Joy Reid Claims Black Voters Supported Harris, White Women Did Not

During MSNBC’s election night coverage, host Joy Reid expressed her frustration over Kamala Harris’s defeat in North Carolina, attributing the loss to a lack of support from white women voters. Reid’s comments came as her co-host, Rachel Maddow, announced that North Carolina was called for President-Elect Donald Trump. This decision marked a critical point in the election as Harris struggled to secure a key battleground state.

Maddow remarked that to win North Carolina, Harris needed to outperform Joe Biden’s 2020 results. However, she ultimately fell short. Reid, visibly disappointed, responded by pointing to what she believed were the underlying reasons for the loss.

“I think we have to be blunt about why,” Reid said, explaining her perspective. “Black voters came through for Kamala Harris. White women voters did not,” she stated, adding that her observation reflected the voting patterns she saw in the state.

Reid’s comments emphasized her belief that Harris, as the first Black and South Asian woman on a presidential ticket, had a unique appeal to Black voters but failed to resonate enough with white women voters in North Carolina. In her view, this discrepancy was significant and frustrating given that Harris had campaigned heavily on issues like reproductive rights—a topic that Reid saw as crucial for North Carolina women.

“North Carolina is a state where women lost their reproductive rights,” Reid said, referring to recent legislative changes that restricted abortion access in the state. Harris had strongly focused on her pro-abortion stance in the hopes of mobilizing female voters, but Reid argued that it didn’t have the intended impact.

Reid emphasized that this election had implications beyond politics, as Harris’s loss in North Carolina suggested a possible disconnect with white female voters on core social issues. She added, “That message obviously was not enough to get enough white women to vote for Vice President Harris, a fellow woman,” Reid said, underscoring her disappointment that a common gender identity wasn’t enough to sway more white women voters toward Harris.

JUST IN: An increasingly depressed Joy Reid goes on rant against white women for not voting for Kamala Harris in North Carolina.

“Black voters came through for Harris, white women did not. That is what appears happened.”

“This is the second opportunity that white women in this… pic.twitter.com/voTD4qYzoo

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 6, 2024

“This will be the second opportunity that White women in this country have to change the way that they interact with the patriarchy,” Reid asserted.

Reid’s rant continued, “If people vote more, you know, party line or more on race than on gender, and on protecting their gender, there’s really not much more that you can do but tell people what the risks are and leave it to them to do the right thing.”

Election data from recent cycles shows North Carolina’s complex voting landscape. Known for its political diversity, the state has both rural conservative-leaning areas and urban centers with more progressive tendencies. Analysts noted that Harris faced an uphill battle in a state that has swung between Democratic and Republican candidates in recent years.

The discussion among MSNBC hosts continued, with other commentators analyzing the influence of different voter demographics in the state. Black voters, especially in urban areas like Charlotte and Raleigh, turned out in large numbers, contributing to Harris’s gains. Yet according to Reid, the turnout among white women voters was lower than Harris’s campaign had hoped, ultimately impacting her ability to capture North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes.

Reid’s comments echoed a broader concern within the Democratic Party about how best to connect with voters across demographics, especially in Southern states like North Carolina. The state has historically been a critical battleground, and a Democratic victory there would have offered Harris significant momentum. However, the failure to secure enough white female support highlights a recurring challenge for Democratic candidates in appealing to a diverse electorate with varied priorities and perspectives.

Reid’s remarks brought up questions about the complex interplay of race, gender, and politics in the United States. Analysts suggest that while identity can play a role in voting decisions, it doesn’t guarantee support from all members of any demographic group. For example, research shows that voting preferences among white women often reflect a range of issues, from economic concerns to social values, making them a less predictable voting bloc than might be assumed based solely on gender or reproductive rights.

Reid’s frustration also points to the evolving conversation within the Democratic Party about how to address the needs of all its voter bases effectively. The party’s leaders are expected to examine why issues like reproductive rights, which are thought to resonate broadly among women, didn’t seem to mobilize enough white women voters in North Carolina.

In contrast, Republicans like Trump have managed to appeal to a broad range of white female voters by focusing on issues such as the economy, national security, and conservative family values, which appear to resonate more in some suburban and rural areas of North Carolina.

As the post-election analysis continues, Reid’s comments underscore the Democratic Party’s ongoing challenge of bridging its support across demographic lines. The party has had success with urban Black voters, and Harris’s campaign did manage to generate excitement in these communities. However, to win in battleground states like North Carolina, Democrats are now reassessing their strategies for engaging white female voters and other demographics that may have felt overlooked or unconvinced by their messaging.

Reid’s disappointment over Harris’s loss and her view on the role of white women voters highlights the complex realities of electoral politics, where success often hinges on reaching a diverse array of voter groups. The Democratic Party will likely scrutinize this election closely to determine what adjustments are needed to address concerns raised by Reid and others about the importance of inclusive messaging that resonates broadly across all demographics.

As the dust settles, the question remains of how both major parties will approach future elections, balancing diverse voter interests with unified messaging.