The Unite the Country effort has been underway for a little under six weeks. It has been an exciting journey and we are pleased by the momentum and interest to see Joe Biden become the Democratic nominee and, eventually, the next President of the United States.
In the two critical weeks prior to the holidays, Unite The Country invested over $1 million on TV ads in Iowa. These significant buys provide a great opportunity for our campaign to supplement the communication provided by the Joe Biden campaign and tell a story about Joe Biden’s courage and accomplishments. We learned during our research in the Hawkeye State that Iowa is very much up for grabs. The voters like meeting all of the candidates but are persuaded by Joe Biden’s fight for the middle class and his desire to improve on the Affordable Care Act. They also like that he has successes to hang his hat on – he fought and won against the NRA, fought for women by authoring the Violence Against Women Act, and believes that love is love.
We know that Iowa and New Hampshire are critical to gaining momentum and winning in Nevada, South Carolina, and then into Super Tuesday. Last week, we hosted focus groups in Charleston and Columbia, S.C. It’s clear that Joe Biden is seen as a native son. The depth of his relationships are strong and real in that state. His 40%+ lead in that state exudes when you speak to voters. Later this week, we will be speaking to voters in Nevada and expect to hear similar enthusiasm.
More specifically in South Carolina is Joe Biden’s lead with African Americans, who make up over 60% of the primary electorate, is striking. Polling released early this week found Biden with a lead over 20 points, driven by the fact he is earning roughly 56% of African American voters. This lines up with national polling released this week, where in two polls his share of the African American vote was around 50% (51% in Quinnipiac, and 49% in Economist polling). We also saw this week polling showing Biden with a small lead in Iowa, sitting in a strong second place in New Hampshire, as well as leading in both Texas and California.
The upcoming Presidential debate on December 19 will be a great opportunity for Joe Biden to tell the American people why he should be the next President of the United States. The group of candidates is smaller. The opportunity to tell his story is greater. We all know it’s difficult to communicate effectively when 12 other candidates are trying to make a headline or have a “gotcha” moment against their rival.
It’s time for the voters to hear the facts.
- Joe Biden will rebuild the backbone of the middle class.
- Joe Biden will show strength and leadership on the world stage.
- Joe Biden will make sure all Americans feel included and our democracy does not exclude.
- Joe Biden is committed to strengthening our commitment to justice.
- Joe Biden will continue to fight against the NRA
- Joe Biden will stand up for women
These facts (and so many more) are why we are fighting every day to make Joe Biden the next President of the United States. With the impeachment process gearing up, the need has never been greater to find a leader who can walk into the Oval Office and lead on day one. We need a leader who needs no training to be the Commander in Chief. We also need a candidate that can win nationally. YouGov released national polling on November 27 and again on December 4. The difference between the polls has Joe Biden +4.
The eight days of the “No Malarkey” tour in Iowa showed Joe Biden’s stamina and perseverance. He showed he can fight for himself. He showed humility and empathy. A Mason City, Iowa voter spoke to Politico after one of his bus tour stops and said that, after watching him up close, “It [his speech] inspired confidence in me. He was fluent. He was articulate. He spoke without notes. He was convincing he was the man who could lead this country.” We couldn’t agree more.
We feel as though the race is breaking in the direction of Vice President Biden, but we also know that there is a lot of work to be done. Unite the Country is committed to fully funding a comprehensive communications plan in Iowa, as well as beginning communication in other early states, setting us up for an important push through Super Tuesday and the rest of March. But as our Iowa buy showed, to complete effectively, we will need the help of our supporters; so thank you for what you have done to date, and we appreciate all you will do to help us help Joe Biden the next President of the United States.