Bloomberg's All-Out Effort to Boost Support Among Black Voters

Controversy Over 'Racial Discrimination' Due to 'Stop and Frisk' Policy During Tenure as New York Mayor

Bloomberg's Support Among Black Voters Only 4% According to Poll

▲Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York City, running as the Democratic presidential candidate. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jaehee] Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has begun efforts to win the support of voters of color. This move is interpreted as an attempt to erase the image of being a "racist" and a "wealthy white male."

According to Bloomberg News on the 20th, former Mayor Bloomberg announced that he would invest $70 billion (approximately 81 trillion KRW) to eradicate poverty in over 100 low-income areas across the United States. This statement was made during a speech commemorating Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Martin Luther King Day (the third Monday of January every year).

Former Mayor Bloomberg also pledged to "increase the number of Black homeowners and double the number of Black-owned businesses."

These actions by former Mayor Bloomberg are interpreted as "extraordinary measures" to attract voters of color ahead of the Democratic primary, where their influence is significant.

In the past, during his tenure, Bloomberg implemented the "Stop and Frisk" policy. This policy allowed police to stop and search citizens without consent if there was reasonable suspicion. Bloomberg actively enforced this policy, contributing to a reduction in crime rates. The annual number of murders in New York, which reached 2,000 cases in the 1980s and 1990s, dropped to below 500 in the 2000s and sharply declined to 290 in 2017. Bloomberg served as mayor from 2002 to 2013.

The problem was that among those subjected to stop and frisk, the proportion of Black individuals was overwhelmingly high. While New York's racial composition is 35% White, 28% Hispanic, 23% Black, and 14% Asian, the stop and frisk rates were 55% Black, 32% Hispanic, and 10% White, showing a disproportionate impact on people of color. This led to Bloomberg being labeled a "racist." Although this policy significantly contributed to increasing his approval ratings during his tenure, it now stands as his greatest weakness as a presidential candidate.

Ahead of his candidacy, in November, former Mayor Bloomberg publicly apologized at a Black church in Brooklyn, New York, saying, "I was wrong. I am sorry," and added, "I focused solely on saving lives. I know good intentions are not enough. I cannot change history, but I hope people understand that I have recognized my mistakes." Nevertheless, the sentiment among Black voters remains difficult to sway. Reverend Al Sharpton, a Black civil rights leader who received an apology call from Bloomberg, warned, "Do not expect forgiveness and forgetting with just one apology."

Meanwhile, a recent Washington Post (WP)-Ipsos poll conducted among Black respondents showed that 48% supported Joe Biden among Democratic presidential candidates. In contrast, only 4% expressed support for Bloomberg.