Bloomberg endorsed by 3 black lawmakers amid stop-and-frisk questions

[left-of-center2012]

Michael Bloomberg touted the endorsements of three members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Wednesday, a day after the former New York mayor again faced questions about his previous support for stop-and-frisk policing practices.

Reps. Lucy McBath of Georgia, Gregory Meeks of New York and Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands made no mention of the controversial policing practice that took place during Bloomberg's mayoralty in their endorsement statements. But their support could help Bloomberg as he reaches out to the African American community, a critical bloc of the Democratic base that views the former New York mayor with scorn in large part due to his longtime support for stop and frisk.

"Mike gave grieving mothers like me a way to stand up and fight back," McBath, whose 17-year-old son Jordan Davis was shot and killed by a white man in 2012 after a dispute over loud music, said in a statement. "Nobody running for president has done more for the gun violence prevention movement than Mike." Bloomberg has long advocated for greater gun control measures and has spent millions on the cause.

Meeks and Plaskett said Bloomberg was best positioned to defeat President Donald Trump in a general election head-to-head matchup and would boost the US economy. Last month, Bloomberg was endorsed by Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois, a former civil rights activist and senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Rush was also named national co-chair for Bloomberg's presidential campaign.

Bloomberg apologized for his support for the practice when he entered the race late last year, but comments from 2015 that surfaced earlier this week in which he defended stop and frisk in stark terms renewed attention on the controversial part of his New York legacy. Responding to the audio, Bloomberg in a statement Tuesday pointed to his previous apology over stop and frisk and that past comments "do not reflect my commitment to criminal justice reform and racial equity."

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/12/politics/michael-bloomberg-congressional-black-caucus-endorsements/index.html

[Wabbajack_]

1. Ironic

Trump would harp on it daily if Bloomberg was the nominee, despite Trump certainly supporting stop and frisk himself.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. Black voters are the ultimate pragmatists.

[robbedvoter]

3. Probably, because unlike other candidates he apologized. Repeatedly.

Didn't insist he was right to use the N-word or advocate for segregationism. And I am absolutely NOT for him, or any other for that matter.

[honest.abe]

4. Not only that but he is also capturing black voters.

Quinnipiac poll (February 5 - 9, 2020)

Biden: 27%
Bloomberg: 22%
Sanders: 19%
Warren: 8%
Buttigieg: 4%
Klobuchar: 0%

https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=3655

I suspect by now he has eclipsed Biden.

Why? I believe it's because black voters are deathly afraid of what would happen if Trump wins again. They cannot take a risk on someone like Bernie or anyone else that they don't feel can get the job done.

Bloomberg is Trump's Achilles Heel. He can outspend him and outsmart him.

[quickesst]

5. The rest of the candidates....

.... have been campaigning and working hard every day exposing themselves to both praise and criticism from the public, each other, and the MSM. Along with unlimited funds, 1 smiley pretty much sums up Bloomberg's campaign so far.

BLOOMBERG 2020

[robbedvoter]

6. Bloomberg takes it to 🍊. Effectively.

While the other candidates are attacking each other. If nothing else, his contribution is very valuable. And many see it as such. Black people base their political decisions on a complexity of issues besides identity. (like, say, women?) From where I stand they seem to be more astute than the rest of us.