2020 presidential race
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Biden Brings the Pain, Warren Starts to Gain and Yang Makes It Rain: 2020 Presidential Black Power Rankings, Week 9
We’re back! Yes, after a short break, The Root 2020 Presidential Black Power Rankings are back just in time for the Hunger Games of the third Democratic debates and the post-Labor Day campaign push. When we last left our field of would-be Donald Trump challengers, there were still fifty-eleven candidates running. Now, thanks to additional…
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Bill de Blasio Talks ICE, Sex Work Decriminalization and Why Black People Should Support His Campaign
New York City Mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Bill de Blasio said Donald Trump won the 2016 Election because people stayed home instead of hitting the polls, not because the majority of the country is racist (03:25). “Trump won not by bringing out a racist majority,” de Blasio said. “I do not believe there is…
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No Regrets? NYC Mayor and Presidential Candidate Bill de Blasio Gets Real About Eric Garner, the NYPD, and Policing
New York City Mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Bill de Blasio has no regrets over how he handled the legal proceedings of Daniel Pantaleo, the cop who killed Eric Garner. During his interview with The Root, de Blasio acknowledged the frustrations of New Yorkers who wanted him to call for the firing of Pantaleo (legally,…
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Kamala Harris Apologizes for Laughing at ‘Mentally Retarded’ Remark About Trump
The political campaign trail is no laughing matter. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris learned that the hard way after being called out for her reaction to a rallygoer who called Donald Trump’s actions “mentally retarded” at a campaign event on Friday. Disability rights activists criticized the California senator after she appeared to laugh at…
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Castro Punches His Ticket, Harris Starts to Fidget and Yang Starts to Kick It: 2020 Presidential Black Power Rankings, Week 8
We made it. After eight full weeks of Twitter spats, campaign gossip, polls and memes, we’ve reached our first bye week of The Root’s Presidential Black Power Rankings. Not only have the power rankings been a rousing success, with people eagerly anticipating each week, the engagement we’ve engendered (which is a polite way to say…
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Castro Gives Trump a Slap, Harris Gets a New Rap, and Stacey Abrams Sets a VP Thirst Trap: The Root’s 2020 Presidential Black Power Rankings, Week 7
“Smart white people know how to hire black people who actually KNOW black people.” Yours truly (Dr. Jason Johnson politics editor for the Root) and Marcus Ferrell, (former Black Outreach for Bernie Sanders in 2016) and the rest of the Power Rankings Committee came to this conclusion this week as we discussed which 2020 campaigns…
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Beto Goes Blue, Warren Wilts and Harris Goes O.G. AG: 2020 Presidential Black Power Rankings, Week 6
Mass shootings hit in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas; the stock market crashes; and Toni Morrison passes away. Why is it that every week of the Donald Trump presidency feels like a depressing opening scroll in some post-apocalyptic ’80s movie? In last week’s power rankings, we noted that in times of crisis, the committee…
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Booker Bodies Biden, Bernie Gets Cardi, and Kamala Gets Clapped: 2020 Presidential Black Power Rankings, Week 5
Before you read The Root’s 2020 Presidential Black Power Rankings for Week 5, we want you to close your eyes and use your imagination. It’s January 2023: Lil Nas X has just accepted a Grammy for his 32nd remix of “Old Town Road”; Facebook has just rolled out its new uncomfortably honest slogan, “Yeah, We’re…
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Dems Descend on Detroit for Round 2 of Presidential Debates
DETROIT—Here in the Motor City, locals are looking for Democratic candidates to prove one thing: Can you beat Donald Trump? This is not a question germane to Detroit—indeed, Trump is wildly unpopular with black people nationally—but what makes this city particularly vital is that it is the biggest black city in America that, at one…
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Bernie Blows It, Beto Shows It, and Biden Finally Grows a Bit: 2020 Presidential Black Power Rankings, Week 4
This week’s power rankings had a one-week gap because we had a lot of events we wanted to cover to make sure candidates were staying on their toes. We know you missed us. (So did the 2020 Democratic campaigns, who kept asking when the new rankings were coming out. We see you!) Our insiders and…