trump arms National Guard in DC, threatens other cities
speed read His next targets are Chicago, New York and Baltimore
-
Judge: Trump's US attorney in NJ serving unlawfully
Speed Read The appointment of Trump's former personal defense lawyer, Alina Habba, as acting US attorney in New Jersey was ruled 'unlawful'
-
Third judge rejects DOJ's Epstein records request
Speed Read Judge Richard Berman was the third and final federal judge to reject DOJ petitions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury material
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by Trump
Speed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank plan
Speed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
-
Court says labor board's structure unconstitutional
Speed Read The ruling has broad implications for labor rights enforcement in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi
-
Feds seek harsh charges in DC arrests, except for rifles
Speed Read The DOJ said 465 arrests had been made in D.C. since Trump federalized law enforcement there two weeks ago