Joe Biden has had a tough time in the polls recently.
When he first announced his campaign, he was thought to be the clear favorite. Even then, he angered progressives with his relatively conservative stance on healthcare: opposing dismantling Obamacare and instead favoring a public option.
Even more sickening to left-leaning Democrats is the fact that he is a vocal opponent of socialism.
However, the issue of race is hounding his campaign like nothing else. First he was attacked for working with segregationists in order to get things done. Then came Kamala Harris’ righteous anger – which coincidentally gave her a huge boost in the polls.
The most damaging attack was on mass incarceration. Many progressives blame his 1994 crime bill for the discrepancy in incarceration rates between blacks and whites. This issue is especially important because it damaged the Clinton campaign in 2016 by harming their reputation with black voters. Even if he wins the nomination, this issue could lose him the general election.
Yet another embarrassing moment came at the NAACP annual conference. There, he said that his legislative record couldn’t be racist because if it was, Obama wouldn’t have picked him for VP. Predictably, this was seen as tone-deaf.
To escape these controversies, Joe released a twitter campaign aimed at fighting mass incarceration.
Too many people are incarcerated in the US – and many don’t have resources to successfully rejoin society after serving their time.
That’s why I’m releasing my plan to reduce our prison population, create a more just society, & make our communities safer. https://t.co/bnXs8L6bnP pic.twitter.com/it7JtZ0OjS
— Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) July 23, 2019
Unfortunately, progressives were quick to remind everyone of Joe Biden’s past.
— Mornin Glory⚖️ (@CDonatac) July 24, 2019
But I thought Joe was proud of the old bill. No regrets. Is this what you establishment Dems call “evolving””? It looks more to me like trying to compensate for a massive failure from the past. You be you though Joe.
— Jeff Keller (@JeffKeller3) July 24, 2019
From the other side of the aisle, conservatives argued that Biden was simply copying the First Step Act. Signed by Trump last December, that law made key reforms to sentencing that were widely celebrated by the black community.
Finally, one guy just kept it short and sweet.
Too little, too late.
— jesster (@JamsJessa) July 24, 2019
Either way, it doesn’t seem like a lot of people liked Joe Biden’s attempt. Time will tell how his campaign does in the coming months.
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