Buttigieg's most recent swing through South Carolina, the first state with a large black population to hold a primary, underscored the depth of his challenge with the critical Democratic voting bloc
ORANGEBURG, S.C. - Pete Buttigieg is betting big on Iowa and New Hampshire, hoping success in the largely white states will help him overcome dismal support from black voters by the time more diverse states weigh in on his bid for the presidency.
"It's South Carolina. We are gas, sweet tea and religion," said Mattie Thomas, who co-chairs the state’s Democratic Black Women Caucus."For many people, they believe their God won't let them support him." He has tried to confront those concerns head-on. Buttigieg named black employees to key positions on the campaign and released a detailed policy proposal – dubbed the Frederick Douglass Plan, named after the 19th-century abolitionist leader who was born into slavery – that would send more federal money to black colleges and black-owned businesses, said Hasoni Pratts, the campaign's national engagement director.
Larry McCutcheon, a 69-year-old black pastor, said he was open to voting for Buttigieg and gets angry at the portrayal of blacks as homophobic. Looking at some empty seats in the university hall, McCutcheon said the bigger issue was that Buttigieg's message had not resonated with enough black voters in the state.Buttigieg's campaign blames his sluggish poll numbers on black voters' lack of familiarity with the candidate, who did not have a national profile before entering the race.
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