Joe Biden caused a media firestorm last week when he cited his working relationship with pro-segregation Democratic senators to make a point about the importance of civility in politics. But a new poll suggests that black voters mostly shrugged off the controversy.
Not only does a new Morning Consult/Politico survey find no change in Biden’s support, it also finds more black Democrats who say they are more likely to vote for Biden after the controversy, than those who are less likely to do so. Though a majority say either it has no effect on their perception of the former vice president, or they have no opinion.
Specifically, the poll finds Biden sustaining 38% support nationally and 43% in early primary states (his next closest competitor, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, is at 19% and 21%, respectively). That’s unchanged from a poll taken before Biden’s statements. His support among black voters was essentially unchanged, at 45% last week and 46% in the most recent poll, though as Steve Kornacki notes, he’s significantly more popular among black voters over 45 (59% support) than under 45 (34% support).
A deeper look at the numbers finds that 45% of registered voters and 53% of blacks heard at least something about Biden’s comments.
When Morning Consult described Biden’s comments, 30% of black voters said they were “much more likely” or “somewhat more likely” to vote for him, compared to 20% who said they were somewhat or much less likely. A majority of 51% said the comments either didn’t change their judgment about Biden, or they had no opinion.
As I noted in the wake of the remarks, ultimately black voters would decide whether the comments are a problem for him because it will be hard for the media and his rivals to keep the story alive if the community most affected by the remarks largely shrugs them off. This poll suggests that’s just what’s happening.
