What Went Down On The First Night Of The Democratic National Convention
Filed under 2020 Election
So the Black Lives Matter movement has radically changed public opinion in recent weeks, as you can see in this chart from The New York Times, but how much of an issue do you think the protests are going to be in the upcoming election? And is this a good opportunity for Democrats given the poor marks Trump has received on the issue?
Race relations, more broadly, remains a major issue, so I do think it could help Democrats given Trump’s low ratings on the issue. In July, Gallup’s poll asking Americans what the most important problem is found that race relations/racism ranked third with 16 percent, trailing just the coronavirus pandemic (30 percent) and government/poor leadership (23 percent).
At the 2016 convention, Democrats highlighted the Black Lives Matter Movement when “The Mothers of the Movement” spoke about their children who were victims of police shootings. However, as the LA Times reported at the time, Former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said from the podium that “Black Lives Matter,” but also talked about his brother who served as a police officer. So, like last convention, it seems like Democrats are trying to walk this thin line, so as to not alienate supporters. That said, it seems like Democrats are embracing the movement more fully this cycle.